Page 7 of Serpent King's Prisoner

“You’re doing fine,” he said, as if he could read my mind. “I know it’s hard to believe, but a lot of the job is just waiting. If you want, though, we could go out…”

I held back the urge to roll my eyes only because he was my superior at work. “You just told me to focus on the job, Tyler. I’m focusing on the job.”

“Good. I didn’t call you here just for a status report.” He looked around, as if ensuring we were alone, then leaned in closer. His aftershave smelled like a high schooler’s body wash; the guy was trash, through and through. “Our financial guys hit pay dirt. The cash flow from the businesses we watched go up in smoke? It’s moving, and it’s moving deep into Chinatown.”

“Deeper?” I echoed, the gears in my brain already turning over what that could mean.

“Right into the belly of the beast. We think the Serpents are tightening their grip, getting ready for something big.” Tyler’s eyes were hard, serious. “And there’s more. Wire transfers—big ones—traced to places circling the Red Lantern.”

“The coffee shop? My coffee shop?“ I said. “I didn’t think Lou had any Serpent ties.”

“Yes, Abby,” he said. “There’s a reason you’re there.”

I nodded. “Got it. I’ll keep an eye out.”

“More than an eye, Abby.” Tyler’s expression was grim, his usual annoying brand of humor nowhere in sight. “This is the real deal. Stay sharp.”

“Sharp as a tack,” I said, though the unease was starting to snake its way through my veins. But I pushed it down, buried it under the resolve that had gotten me through Quantico and into this mess. I had a job to do, and come hell or high water, I was going to see it through.

Tyler turned to look at me. He towered over me, blocking the last few rays of sunshine in the sky, his body outlined with fog.

“Abby, it’s not just about being careful. You need to watch your back.” His voice was low and urgent, slicing through the growing dusk like a knife.

“Tyler, I know what I signed up for.” I straightened my posture, meeting his gaze head-on.

He stepped closer, and I could see the shadows of the day’s end reflecting in his eyes. “The Triad doesn’t play by our rules. They smell a rat, they don’t give second chances. They’ve never thought twice about taking down the law.”

“Let them come,” I said, but even as the words left my mouth, my heart hammered against my ribs. The Serpents were infamous for their ruthlessness, their cold-blooded efficiency. But I was here for a reason. I knew that I just needed to push through to do my job.

“Abby, you’re good. But don’t get cocky. These guys…they’re another breed.” He clapped a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm. “We can’t afford to lose you.”

“Thanks for the pep talk,” I muttered, shrugging off his hand. “I’ll be fine.”

“Damn right you will,” he replied, but the tension didn’t leave his frame. “Because if you’re not, it won’t just be your pretty ass on the line. It’ll be all of ours.”

“Understood.” The seriousness of the situation rooted me to the spot for a moment longer before I turned to leave.

“Hey, Harper,” Tyler called after me, a hint of the old humor flickering back into his voice. “Don’t forget to enjoy the view once in a while, huh? Even rats get to admire the sunset.”

I let out a short, sharp laugh, feeling the weight of the gun at my side. “Only when it’s not setting on my grave, Matthews.”

“You could do with some company, Abby,” he said as I stopped.

“No, thanks,” I replied. “I have work to do.”

“Just stay alive!” he shouted after me, and then I could hear his footsteps receding as I tried to figure out what the fuck he meant by that.

Chapter Four: Nathan

My heart hammered in my chest as I looked at my father.

The sound of my mother’s voice, warm but commanding, filled the hallway as the heavy door to the Serpent Head’s office clicked shut behind us. I hadn’t expected to hear that tone directed at Alex, Justin, and Lily—not when the latter two should’ve been buried in college textbooks, not family business.

“Justin? Lily?” I shot a questioning glance at my father as we walked towards the dining room. “What are they doing here? I thought you wanted them to finish school first.”

“Extraordinary times,” was all he said, his voice low and grave. “We have to protect our own, Nathan. No exceptions.”

I understood. The rules were changing—a serpent shedding its skin for something tougher, more resilient.

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