Two Days Later
Victor stood motionless before the mirror in his new villa, studying his reflection. Gone was his usual pristine suit, replaced by dark casual clothes that helped him blend into shadows. A black cap sat low over his eyes, partially concealing the face that had become a legend in the criminal underworld. His check his wristwatch, 8:15 PM. It was time. From downstairs, the familiar sound of Jordan and Maria's bickering echoed through the halls. "I'm telling you, that's not how you play poker!" Jordan's voice carried up to him. "You can't just change the rules because you're losing!" "I'm not changing anything," Maria shot back, irritation creeping in her voice. "You're just mad because I keep taking your money." "Bullshit! I'm mad because you're cheating!" "It's called strategy, Jordan. Maybe try using your brain instead of just cursing all the time?" Their playful argument died instantly when Victor appeared in the doorway. Something about his presence tonight was different—colder, more dangerous than usual. The air seemed different about him, heavy with tension. Maria stepped forward, concern etching lines around her eyes. "Victor—" she began, but stopped herself. What could she say? She knew where he was going, knew why he had to go, even if it broke her heart to watch him still chase after Selena's ghost. "Yo boss, you going to check on Selena?" Jordan blurted out without thought, then immediately let out a yelp as Maria's elbow connected with his ribs. "Ow! Jesus, Maria! Sorry, sorry," he whispered, finally reading the room's heavy atmosphere. Victor moved past them without a word, his footsteps silent on the marble floors. One of his security detail moved to follow, but Victor held up his hand. "Stay. This is something I need to do alone." Outside, he walked past the line of luxury cars in the driveway, heading straight for a sleek black motorcycle. From the window, Maria watched him go, her heart constricting in her chest. She hated this—hated how Selena still had such a hold on him after everything she'd done, hated how she couldn't stop her own feelings for him from growing despite knowing his heart was locked in a cage of betrayal and revenge. Jordan stood beside her, uncharacteristically quiet. His usual jokes and curses died on his lips as he watched her expression, saw the pain she tried so hard to hide. His fists clenched at his sides, wishing he knew how to comfort her, wishing he could be more than just the crude joker she saw him as. But he didn't know how to be anything else, especially around her. The motorcycle's engine roared to life, cutting through the quiet night, and Victor disappeared into the darkness. Twenty minutes later, he pulled up near the Inferno Club. The sight of it sent a wave of memories crashing over him, memories he'd spent five years trying to bury. The club sat beneath his old penthouse—the place where he'd been shot, betrayed, left for dead by the two people he'd trusted most in the world. Xavier had changed everything about the club, erasing every trace of Victor's influence. Where there had once been understated class, now there was garish display. The line outside was long, filled with the city's elite waiting to get in, flashing money and jewelry like badges of honor. Victor bypassed them all, using one of the old service entrances he'd had installed years ago—one of many secrets Xavier had never discovered except for Selena. Inside, the transformation was even more apparent. Crystal chandeliers had replaced the vintage lighting he'd chosen so carefully. Gold accents covered every surface, screaming new money and desperation to impress. That's when he saw her. Selena stood by the VIP section, and the sight of her made his heart stutter in his chest despite everything. She was still breathtaking—maybe even more so than he remembered. Her dark hair fell in waves past her shoulders, catching the light like liquid silk. The red dress she wore clung to curves he remembered all too well, that was the same dress she wore on that day, the color a cruel reminder of the blood she'd helped spill. She moved through the crowd with effortless grace, commanding attention without trying. Five years hadn't changed her at all—she was still the woman who could stop hearts with a smile. And she had stopped his, right before she'd helped Xavier put a bullet in it. Victor felt bile rise in his throat, bitter as the memories that flooded his mind. She looked so perfect, so untouchable—like the last five years of his pain and rage hadn't touched her at all. Gerald's intel had been right; with Xavier meeting the Moretti family about their failing drug operations (operations Victor had been systematically destroying), Selena was handling the club alone tonight. He moved through the crowd, keeping his head low but his eyes fixed on her. Each step brought another memory he'd tried to forget—their first meeting in this very club, her laugh echoing off these walls. Their first kiss in his office upstairs, when he'd thought he'd found something real in this fake world. The countless nights they'd spent planning their future together, making promises that turned out to be nothing but carefully crafted lies. Selena turned, laughing at something one of her security guards had said, the sound like broken glass in Victor's ears. Then her eyes met his, and the laugh died in her throat. He saw the exact moment recognition hit her—saw her face drain of color, saw her lips part in shock, saw her take an involuntary step backward as if she'd seen a ghost. Which, in a way, she had. "Victor?" she whispered, his name falling from her lips like a prayer or a curse, her voice barely audible over the pounding music. He lifted his