"He had many people's blood on his hands and one woman in his heart."
She woke up with a pounding headache, a strange tattoo, and memories of her family being brutally attacked. All because of the documents she stole. Now, protected by one of the wo...
"Stop smiling like that," Ace growled, hurling a paperweight at me with pinpoint accuracy. It hit me square on the forehead, pulling me out of my daydream. "You look like a lovesick puppy! Snap out of it. We're dealing with something serious here."
The dull throb in my forehead was a rude awakening. Fuck. I quickly straightened up, fully aware of the ten pairs of eyes now focused on me. I’d been lost in thoughts of Nyx, completely oblivious to the gravity of the situation at hand. Damn it, this was mortifying. I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure. Great, Fuck, now they all know I’m hopelessly smitten.
"It's okay, boss, take your time," Hunter chimed in, barely suppressing a smile. The amusement in his eyes was unmistakable, and it only fueled my irritation. I shot him a glare that could’ve stopped a lesser man in his tracks, but he just smirked wider.
Alright. Breathe. Focus. Code black.
I took a deep breath, letting the seriousness of the task sink in. "Alright, everyone, listen up!" My voice was sharp, cutting through the lingering tension. "We’ve got a stalker on our hands—someone who's been sending Nyx anonymous gifts and letters. This is a direct threat. This is code black, and I want it handled swiftly and quietly. Here’s the plan
Day one, I want surveillance on every delivery service in the city. Track every package, every letter. We need to find out where these gifts are coming from and who’s behind them. No detail is too small.
Day two, Cross-reference every name on our suspect list with recent movements and known associates. I want to know if anyone has been acting out of character or if any new faces have appeared in Nyx’s life. Identify potential threats, and keep tabs on them.
Day three, Once we’ve narrowed down our list, we move in. Conduct thorough interrogations—discreetly. No one outside this room needs to know what’s going on until we have the culprit in hand. We’ll find this bastard, and when we do, they’ll learn exactly what happens when you mess with what's mine.
Nyx’s safety is non-negotiable. We find this stalker, and we make sure they never get close to her again."
The room was silent, the weight of my words sinking in. Every man in here knew the stakes, and failure wasn’t an option. Not when it came to Nyx.
The city was cloaked in twilight, the sky deepening into hues of violet and navy as the day drew to a close. The streets below buzzed with the usual evening activity, but the undercurrent of tension in our headquarters was palpable. My mind was a whirlwind of anxiety and determination as I stared at the array of monitors displaying various locations around the city.
The first day of our operation was underway. The team had been out since early morning, monitoring every delivery service, tracking every package that had entered or left the city. We’d put together a comprehensive map of the routes and stops, scrutinizing each one for anything that might lead us to the source of Nyx’s anonymous gifts.
Octavio’s desk was littered with surveillance photos and notes, his focus intense as he sifted through the data. “I think we might have something,” he said, his voice cutting through the murmur of activity. He pointed to a set of images on his screen. “This delivery van made a few stops at addresses linked to our list. It’s possible the sender used this service to distribute the gifts.”
Ace, standing nearby with his arms crossed, nodded in agreement. “Let’s pull up the delivery logs for those addresses. See if anything stands out.”
I paced the room, my frustration mounting. We had a lead, but the reality was that every clue could be a red herring. The anonymous sender could be anyone—a jealous ex, a vengeful associate, or someone with a twisted sense of amusement. But one thing was certain: whoever it was, they were getting dangerously close to crossing a line.
“So, when are we meeting Roman?” Ace asked, his gaze locked on the neatly stacked papers sprawled across his desk.
I sighed deeply. “Tomorrow.”
“Good!” Ace’s satisfaction was palpable. At that moment, Nyx breezed in, pushing a cart piled high with food. She wore a hilariously bright pink T-shirt—an exact match to the one she’d worn when she first strolled into my office. A smirk tugged at my lips as I remembered that day.
“Here, have some food,” Nyx said cheerfully, distributing the plates and bowls with a grin that could only be described as radiant.
Octavio’s nose wrinkled in distaste. “What is that ridiculous piece of clothing you’re wearing? Get out of my sight.”
Nyx burst into laughter, clearly unaffected. “Aw, are you offended? I’ll make sure to wear it more often then. Nothing makes me happier than tormenting Octavio.”
Hunter chortled, taking a hearty bite of his sandwich. Ace leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eye. “You know, I might just wear something like that myself. Watching Octavio’s face will be worth it.”
Nyx high-fived Ace, her grin widening. “Now that’s the spirit!”
Octavio groaned, rubbing his temples. “You guys are the epitome of childishness. Grow up.”
Nyx and Ace exchanged amused glances, clearly not deterred by Octavio’s grumbling. Nyx shrugged, her smile never faltering. “Anyway, I didn’t come here just to annoy Octavio. I wanted to thank everyone for risking your lives to save mine. I really owe you all.”
Octavio grunted dismissively. “We’re getting paid for it, so your thanks are kind of redundant.”
Shooting a death glare at Octavio, I proceeded to calm my heart, that has been pumping so fucking hard against my chest. Might even get a heart attack at this rate. Damn you organ.
“Take it or leave it, you ungreatful asswipe!” Nyx retorted. “Be happy I’m thanking you instead of throwing something at you, which, I must admit, I’m very tempted to do.”
She turned to face everyone, her smile now tinged with genuine warmth. “But seriously, I’m really grateful. I hope you guys accept my thanks, okay?” Her smile turned into a mock-threatening smirk, making everyone nod in agreement.
Hunter chuckled, his mouth full. “Don’t worry, Nyx. We’ll take your thanks with a side of this amazing sandwich.”
“Good. Now eat up. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day, and we need to keep our strength up.” Nyx said, existing the office.
As everyone dug into the food, the room was filled with laughter and light-hearted banter. The momentary reprieve from our serious mission was a welcome reminder of the camaraderie that held us together.
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