"So, you didn't try to cut off his hand?"

Zayn

Last night, our 6th shipment of the month was headed to Russia, but some traitor leaked the details, and now we've lost our 200 million.

Well, my men fought, but there were too many of those dogs, and by the time backup arrived, everything was gone."

My men managed to kill one of their guys.

He had an Albanian gang tattoo on the inside of his forearm," Luca told me.

"Do you think it's Dushku?" I ask him, because the eagle tattoo is the loyalty mark of the Dushku gang.

"Possible. Maybe he found out it was us who killed his friend Tanush.

Or maybe he was mad because we beat him to making a deal with the Polish guys," Luca said.

"Well, It could be both ." he nodded.

'Or someone wants us to think it was Dushku,' I said.

They left only one man, and he was dead, while half of our people were armed at the time. It was a suicide mission. Still, they stole from us, and on top of that, they left clues behind. And how convenient that he had a tattoo connecting him to Dushku. Something doesn't add up.

"So, who do you think could have done this?" Luca asked me.

I leaned forward, drumming my fingers on the desk. "It could be the Poles, playing us, setting the stage for something bigger.

These cowards can't fight us head-on.

After speaking, I stood up. That was enough for everyone to understand that the meeting was over.

I went to the parking lot through the lift, and Luca was following behind me. When I headed toward my bike, Luca gave me a "Are you kidding me?" look.

I gave him a "What?" look in return.

"You're not going on the bike. You're the godfather now; your security is important," Luca said with a tight smile.

"I'm just going home. It's not that far. Don't be a pussy, man, nothing will happen," I said to him.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on the route from here to your home through the cameras, and two cars will follow you at a 500-meter distance in case of an emergency."

I gave him a "Are you serious?" look, but after seeing his stern expression, I gave up on arguing. Winning against Luca when it comes to security is impossible.

"Alright, I'll put some people on Dushku, see what we can find out," Luca said.

"All right, fine. I'll go right away. I have a meeting with Shevchenko later," I said.

"I thought Shevchenko said he doesn't want to talk business with you anymore since you tried to chop off his hand and all."

"He's overreacting," I say over my shoulder while looking for my helmet.

"So, you didn't try to cut off his hand?"

"Of course, I did." I shift through the mess that's been haphazardly thrown around. "They were making a scene, and you know I don't like drama.

hazel

I am not sure what wakes me, but the moment I open my eyes, I know I'm not alone in the room. As soon as I open my eyes, I feel like someone is watching me. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and Goosebumps spread across my body. The digital clock on the nightstand shows two a.m. It's still midnight.

I sit up in the bed and look around the room. At first, I can't tell whose room I'm in due to the disorientation, but after focusing, I remember that this is Dino's room.

I was just thinking about how my eyes landed on the corner of the room. I don't notice him at first because he blends well into the darkness. The only thing that gives him away is his hair, caught in the moonlight coming through the window.

"I'm sorry, Rapunzel, if I woke you," Dino says from his spot in the recliner.

I doubt it was him who woke me. He is sitting so still that if I didn't know where to look, I wouldn't have noticed him.

"Can't sleep?" he asks again.

"No," I mean, "Yes."

"Relax, Rapunzel. No one is going to hurt you. I'm here to protect you."

He seems relaxed, but there is something in the tone of his voice that seems... wrong somehow.

"Why?" I ask hesitantly, raising my eyes to meet his directly. He looks confused.

"Why do you want to protect me? You didn't protect others. Sofia died. You told them to throw her into the ocean," I ask him.

He didn't say a word; he just kept looking at me.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Huh? Are you with those people too? Will you kill me the same way if I don't do what you say?" I shout at him, starting to cry. I'm not a weak person, but suddenly all the memories of last night are flashing before my eyes—Sofia died, and this man told them to throw her away. She just died.

Seeing me crying, he quickly got up and suddenly came to the bed, hugging me. I put my hands between us, but he didn't let go, hugging me tightly while gently patting my head.

"Shhh, Rapunzel, I'm here, baby. No one is going to hurt you."

He pulled back slightly but still held my shoulders and started speaking, "Rapunzel, I was arranging everything, but by the time I got here, your little friend was already dead. There was nothing I could do. Trust me, baby. And as for hurting you, no one here has the courage to even look at you the wrong way." He had a dead smirk on his face while saying this, and a strange fear coursed through my body upon hearing it.

"Now be a good girl and go to sleep. We'll talk more in the morning, okay? The doctor said you need rest," he said and made me lie down.

I didn't say a word; I just closed my eyes. To be honest, I really didn't know what to say after his confession. He said he was going to protect me and that no one would hurt me, but his confession didn't feel right. It sounded obsessed.

Jesus, why do I feel like I'm about to get into big trouble?

He didn't hurt me, but even though I was heavily drugged last night, I still remember some things. When he ordered them to throw Sofia away, there was no warmth or guilt in his voice. He spoke to them like he was their boss, and they seemed to fear his orders.

Whatever this is, he's not a good person, and I need to find a way to escape from here soon.