Two

Chapter 2–Aviana

How did people become Alcoholics?.

Whiskey tasted like shit!.

Aviana thought as she took another bold gulp of the whiskey.

She was trying to drown out her sorrows with it but all it did was made her lose respect for whiskey drinkers. It was either they were serial killers or had a taste bud made of steel.

She couldn't understand why the chief didn't give her the case. She was the perfect fit for it.

She'd spent her entire life spying on the iron vine and she'd gathered a lot of information. Granted, it had only been a year and a half since she became a Detective and yes, maybe Salone had six years on her but she was still the better fit for the job.

To her, taking her case and giving it to Salone felt like taking the ocean and giving it to a monkey and putting the fishes in an aquarium.

It made no sense. She had to get back her case or she'd never be able to take out her revenge on her mother's killer.

As she took another sip of her whiskey, She turned around and noticed a small man about 5’6 tall walk through the entrance of the door.

He looked around for a bit, his eyes met hers for a second and lingered before he looked away and walked down to a booth in the corner.

Just as he passed by her, Aviana couldn't help but notice something poking out of his collar.

She stood up abruptly and perked into the collar, it was a tattoo. A scorpion with vines around it.

She knew that tattoo all too well. It was the same one she'd seen the night of her mother's murder.

He was definitely a member of the Iron vine mob.

Without wasting any time, she quickly turned to the bartender and asked for a cocktail to be brought to her in a nearby booth close to where the man was walking to.

She took a detour to the bathroom and changed her blazer into something more seductive and then put on a bit of makeup and put her hair in a ponytail…

She was out five minutes later.

As she took a seat, the bartender sent her drink to her.

She planned on following this man today, maybe she would get something on him that would make Chief Donovan change his mind.

She took out her phone and pretended to be in a call as she listened to their conversation.

“The chief doesn't like this, Curo, what's going on with the shipment?” The small man asked.

“It's coming. We are experiencing some delays but not for long.”

A redhead with thick glasses said.

Aviana was surprised that a dork like that could be involved in any form of organized crime activities. He looked like a highschool nerd but she'd been tailing Mafia groups long enough to know what you see is not always what is.

“Not for long, huh? This was said months ago and yet we are still here. Same ol’ bull story. How long do you expect us to wait?”

“Just a couple of more weeks, please,”

“Well, you will have to tell that to the boss,”

“W…what?*

The red head stuttered.

“He's here. Stand up and let's go say hi,”

“Please, he's going to kill me,”

The red head began to plead, his eyes wide with anguish and fear.

Aviana leaned in, her grip tightening around her phone as she pretended to scroll. The way the redhead’s face drained of color told her everything she needed to know—he was terrified. And in the mafia, fear meant weakness. Weakness meant leverage. If she played this right, she could get something out of him–something out of this situation easily

The small man with the scorpion vine tattoo– Curo as the redhead had called him chuckled darkly, yanking the man to his feet.

“Should have thought about that before slacking off,” he sneered. “The boss doesn't tolerate incompetence, you know that,”

The redhead swallowed, sweat forming at the top of his brows “Please Curo, I..I just need some time, the shipment will be here.

Curo responded by dragging the redhead out of the booth and through the back door.

Aviana's eyes widened. If the boss was here, she couldn't afford to miss this opportunity. This was her Chance.

Every piece of Intel she'd gathered so far on the iron Vine had been from the shadows; eavesdropping, staking out their hideouts and so on but she'd never gotten close enough to see the man who ran it all and she never thought she would until tonight.

Without wasting a second, she stood and carefully made a show of smoothing out her clothes and putting on lipstick.

She tossed her hair over her shoulders, feigning nonchalance before following the path they'd dragged the poor red head through. She had to be careful. If they realized she was tailing them, she’d be dead before she could even pull out her gun and she couldn't die not until she avenged her mother.

The back door led a silly lit alley, the air thick with cigarette smoke and damp asphalt.

Curo wasted no time in shoving the redhead forward who almost stumbled but caught himself against the side of a sleek black SUV.

The door swung open and Aviana caught sight of a tall, broad shouldered handsome man. He had a face mask on, so she couldn't tell who he was but she knew he was powerful.

She was immediately drawn to him like a moth to a flame. The urge to go near him possessed her but she didn't dare move from her spot even though her body and mind wanted to.

“Please, Boss, I'll get your money in no time,” the redhead was quick to speak as he trembled in front of the tall man who seemed to dwarf everyone around him.

The tall man said something but Aviana missed it due to the loud honk of a moving car. Before she knew what was happening, The boss took out his gun and shot the redhead with zero mercy in his eyes.

The red head yelled in excruciating pain.

“My shipment by next week or your family will pay for it,” The masked man spoke and Aviana felt his muffled baritone in intimate places she shouldn't have been feeling it.

What the fuck? Get it together, Ava!

“Please!” The red head groaned in pain but the Boss didn't listen instead, he looked up at Curo.

“Put some sense into him and meet me back at the estate,”

With that, the man turned around and got into his car and left.

Curo turned to the redhead who was now bleeding profusely and began to punch him, his screams made Aviana uncomfortable and all she wanted to do was rush to save him but she couldn't blow her cover. Not now. She needed to hand this footage to the chief.

“That's enough, Curo,” a long hard blonde who had come with Curo yelled and Curo nodded.

“Call the fool an ambulance.” Curo spat, taking a handkerchief out of his hands and wiping blood off it.

The redhead screams could be heard for miles.

Aviana wondered for a second why nobody was coming to the poor man's rescue. Was the bar in on it or was the sound of music blocking things.

Just as the other man reached for his phone to call an ambulance, a gunshot rang out, startling Aviana. She swiftly drew her own weapon out of reflex, still hiding behind the dumpster.