Chapter 2. Old Flames and New Orders

~Alina~

The mix of blood and sweat stuck to Alina's skin and the stray strands of hair that danced around her face. Some of it even seeped into her mouth and she internally cussed at the foul taste.

She stood in the corner of the room watching as Darius had his men pin one of his associates down. His cries for mercy filled the smoke cladded room.

“This would never happen again! I swear it. I SWEAR IT BOSS!” Alima's bored eyes strayed from the crying man to her godfather — Darius Anderson.

The next day after her father's death, Darius came to her where she sat rooted in the morgue with her father's corpse. He looked sharp, dangerous, scary and his presence was the only thing that made Alina feel anything other than rage since the previous night.

¤¤¤

“You sit there like that would bring him from the dead.” Darius said. Cocking his head to the side, the black shades sat lazily on the bridge of his nose — the only thing lax about him.

Alina just stared. Too freighted by him and the men who stood like statues behind his frame.

“Do you not talk little miss?” He questioned. His voice lacked any kind of warmth. Not like she expected warmth from a man that looked as cold as a freaking glacier.

“W-Who A-Are you?” Alina managed to croak out.

Darius smiled down at her. And this time she felt the tiniest bit relaxed. “Your father's closest friend and your godfather. Now tell me Alina, would you sit and rot there or would you direct that fire behind your eyes in the right direction?”

¤¤¤

Darius crouched and snaked a hand out to caress the man's face. “I know it won't happen again Karl.” He said softly. 

Before the relieved expression could settle on his face, Darius pulled the cigar from his mouth and pressed it firmly on Karl's left eye. His high pitched scream made Alina wince slightly. She hated loud noises.

“Incompetency isn't tolerated here. You know that, don't you, Karl?” He didn't give him a chance to respond before firing his gun at the center of his head in one smooth shot. 

Blood leaked from the hole on his head onto the shiny black tiles of Darius’ office. The instructions were not needed before the men took him away and the cleaning crew dashed in to take care of the mess.

“Ah Alina! Come, come forward.” Darius waved for her to move closer to him seated behind the dark brown and white mahogany desk.

“You called for me sir.” Alina said, her tone clipped and formal. She always talked formally to Darius, despite his instructions that she was a special exception. Alina was his goddaughter and he wanted her to treat him more like a father than a boss, which she just couldn’t bring herself to.

Darius Andersen was Florida's Mafia Don. The biggest and most feared in America. 

“I see you've taken care of the senator.” Darius nods towards her dirty self. Not like he particularly cared about appearance. The only thing he cares enough about is that the job gets done. Something Karl couldn't do, apparently. 

“Yes. He's been silenced sir.” Alina nodded once, wanting nothing more than to go back home and take a long warm shower.

Darius’ mouth curved upwards. He wagged a finger slowly at her. “My girl. This is why I want to trust you with something more delicate.”

He stood up, rounding his desk to where she stood facing straight forward.

“There's a man in Mexico city. A very powerful man that threatens my position as the top worldwide.” His voice lowers to almost a whisper, the strong breathy smell of toba**o fanning her face. “Don Antonio Alvarez. You will infiltrate his mansion and assassinate him quietly. No mistakes.”

Her head shot up. “Another don?”

Darius’ brow lifted slightly. “Are you perhaps hesitant right now?” His voice dipped lethally. 

“I'm not,” Alina said quickly. 

“Good. Cause there's no need for you to be nervous anyway. I'm not sending you there alone.”

Her pulse quickened on her temple. Alina has been working alone for the past seven years. The thought of someone else in the field with her didn't sit right.

The door to Darius cracked open and familiar footsteps that made Alina's heart jolt echoed in the room. She turned sharply before she could stop herself. 

“I knew it. Those darned footsteps…” Alina said under her breath, very faintly enough for only her to hear.

Lukan Blackwood. Darius's Capo and Alina's ex lover. He strode in with the same confidence he's always carried. Alina envied him. 

Those same calm green eyes he used to stare at her affectionately with. Now looked past her like she was almost invisible. Her heart clenched bitterly at his nonchalance. 

“He'll be going along to keep an eye on you.” Darius turned to face her. His tone firmer. “Don't disappoint me.”

“Yes sir,” The both chorused.

“Good. Go clean yourself up, you leave tomorrow.”

With no further time wasted and in a bid to escape Lukan. Alina dashed for the door. She could still feel his heated gaze on her back. “Creep” she mumbled.

The corridor opened into a wider hall and was lined with new faces. Two unfamiliar guards leaned against the wall, smirking when she passed by.

“Didn't know they let girls work down here.” One snickered. Nudging the other. 

Alina ignored them at first, trying to avoid altercations with fools but it seemed like the message flew over their heads.

The second guard stepped forward, grinning from ear to ear. “Hey sweet stuff, wrong floor. The kitchen's upstairs.” He pouted, then began laughing hysterically. 

Alina's hand shot out and grabbed him by the collar, slamming the black haired idiot hardly against the wall. His laugh was caught terribly short. Leaving him to battle a fit of cough.

“Fucking bitch! Are you crazy?” The second guard cussed. His hand hovering over the pistol in his pants. 

Alina sent the first guard flying with a kick that knocked the air out of him. She was in a bad mood and those fuckers made it worse.

“Say it again. I dare you.” She spat venomously.

“Enough.” Bodhi, one of Darius’ men said as he came out from a corner.

“Back off.” He told them. “You're new here, so I'll let this slide and pretend you don't know who she is. But you don't talk to her and definitely not in hell touch her. Am I understood?”

The guards straightened immediately, all colour draining from their face as the capo spoke authoritatively. They wondered who the woman they messed with was for her to gain the respect from a high ranking member.

Bodhi gave her a slight nod of acknowledgement. “You good?”

“Sure.” She said, eying the shaky men up and down with disdain. “I'll be taking my leave.”

Once Alina got home. She made sure to put the TV on as she went to take her shower. The background sound from the TV filled the empty space and made her feel less fidgety. 

Ping.

A message dropped, Alina was being transferred to Mexico for her pending detective case. “It can't be a coincidence.” she thought.

This was her life now. Alina the Assassin. Life in the underground was hell when she first joined seven years ago. Trainings were even more brutal. But the one thing that fueled her was the burning thirst for revenge, to do that she had to survive and the only way for her to survive was to join the crime family.