Chapter 110: Snakes Dream Of Crowns
Maksim exhaled some smoke, picturing how things would unfold. HK would fall, Lunel would be caught, and her skills would be turned against her. And Alpha? A little poison in his drink, and he’d be feeding the pigs before he knew it. Selina could stick around as eye candy until she wasn’t needed anymore. The throne would finally be his. "Once we finish things with Hazard King, I’ll deal with Alpha. His moves are a total giveaway."
A ping on his screen brought him back, "Selina was right, Lunel confirmed in HK’s tower."
Maksim smirked. "Awesome. Let the chase begin."
*****
In a locked-up warehouse on the edge of NYC, Alpha Dark slammed his fist down on the table, making the maps and screens around him flicker. His crew jumped a little, but he didn’t care. The drive-by at HK’s tower was done perfectly, no one got hurt, just a lot of chaos. It was Maksim’s idea, meant to send a message to Hazard King that they were coming for him after Selina spilled that Lunel was back with HK.
Alpha couldn’t stop his mind from racing. Lunel was back in HK’s crew, the hacker who had made a fool of him at the auction by slipping away with her sister. Now she was back on HK’s team after their fallout. Selina’s betrayal stung, but he had lured them back with promises of getting their fair share. Idiots.
He pictured how it would all go down. Once Lunel and HK’s systems went down, he would swoop in and take control. Then Maksim? A bullet to the head, and he’d take over his empire. And Selina... oh, Selina. She’d end up just like her mom, drugged, tossed in the river, never to be found again. Just like his dad had done years ago to clean up the mess. Alpha smirked. History repeats itself. She thinks she’s pulling one over on me? I’ll make her vanish just like that.
He thought back to how he had watched his mom die and how Selina’s dad had a hand in his own father disappearing. What did his mom ever do? She was brutally raped by Selina’s father and couldn’t handle what happened. He thought to himself, "I’ll do the same to you, Selina. You think you were with me because I cared? You’ve got it all wrong."
A guard walked in. "Boss, Maksim’s calling. He wants to know if we’re good to go on the next hit."
Alpha nodded. "Let him know we’re in. But keep a close eye on him. The snake is ready to strike."
*****
In Istanbul, under the midnight fog coming off the Bosphorus, Liam snuck into a dim alley behind a cozy teahouse. He pulled his hoodie low over his face and checked for anyone trailing him, but there was no one around. The city buzzed with the sound of distant traffic, but in this alley, it was dead quiet.
Out of the shadows, a striking woman appeared, masked and looking like she was in her early thirties but somehow came off as younger. She wore a sleek black coat, and her eyes were sharp like knives behind the veil. She nodded once, and the code word slipped between them effortlessly: "Eclipse shadow."
Liam replied, "Moon’s veil lifts."
They went into the corner. "Lunel’s back," she said urgently. "I’ve heard rumors, Hazard King has gotten to her. Alpha and Karza are on the hunt."
Liam’s jaw tightened. "Are the codes verified? Is she okay?"
"For now. But things are getting tight."
"That could be true. Stay alert. If she needs backup..."
The woman nodded. "I’ll let the group know. Stay low, boy. The hunters are out."
With that, she vanished into the fog, leaving Liam with a ton of questions. Who was she? A mentor? A spy? Her identity was a mystery, but her knowledge was always on point.
Liam shook off his thoughts and made his way to the apartment.
When he got there, Ayla was waiting, her face lighting up when he came in. "Any news?"
He kissed her forehead. "Nothing solid yet. But we’re still looking."
"Two years," Ayla sighed, frustration creeping into her tone. "No word. Not even after the auction."
Liam nodded. "Hackers like her cut ties. Enemies go after families. Remember that breach that caught you? You almost died."
Ayla flinched at the memory. "Yeah. We used to lose touch for months, but not years. How can she do this? She’s my sister. How can she just disappear?"
"We’ll track her down," Liam promised, fingers flying over the keyboard. But their searches hit walls, with fake trails and dead ends everywhere. Lunel’s defenses were rock solid, no pings, no slips. Ayla’s worry grew, but Liam held her close. "She’s alive. Tough. Just like you."
*****
Back in NYC, Aylin looked out the penthouse window, the city lights blurring as tears threatened to spill. The fight was over, but Zayden’s guards were still on high alert.
Reyes had been keeping her updated on Ayla for the past two years, which helped her breathe a little easier, but guilt hung around. "How’s she doing, really? After the auction hall... I didn’t even check on her health."
It had been two years without a word. This wasn’t exactly new; hackers usually kept to themselves since their families could become targets. Once, enemies had figured out where she was, nearly putting Ayla in danger. Aylin couldn’t let that happen again. "She’s safe. I trust that. Liam... whatever he’s hiding, it’s probably for the same reasons I do. He’s a good guy at heart."
But doubts kept creeping in. Was Ayla doing okay emotionally? The trauma, the blood... Aylin shoved those thoughts away and focused on the here and now: Alpha, Karza, Zayden’s tangled web.
Out of nowhere, the door flew open. Zayden barged in, his mask off and eyes blazing. "We need to have a chat."
She turned around, knife in hand, ready to defend herself. "About what?"
"You. Us. This." He stepped closer, anger practically radiating off him.
Before she could do anything, his hand shot out, pinning her back against the wall with a soft thud. Zayden’s grip was tight around her throat, not choking her but holding her exactly where he wanted. His body was pressed against hers, his chest rising and falling against her, warmth bleeding through their clothes. The city lights painted shadows on his sharp jawline, but his blue eyes were locked onto her like she was the only thing that mattered.