head slowly, deliberately, letting her see his face clearly in the flashing lights. "Hello, Selena," he said softly, his voice somehow carrying despite the chaos around them. "Miss me?" The world seemed to stop spinning for a moment as they stared at each other, five years of pain and betrayal hanging in the air between them like an unspoken curse."Fucking hell!" The crystal glass exploded against the wall of Xavier's office, sending shards raining down like diamonds. His men flinched, their eyes fixed on the floor, but Selena remained perfectly still. Experience had taught her that stillness was safer than showing fear wherever Xavier was concerned. "Three fucking million dollars." Xavier's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Three million dollars worth of product, burned to ash, and these idiots think I did it?" His laughter held no warmth. "The Moretti family thinks I'd destroy my own shipment?" One of his newer men, young and foolish enough to still have courage, cleared his throat. "Sir, they're saying—" "I know what they're saying!" Xavier's fist crashed into his mahogany desk. The sound echoed like a gunshot through the office. "Find out who did this. Find out who dares to cross me. Or I'll fucking find new men who can." The threat hung heavy in the air. His men shifted nervously, except for the two guards who ne
Victor relished the look of shock and fear on Selena's face. She was right to be scared. He was back. But hearing his name on her lips again after all these years lit something inside him that he immediately pushed down. No. He was here for business, not feelings. He stared at her for a long moment, watching as she physically blanched from his gaze. There was terror in her face, but something about it felt off to him—like her fear wasn't directed at him but at something else. "Why?" The single word dropped from his lips, barely audible above the thumping music. Despite the noise surrounding them in the club, he knew she heard him. He watched different emotions play across her face—guilt, sadness, fear, and something else he couldn't quite name. Selena's lips parted, trembling slightly. "Victor, I—" "Don't." His voice was sharp as a blade. "Don't you dare make excuses." She shook her head, eyes desperate. "You don't understand. There are things you don't know—" "What's there to un
Victor stalked Joshua through the crowd, momentarily forgetting about Selena and their confrontation. His mind was consumed by one thing only: revenge. The pulsing music became white noise as he weaved between dancing bodies, never losing sight of his target. Joshua was getting more brazen by the minute, clearly enjoying the attention of the women surrounding him. Victor watched with disgust as Joshua slipped one hand beneath the tight dress of the blonde, kneading her breast while she moaned against his ear. The other two girls glared with obvious jealousy. "What about us?" pouted the brunette, pressing herself closer. Joshua chuckled, his eyes glazed with alcohol and lust. "Plenty to go around, baby." He slid his other hand into the panties of the second woman, making her gasp and arch against him. "Right there," she whispered, grinding against his fingers. "Don't stop." The third woman, not wanting to be outdone, positioned herself directly in front of him. She blocked the vie
Hours had passed since Victor's assault at the club. The digital clock on Xavier's desk blinked 11:55 PM, its red glow casting eerie shadows across his office. Xavier had just returned from his meeting with the Moretti family—a crucial alliance he'd been nurturing for months which was shaken by the attack on his drug shipments—only to be greeted with news of Joshua's attack. His pristine suit jacket lay discarded on the leather couch, his tie loosened, and several buttons of his shirt undone. Selena stood at the far end of the room, her back pressed against the wall. Her red dress from the club was wrinkled now, mascara smudged beneath her eyes. She hadn't been allowed to change. Xavier had summoned her immediately upon his return, his voice cold with barely contained fury when he called. "You had ONE fucking job!" Xavier roared, pacing like a caged animal. The office that usually screamed power and luxury now felt like an execution chamber for her. "You were supposed to watch over
Selena moved from her position against the wall, her legs stiff from standing so long in one place. She knelt down, reaching for the small plastic ghost that had skidded beneath a chair. Her fingers closed around it, and she examined it briefly. The ghost was white with hollow eyes and a gaping mouth—a child's toy, perhaps, but in this context, it seemed to mock them all. She almost smirked. It screamed Victor in every way—his signature, his message. The Ghost had returned. But she quickly schooled her features back to neutrality before rising and placing the toy in Xavier's outstretched, bloodied hand. Xavier studied it intently, turning it over between his fingers. "Who the fuck is this from?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "Who's my new enemy?" His brow furrowed in concentration as he stood up from the soldier's bloodied form. The young guard slowly pulled himself to his knees, blood dripping steadily from his nose, one eye already swelling shut. "Joshua's in the
