Kaiden sat at his desk, his mind swirling with the events of the past hour. His office was quiet, but his thoughts weren't. Marrying Mina... What had he gotten himself into? He stared blankly at the stack of paperwork in front of him, but the words were nothing but a blur.
"Are you out of your freaking god damned mind?"
Kaiden looked up to see his best friend, Jason, standing in the doorway, arms crossed, glaring at him.
" Tell me it's a lie...I can't believe this, man," Jason continued, stepping further into the office. "You promised to marry her? Mina? A freaking stripper?" His voice was filled with disappointment and frustration. "Should I remind you that you're not the only man she's been with. Hell, only God knows if that baby is even yours."
Kaiden shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wanted to defend himself, to explain how he had no other choice, but the words wouldn't come. Jason wasn't wrong. Deep down, Kaiden knew he was trapped in something far bigger than himself, but there was nothing he could do about it now.
He was well known for his kindness, bravery and courage. He didn't want to wake up one day and turn on the TV just to see, "breaking news Kaiden Blackwood impregnated a stripper and rejected her and his baby." It wasn't a great idea to reject her if he wanted to maintain his perfect reputation.
"I don't know what to say," Kaiden muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling the tension rise. His head throbbed, and for a moment, he wished he could go back to that rooftop and handle things differently.
Jason sighed, pulling up a chair across from him. "Kaiden, you're one of the best agents we have. You've worked so hard to get here. Why would you throw it all away for someone like her?"
Before Kaiden could respond, the door swung open. Their boss, Commander Hayes, walked in, his sharp eyes scanning the room. Both men immediately shot up from their seats and saluted.
"At ease," Commander Hayes said, nodding to them.
They sat back down, and Kaiden tried to shake off the weight of the previous conversation, focusing on the present. Commander Hayes wasted no time.
"Gentlemen," he began, pacing in front of them, "this is it. Mikhail Moretti's hearing is tomorrow. After years of hunting him down, we finally have him in our sights."
Kaiden exchanged a quick glance with Jason. They both knew how long they had waited for this moment. Mikhail Moretti, the mafia boss who had terrorized the city for nearly a decade, was about to be brought to justice.
"With me," Commander Hayes continued, "I have all the evidence and proof we need to lock this bastard away for life. It took us a year and a half to gather it all, but we've got it." He slammed a thick file down on Kaiden's desk. "You need to make sure everything is presented perfectly. Nothing can go wrong. This hearing is our one shot to take him down."
Kaiden flipped open the file, his eyes skimming the contents. The list of crimes was endless.
Mikhail had run a human trafficking ring for years, smuggling women and children across borders, selling them like cattle. He had ordered the executions of countless rivals and law enforcement officers, all in the name of power. Drug deals, arms smuggling, extortion, blackmail—the man had done it all. There were even rumors of him being involved in organ harvesting, using people as nothing more than disposable resources.
Kaiden's jaw tightened as he read through the file. Mikhail Moretti wasn't just a criminal, he was a monster. The sheer brutality of his actions made Kaiden's skin crawl.
Jason whistled lowly, shaking his head as he looked over Kaiden's shoulder. "That's one hell of a list."
"Exactly," Commander Hayes said, his voice grim. "That's why we need to be careful. This hearing has to go perfectly. We can't afford any mistakes."
Kaiden nodded, still processing the weight of the task before him. Mikhail Moretti was dangerous, not just because of what he had done but because of the power he still held. Even behind bars, the man had connections...people who would do anything to see him walk free.
"Mikhail Moretti has slipped through our fingers too many times before," Hayes continued. "But this time, we've got him. His empire is crumbling, and with this evidence, we can bury him for good."
Kaiden closed the file and looked up at his boss. "Understood, sir. We'll make sure everything goes smoothly."
"Good," Hayes said, his tone final. "You leave in an hour. Review everything again, make sure there are no gaps. I need you both there tomorrow to oversee the entire process."
Kaiden and Jason stood, saluting as Hayes turned to leave. Once the door closed behind him, they sat back down, the weight of the upcoming hearing heavy on their shoulders.
"I can't believe it," Jason muttered, still staring at the file. "We're finally gonna get that bastard."
Kaiden nodded, but his mind wandered back to Mina. He had to focus. Mikhail Moretti was the real enemy, not her. But why did he feel like the walls were closing in on him from all sides?
Mikhail Moretti.
The man was a legend in the underworld. He had built an empire from nothing, starting as a low-level enforcer and clawing his way to the top through violence, intimidation, and manipulation.
Despite his age, Mikhail was strong physically and mentally. He had outwitted law enforcement at every turn, slipping through the cracks like a ghost. But now, Kaiden had the chance to put him away. If he could just stay focused.
"Let's go over this again," Kaiden said, his voice steady, as he and Jason dove back into the case file.