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I had that effect on people.

  Good evening Mitchell,” I purred.

  “There you are. You got everything?”

  “Yes sir. I’m meeting both of them very soon,” I said.

  “Good. You know the deal. Once we’ve got the hit, you run,” he said.

  “I know, Mitchell. But I’m not sure how much time I’ll have before I get out. I mean, someone could hear me right away.”

  “The best thing for you to do is to do the job, and to just go through with this,” he said.

  “I will, sir.”

  I then bade him farewell, heading over to the room, and I quickly went inside. As soon as I got in there, I saw William sitting there, looking at me with a smug smile on his face.

  “There you are. I’ve been waiting for you,” he said.

  “Hey there, William,” I said.

  “Hey yourself. Have a seat. I know you’re representing Thomas right now, but we’ve been friends for such a long time, and I think it’s safe to say we can approach this on a much nicer level than just two people sitting around and talking,” he said.

  “True. Anyways, I know we’re here to discuss the business opportunities, but … how are things going otherwise?”

  I looked around, trying to find any hint of my men, and William simply grinned.

  “Oh, wonderful. You know how it is. Business is a big investment, and I’m always ready to put the time and effort into it,” he said cheerfully.

  “But have you heard the recent news? That whole mysterious disappearance of some of the members of the Ravens?” I asked.

  He tensed up, looking at me for a second.

  “How do you know about that?”

  “Simple. I’m friends with people who know you and your brother. Do you know anything about their disappearance, William? I know their leader is pretty pissed about the sudden disappearance, but if you have information, it would definitely prove useful,” I said.

  “I … I don’t,” he said.

  “Lying isn’t an attractive trait, William,” I said, menacingly.

  My voice started to grow dark, and he looked at me with widened eyes.

  “Why do you care so much about what I say? Do you now have connections to the gangs here too? They’re useful, they’re good pawns, and perpetuating this fighting has proven to be useful for us,” he said.

  “I’m not confirming nor denying anything, William, I’m just asking for an answer,” I said.

  “I’m just—”

  “William don’t lie. We’re friends here, right. By the way, I’m surprised your brother is suddenly gone. Where did he go?”

  “I’m not going to answer that. This is about our companies. Thomas wants to do a partial merger, and I’m fine with that. How do you feel about it?” he asked.

  “I want to know from your brother as well. I’m fine with it, but I know that you’ve got your own feelings about this,” I said.

  “You’re distracting me, Stephan. Seriously, what the hell is this?”

  “I’m just here to get answers to questions. I’ve been hearing rumors of your … unseemly activities in order to make sure that your company stays on top. It’s kind of sad. Don’t you know that type of energy isn’t all that good for you? I think it’s better if you just were honest, William.”

  He looked at me, and I simply smiled in a sinister manner. He didn’t know how to deal with this.

  “What do you know? Seriously, how do you know all of this? Who are you really? What do you want from me?”

  “Simple, I want revenge. Where are the men from the Ravens? I asked.

  He looked at me in a funny way, and for a long time, he simply didn’t know what to do.

  He was struggling, and I could see him gradually losing his composure. There was something thrilling about seeing this.

  “You won’t… you won’t’ take me alive!” he said, at last.

  He quickly moved towards the doorway, heading out. I cursed when I realized that he was trying to get away. I followed him to the right, down the hallway, and down the stairs beyond. When I got there, I heard the sounds of a struggle and muffled cries coming from many men. When I got down there, I found myself in a drab cell where and a bunch of men were tied up.

  “What the—”

  I was suddenly kicked in the face. I groaned in agony, falling to the ground. This wasn’t how I imagined how this would go. However, I quickly got my bearings and responded, working on trying to keep myself together despite it all.

  I found the man in the weak light. I attempted to look into his eyes, but it was too dark to make out anything clearly.

  This man was my target. He would pay for what he did to these people.

  “So, this is what you did to them, the men that you took from the Ravens,” I said.

  “I told you that if you just minded your own fucking business that it wouldn’t be like this,” William said.

  “Shut the hell up, William. You have no place to talk. So what was the purpose of all this? To find people you could win over only to screw them over later on? That’s cute,” I told him.

  He tensed up, hesitating for but a moment. I could tell he was getting angry with me.

  I shuddered, trying my hardest to figure out what to do about this whole situation. I instinctively knew what I would have to do. I’d have to fight this bastard and take him out.

  Taking him out felt like a ton of work, and I knew that this could be bad. But, I moved towards the cell, unlocking the doors and watching as the men left.

  “You’re not going to be able to escape. The exit is sealed off until I’m done, and I’ll be taking care of the Balton Brothers tonight. I’ve been asked, and I will do this. I came here partially to negotiate, but mostly to find out the truth, and I’m about to get my revenge for them,” I said.

  I grabbed the knife, knowing that there was poison on the blade. It would be enough to kill them, but I knew that I’d have to play my cards right.

  This was the life I chose. And as I moved my body slightly, I watched as his eyes widened in shock.

  “You … you fucker,” he said as the guys all raced on out of there.

