Trevor stood there, in jeans and a T-shirt, both loose and laid back in style – a contrast to the black suits he usually wore. Unyielding and intimidating as ever, his ice-cold expression a mix of determination and something darker.
Without waiting for an invitation, he stepped inside, already mid-sentence. “I got a rat.”
I blinked, caught off guard by his momentum. Closing the door behind him, I turned to see him pacing into the living room like he owned the place. Dropping a folder onto the kitchen island, its contents spilled slightly to reveal charts, bank records, and transaction logs.
Trevor pointed to the documents. “It’s a shell game,” Trevor continued, his voice tight with barely controlled anger. “They’ve been hitting us at our weakest points – your dad’s shipments, my dad’s deals – but the real profits are being rerouted. Someone’s been benefitting this whole time, using accounts that looked like our own. While we’ve been too busy blaming each other for the big hit jobs to notice them stealing money from right under our noses.”
“They want us to start a war.” I exhaled sharply, sinking onto one of the bar stools. “How long have you known this?”
“Two weeks,” He admitted. “I needed to be sure before I came to you. We’re being played, Natalia. And whoever it is – they’ve been exploiting the fact that we don’t trust each other.”
The weight of his words sank in, and for the first time in weeks, the anger I usually felt toward him dissolved. Instead, a fierce determination surged in its place.
“What’s the plan? How do we retaliate?”
His eyes met mine, and for a fleeting moment, there was no division between us anymore. “We find them before they findus again. And we make sure they regret ever stepping into our territory.”
I nodded, adrenaline coursing through me.
There was only one goal: winning.
All of our past arguments, our grudges… They didn’t matter in this moment.
“Listen…”
I glanced up from the document I was reviewing when Trevor took a seat next to me on an island stool.
“I’ll admit,” He said, but there was a glint of amusement and mischief in his eyes. “I was wrong about Maria and Zach.” My brows rose in surprise. “They might actually be…Good together. He hasn’t shut up about her since the club.”
A sudden memory hit me.
‘Natalia, right?’ When I nodded, Zach raised his chin in Trevor’s direction. ‘This one won’t shut up about you.’
My smile faltered slightly.
“Has she said anything about him? To you, I mean.”
I blinked, caught off guard by the question. “Maria? I mean, you know how she is. Always guarded. Always detached. But I think she’s definitely into Zach. Why?”
“No reason,” He said casually. “Just curious.”
I studied him for a moment, unsure what to make of his sudden interest. But before I could dig further, he changed the subject.
“Look,” Trevor said, his tone turning businesslike. “We’ve hit a wall with this. If we’re going to figure out who’s pulling the strings, we need help.”
I frowned. “What kind of help?”
The Midtown building was sleek, its exterior all white stone, the kind of place that screamed exclusivity. Above the entrance, black elegant lettering spelled out the name of what appeared to be a high-end gym.
P Y T H O N
I’d seen it before. Walked by it on the street. Glanced at it from the car. Though I never suspected it was owned by someone from the life.
Trevor didn’t say a word as he rounded the steering wheel of his Ferrari, turning the corner on a side alley. When he stepped out of the car, I followed. Glancing over my shoulder, I squinted my eyes. The faint glow of the city swallowed by the looming darkness around us.
I kept close, my pink heels clicking softly against the pavement. As we neared the door, two monstrous figures emerged from the shadows, sending my heart into my throat.
Both men wore sharp suits, their faces obscured by black masks covering the bottom half of their faces. They didn’t speak, didn’t make a sound, but one of them gave a slight nod before moving aside, granting Trevor – and by extension, me – silent permission to enter. The other pushed the door open and held it for us.