Returning to my apartment after the warehouse raid felt like a bitter triumph. We'd rattled Carlos's men, yet he was still out there, watching and waiting. I was getting close, but not close enough. Every time I thought I had him cornered, he managed to slip through my grasp, leaving taunts and threats in his wake.
I sank onto the edge of my bed, letting out a slow breath. The apartment was still, too quiet. In the silence, thoughts of my brother's laugh, his smirk, filled the empty spaces.
Anger gnawed at me, sharp and demanding. How could he be gone? He'd been the steady constant in my life, the reason I'd joined N.O.V.A., the one person who had always been there. And now, with Carlos's shadow threatening me, all I had left was a memory, a ghost.
A knock at the door jolted me out of my thoughts. I pulled myself together, sliding a knife into my boot and crossing the room, my hand on the doorknob as I cracked it open.
Leo stood there, arms crossed. "You're not answering your phone, Lilith."
I opened the door wider, letting him in. "Maybe I didn't want to be interrupted."
He sighed, a familiar look of worry in his eyes. "Look, I get it. But shutting everyone out? That's exactly what Carlos wants. He's baiting you, Lilith. He's watching your every move, waiting for you to slip up."
I clenched my jaw, fighting the surge of anger. "He killed my brother, Leo. If he thinks I'm just going to sit back and let him get away with it, he's dead wrong."
Leo leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Then don't let him manipulate you. Carlos knows you're coming for him. But if you're not careful, he'll twist it until you're the one on the run."
For a long moment, silence hung between us. The truth was, Leo wasn't wrong. Carlos had turned my pursuit into a twisted game, one where every move felt like it was orchestrated to throw me off balance. And I was letting him. I was letting him turn my grief into something he could control.
"Fine," I said, finally. "Then help me find a way to turn the tables."
The next morning, we dove deep into the N.O.V.A. intel archives, searching for anything we could use against Carlos. Every document, every surveillance tape, every whisper about Serpente D'Oro's activities was on the table. Carlos's past was littered with betrayal, but none of it led back to him.
"Here," Leo muttered, pulling up a blurred surveillance image. It was grainy, but the details were unmistakable. Carlos, standing next to an older man, his face obscured by shadows. "This was taken a week before your brother's last mission. They were meeting in a known Serpente D'Oro safehouse."
My heart skipped a beat. "Who's the other guy?"
Leo clicked through a series of files, pulling up another image, this time in color. "Alvaro Ferrero. Used to be one of Carlos's top lieutenants until they had a falling out. Rumor is, he went rogue, tried to start his own operation."
I stared at the image, an idea taking shape in my mind. If I couldn't get to Carlos directly, maybe I could use Ferrero. "Where is he now?"
"Last sighting was in the city outskirts. He's been keeping a low profile, but I think he might be looking for protection. Rumor has it he's got a price on his head—placed by Carlos himself."
I pushed away from the desk, the hint of a plan sparking. "Then I'll pay Ferrero a visit. If Carlos has burned him, maybe he's ready to talk."
Leo grabbed my arm before I could leave. "This is risky, Lilith. Ferrero's as unpredictable as Carlos, maybe even worse."
I met his gaze, determination hardening my voice. "If it leads me to Carlos, I'll take the risk."
Late that night, I tracked Ferrero to a crumbling warehouse on the city's edge. The place was deserted, the air thick with the scent of decay. Every instinct screamed that this was a trap, but I couldn't turn back now.
I moved silently through the building, following the faint sound of voices from a back room. Inside, Ferrero was talking to someone, his back to me. He was shorter than I'd expected, stocky and rough around the edges, with a scar running from his temple to his chin.
I slipped in, my hand on my knife, and waited for a break in the conversation. Finally, Ferrero's companion left, and I stepped forward, letting the faint light cast my shadow across the floor.
Ferrero spun around, his eyes narrowing. "Who the hell are you?"
"The last person you want to mess with," I said coolly. "I need information on Carlos Rosario."
He snorted, crossing his arms. "Carlos? You've got guts, I'll give you that. But I'm not suicidal."
"Good," I said, stepping closer. "Then you'll want to help me, because I can make sure Carlos never sees you coming."
He looked me over, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. "And what makes you think you can take down someone like him?"
I held his gaze, my voice low and deadly. "Because he killed my brother. And I'm not leaving until I get answers."
Ferrero hesitated, a flicker of something like understanding crossing his face. He nodded slowly, as if weighing his options. "Fine. I'll tell you what I know. But you'd better be ready—because once Carlos realizes you're this close, he won't just come after you. He'll come after everyone you care about."
