chapter 3

"I really can't explain how I got here or why I'm here right now, but please... help me!" Freya said sharply. Her breath was coming in short, ragged gasps. Her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird after her long run. She was shaking so hard she could barely stand.

Darlington stared at her. His eyes were cold and full of fire. He looked extremely angry that his private meeting had been interrupted.

"Explain yourself!" Darlington roared. "How did you get to this side of the city? No one comes here by accident."

"Sir, please! I swear I know you won't believe me," Freya cried, her voice trembling. "I came here by mistake! Two scary men were chasing me, and I just kept running. I didn't know where I was going!"

Darlington stepped closer, looming over her. "Is that what the person who sent you told you to say? No one ever comes here by mistake.

"No! I’m just a girl trying to stay safe!" Freya sobbed.

Just then, Kelvin, Darlington’s assistant, stepped forward. He looked at Freya with a mean scowl. "Mr. Knight, let me handle her. She is wasting your time. I will take her away and make sure she never bothers us again."

Kelvin reached out to grab Freya’s arm, and she flinched away. But before Kelvin could touch her, a loud noise echoed through the alley.

The two security guards from the casino stepped out of the shadows. They were carrying heavy flashlights and had mean smiles on their faces. They looked at Freya and laughed.

"Oh, poor girl," the first guard said, mocking her. "You just ran from the frying pan and into the fire! Coming back with us to the casino would be a mercy compared to staying here."

Darlington turned his head slowly. His anger shifted from Freya to the two men. His voice became low and very dangerous.

"So," Darlington said, his eyes narrowing. "The both of you dare to chase a girl into my space? This is my territory. The rules clearly say no one crosses this line at night. Do you think you are above my rules?"

The guards turned pale when they realized who they were talking to. They stopped walking immediately.

"Sorry, sir! Please!" the second guard stuttered. "We have unfinished business with this girl. She ran away from our boss. Let us just take the girl and go, and we won't bother you anymore."

Darlington’s face turned into a mask of ice. "No. You do not come into my territory and make demands. You have shown me great disrespect."

"But sir," the first guard begged, "our boss, will be very unhappy if we don't come back with her. He is a powerful man!"

"How dare you?" Darlington growled. "Are you threatening me with your boss's name? In my own home?"

In one smooth motion, Darlington reached into his jacket and pulled out a shiny silver gun. He pointed it straight at the guards.

"I am the boss here," Darlington said firmly. "If you don't turn around and run right now, you won't be going back to any boss. I will count to three."

"We are leaving! We are leaving!" the guards screamed. They didn't wait for him to start counting. They turned around and ran back into the darkness as fast as their legs could carry them.

Freya watched them go, but she didn't feel safe. She looked at the heavy weapon in Darlington's hand and then up at his dark, angry face. The stress of the chase, the fear of the guards, and the shock of seeing a gun were too much for her.

The world started to spin. The streetlights became blurry, and the ground felt like it was moving.

"Wait..." Freya whispered, but her legs gave out.

She fainted, falling toward the hard ground. Darlington reacted instantly. He dropped his gun into his pocket and caught her in his arms before she hit the pavement.

"Kelvin," Darlington said, looking down at the girl. She looked small and pale in his arms. "Tell everyone the meeting is over. We will continue next week."

"Are you going to leave her here, sir?" Kelvin asked, looking confused. "She's just a local girl."

"No," Darlington said, his eyes looking thoughtful. "We need to find out what she is up to and how she found this location. It is possible our enemies sent her to find us. Take her to my house. She might be a spy... and I want to find out who sent her.”