Collateral Blood

20

The warehouse was filled with smoke and tension as Harry leaned against a rusted metal column, dragging on a cigarette, his mind deep in thought. The dim light above cast shadows on his sharp features, highlighting the lines of focus etched into his face. Across the room, Tom and Zayn sat around a makeshift table, scribbling on a map and working out the details of their next move.

Sloan sat quietly on a worn-out sofa in the corner, her eyes darting between the men as they strategized. The scent of burning tobacco wafted through the air, and despite everything—despite being kidnapped, lied to, and thrust into a world of crime—she found herself oddly calm. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, or maybe it was the slow acceptance of her new reality. Whatever it was, she couldn't help but watch Harry as he smoked, the rhythmic way he inhaled and exhaled seeming almost hypnotic.

Zayn leaned over the table, tracing a line on the map with his finger. "We'll lure them to the docks. They'll think we're there to make the exchange, Sloan for the product. Once we've got them cornered, we strike. Quick, efficient—no room for error."

Tom nodded, tapping his pen against the paper. "They'll be expecting a trap, so we need to make it look like we're desperate. We give them just enough bait to feel confident."

Harry exhaled a plume of smoke, narrowing his eyes as he thought it through. "We'll tell them we've got Sloan hidden away in one of the shipping containers. They won't risk blowing the deal by bringing too many men, not if they think they can get her back without a fight. That's when we hit them."

Sloan shifted in her seat, the weight of the conversation pressing down on her. They were talking about her like she was a piece of merchandise, something to be traded, bartered with. Yet, at the same time, she couldn't help but admire the precision with which they planned. These men knew what they were doing. And now, so did she—at least a little.

She looked over at Harry again, watching as he flicked ash from his cigarette. Before she knew what she was doing, she spoke up. "Can I try that?"

Harry's eyes snapped to her, surprise flickering across his face. "You smoke?"

"No," Sloan admitted, her voice calm, almost detached. "But I want to try."

For a moment, Harry hesitated. His mind was focused on the plan, on the details of the ambush they were setting up. He couldn't afford distractions, not now. And Sloan, despite everything, was becoming one. He'd been noticing it more and more—the way his thoughts lingered on her, the way his gaze kept drifting to her when it shouldn't.

But instead of brushing her off, he pushed himself away from the column and moved toward her, holding the cigarette between his fingers. He crouched down in front of her, his eyes locked on hers as he carefully brought the cigarette to her lips. The touch was brief, but electric. His fingers brushed against her skin, and for a split second, something shifted in the air between them—something dangerous and intoxicating.

Sloan took a hesitant drag, coughing immediately as the smoke hit her lungs. Harry couldn't help the smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth, but it quickly faded as he pulled the cigarette back.

"Not for everyone," he said, his voice low, trying to shake off the moment. He couldn't let this get to him. Not now. She was part of the plan, a means to an end. Falling for her was out of the question.

But the way her green eyes locked onto his made it hard to remember that.

Sloan exhaled, still coughing slightly, but the moment felt oddly intimate. She could feel the shift in Harry's demeanor, the way he tried to push down whatever had just happened between them. She'd felt it too—the brief spark of something that made her forget, just for a second, that this man had kidnapped her.

"Focus," Harry muttered to himself as he stood up, turning his back to her and taking a long drag of the cigarette. He couldn't afford distractions, especially not when they were about to make their move against the Black Vipers. Sloan wasn't part of his world, not really. She was just collateral. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

"Everything set?" Harry asked, his voice sharp as he rejoined Tom and Zayn at the table.

Zayn glanced up from the map. "Yeah, we're ready. I'll make the call to Lucas' men, set up the meet. They'll think we're desperate to make the trade. We'll lure them into the trap and take back the product. Simple."

Harry nodded, the plan falling into place in his mind. But as he looked back at Sloan, who was now watching him intently, he couldn't shake the unease creeping into his gut. This should have been straightforward. Kidnap the girl, trade her for the product, and wipe out the Black Vipers. But nothing about this felt simple anymore.

Sloan stood up and walked over to the table, her movements slow but deliberate. She glanced at the map, her gaze shifting between the men.

"I want to help," she said quietly.

Harry shot her a look. "You'll stay out of it. We've got this under control."

Sloan's eyes flashed with determination. "I'm not just some pawn in this game, Harry. You said I'm part of this now, so let me help. I want to take them down as much as you do."

Zayn and Tom exchanged a look, but neither of them said anything. Harry stared at Sloan for a moment, his jaw clenched. She was right. She wasn't just a pawn anymore. But letting her get involved was dangerous—more dangerous than she realized.

"Fine," Harry said eventually, his voice tense. "But you stay out of the line of fire. We do this my way."

Sloan nodded, satisfied with his answer. She knew she was walking a fine line, but something inside her had shifted. This wasn't just about surviving anymore. This was about revenge—against her father, against the lies she had been fed her entire life. If joining forces with Harry meant getting that revenge, then so be it.

As Zayn made the call to Lucas' men, Harry couldn't shake the feeling that things were spiraling out of control. The plan was solid, but the stakes were higher than ever. And with Sloan now fully in the mix, he wasn't sure if he could keep his focus where it needed to be.

But one thing was clear: this was far from over. And as much as he hated to admit it, Sloan was becoming more than just a means to an end. She was becoming a complication—one he wasn't sure he could afford.