The men exchanged glances before one of them smirked, stepping forward with a gun drawn. "You're going to die soon, little girl, so does it really matter who sent us?" he sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance.
Eira didn't flinch, her gaze cold and unwavering. She had faced men like this before, though the circumstances had been different. In her past life, they would have been dead already, their arrogance a fatal mistake. Now, without her full strength and weapon, she had to be more cautious, but that didn't mean she was weak.
[Master, two are carrying firearms. The others have knives.]
[Good to know.]
Her eyes flickered toward the men holding guns, calculating the distance between them and herself. She was fast, but not faster than a bullet. She needed to disarm them first.
With a casual shrug, Eira spoke. "Too bad for you. I died once and have no plans to fucking die again." Her voice was calm, almost bored, but her muscles were tensing, ready to spring into action. "And as for who sent you, I guess I will have to make you talk."
The leader of the group laughed, the sound grating. "Brave words, girl. Let's see if you can back them up."
The man raised his gun, aiming it directly at her. Eira's heart pounded, but her face remained impassive. She had dealt with worse odds before.
Before the leader could pull the trigger, Eira moved.
She sprinted toward the leader, closing the distance between them in a flash. Before he could react, her hand shot out, grabbing his wrist and twisting it with a sharp motion. The gun dropped from his hand as he let out a yelp of pain.
With a swift kick, she sent him sprawling to the ground, disarmed and disoriented. One down.
The other three men snapped into action, the two with knives rushing her while the second gunman raised his weapon. Eira didn't give him the chance to aim.
In a fluid motion, she scooped up the fallen gun, her fingers deftly wrapping around the trigger as she pointed it at the second gunman. A single shot rang out, and the man crumpled to the ground, clutching his leg. She didn't need to kill him—just incapacitate him.
The two knife-wielding men hesitated for a fraction of a second, but it was all Eira needed. She lunged at the nearest one, sidestepping his wild slash and driving her elbow into his gut. As he doubled over, she grabbed his arm, wrenching it behind his back before slamming him into the ground.
The final man, realizing he was outmatched, turned to run, but Eira was faster. She darted forward, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and yanking him to the ground. Two quick, precise punches to his temple knocked him out cold.
Breathing heavily, Eira stood over the unconscious and incapacitated men, her heart still racing from the adrenaline. It wasn't the cleanest fight she'd ever had, but it got the job done.
[Master, are you all right?]
[I'm fine.] She took a deep breath, her pulse slowing as the AI's calm voice filled her mind. [But we need to figure out who these guys were.]
Stepping over the bodies, Eira crouched beside the leader, who was groaning in pain on the ground. She grabbed him by the collar, yanking him up to face her. His eyes were wide with fear now, the arrogance from earlier completely gone.
"Now," Eira said, her voice icy. "You're going to tell me who sent you, or this will get a lot more painful."
The leader glared at her and sneered, "What makes you think I will tell you, fucking bitch?!" he spat. "You better kill me now because I'm not telling you shit!"
From little girl to bitch? Better, but still a grave mistake, Eira thought.
"Really now? You're not afraid of death, huh? Alright, let's see if you really aren't." With that, she held the gun to his head and stayed like that for some seconds before moving the gun down toward the middle of his legs.
"Tell me, how painful will it be if I shoot you here repeatedly?" She fired a shot, which hit the ground between his legs.
"The next one won't miss…"
The leader's bravado crumbled instantly. His eyes widened in panic as the barrel of the gun hovered over the most vulnerable part of his body. He swallowed hard, his sneer fading into something far more desperate.
"Wait, wait! Okay, okay!"
Eira's eyes narrowed, but she kept the gun steady, her voice as cold as ever. "Who sent you?"
The leader shifted, his breath coming in ragged gasps as fear overtook him. "It was… It was Marcellus. He—he paid us to follow you. Said you'd be an easy target."
Marcellus? Eira's mind raced. That name wasn't familiar, but she'd heard of him from people. He was a mediocre figure in the underworld, someone who dealt in illegal activities.
What the fuck would he want with her?
It was at this moment, when Eira wasn't aware of her surroundings, that a figure with an overbearing aura moved hurriedly toward her like a predator finally seeing its prey.
It was too late when Eira realized that someone was behind her. Before she could turn and aim the gun at whoever it was, a large hand grabbed her and spun her around.
Then, she found herself in the tight embrace of a very tall and muscular man.
