Lena Mercer makes a living off saving and believes that love can be saved no matter what. However, when a frightened woman named Claire Reynolds appears at her office door insisting she is being purposely murdered by her husband, Lena is hesitant to trust her. Days go by, and Claire vanishes into thin air. Worrying but brushing it off as coincidence, Lena attempts to pick up where they left off—until she uncovers unsettling information connecting Claire's life to her own. The same scent. The same coffee order. Even bruises in identical locations. And then Lena begins receiving ominous messages: "You know the truth. Don't look for me."
View MoreChapter 54 The air was thick with the smell of burned paper and gasoline. Lena sat at the table, her gaze on the stolen documents. The room was still, except for the occasional groan of a chair as Michael shifted."We hit him hard," Noah said, pushing his hair behind his ear. His knuckles were bruised from the fight. "But Romano will not let this go."Marco leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. "He'll retaliate. Hard and fast."Lena snapped a finger against the table. "We need to strike before him."Michael frowned. "We just got out of that club alive. We don't even know his motive."Lena's lips puckered into a line. "We know what he'll do. He'll strike at our supporters. He'll try to cut us off."She gestured towards the papers."These files don't just expose his crimes. They expose his weaknesses. The men he relies on. Take them away first, and he'll be alone."Marco nodded uncertainly. "You're talking about dismantling his entire operation."Lena's gaze was glacial. "Ye
Chapter 53The shelter house stank of gunpowder and sweat. Noah wrapped the gushing area on the kitchen table. Michael leaned against the wall, his jaw clenched in thought.Lena sat across from them, holding the burner phone. Marco's last words recurred in her mind. He's afraid.Romano was not used to being fearful. He was used to mastering. That they had gotten into his head was a sign that one thing—they would strike back worse.Lena exhaled. "We need to get going."Michael's gaze went slanted to hers. "Where?""Right to the heart of his operations," she replied. "We don't let him gather steam."Noah smiled and yelped as he pulled tight the final knot. "I like the thought."Michael frowned. "We barely made it out last time."Lena met his eye. "That was in self-defense. Now we attack."Michael sighed but nodded. "What is the target?"She glanced at Marco, seated mutely in the corner. He had heard and watched. He was a man who understood how and when to voice an opinion.Now, he did.
Chapter 52 The night crawled after Lena had left the club. Every second tested their patience, wondering if Marco Benedetti would betray Romano or them.Lena slept at the kitchen table of the safe house, drumming her fingers on the wood. The air was thick with the smell of burnt coffee and gunpowder. Michael leaned against the counter, arms crossed, while Noah cleaned his gun beside her."We give him 24 hours," Michael said. "If he doesn't call, we assume he's being faithful."Lena nodded. "And if he is faithful, we cut him down."Noah smiled. "I like this side of you."Lena didn't smile. She wasn't in the mood.Then, the burner phone rang.The three of them froze.Lena picked up. "Speak."A deep breath. Then Marco's voice. "Meet me at the old train station. One hour."The phone line went dead.Michael frowned. "It could be a setup."Lena stood up, her fingers around her gun. "Then we put it straight back again."The vacant station was on the edge of town, left to the ravages of time
Chapter 51 The city felt different outside of the docks. The air was heavy, the streets quiet. It was as if the night had engulfed the gunfire and only tension remained. Lena sat in the backseat of the vehicle, staring out at the black horizon.Michael drove in silence, his jaw set. Noah rode beside him, his arms crossed. No words were spoken, but the tension of what had just happened weighed on them. Romano had lived again.Lena exhaled slowly, forcing the anger down. He won't keep escaping.They pulled up at the safe house, a battered building in a barren part of town. The three of them entered quickly, locking the doors behind.The air inside reeked of gunpowder and aged wood. There was one table in the middle of the room, maps and papers strewn about.Noah threw his gun on the table. "We misjudged him."Michael stroked his hair. "We should have expected it."Lena planted herself on the chair, her elbows on the table. "Romano expected us to utilize Leo. He played us."Noah let out
Chapter 50 The night was cold, the air thick with the promise of violence. Lena stood in the alley behind an abandoned factory, shrouded in the darkness. Her breath came evenly, her hands loose at her sides, but inside she was a storm.Leo had taken the bait. All they had to do now was track him.Michael crouched beside her, his eyes scouring the street. "He's not slowing down."Lena nodded. "He's scared. He thinks he was lucky to escape."Noah adjusted the earpiece in his ear. "Or he knows it's a trap and is attempting to lead us into one."Lena's lips curled into a cold smile. "Either way, we win."Across the street, Leo ducked into a black sedan that had been waiting for him. The car pulled away, disappearing into the city.Michael tapped his radio. “We follow from a distance. No risks.”Lena exhaled, watching the taillights fade. Romano, I’m coming for you.Their own car slid into traffic, smooth and silent. Michael drove, his focus sharp. Noah kept his eyes on the tracker they h