  I smiled, dodging the first attack, sweeping my leg around, and then attacking him once more. This guy didn’t know what hit him. He cried out as I smacked my entire leg against his shin, and I heard the tell-tale sign of shattering bone.

  It made me cringe for a moment, but I knew what I did was right. I began to sweep my leg around once more, hitting him square in the stomach. He fell to his misery, and that’s when I did it.

  I grabbed the knife, holding it up, and then, I stabbed him. I watched as his eyes widened, the poisoned blade hitting him straight in the gut. He cried out, falling back, and then, his blood spilled all over the floor.

  I looked over at his brother, who was trying to hide.

  “You think you’re going to get away?” I said.

  “N-no!”

  “That’s right. You’re not. This is the end of the line for you, fucker,” I told him.

  He tried to run away, but then tripped and fell down the stairs. I chuckled to myself as I watched the man try so desperately to escape.

  I slowly walked over as if in slow motion and stabbed him in the back. I looked at him, and as he started to raise his hand, but I kicked him down and pushed the knife in deeper.

  “This is what you get,” I snarled.

  The man lay there dead, a pool of his blood spreading out around him. I looked around the holding cells. There were a couple of people still locked in. When I found the keys, I unlocked the door, and suddenly, a mother and her two daughters came out, sobbing in response.

  “It’s okay. You’re safe now,” I insisted.

  The mother sobbed and thanked me before running away with her daughter in tow.

  They were soon gone. I was all alone, and a part of me wondered if I should tell Laney what had happened here tonight. She probably wouldn’t understand a goddamn thing. I felt bad, but I knew that
if she knew the truth, it would be way worse than before.

  As I was about to leave, I heard the sound of footsteps coming closer.

  “I’m coming up boys. Just letting these people go. Apparently, all the kidnapped people are here,” I said.

  But, the other person didn’t respond. I didn’t see anyone, and then, after a little bit, I noticed someone at the entrance.

  “I’m coming up, geez,” I said.

  “Stephan? Is that you?”

  Shit. That was the last thing I wanted to hear. Laney’s voice.

  “Ummm … yeah, I’m here. Give me a second.”

  Fuck, what would she think if she saw the bodies? I thought about it, but it was too late. A couple of people ran past her, and she let out a small yelp.

  “Who are you people?” she asked.

  She walked over to where I stood. I wanted to hide, but it was too late.

  “Ummmm … is that a dead body?”

  I could just tell her that it was nothing, that I didn’t do anything, but as she looked around, her eyes widened.

  “That’s the … Balton brothers. Did you…do this?”

  I didn’t have anywhere to go. I mean, I thought she would understand me being the leader of the gang and all. But, this would either play in my favor, or it wouldn’t.

  I know that lying to Laney would ruin everything. She trusted me, and she knew about my job as the head of the gang. Something needed to change.

  I figured lying to her wouldn’t be the right option. She looked at me with an upset face, but then, I simply smiled.

  “Yes Laney, I did do this. I killed both of them.”

  Book 2 : In Too Deep

  Introduction

  Laney never expected any of this but there is no better proof than the corpse on the ground. Fear and confusion consume her and drive her to the edge. She knows that she must choose before it’s too late. She is divided between giving him a chance and forsaking whatever it is that birthed between them.

  Stephan knows that what happens next will determine his future. Deep down, he somehow hopes that Laney will accept him for who he is.

  But, when he finds out that Laney is in trouble, Stephan steps forward, knowing full well of the dangers. And little does he know that Laney’s existence will shake the core of everything from here on out.

  Chapter 1: Laney

  I stood there, looking at the bodies on the ground, feeling my chest tighten and my heart pound.

  Holy shit, he actually killed someone.

  For the first time, I felt legitimate fear. I thought he would just incapacitate them. This was the first time seeing a dead body, the red pool of blood, the lifeless form there.

  I felt like hurling.

  I looked at Stephan, who had a deadpanned look on his face. I felt like no single answer would work here. I knew he was dangerous, but I just … wasn’t expecting this.

  “You really did … kill them…”

  “Yes Laney. I did it for our own good. These bastards had it coming.”

  “But they were people! What the hell!”

  I didn’t understand. My mind couldn’t conceive any of it. Stephan continued to nod.

  “Laney, I told you I was dangerous. Why are you freaking out now?”

  “Because I never thought I’d have to see dead bodies. I thought it was some sort of spy thing, where you’d kill them, and I’d continue to be oblivious. I’d rather be oblivious than well … this,” I admitted.

  I moved away from the body, cringing in response, and Stephan sighed.

  “But Laney, we discussed this. Why did you think I did what I did? Did you think this was some sort of game?”

  “No Stephan I—”

  For the first time, I noticed he looked hurt. Although his face was devoid of all emotion, I could see him biting his lip slightly, holding back his words.

  “Laney, here’s the truth: I’m a mobster. I kill people who get in the way of my business. I deal drugs, I am the leader of many establishments, including brothels, and I’m not going to stop doing what I do for you. I told you I was dangerous, and yet here you are, freaking the fuck out.”

