Before she could stop herself, a gunshot rang out. Victor slumped to the ground, lifeless.
Kaliyah let out a gasp before clamping her hands over her mouth, but it was too late. The stranger's head snapped toward her hiding spot, his steely gaze locking onto hers.
Her blood turned to ice.
Levi burst out of the alley, his eyes scanning around for any sign of Kaliyah. "Cian, should I chase after her?" he yelled back over his shoulder.
Cian's voice was calm and detached. "Yes, bring her back."
Levi took off in a sprint, his long legs eating up the distance. He could see Kaliyah's slender form darting between the trash cans and dumpsters, her dark hair flying behind her.
As he gained on her, Levi couldn't help but feel a twinge of amusement. This little thing was fast, he'd give her that. But she was no match for him.
Just as he was about to grab her, Kaliyah suddenly spun around, a broken bottle clutched in her hand. Levi barely had time to react, dodging to the side just as she swung the bottle at him.
"Whoa, feisty!" Levi exclaimed, laughing. "I like that."
Kaliyah's eyes blazed with fury, but Levi could see the fear lurking beneath. He took a step closer, his hands held out in a calming gesture.
"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," he said, his voice softening. "But you need to come with me."
Kaliyah snarled, baring her teeth, but Levi just chuckled and reached out, grabbing her wrist and twisting it until she dropped the bottle.
"Ow!" Kaliyah yelped, struggling against his grip.
Levi just grinned and dragged her back to the warehouse, tossing her into the room where Cian was waiting.
Cian's eyes narrowed as Kaliyah stumbled into the room, her wrists rubbing against the sore spots where Levi had gripped her.
"Tell Malachi what you saw," Cian said, his voice cold and detached.
Kaliyah's eyes flashed with defiance, but Cian just raised an eyebrow.
"And tell him to meet me at... " Cian paused, a small smile playing on his lips. "Tell him I said 'the place where shadows dance'."
Kaliyah's brow furrowed in confusion. "What does that even mean?"
Cian just chuckled, a low, menacing sound. "He'll understand."
Levi snorted, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, because that's not cryptic at all."
Cian shot him a warning glance, but Levi just shrugged and leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on Kaliyah with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.
Kaliyah burst through the door, out of breath and shaken. Malachi looked up from the map he was studying, his eyes narrowing as he took in her disheveled appearance.
"Where's Victor?" he growled, his voice low and menacing.
Kaliyah hesitated, unsure of how to answer. "I... I couldn't get to him," she stammered.
Malachi's face darkened. "What do you mean you couldn't get to him?" he spat. "I sent you to retrieve him. What happened?"
Kaliyah took a step back, her eyes flashing with defiance. "I did what you told me to do," she said, her voice steady. "But things didn't go as planned."
Malachi's eyes blazed with fury. "What did you do, Kaliyah?" he shouted. "What did you do to mess this up?"
Kaliyah's face set in a stubborn mask. "I didn't do anything," she said, her voice cold.
Malachi's face twisted in rage. "So what the hell happened?"
"There was this guy, he had raven black hair and grey eyes he... he killed victor and he said to tell you to meet him at the place where shadows dance" Kaliyah paused and tried to study his expression but his face remained poker.
After some seconds of silence Malachi said "why are you so useless, how could you let Cian get to him, just a simple Job and you mess it up"
Malachi's eyes flashed with fury, and for a moment, Kaliyah thought he might actually hit her. But then he seemed to regain control of himself, his face smoothing out into a cold, calculating mask.
"What's going on? What's happening? Why won't you tell me anything?" Kaliyah asked and Malachi glared at her and darted out of the house.
Here's the expanded scene:
Malachi stepped into the dimly lit casino, the sound of clinking glasses and muted laughter enveloping him. He had been here many times before, always leaving with a heavier wallet and a lighter heart. But tonight was different. Tonight, he was here to meet Cian.
As he made his way through the crowded room, Malachi's eyes scanned the sea of faces, searching for Cian's familiar features. He spotted him at the bar, sipping a whiskey on the rocks. Levi stood beside him, his eyes fixed on Malachi with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.
Malachi's heart sank as he approached the bar. He knew he owed Cian a lot of money, and he had a feeling that Cian wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.
"Cian," Malachi said, trying to sound confident. "What's this about?"
Cian turned to him, a cold smile spreading across his face. "Malachi, Malachi, Malachi," he said, shaking his head. "You're a hard man to collect from. I've been waiting a long time for my money."
Malachi swallowed hard, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. "I...I can pay you," he stammered. "Just give me some time."
Cian raised an eyebrow. "Time?" he repeated. "You've had plenty of time, Malachi. And now, you're going to have to pay the price."
Malachi's eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape route. But he knew he was trapped. He was in Cian's territory now, and he had to play by Cian's rules.
"What do you want?" Malachi asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
Cian leaned in close, his breath cold against Malachi's ear. "I want the girl," he whispered.
Malachi's eyes widened in surprise. "Kaliyah?" he repeated. "What do you want with her?"
Cian smiled again, his eyes glinting with amusement. "That's need-to-know, Malachi," he said. "And you don't need to know."