Three hours earlier Victor's motorcycle roared through the empty streets as he sped away from the club. His hands gripped the handles so tight they hurt, but the pain felt good. It kept him focused, kept him from thinking too much about what he'd just done to Joshua. "Bastard deserved worse," he muttered into his helmet, the wind whipping his words away. The streets blurred past him, but his mind wasn't on the road. It kept drifting back to the club, to Selena's face when she'd seen him. The shock in her eyes. The fear. But there was something else there too, something that nagged at him. "Stop it," he growled to himself. "She betrayed you. She watched them shoot you. She doesn't deserve your thoughts." But his mind had a will of its own tonight. A memory surfaced, unwanted and sharp. Selena, five years ago, telling him she needed to go away for a while. "Just a year," she'd said, her eyes not quite meeting his. "I need to handle some family business." "A whole year?" he
The next day Victor woke up with a slight headache. He cursed as he stood up and stretched in his underwear, his muscular frame catching the morning light that filtered through the half-drawn curtains. Years of rigorous training had sculpted his body into a weapon—broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, abs defined like carved stone, and arms corded with muscle. The scars that decorated his torso told stories of survival, the most prominent being three puckered circles on his chest where bullets had torn through him five years ago. He sat down on the edge of his bed, rubbing his temple while unbidden thoughts of Selena crept into his mind again. The way her eyes had widened at the club, that flicker of something beyond fear... "Damn it," he muttered, pushing the thoughts aside. He had more important things to worry about. His next move against Xavier needed to be calculated, devastating. As his thoughts churned, voices echoed in the corridor approaching his room. "For the last
Selena jolted at the sharp knock on her bedroom door. She'd been staring at the same spot on the wall for nearly an hour, her mind still racing with thoughts of Victor's return. What it meant. What would happen now. She quickly draped a silk robe around her slender frame and padded to the door. When she opened it, she found one of Xavier's men standing there—the new recruit Xavier had beaten bloody just days ago. The swelling on his face had reduced to ugly purple marks that told their own story of Xavier's temper. "Boss wants to see you," he said, his eyes carefully avoiding hers. "Right away." Selena's stomach tightened. "Tell him I'll be there in ten minutes." The man nodded and left without another word. Selena closed the door, leaning against it as dread pooled in her belly. Xavier's summons rarely brought good news, especially after Victor's dramatic reappearance. She dressed mechanically—a simple navy dress that reached her knees, her long dark hair pulled back into a neat
A while ago.....The compound was silent, but Thomas felt the weight of a thousand unseen eyes. He moved through the darkened halls, his footsteps light and his breaths steady. Outside, the cool night air carried the distant hum of guards on patrol, their voices low, unaware of the traitor in their midst. His fingers moved over the keyboard in the security room, lines of code flashing on the screen. He disabled key sniper nests, small changes in the system that would create crucial blind spots. Just enough to make a difference—but not enough to raise suspicion. A few seconds here, a flicker in the power grid there. A soft buzz filled his ear. The radio. He pressed it closer. “Sector three clear,” a guard reported. Thomas adjusted his stance, his voice calm. “Copy that. Keep eyes on the perimeter.” His own misdirections had already sent the guards away from where Victor’s men would soon make their move. The breach was coming, and he was paving the way. Then, an explosio
Maria pressed her back against a burning wall, her breaths sharp and uneven. The explosion had knocked her off balance, the shockwave still rattling in her chest. Smoke stung her eyes, and the heat pressed against her skin, but she had no time to recover. Beside her, Gerald gritted his teeth, his face pale. Blood seeped through his sleeve, staining his grip on the gun, but his fingers didn’t waver. “They’re coming,” he coughed, spitting blood onto the dirt. Maria stole a glance around the corner. Shadows moved through the thick smoke, Xavier’s men, waiting for the right moment to strike. Her stomach tightened. “They’re setting up for an ambush,” she muttered. “We need to move.” Gerald gave a short nod, wincing. “You go first. I’ll cover.” She hesitated for half a second. He was hurt, but staying put meant death. Maria inhaled sharply. “On three.” He raised his gun, steady despite his injury. “One.” Maria adjusted her grip, muscles tensing. “Two.” The moment “three” left her
Xavier sat in his surveillance room, the dim glow of the monitors casting long shadows across his face. The air was thick with the scent of whiskey and gunpowder, the distant sound of explosions rumbling through the walls. Outside, war raged—gunfire, screaming, bodies hitting the ground. But inside, Xavier was calm.He swirled the whiskey in his glass, watching the amber liquid catch the flickering light from the screens. He had expected this ever since he found out ghost was Victor. Victor’s wrath was inevitable. The man was relentless, a force of nature driven by vengeance. But Xavier wasn’t a fool. He had spent years at his side and learned a few things. And now, fate had delivered him an opportunity, one Victor wouldn’t see coming.His fingers tapped idly against the desk as he scanned the monitors. His gaze settled on one feed in particular. A small, dimly lit room.Jordan sat bound to a chair, his face bloodied, a fresh cut on his cheek leaking a thin line of red. His chest ros
