02: Stranger

DAMIEN RAPHAËL POV

The gun was loaded, the safety off. All that was left was to decide how much his life was worth to him.

"Please..." His voice cracked, sweat dripping down his face. "I'll give you five million. Just let me live."

"Ten." I circled him, calmly.

His eyes darted. "Deal. But...who sent you?"

I ignored the question. "Where's the check?"

He nodded shakily toward the desk. I grabbed the checkbook and pen, tossing them in front of him. Loosening the ropes slightly, I waited.

His hands shook as he scrawled the amount.

I took the check, glanced at it and tucked it into my jacket.

Turning to the door, I paused, letting his relief hang in the air.

"I’ve already got fifteen million to kill you." I said, glancing back, as the color began to drain from his face. "And I didn’t agree to your offer."

His face paled, panic setting in. "No, wait..."

The single shot cracked through the air, the bullet embedding itself neatly between his eyes.

His head snapped back, a trickle of blood running down his face as his body slumped lifelessly in the chair.

I holster my gun as I glanced around at the lifeless security guards, crumpled on the floor, blood pooling beneath them.

I checked the watch on my wrist; fifteen minutes and twenty-five seconds.

Leaving the carnage behind, I headed out, slipping my gloves into my pocket as I climbed into my car; a black Ferrari, sleek and quiet.

The engine purred to life and within seconds, I was cruising through the city, sunglasses shielding my eyes from the glare of the sun.

"Daddy's on his way, princess." I muttered, the hum of the engine soothing as the streets blurred past.

A few minutes later, my earpiece started buzzing and I answered, my gaze locked on the road ahead.

"Job done?" The familiar voice of a CEO client crackled through.

"Any doubt?" I responded.

He had contracted me to eliminate his brother, clearing the path for him to inherit his family's legacy as next of kin. It was a straightforward job, part of my line of work as a contract killer.

"Efficient, as always, Raphaël." He chuckled. "Word has it you're on the FBI's radar, but you're walking around the city like you own the place."

I almost laughed, clearly he had done his homework.

The feds had been sniffing around for years, but they'd never find anything that would stick.

"What else have you heard?" I replied smoothly.

"You never miss and you're on every hit list imaginable. No boundaries, no hesitation." His words scratched the surface, barely skimming the depth of my reputation.

Born into the Mafia, I'd been trained since I could walk. By seventeen, I was an expert in death and now, at twenty-nine, I was the best at what I did.

"This is the last you'll hear from me." I said, not bothering to entertain his praise any further.

Nearing the school gates, I slowed the car down, scanning the sidewalk.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Raphaël." He finished and I cut the call.

My focus shifted to the sight of my five-year-old daughter skipping toward my car, her school bag swinging by her side. Removing my sunglasses, I opened the passenger door.

Angelina hopped in, her smile bright.

"You're finally here!" She giggled, tossing her bag into the back seat.

I nodded, shutting the door gently. "Seatbelt, Angel."

Her hands fumbled with the buckle as she asked, "Is Mummy coming home soon?"

I clenched the steering wheel, forcing the words out as I drove onto the road. "We've talked about this."

Angel buckled up, still fidgeting. "Can I get a puppy?"

"I'll get you as many puppies as you want, princess." I assured, my voice softening, though pets were the last thing I cared for.

She pouted, eyes focused on her lap. "Why can't I have a Mummy, too? All the other kids at school have one."

I was about to respond when my earpiece buzzed again. I tapped it, my voice sharper now. "Speak."

The voice on the other end was synthetic, a distorted mockery of anonymity. "I didn't realize you had a daughter, Raphaël."

I glanced at Angelina. She had turned the MP3 player on, music filtering through the speakers.

I reached over, turning it off as the voice laughed in my ear.

"I guess I'll be meeting her soon." The caller taunted, but the line cut off before I could respond.

I had enemies. That came with the territory. But no one had dared to mention Angelina before.

A cold anger surged through me, but I forced it down.

"Daddy, I want music." Angel complained, completely oblivious.

"Sure, princess." I agreed, my voice steady, but my mind was already racing through a list of names.

Whoever this was, they'd just made the biggest mistake of their life.

And they'd pay for it in blood.

After a moment of music playing, my earbud buzzed, shortly again. My eyes remained fixed on the road as I answered.

