Stephen's eyes cut at Clarke, his eyes springing open and his jaw clenched. "So, you sold us out? You're working with Voss now?Clarke doubled over the table, bursting out laughing. "Sold you out? Stephen, everyone in this city owes Voss something. I'm no different. I just happened to get caught up in it like everyone else. I had a debt to pay, and Voss figured the best way to settle it was to send you all to him.Victor blew an exasperated sigh, his head shaking in disgust. "How the hell are we to swallow this crap, Clarke? You're full of it."Clarke sat back, that knowing smile still splattered on his face. "If I were you gents, I wouldn't waste much time arguing. Voss doesn't play games, and if you think I'm bluffing, you're in for a nasty surprise. You've got a job to do, and I suggest you get to it.Enoch's brow furrowed. "A job? What does Voss want from us?"Clarke's smile grew wider, though his eyes never brightened. "Voss wants one thing—control. There's a package, something i
Michael relaxed back, his smirk deepening as he got full-on comfortable. "You see, Stephen, it wasn't enough to simply beat Voss. Oh no, I had to do it with a little panache. That's where you and your merry band of misfits came in."Stephen's fists clenched under the table, but he kept quiet, awaiting the rest."You see, Voss has been running this city for years. He's got everyone on lock-down-until now. What better way to take him down than from the inside? The man trusts his right-hand like a brother, but guess what?" Michael chuckled darkly. "That right-hand? He works for me now. Voss has no idea he's already losing."Victor squirmed in his chair, his glare shifted at Michael. "You are telling me you turned his own man against him?"Exactly. Voss is powerful, but predictable. He never saw it coming. Now, as for you guys. well, dragging you into this mess was part of the fun. Made the game a little more interesting.Victor's eyes slitted further. "So you set us up? You hired that gu
Stephen said nothing, yet his shout hung in the room, holding all other movement at bay. Thick tension wrapped in the air like a noose. Michael's eyes flickered to his men; an order given in silence. His lips arced into a slow cold smile."Well, Stephen," he said with glass sharpness, "You have my attention.Stephen swallowed, but his voice came out steady. "We're not doing this. Not like this. You want to use us, fine, but killing us here won't get you anywhere."Michael leaned back in his chair, his smirk deepening. "Smart move. You always did know how to talk your way out of a mess.He glared at Stephen for one weighted moment, then his gaze shifted to Victor and Enoch, who still stood taut and ready to detonate. "Alright, here's the deal. Voss is expecting a major shipment down at the docks. Drugs. Enough to put him away for life. You're going to intercept it."Victor's eyebrows pulled down. "You want us to steal it?Michael chuckled, a low, sinister sound. "Not exactly. You're go
Voss's warehouse loomed before them, dark, but the panic running through Stephen's veins had little to do with the shadows. Everything to do with the fact that from every direction, they'd just become targets. Voss. Michael. And now, the cops.Two days," Victor growled, pacing like a caged animal. "Voss gave us two days to turn over something we don't even have. What are we supposed to do? Pull the drugs out of thin air?Stephen said nothing. His mind was racing in a circle, pinging from one idea to the next, trying to find some way out. He hadn't slept since the docks, and it was seeping into his bones. But there was no time for rest now.Enoch had sat hunched against the wall, knees pulled to his chest. His fingers tapped nervously against the concrete, eyes darting from Victor to Stephen, barely holding it together. "We should've never trusted Michael. He's playing us. Voss is going to kill us, and Michael—he'll watch it happen."Victor slammed his fist onto the nearest crate, the
Stephen leaned across the table, his fingers tracing invisible lines on the surface. "We need to pit Voss against Michael. Make Voss think Michael's setting him up and let them tear each other apart while we slip away."Victor tipped back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, his jaw clenched tight. "And how do we do that? You really think Voss will just take our word for it?Stephen shook his head. "No. We plant something. Evidence that Michael is gunning for Voss's operation. Voss is paranoid enough that he will react fast, and once they're at each other's throats, we can disappear."Enoch, still hunched against the wall, frowned. "This is insane. If we get caught trying to plant evidence, we're dead. Voss doesn't need proof, he'll just kill us to send a message.""We're already dead if we don't do something," Stephen replied sharply. "Michael's put us in a corner, and the cops are sniffing around. This is the only way we stand a chance."Victor rose to his feet, frustration ta
The days which followed were a vortex of tension, rumor, and waiting. Stephen scarcely slept, paced the small safehouse, his mind racing through every eventuality that could be forthcoming from their plan. Voss and Michael were bound to clash sooner or later. But when? And how badly?Across from him, Victor sat half-closed-eyed but way too alert to sleep. Enoch hunched in the corner, peering at his phone, no doubt praying for some sort of sign that they weren't totally screwed."Nothing out on the street yet?" Victor asked at last, breaking the silence.Enoch shook his head. "It's quiet. Too quiet."Stephen's stomach knotted. They were waiting for the spark to ignite the fuse. It was a good plan, to set Voss off against Michael, but the lull before the storm was unsettling. What if they'd miscalculated? What if either Voss or Michael saw through their setup.Suddenly, Enoch's phone purred, and he shot upright. He answered quickly, muttering a few words before hanging up. His face was
Days had gone by since Victor and Enoch vanished into thin air. Stephen called and sent texts, but nothing was received in return. He kept himself holed up in the safehouse, pacing up and down as his mind raced with each worst-case scenario possible. It simply couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that someone had made a move on them. But who?Stephen fished out his phone for the hundredth time. No messages, no news. Every passing beat made his heart race faster.A shrill ding cut through the silence. A message. Stephen's hand shook as he picked up the phone. "Come see me. I have Ariane. One wrong move, and you'll never see her again. – Michael."Stephen's blood ran cold. Michael had his daughter.Stephen's hand moved automatically to his jacket and grasped the door, but his hand stopped on the knob. What was Michael getting at? Evidently, he was baiting him into something big, and Stephen knew one thing-trapping himself in it meant only one thing: death.But he couldn't leave Aria
The warehouse felt colder now, darker. Stephen's heart was racing while he stood frozen, following every movement Michael made. Ariane was crying; her eyes were wide with terror, but her lips did not open. Stephen could feel her fear; it radiated across the room, tightening his chest."Why are you doing this, Michael?" Stephen asked in a hoarse voice. He must remain calm, must buy time.Michael smirked, circling Ariane like a predator playing with its prey. "You don't get it, do you? You've been a thorn in my side for years. You thought you could just move on after what you did, live your life like nothing happened?""What did I do?" Stephen's eyes narrowed, trying to keep his focus sharp.Michael's eyes flashed with anger. "You killed my brother."Stephen recoiled. There were faces from his past, but this… he couldn't let the past take Ariane from him. Whether she was his daughter or not, she was innocent in this."I didn't know," Stephen said, trying to even out his voice. "I didn't