Chapter 49 The car hurtled through the empty streets, the lights of the city blurring in a streak. The air inside was tense, thick with unspoken words.Lena sat in the back seat, her mind racing. Silvio Romano. A name she hadn't spoken in years. A name she never wanted to hear again.Mara sat beside her, arms crossed, eyes blazing. Michael drove fast, one hand on the wheel, the other holding his gun.Noah, who was riding shotgun, broke the silence. "Who the heck was that?"Lena's voice was cold. "A dead man."Michael's eyes met hers through the mirror. "He didn't look dead."Lena's fists tightened. He should have been.Mara sat up straight. "Romano." She spat the name. "I figured he disappeared."Lena kept her gaze. "Me too."Silvio Romano was a monster in their world. Not just a killer—a plotter, a manipulator, a ghost that could never be caught. Years ago, he had disappeared after his empire had collapsed. Most figured him dead.But now he was back. And he had just tried to kill th
Chapter 48 The gale blew over the empty dock. The night air was sharp with salt and rust odors. Midnight crept in, and Lena poised on the fringe of the docks, her pulse steady, her mind sharp.Michael and Noah stood there, out of view. Vincent had offered to bring his team, but Lena refused. This meeting needed to appear to be an act of trust—even if it was not.Headlights cut through the darkness. A black SUV pulled up, tires crunching gravel. The back door opened, and Mara Varela stepped out, heels clicking on wooden planks.Behind her, three men stood watch. Armed, but controlled.Lena smirked. “Three guards? I’m flattered.”Mara tilted her head. “You kidnapped my brother. I’m being polite.”Leo was still in their custody, tied to a chair in a warehouse across the city. He was unharmed—for now.Mara took a slow step forward. “Let’s talk.”Lena nodded. “Let’s.”They faced each other under the glow of a flickering streetlight.Mara crossed her arms. "You've made your point. But if y
Chapter 47 Lena froze for an instant, Vincent's words suspended in the chill of night."One of your friends is already dead."Michael was the first to respond. "Who?"Vincent reached into his overcoat, pressed his finger across the screen of the phone that came out with it, and handed it to Lena. A picture. A body. Blood on broken sidewalk.Lena's stomach twisted. She knew the man. Carlos Rivera. Loyal. Intelligent. One of the few she had trusted.Noah cursed low in his throat. Michael rubbed his face.Vincent pushed the phone away. "That is Varela's recording. She is watching. Waiting for you to respond."Lena balled her fists. "Then let's give her one."Vincent's smile was icy. "Good response."Inside the hideout, the atmosphere was tense. On the table, a map of the city indicated territories and loyalties delineated.Lena touched a red-marked section. "Varela has been intruding here. That's where Carlos was discovered."Michael crossed his arms. "She's making a point. She believes
Chapter 46Lena sat in the darkened room, her fingers drumming against the table. Stale coffee and gun oil scented the air. Vincent's words pressed upon her. Take control or someone worse will.She knew he was right. The underworld didn't wait on indecision. It filled openings with monsters.Michael entered, slamming a file in front of her. "We have names."Lena opened it. There were photos, reports, and handwritten notes. Three names stood out.1. Victor Alessi – Intelligent, brutal, and unpredictable. He had stayed out of Mercer's way but had a reputation for taking what he wanted.2. Nico Vasquez – Mercer's former partner, now looking to take his empire. He had muscle but no finesse.3. Mara Varela – The wild card. No one knew her full reach, but whispers told of her amassing something powerful.Noah leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "They won't wait long. One of them will make the first move."Lena read over the files again. "Then we make the first move."The warehouse smelle
Chapter 1Lena adjusted the pearl earring with tight fingers, determined not to let her hand tremble. The woman in the mirror was Claire's blonde loveliness, Claire's slender face, and Claire's silk designer shirt. But it was wrong.The image was strangeBehind her back, Ethan's voice rumbled as he came into their bedroom, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You look gorgeous, sweetheart."Sweetheart. Not Lena. Not Claire.She swallowed. "Are you sure this is me?" Her voice was light and playful because it had to be.Ethan laughed, leaving a kiss on her temple. "Of course, love. You just need more sleep."But sleep wasn't the problem. Reality was.The house, the life, the husband-it was all too perfect. And perfection, she was starting to realize, was its kind of prison.---The scent of freshly ground coffee and toasted bread filled the kitchen, blending with the crisp morning air. Ethan sat at the breakfast table, reading the newspaper as he always did, a portrait of effortless dom...
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