  Freaking out? Does he realize he’s a criminal? I didn’t sign up to see this. I thought he’d take care of this, and we could just continue on with our lives. This whole thing was just … too much for me.

  “So, is there anyone else we need to kill? Any more dead bodies I’ll find?” I said with a sardonic tone.

  Stephan looked at me with an emotionless look.

  “You’re making me out to be a monster. You know I’m not a good person, but I’m doing this for our future. Those guys were about to buy out your company, and guess what? When that was over, you’d be out of a job. I was trying to help you, and I kept you from being on the streets. You don’t understand, Laney, the world of business, the world that I’m in, is far from perfect. Your boss isn’t some good old person either. I wasn’t hired by him, but the guy I was hired by was a good friend of your boss. So, he probably knew of my backstory. But here you are, thinking I just kill mercilessly,” Stephan said.

  That’s what it looked like though! The way the bodies just lay there, not moving. The coarse reality of death was right in front of me and it made me feel unsettled to say the least. I didn’t know what to do, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to admit that to him.

  “I don’t know what to do,” I admitted.

  “Well, you can start by answering a question for me.”

  I looked towards him, his eyes were unwavering, his gaze practically hitting me full-on. I felt like I was being judged at the stake, but then, he spoke.

  “If you know the truth, Laney, will you support me? Or is this the end?”

  I looked at him, realizing the decision I’d have to make. The truth was, I didn’t know. My morals told me to get the hell away from this guy. Get a pregnancy test, make sure I didn’t get knocked up, and from there, go on my merry way.

  That was the logical solution. The other part of me wanted to stay, to accept him no matter what, and to just continue forward with this.

  But I was scared. what would this mean if I did accept him? What was I getting into? I thought I knew but the reality was I didn’t.

  And the lack of understanding terrified me.

  “I don’t know what to do, Stephan. I knew you did things like this. Like … hurt people, but I’m not sure what to do here.”

  For a moment, neither of us said anything. I could tell even with his emotionless face that he was trying to figure out what to do.

  “It really depends on what you want to do at this point, Laney. We can forget about this for now. I would love for you to understand, but if you need more time then I’ll give you time.”

  I wasn’t sure if that was what I needed. But I was confused, my head and my heart feeling two very different emotions. Was it right for me to stay by this man’s side, through thick and thin? I wondered this myself, but I decided that the best answer right now would be for me to think on this.

  “I don’t know what to do. On the one hand, I do believe what you’re doing is just. You’re delivering justice but I … I need some time. I’m really sorry I can’t give you a definitive answer right away.”

  I didn’t wait for him to respond. Even though I could see his mouth about to form the words, I wasn’t ready to stay here. I ran away, heading out of the basement and over to the main hall. When I got out there, I called an Uber, terrified of staying anywhere near this place.

  This business was all about killing, and about taking out others. Was I even safe in the place I worked anymore?

  That was a question I feared answering. As soon as the Uber pulled up, I slid on in, ignoring the driver’s words. My mind was focused on what to do.

  I somehow felt guilty for leaving Stephan like that, but for now, I needed time. I wasn’t sure. I did like Stephan a lot, but was the feeling I had for him worth the danger this might put me in? I didn’t know.

  I felt like I was
lost, and the answers I sought weren’t there. Maybe they’d show up eventually, but for now, I needed to get away. That was the only way to stay safe in this hellish world.

  Chapter 2: Stephan

  I couldn’t believe she’d just leave like that.

  Actually, I could. Laney wasn’t ready for this, and I felt guilty of everything that transpired. I wished I could’ve explained it better, but how do you do that?

  I wasn’t a bad guy. Those guys were. I was just doing my job. So why did I feel so terrible?

  No, it wasn’t because of her. I never cared about the feelings of others in the past. Everyone knew me as the cold-hearted leader, and that’s how I always came across. But, when I left the basement to meet up with Mitchell, I felt almost guilty.

  “There’s no sense in having feelings like that,” I said to myself.

  I remembered my training. During my training, there was always one thing the former leader, my mentor Robert, told me.

  Never let emotions determine fate.

  Emotions were prohibited when it came to the mafia. So why did I struggle with the guilt that infected my body like a virus, eating away at me to the point where I second-guessed what to do.

  “Fucking hell,” I said to myself as I went over to Mitchell, who looked at me with surprise on his face.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yes. The target was taken care of. Annihilated,” I said to him, the words stinging in my throat.

  “I see. Good, then nothing will stand in the way of our acquisition of those parts. You still want a cut, right?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir. I’d like a cut. I would like to have control over the eastern sector. But uh, don’t let Anderson know what I’m doing,” I said.

  “You mean the company you were working for to get information on the brothers?”

  “Yes. I don’t want them to know about this. Keep it under wraps. Just say an anonymous buyer controls it.”

  “Why does that matter?”

  I felt my heart race, a pounding thud that only I knew. I felt guilty about everything, and I didn’t know how to shake off the guilt.