A Dance with Danger

Chapter Forty-Four

>>Tiberius POV<<

“Got the info you needed.” 

Killer—better known as Killian—dropped a tablet onto the table in front of me, his voice devoid of emotion. I barely acknowledged him as I reached for it, my fingers tightening around the sleek device. The screen flickered to life, and as I scrolled through the high-resolution images, my gaze zeroed in on a particular detail. 

A tattoo. 

Etched into the side of a man’s neck, dark ink formed the shape of a scorpion

I leaned back in my chair, a slow exhale leaving my lips as I processed the significance of what I was seeing. The image was grainy, taken from a distance, but the mark was unmistakable. 

A scorpion. 

Not just a random design. A symbol. A warning. 

This wasn’t just any low-level crew; this was an organization with intent, with reach. And the most troubling part? They were watching **Estelle**. 

I dragged a hand down my face, irritation curling in my gut. 

Killian crossed his arms over his broad chest, his stance relaxed but his sharp eyes missing nothing. “Ring any bells?” he asked. 

I tapped a finger against the screen, staring at the inked symbol as if it could offer me answers. “Scorpion,” I murmured. “They weren’t on my radar before, but they sure as hell are now.” 

Killian hummed. “Seems like they’re making moves. Fast ones.” 

That was the problem, wasn’t it? The underworld was always shifting—power changing hands, new factions clawing their way to the top—but this was different. This was calculated. Precise. 

And I didn’t like the fact that Estelle had caught their attention. 

My jaw clenched. 

“Who the hell are they?” I muttered, more to myself than to Killian. 

“I did some digging,” he said, tapping the side of his head, signaling that he had more than just surface-level knowledge. “They’ve been operating in the shadows for a while—low-key, efficient. But recently? They’ve been expanding. Rapidly. And not just in numbers. They’re swallowing up smaller organizations, wiping out competitors before anyone can blink. Someone’s funding them, training them.” He motioned to the screen. “Whoever they are, they’re not just another gang. This is bigger.” 

That was what I feared. 

I tapped the screen again, zooming in on the image. The man in the photo had his back turned, his posture too controlled to be just another street-level thug. No, this was someone seasoned. Someone who knew how to watch without being seen. 

Yet we’d caught him. 

Barely. 

“They’re not just expanding,” I murmured, my mind piecing together the implications. “They’re watching. Studying.” 

Killian nodded. “Which means they’re planning something.” 

And Estelle was in the middle of it. 

My fingers curled into fists as an uncomfortable pressure settled in my chest. I didn’t like this. Estelle was supposed to be untouchable. Off-limits. Yet here we were, looking at evidence that someone was keeping an eye on her . 

Killian studied me for a long moment before he spoke. “What do you wanna do?” 

I looked away from the screen, my mind already made up. “Find out everything you can about them. Names. Locations. Connections. I want to know who they answer to.”