Mine

Chapter 24

The scent of gun oil and expensive cigars laced the air and it felt nauseating! It was an abandoned shipping yard on the outskirts of the city—where deals like these thrived in the shadows, away from the eyes of law and consequence.

Rusted containers loomed like the silent audience, their chipped paint and corroded metal bearing witness to countless illegal transactions. Floodlights flickered above, casting long, jagged shadows across the cracked concrete, while the distant hum of waves crashing against the docks filled the silence between hushed negotiations.

At the heart of it all, a group of men stood gathered near a blacked-out SUV, the trunk popped open to reveal a sleek, silver briefcase—containing whatever was worth killing for tonight.

The deal was in motion.

He was watching, eyes sharp and hooded, a predator lurking just out of sight. Jimin remained perfectly still, concealed by the maze of towering shipping containers. The dim glow of flickering floodlights barely reached him, casting jagged shadows across his black-clad frame.

Peering from the darkness, he took in the scene—two parties, tense and alert, exchanging hushed words over the silver briefcase resting atop the SUV's trunk. The men surrounding it weren't amateurs. They stood in a loose but strategic formation, hands hovering near their weapons, eyes scanning for any sign of interference.

Jimin smirked. Paranoid. As they should be.

His fingers flexed at his sides, itching for the moment to strike. He had already calculated his moves—silent, quick, precise. By the time they noticed the briefcase was missing, he'd be long gone.

At least, that's what he thought.

Because he wasn't the only shadow waiting for the perfect moment.

From the opposite end of the yard, she crouched atop a rusted container, her breathing steady, measured. Raven was no stranger to these jobs—watch, wait, take. The men below were predictable, focused only on their transaction, blind to what lurked just beyond their vision.

But unlike her previous missions, something felt off. Her fingers ghosted over the hilt of her knife, eyes narrowing slightly. Jimin remained unaware of her, just as she remained unaware of him. Two predators, watching the same prey.

And neither had any intention of leaving empty-handed.

Her sharp eyes studied the scene below. The mission was simple—secure the package before the deal was completed, leave no trace, and disappear before anyone realized what had happened.

She had done this before. In and out, no mistakes.

Same was on his mind. Jimin's leather-gloved hands adjusted the cuff of his jacket, his lips curving into something unreadable as he observed the same deal.

He had been given one order—take the package. Everything else was optional.

His plan was set, just as Maria's was.

Neither of them knew that their paths were about to collide in the most unexpected way.

The first sign of trouble came in the form of a shift in the air.

Jimin felt it before he saw it—a fleeting sensation, like someone else's presence brushing against the edges of his awareness. His instincts flared, honed by years of experience. Something was wrong.

From her vantage point, Maria sensed it too. She had been surveying the guards, memorizing their movements, timing her descent to the second. Still concealed, Jimin adjusted his stance, scanning the area without giving himself away. The dealers were still focused on their hushed negotiations, unaware that two predators were watching them from opposite ends.