The hell?!
|Thirty Minutes Earlier, Midtown Manhattan|
A sleek black Mercedes-Benz EQS sped through the bustling streets of Manhattan, cutting through the evening traffic like a blade. Inside, the driver glanced at the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of the woman seated in the back, barking orders at his colleagues through the phone.
He shifted his gaze to the road and sighed. Jania only got this tense, demanding, and terrifying whenever the boss' illness acted up in her absence, and today was such a day.
"What's the situation now?!"
"All t-the Bloodhorn… gang members who came are almost d-dead… Only the leader and one other member are still alive while M-master Aelion has numerous cuts and wounds on his body, b-but he's still f-fighting with them." The voice of the person on the other end sounded like he wanted to cry.
"Alright, just make sure it doesn't get worse. We're almost there."
Jania hung up the phone with a sharp exhale. "Drive faster."
"Y-yes, Ms. Jania," the driver didn't need to be told twice.
Ten minutes later, they were in the underground building of the corporate headquarters of Aelion Tech.
Jania rushed into the dimly lit, expansive meeting room where a long table and chairs were. But at this time, it looked like a bloody carnage with the bodies of the Bloodhorn members sprawled across the room, lying in their pools of blood.
The person responsible for all this was standing in front of the long table, his eyes devoid of emotion as he stared at the corpses, his figure covered in blood, wounds still fresh on his body as he breathed heavily and dripped with sweat. His tailored suit was torn in several places, revealing deep gashes that oozed crimson, yet he stood tall, as if the pain barely registered.
Jania stopped short, her breath catching at the sight of him. Even in this state, there was something terrifyingly composed about him, as if the violence he'd just unleashed was nothing.
"Master Aelion," she said, her voice soft. "They are all dead. Everything is under control. You need to take your medication now."
Lyle didn't respond immediately, his dark violet eyes flickering toward her.
"Master Aelion… I know you must be feeling uncomfortable with the blood on your body. So why don't you shower, and I will get new clothes for you? Then, you can use your medication, and we'll leave."
A few seconds passed in silence as Jania and the others waited with bated breath.
Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.
They all chanted in their minds.
Lyle turned his neck as he took off his suit and shirt. "Prepare the bath."
They all sighed collectively.
Twenty minutes later, the same Mercedes-Benz drove through Manhattan and Queens Expressway, with two other cars flanking its front and back.
Jania, who sat in the passenger seat, glanced back at Lyle, who occupied the back seat and was currently 'sleeping.' If sleeping meant closing your eyes and not moving. She turned back to the front and leaned back.
However, five minutes into the drive, Lyle opened his eyes and sat up.
"Turn around and drive through the corner," he commanded, his voice low and firm but carrying an edge that made everyone in the car tense up.
"W-what?" the driver asked in surprise.
"Turn around and drive through the corner."
"Y-yes, sir," the driver stammered as he obeyed without hesitation, steering the car sharply onto a narrow side street.
Jania's brow furrowed as she turned back to look at him. "Master Aelion, is something wrong?"
Lyle's violet eyes gleamed with an unsettling intensity. "She's here," he muttered, more to himself than to Jania.
"Who?" Jania asked.
Without answering, Lyle opened the door before the car had even fully stopped, stepping out onto the darkened street. He moved with the kind of purpose that sent chills through Jania's spine. She quickly scrambled out of the car as well, trying to keep up with him.
"Master Aelion, wait! What's happening?"
But Lyle didn't respond. His mind was focused entirely on the girl ahead. He could feel it. Her scent, her presence tugged at something deep within him, like a magnetic pull he couldn't ignore.
As he neared the alley, the sounds of a brief struggle reached his ears, followed by a sharp cry. Without missing a beat, Lyle strode forward.
Eira was just about to press the man for more information when she sensed something—no, someone—approaching. But it was too late. Before she could fully react, a powerful hand gripped her arm and spun her around, pulling her into a tight, vice-like embrace.
Eira tried to free herself from the iron grip of the man who had ambushed her, but it was no use. His strength was far beyond hers at the moment, and every attempt to break away felt like trying to bend steel with her bare hands.
"Let me go," she hissed through clenched teeth, but the man didn't respond. Instead, he tightened his hold as he breathed in her scent, pulling her closer. His breath brushing against her ear as he spoke one word—low and possessive.
"Mine."
~~
Please read the Author's Thoughts.