Chapter 1
426words
His neck and chest were littered with unmistakable love bites.
Miranda clung to him like a vine, flashing me a smirk that dripped with triumph.
"Remember this, Lily," Miranda purred. "The dog you raised yourself delivers the most painful bite."
Miranda was right. Ten years ago, I'd pulled Alex from the gutter, taught him everything I knew about crushing enemies. Never once did I imagine he'd turn those lessons against me.
I stood frozen, watching Alex walk away with his arm wrapped possessively around Miranda's waist.
"Boss, we're approaching the transaction time,"
Jack finally worked up the courage to speak, his voice barely above a whisper.
It was 7:30—thirty minutes until the exchange.
"Is our intel still secure? Location still clean?"
"All confirmed, boss. We've used this spot dozens of times. It's solid."
"Fine."
I pressed my hand against my chest until my heartbeat steadied, then fired up the engine.
Usually, Alex would be beside me now, his hand on mine, promising he'd always have my back.
Today, he'd stabbed me in the back before the job even started.
The exchange began without a hitch, right until the moment I passed over the package.
A crack of gunfire split the night.
I twisted away on instinct, feeling the bullet whistle past my ear before punching into the concrete.
"Shit! They've compromised our location!"
My heart hammered against my ribs. Only our inner circle knew this spot. Nobody would risk blowing their own cover.
There was only one explanation: Alex.
"Fall back!"
As I signaled the retreat, I scanned for our attackers through the chaos.
And there she was—Miranda.
Her pistol cracked, and fire bloomed in my right arm as blood soaked through my sleeve.
Her lips curled into a smile that made my blood boil.
Miranda and I had been at each other's throats for years, fighting over every block of this city. But she'd never found one of my exchange points before.
I'd been clinging to denial until I saw him standing beside her—Alex, my Alex.
Alex raised his gun, the barrel pointed straight at my heart.
I dove into a roll, but the shot I braced for never came.
His hand trembled. The gun was steady, but his finger wouldn't pull the trigger.
I didn't have time to analyze his hesitation. I grabbed my remaining men and disappeared into the shadows.
"Boss, we're bleeding bad. Half our crew is hit, and the merchandise is gone."
