The metallic tang of blood lingered in the air, mixing with the acrid scent of gunpowder. My fingers tremble slightly as I reloaded my Glock, the weight of Julia’s warning clawing at the back of my mind. *“He’ll ruin you. Like he ruins everything.”* Ace stood silhouetted against the shattered penthouse windows, his shoulders rigid as he stared at the city below. The detonator from Haemir’s new leader—Serpent-Tattoo Woman, as Valerie had dubbed her—lay crushed under his boot. “They’ll keep coming,” I said, breaking the silence. “You know that.” He didn’t turn. “Let them.” Valerie barged in, her curls wild and a fresh cut bleeding above her brow. “Dawson’s alive. Haemir dumped him in a warehouse off the harbor. Esther’s patching him up.” Ace’s jaw twitched. “And the woman with the snake?” “Gone. Like smoke.” Valerie tossed a bloodstained USB on the table. “But she left a love note.” I plugged it in. Security
The scent of smoke clung to my skin like a second layer, a reminder of the warehouse fire still smoldering downtown. Ace’s fingers drummed the map spread across the table, his eyes narrowed at the red X marking Haemir’s latest stronghold. “We hit them at dawn,” he said, voice cutting through the static of the police scanner. Valerie tossed a bullet casing into the air, catching it with a smirk. “Dramatic. I like it.” I leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “They’ll expect a frontal assault. Haemir’s not stupid.” Ace’s gaze flicked to me, cold and calculating. “You have a better plan, *Donna*?” The title still burned, a brand I hadn’t asked for. “We split their forces. Lure them into the tunnels beneath the docks. Valerie rigs the exits.” Esther arched a brow from the corner, her British accent sharp. “And who plays the bait, love? You?” Ace’s fist slammed the table. “No.” I stepped forward, meet
I strapped a knife to my thigh, the cold metal biting into my skin, as Ace’s reflection watched from the doorway—a statue carved from ice and rage. “You hesitate,” he said, voice low. I didn’t turn. “You *assume*.” He crossed the room, gloved fingers brushing the scar on my neck. “Hesitation gets you killed.” I slapped his hand away. “And arrogance gets you *buried*.” Valerie leaned against the doorframe, tossing a grenade like an apple. “Lovebirds! Esther’s got a location. Abandoned asylum, because of *course* it’s creepy.” Ace’s jaw tightened. “We move in ten.” “*We*?” I arched a brow. He gripped my chin, breath hot. “You stay behind me.” “Or what?” I whispered. His thumb traced my lip. “Or I’ll chain you here myself.” ---The asylum loomed, a skeleton of broken windows and shattered pride. Moonlight bled through the cracks as we crept through the rot.
Ace leaned against a steel pillar, his gaze tracking me as I paced. Valerie tossed a dossier onto a rusted table, her scar catching the light. “Nightwind’s moving tonight. Dock 12.” She smirked. “Julia’s got a new plaything—some tech mogul with a death wish.” Ace didn’t look up from cleaning his pistol. “Burn it down.” I halted, my heels clicking. “No. We take the mogul alive. He’s leveraged.” Ace’s thumb paused on the slide. “Since when do you negotiate?” “Since *I* started leading.” I met his stare, the air crackling. Valerie whistled. “God, it’s like foreplay with you two.” Ace stood, holstering his weapon. “You want to play diplomat, *Donna*? Then you’ll wear the crown *my* way.” He tossed me a bulletproof vest lined with black lace. “Try not to bleed on it.” --- The docks reeked of salt and diesel. Julia stood atop a shipping container, her bobbed hair gleaming under spotlights. T
The scent of antiseptic clung to the safe house, mixing with the metallic whisper of rain against barred windows. Isobel’s shallow breaths from the adjacent room were a metronome of guilt. I traced the rim of a whiskey glass, its contents untouched, while Ace’s shadow loomed in the doorway—a silhouette sharp enough to cut. “She’s alive because of you,” he said, voice gravel-drying. “Not everyone gets that mercy.” “Mercy?” I scoffed, the glass trembling in my grip. “You turned her into a pawn. Just like me.” He crossed the room in three strides, snatching the glass from my hand. His thumb brushed the scar on my wrist, the one from Tokyo. “Pawns survive. Queens *sacrifice*.” “And kings?” I challenged, rising to meet his gaze. “Kings,” he murmured, fingers tangling in my hair, “devouring.” The kiss was a battle—lips and teeth and the bitter tang of betrayal. I bit down hard, drawing blood. He laughed against my mouth, the sound dark and honeyed. “Still fighting, little queen?
The safe house was too quiet. Isobel’s whimpers had faded into drugged sleep, but they still clawed at my skull. I leaned against the bathroom sink, staring at the cracks in the mirror—each one a reminder of the fractures spreading through our lives. Valerie’s voice cut through the door. “She’s asking for you.” “She’s *asleep*,” I said, too sharply. “And you’re a terrible liar.” The door creaked open. Her scarred face softened. “Brie. Breathe.” I splashed water on my neck, where Ace’s grip had left faint bruises. “Where is he?” “Plotting murder. The usual.” She tossed me a towel. “You gonna keep avoiding him?” “Yes.” “Liar.” The hallway light flickered as I stepped out. Ace stood at the end, silhouetted like a wraith. Valerie melted away, leaving us in the electric silence. “She’ll never be the same,” I said. He didn’t move. “None of us are.” I walked toward him, my boots echoing. “Was she worth it? All the lies? The blood?” His gaze pinned me. “*You* were.”