The air was thick with smoke and death. It clung to Maria’s skin, filled her lungs and made her eyes burn. Gunfire and screams cut through the night, sharp and endless. The world around them was nothing but flames, bullets, and blood. She and Gerald moved fast, dodging bodies, weaving through the wreckage of war. Their boots crunched over broken glass, twisted metal, and fallen men, foes and friends alike. Every step was a risk. Another explosion rocked the ground, sending up a spray of dirt and debris. Maria ducked instinctively, her heart hammering in her chest. Gerald’s voice cut through the chaos, steady despite the madness. “Snipers on the south ridge. Two on the upper balcony. Machine gun nest near the east tunnel.” Maria nodded, gripping her rifle tighter. “Got it.” She moved forward, low and quick, her breathing sharp but controlled. This was no time for fear. Then—Boom. A deafening explosion ripped through the alleyway. Maria barely had time to react before the force
The night was alive with war. Gunfire cracked through the air, each shot was like a drumbeat in the chaos. The sharp scent of burning metal, gunpowder, and blood filled the wind, thick and suffocating. Smoke curled into the sky, rising from the compound’s walls like a warning of what was coming. Victor stood at the front, his cold eyes locked on Xavier’s fortress. There was no hesitation or fear in his eyes. Only one thing mattered—ending this war. His grip on his rifle tightened. This wasn’t just about revenge anymore. His son. Jordan. If he was still alive… Victor was getting him out. And Selena. His jaw clenched at the thought. If she was alive, he’d find her. But she wasn’t his priority. Not now. He forced the thought away, but it lingered, heavy in his chest. His men stood behind him, ready and tense trained killers, all waiting for his command. “Move in,” Victor ordered, his voice calm and controlled. His army surged forward, silent but deadly, their boots crunching agains
The office was a disaster.Shattered glass crunched under Gerald’s boots as he stepped inside. The once-pristine liquor cabinet was in ruins, the scent of spilled whiskey thick in the air. Chairs were overturned, papers scattered across the floor. A broken lamp lay in the corner, its bulb flickering weakly.But the real storm wasn’t in the destruction.It stood by the window, silent and still, staring down at the city below.Victor.His back was rigid, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. He had barely spoken since receiving the video of Miguel. The room had taken the brunt of his rage, but Gerald knew that wasn’t enough.Not for Victor.Not when his son was out there.Gerald shut the door behind him, the soft click breaking the heavy silence.“Say something,” he said, keeping his voice steady.Victor didn’t turn. His reflection in the glass was unreadable, the city lights casting sharp angles across his face.“We leave in an hour,” he said finally, his tone as cold as st
Maria hadn’t stopped moving since they received the intel.The warehouse buzzed with tension, a storm of controlled chaos. Men checked weapons, strapped on bulletproof vests, and loaded magazines with sharp, practiced motions. The scent of gun oil and sweat thickened the air. Conversations were low, clipped, the occasional snap of a safety being turned off cutting through the hum of voices.But Maria barely noticed.She moved through it all like a machine, eyes scanning over blueprints, fingers tapping against the rough paper as she traced potential escape routes. Her mind ran through every worst-case scenario, every possible outcome, calculating and recalculating. She had to be ready for anything.Because if she stopped—if she let herself think for even a second—she might break.And she couldn’t afford that.Across the room, she felt the weight of Gerald’s stare. He had been watching her for the last hour, waiting. Studying. She could feel the concern radiating off him, but she ignor
The room was silent.Not the kind of silence that came with peace. No, this was the kind of silence that made men hold their breath, that made them hesitate before stepping closer.The kind of silence that came before bloodshed.Victor sat at his desk, phone still clutched in his hand, his knuckles white from the force of his grip. The video had ended, but the image of Miguel—his son—bound to that chair, his tear-streaked face, his trembling voice asking for his mother—was burned into Victor’s mind.His jaw clenched so hard it felt like his teeth might crack.Then, without warning—CRASH.The whiskey bottle that had been sitting untouched on his desk exploded against the far wall, shards of glass scattering across the floor, amber liquid dripping down like blood.Maria flinched from where she stood near the door, but she didn’t move. She had seen Victor angry before. Furious, even.But this?This was something else.Gerald was the only one who dared to step forward. "Victor—""Get eve
Miguel was so close.The pier was just ahead, the scent of saltwater thick in the air. His small fingers clutched the navigation device, the red dot blinking steadily, urging him forward. Mr. Growls was tucked tightly under his arm, the only comfort in this strange and terrifying night.He could see the boats now—rocking gently in the dark water, their lights flickering like tiny stars. His heart pounded with hope. Maybe Roberto’s sister was already there. Maybe she would take him somewhere safe, somewhere far away from the bad men.But his legs hurt. Every step felt heavier. His stomach twisted with hunger, and his throat was dry. He had been brave for so long, but exhaustion was creeping in. He just had to make it a little farther.Then, everything went wrong.A pair of headlights flared to life behind him, flooding the narrow street with light. The deep roar of an engine cut through the night air. Miguel turned, squinting against the brightness, and his heart stopped.A black SUV.