"Aura, get out of there. It's a fucking trap." The sudden warning from her earpiece froze her mid-motion.
"Fuck." She cursed.
"She's here!" a voice bellowed, and the top floor erupted into chaos.
Aura's instincts screamed at her to move, as she dropped to the floor just as bullets ricocheted off the walls where she had been standing.
Aura rolled to the side, grabbing a second dagger from her thigh holster. She threw it without hesitation, taking out one of the guards, but the other lunged at her. She twisted out of his reach, slamming her knee into his ribs and flipping him onto the floor.
Carlos stood, his face a mask of fury as he barked orders. "Don't let her escape! Seal the exists!"
Aura's mind raced. How had they known it was coming?
"Aura," the voice in her earpiece continued, urgent now. "Carlos set this up. He knew you'd come tonight. You need to get out now!"
Aura cursed under her breath; trapped or not; no one could stop her from entering wherever she wanted to without making her presence known.
With a swift movement, she grabbed a smoke grenade from her belt and activated it. The room was filled with thick, choking fog, and Aura used it as a cover to dart towards the nearest window.
"You think you can get away that easily? They might all fear you, but I, Carlos Moretti, doesn't fear you, Aura!" Carlos voice rang out followed by the sound of footsteps pursuing her.
Aura smirked. They don't know who they are dealing with. And he would soon know the reason why they all fear her.
She reached the window, but before escaping, she pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket. Scrawled in her elegant handwriting were four simple words:
I will be back.
She left it on the nearest table, her parting message to Carlos Moretti.
With one powerful kick, she shattered the window and leaped into the night, disappearing into the darkness.
Aura landed gracefully in the alley below, blending seamlessly into the shadows as sirens wailed in the distance. Her heartbeat was steady, and her breathing was calm.
From her earpiece, the voice spoke again. "That was close. Are you okay?"
"Do you think a small fry like Carlos Moretti can hurt me? I'm okay, better than Carlos is going to be when I return l. She replied coolly.
Her smirk widened as she vanished into the night.
Then she said quietly. "This is fun."
****
Carlos Moretti paced the length of his private suite, the expensive Persian rug beneath his feet muffling his movements. His sharp features were twisted in rage, his clenched fist spoke volumes about his mood.
The room still carried the faint scent of smoke from Aura's daring escorts. She had outsmarted him and the note she left behind, those four mocking words, burned in his mind like a brand: I'll be back.
"Fuck you bitch! You dare humiliate me in my domain, Carlos growled as he angrily kicked the table nearest to him. His men stood in uneasy silence, afraid to even breathe too loudly.
"Double the security," Carlos barked, his voice sharp enough to cut through the tension. "We are leaving this club right now and moving to my estate. I want every door, window, and crack in my estate to be sealed. I don't care how much it cost. Aura isn't going to catch me off guard again."
"Yes, boss," one of the men stammered, rushing to relay the orders.
Samantha stared at her brother quietly. The men already hid her when the chao started. "I'm getting used to this." She murmured.
Carlos collapsed into his chair, running a hand through his thick, brown hair. When he heard his sister's voice, he remembered what she had come here for.
Carlos wasn't the one to take orders lightly, not even from family, but tonight's failure stung him. He needed to reassert control and prove he wasn't to be toiled with.
"Logan Mason," Carlos muttered, his eyes narrowing as the gears in his mind turned. "He thinks he can embarrass you and walk away? Fine. Let's see how he handles a little humility."
Samantha smiled happily.
"I'm always proud of being your sister."
Carlos straightened in his chair and gestured to his second in command. "Tomorrow, I want Logan Mason. Alive. Bring him to me."
The man hesitated, clearly uneasy. " But, boss, he's a popular—
"I don't care who he is," Carlos snapped. "Get it done."