The black van rolled to a stop, its tinted windows revealing nothing of the occupants inside. Alex and Ethan stood their ground, their postures tense beneath the concealing bulk of their disguises. The van's door slid open, and three figures emerged.In the lead was Vince Gallo, known as Wormhole. A renowned underworld's premier broker, a man known for facilitating the impossible. He was flanked by two heavies, their frames bristling with barely concealed weapons and body armor.Gallo himself wore a mask, a sleek, featureless thing that glinted dully in the dim light. His men were similarly disguised, their faces hidden behind balaclavas and dark glasses.He approached the twins with a measured stride, his movements cool and unhurried. This was a man accustomed to being in control, to bending the wills of the criminal elite to his own ends.Alex felt Ethan's gaze boring into him from behind his own mask, a silent warning. But Alex brushed it off, stepping forward to meet Gallo halfway
The door to Danny and Tariq's dorm room burst open, the sound harsh in the stillness of the night. A figure stumbled in, his breathing ragged, his movements jerky and uncoordinated. He fumbled for the light switch, his hands shaking.The room flooded with harsh fluorescent light, revealing Tariq. His hoodie was disheveled, a dark, damp patch staining the fabric near his chest. He clawed at the garment, his fingers scrabbling at the zipper."Fuckin' hell, it's hot as balls in here," he muttered, his voice thick and shaky.He finally managed to yank the hoodie off, tossing it aside. His skin was slick with sweat, his curls plastered to his forehead. His eyes darted around the room, wide and wild, like a cornered animal.The distant wail of a siren made him freeze, his whole body going rigid. "Shit, shit, shit," he chanted under his breath, lunging for the window. He grabbed the blinds, yanking them closed with enough force to rattle the frame.He spun around, his gaze landing on his des
Content Warning: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of injury and medical trauma.He had begged for every single moment of his life, every perfection, every single turn that made him who he was. But somehow, one way or another, it all found a way to screw him over. It was almost laughable. Danny could just picture it: some high and mighty bastard up there, looking down with those all-knowing eyes, always on the hunt for the next poor sod to fuck over. And once again, lucky him, it was Danny's turn.The automatic doors of the Manchester Royal Infirmary barely had time to open before Danny was barging through, his heart slamming against his ribs, his eyes wild. He scanned the chaos of the lobby, zeroing in on anyone in scrubs or a white coat. The first one he saw, he was going to grab them, shake them until they told him what he needed to know.A siren shrieked, the sound like a knife to his skull. He flinched, his whole body wound tight as a piano cord. Lexi grabbed his arm, he
Alex brought the sleek, black Audi R8 to a stop near the mini stadium just outside MSU. The engine's snarl died, leaving an eerie stillness broken only by distant traffic. The late hour and the location's seclusion made it feel almost deserted.In the passenger seat, Ethan fumbled with a piece of fabric in the dim light. The car's neon-infused dashboard cast a faint glow, just enough to outline his hulking frame and the bulging vein on his temple. His frustration was palpable, punctuated by the occasional low grunt.Alex shifted, about to reach over, but thought better of it. He leaned back with a sigh and a quiet chuckle.After a few more moments of wrestling with the dark, glossy material, Ethan's patience snapped. He let out a roar of annoyance and flung the offending item into the back seat.He turned to Alex, his eyes flashing. "Why the fuck do I have to wear that?"His tone dripped with irritation. "The mask is bad enough. Now you want me looking like a fucking clown just to mee
Danny and Lexi were walking down the street, weaving through the vendors and the crowds. Danny was in the middle of a rant, his hands waving wildly as he spoke."I swear, my sister still thinks the Earth is flat. Like, genuinely believes it. I go completely mad when she starts on about it. But over the years, I've learned it's not worth the argument. I can never change her mind. Stubborn as a mule, she is."Lexi laughed, bumping her shoulder against his. "I don't blame her. Did you see your face just now? It was cute. I can imagine what you must look like during those arguments."Danny felt a blush creep up his neck. This gorgeous girl thought he was cute. Somehow, the idea made something flutter in his chest."She must love seeing that face," Lexi added, grinning.Danny smiled. She wasn't wrong. Every time he and Jenna argued, especially when he was getting riled up, she wouldn't take it seriously. She'd just sit there, making him look like a fool. Those were the moments he'd come cl
Alex walked out of the Royal Manchester Golf Club, his caddy uniform traded for a simple black t-shirt and jeans. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the car park as he made his way towards the exit, his mind still churning with the events of the day.The DCI's offer of an internship lingered in his thoughts, a tantalizing opportunity, not what he had been aiming for, but this was better.Lost in thought, he almost didn't notice the figure that fell into step beside him. But then he caught a flash of blonde hair, the intricate tattoos snaking up one arm, and he knew.Jade.He didn't acknowledge her, didn't break his stride. But as he veered towards the restroom building, she followed, her presence a silent shadow at his back.Inside, Alex went straight to the sinks, turning on the tap and splashing cold water on his face. In the mirror, he could see Jade behind him, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable.For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The only sound was th
Danny settled into his seat, the hard plastic digging into his back. The lecture hall was one of those old-fashioned ones, with rows of seats ascending steeply towards the back of the room. He'd managed to snag a spot near the top, with a good view of the front.Lexi slid into the seat beside him, her floral perfume wafting over him like a tantalizing breeze. Danny inhaled deeply, feeling a little light-headed. God, she smelled good. Like springtime and sunshine and everything nice.He was just this close to lean over and ask her what scent she was wearing when more students began to file in. They came in groups and pairs, chattering and laughing as they found their seats. Danny couldn't help but notice the vibe in the room - it was different.Everyone seemed so... relaxed. Carefree, even. There were girls in flowy sundresses and guys in paint-splattered jeans. Colourful tattoos peeked out from under sleeves and collar edges. Piercings glinted in ears and eyebrows and noses.Danny gri
Danny wandered through the halls, his eyes flicking between the room numbers and the schedule on his phone. He'd been at this for what felt like ages, poking his head into different classrooms, only to find them either empty or full of unfamiliar faces."Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath, his frustration mounting. "Where is this sodding room?"Just as he was about to give up and ask for directions, he spotted it. Room 221B. His first lecture of the day. Danny heaved a sigh of relief, shouldering his backpack and making a beeline for the door.But just as he reached for the handle, a familiar figure rounded the corner. Danny blinked, taking a moment to place the face without the pulsing lights and pounding music of the club.It was Taji, the bartender from last night. But she looked different in the harsh fluorescent light of the hallway. Her green curls pulled back, revealing the intricate tattoos that snaked up her neck and down her arms. She wore baggy combat pants and a lo
Danny woke with a start, his phone alarm blaring in the quiet of the dorm room. He groaned, fumbling to switch it off, his body heavy with exhaustion. The party had raged into the early hours, and he'd stumbled back to the dorm with Tariq just a few hours ago, the first hints of dawn peeking over the Manchester skyline.He sat up slowly, his head pounding in protest. The room was dim, the only light coming from the crack under the door and the faint glow of streetlamps outside the window. Danny blinked, trying to orient himself in the gloom.Something felt off. He glanced over at Tariq's bed, expecting to see the familiar lump of his friend curled under the covers. But the bed was empty, the sheets undisturbed.Danny frowned, a prickle of unease running down his spine. He reached over and flicked on the light, squinting against the sudden brightness.Tariq's bed was definitely empty. His backpack was gone too, and his trainers were missing too. It was like he'd never been there at all