"Damien!" Fred's voice burst through, frantic and breathless. "Get away from your car right now!"

"What?" I demanded, though the answer came swiftly.

"One of your clients set you up...we got a tip there’s a bomb in your car!" Fred's voice was sharp with urgency.

Fred was more than just the first-in-command of my imperial clan, he'd been my closest ally and friend since my old man's reign.

"I'm tracking your phone's GPS," He continued, "but if you're driving, you need to get out of the car. Now!"

I glanced sideways at Angel, sitting innocently in the passenger seat. The road ahead was mostly clear, just two cars in the distance.

Without hesitation, I veered onto the sidewalk, extending my arm to brace Angel against the sudden shift. She let out a startled scream as I brought the car to a screeching halt.

I unbuckled her seatbelt in a flash and scooped her into my arms.

The second I stepped out of the car, I sprinted down the sidewalk, Angel clinging tightly to me.

Just as I cleared a few feet, my car exploded. The blast rocked the street, sending pedestrians into a panic, their screams mingling with Angel's as the fireball engulfed the vehicle.

"Daddy...what's...happening?" She whimpered, her wide eyes locked on the burning wreckage.

I touched the earbud in my ear. "Fred?"

His voice came through, strained but steady. "You alright? Where's Angel?"

"She's with me." I muttered, scanning my surroundings to notice the two cars in distance were now blocking the road ahead.

Slowing my steps, I added, "Whoever did this, they're going to pay."

Angel rested her head on my shoulder, her little body tense.

I wasn't taking any chances. This wasn't just a random hit, it was personal.

Fred cursed on the other end. "Help's on the way, but you've got to stay sharp."

Movement from the parked cars caught my attention.

"Daddy..." Angel's voice cracked as she clung tighter to me. "I'm scared."

I set her gently on her feet, crouching down to wipe the tears from her cheeks with my thumb.

"Princess, look at me." My voice was calm, despite the situation. "I need you to run, okay? I'll be right behind you."

She blinked up at me, hesitant. "Pinky promise?"

I hooked my finger around hers, locking eyes with her. "Pinky promise."

With a small nod, she turned and began running, just like I told her. I watched her go and once she was far enough away on the block, I slowly withdrew my pistols from my jacket.

Then I heard it. My name, echoing off the buildings. "Raphaël!"

I turned, guns ready.

A group of armed men emerged from the cars, guns aimed at me. The voice that followed was unfamiliar, but the threat was clear. "You're a dead man."

I smirked, clicking the safety off my pistols. "I've been dead for a long time."

Without hesitation, I unleashed a volley of bullets, dropping two of them with clean shots to the head.

The others fired back, bullets zipping past me as I dove behind a tree on the block for cover.

Glancing over my shoulder, I caught sight of Angel, still running, her small form disappearing around the block.

"Good girl." I murmured.

I peeked out from behind the tree, returning fire.

Two more shots found their targets, sending my attackers crumpling to the ground, blood pooling from them. The rest scrambled for cover behind the cars, frantically reloading.

Reloading my own pistols, I moved quickly, darting from cover. As I circled around the wreckage of my car, I saw the remaining enforcers giving chase.

I cursed under my breath, firing off a few rounds to slow their advance. I couldn't let them get anywhere near Angel after noticing she had reached the cross street around the corner.

I covered her from a distance, keeping their attention on me. The street ahead was eerily empty, a warning that cops would soon be on their way.

One last bullet flew from my gun, finding its mark. The last enforcer dropped and I flicked the safeties back on my pistols, holstering them as I registered the intense pain in my arm.

A bullet had grazed me. I ignored it. My only concern was getting to Angelina.

Just as I was about to cross the street to her on the other side, a car horn blared. Too late. I barely had time to react before the impact sent me rolling over the hood of a speeding car.

Pain shot through my body as I hit the pavement hard, my vision swimming.

"Ugh..." I groaned, reaching for my chest as the world spun around me.

"Shit...shit...look at me!" A soft voice broke through the haze. I blinked, my vision coming back into focus.

A pair of light green eyes stared down at me, concern etched into their features. Her delicate hands were on my face, gently cradling it as I fought to keep my eyes open a while longer.

I couldn't hold on.

Darkness crept in, pulling me under.