Women conflict

Luther POV

The moment I walked into the living room and saw the two of them standing opposite each other, I knew something was about to explode. The air was thick… heavy with that quiet kind of war women wage with their eyes long before words even start flying. Rose stood her ground, her jaw tight, while Marylin’s smirk told me she was enjoying every second of it.

I paused at the doorway for a second, letting the silence stretch before I spoke. “What’s going on here?”

My tone was calm, but sharp enough to slice through the tension in the air. Both of them turned. Rose’s eyes met mine for just a moment… there was a flicker of relief there, but she didn’t say a word. Instead, she turned around and walked past me without looking back. The faint scent of her perfume trailed after her, light and faintly sweet.

Marylin, on the other hand, stood still. Her expression didn’t falter. If anything, she looked amused.

I sighed quietly and ran a hand over my jaw. “You want to explain?”

She gave a small laugh, her heels clicking as she walked toward the bar. “You tell me, Luther. Should I be the one explaining why a waitress is walking freely around your house?”

I shot her a look. “Watch your words, Marylin.”

She turned slightly, a smug smile curving on her lips. “I’m just saying the truth. That girl doesn’t belong here. She’s too soft, too naïve… she’ll break the first time she sees what real power looks like.”

“Enough,” I said, my tone dropping lower. “Rose is under my protection. That should be all you need to know.”

Marylin scoffed lightly, pouring herself a glass of wine from the counter as if she owned the place. “Protection? You’re really letting her stay here now? I thought you only offered that to people who could actually handle this life.”

“She can handle more than you think,” I said firmly. “And it’s none of your business what I do in my own house.”

She took a sip from her glass, her eyes never leaving mine. “I see… so she’s special now.”

I ignored that comment. I had no intention of giving her the satisfaction. “Let’s stop pretending this visit is about her,” I said. “What are you doing here?”

She shrugged slowly, her red nails tapping against the glass. “Business. The reason we always meet, remember?”

I leaned against the counter, my patience thinning. “Then get to it.”

Marylin’s smirk faded slightly, replaced by a businesslike calm. “I came with an offer. There’s a shipment coming in from the eastern docks in two weeks. The deal is worth ten million dollars if you’re in.”

I didn’t answer immediately. I could read her tone easily… the way she lingered on the number wasn’t just for effect. It was bait.

“You know my percentage,” I said simply.

“Of course I do,” she replied smoothly. “I just thought you might want to negotiate… considering who’s running this deal.”

My eyes narrowed. “Who?”

She smiled faintly. “You’ll find out when the time comes.”

That was typical Marylin. She liked dangling information in front of people like a toy. But I wasn’t one of her pawns.

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “You’re playing with fire if you think I’ll walk into something blind.”

Her eyes gleamed. “You always liked a little danger though, didn’t you?”

I gave her a hard stare until her smile faltered. “Enough games, Marylin. If you’ve got a business proposal, keep it professional. Otherwise, don’t waste my time.”

She tilted her head, the smile creeping back in place. “Fine. I’ll communicate later. You’ll get the full details by the end of the week.”

I nodded once. “Good. And next time… call. You don’t walk into my house uninvited.”

She raised a brow. “Oh, please. Since when did I need an invitation?”

“Since now,” I said firmly.

Her laughter was light but sharp. “You’ve changed, Luther. Is it the girl? She’s making you soft.”

I didn’t react. That was what she wanted .. to get under my skin.

“Leave, Marylin,” I said finally, my voice flat. “You’ve said what you came to say.”

She set her half-empty glass down on the counter and took a step toward me, her perfume thick in the air. “I’ll come if I want to,” she said quietly. “You can’t control me.”

I met her gaze steadily. “Try me.”

For a few seconds, neither of us moved. Then she smirked, clearly deciding not to push it further. “Fine,” she said, brushing imaginary dust from her dress. “But you’ll call me when you see how right I am about that girl.”

I said nothing. My silence was enough to tell her to leave.

As her heels clicked toward the door, I finally exhaled, rolling my shoulders to ease the tension that had built up. The minute the front door closed behind her, the house felt quiet again. Too quiet.

My eyes drifted toward the hallway where Rose had gone. I told myself I wasn’t worried …she was fine. But the image of her face when I walked in, the way she avoided my gaze, lingered in my mind.

She didn’t deserve to be caught between people like us. She was strong, but she wasn’t made for this world. And yet, something about her made it impossible to let go.

Before I could dwell on that thought, Marco’s voice echoed behind me. “Boss.”

I turned to see him standing at the doorway, his expression serious. “You got anything?” I asked immediately.

He shook his head. “Nothing solid yet. I’ve asked around… but it’s not adding up.”

I frowned. “Not adding up how?”

He stepped closer. “The men we questioned said they didn’t recognize the attackers. No one’s claiming the hit.”

That didn’t sit right. “Vicenzo’s men?”

“No, boss,” Marco said quickly. “I checked that angle first. Vicenzo wasn’t responsible. In fact, his people have been quiet for days.”

I paced slowly, thinking it through. “So if it wasn’t Vicenzo, then who?”

Marco exhaled, frustration flickering across his face. “That’s the problem. Nobody knows. It’s like they came out of nowhere and vanished after the hit.”

“Ghosts don’t plan ambushes,” I muttered.

“I know,” Marco said. “But whoever they are, they were organized. This wasn’t random.”

I looked at him sharply. “Then find out who it was. I don’t care what it takes.”

Marco nodded. “Understood. But boss… there’s something else.”

I turned toward him. “What is it?”

He hesitated for a second before answering. “Someone’s been asking questions. About Rose.”

My chest tightened slightly. “Who?”

“I don’t know yet. One of the guys in the downtown club overheard some talk. A man asking for her name, where she worked, who she was close to. Sounds like someone’s tracking her movements.”

That piece of information didn’t sit well with me. My jaw clenched as I thought of her in that moment earlier, standing in my living room while Marylin tore into her with words. She didn’t deserve to be dragged into this world’s mess.

“Find out who it is,” I said in a low voice. “And keep her under watch. If anyone tries to get close again, I want them gone before they even breathe near her.”

Marco nodded sharply. “Understood.”

He turned to leave, but I stopped him. “Wait.”

He looked back.

“What about the men from the docks? The ones we caught last week?”

“Already handled,” he replied. “They were just middlemen. They didn’t know who ordered the job either. It’s like someone’s cleaning up behind them.”

I cursed under my breath. “That means we’re being watched too.”

Marco gave a slight nod. “Probably. Whoever’s behind this is smart. Careful. They’re not leaving traces.”

I walked toward the window, staring out at the distant gates of the compound. The morning sun had begun to fade behind the clouds, and a cold wind moved through the garden.

For a long moment, neither of us said anything. Then I turned back to him.

“It can’t be that we have no leads,” I said finally. “We need to find out who it was as soon as possible.”