Cleopatra
The cave was eerily quiet, save for the muffled sound of the wind brushing against the mountain's rugged terrain. The flashlight from Harley's phone barely illuminated the jagged walls, casting long, dancing shadows. She climbed the last rock, her breaths heavy but steady.
"Boss, who was that?" Harley asked, scanning the darkness as her flashlight illuminated the jagged walls. "Did you call for backup?"
I shook my head, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "Not exactly. It wasn't the backup team."
I couldn't stop the bitter laugh that escaped me. The mafia queen. Was that supposed to protect me? To shield me from the bullets that came with this life?
Harley paused, a flicker of confusion crossing her face. "Then who was it?" Her fingers gripped her phone tighter, switching on the flashlight as the cave swallowed the weak beam from mine.
I sighed, not meeting her gaze as I walked over to a rock and dropped down onto it. "Don," I said quietly.
Harley's face morphed in surprise, the look almost comical. She looked like a startled rabbit, her cheeks puffing out as she tried to process my words. For a moment, I almost smiled—but I held it back. The situation was far too dire.
"Don?" she repeated, voice laced with disbelief. "But… why? Why call him?"
I didn't have an answer for her—because I didn't have one for myself either. Why had I called him? I hadn't wanted to. And yet, here I was, obsessing over a man I knew in another life—cold eyes, broad shoulders, and the quiet danger he exuded. It was irrational. It didn't make sense. But something inside me still yearned for his presence, his strength.
But this wasn't the time for self-reflection. "Forget about it," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "Did you contact Tom?"
Harley snapped to attention, clearly sensing I didn't want to linger on the subject. "Yes, but he said it'll take a while for them to get here."
"How long?"
"Thirty minutes, at most."
I frowned. Thirty minutes. That was too long. If the Talons were as smart as I thought, they'd already figured out that we weren't dead—just hiding.
"That's too long," I muttered. "By the time they arrive, the Talons will be here. We'll be trapped."
Harley's face darkened. She didn't need to ask. She knew the Talons were a nightmare we couldn't afford to underestimate.
"What about my meeting with Mr. Fisher? Is he at Grandé?" I asked, pressing my fingertips to my temples. The headache from the crash was starting to take its toll, but there was no time to rest. Fisher was an important player in the business, but if he'd already switched allegiances to the Talons, we were in deep trouble.
Harley hesitated. "I'm not sure, but I'm guessing he's there by now. I tried reaching his men but no luck."
Great. The thought of losing Fisher made my stomach churn. If he defected, it would be a crippling blow to us. I had to act fast. "This is worse than I thought," I said grimly. "We can't afford to lose him."
"Boss, you need to do something!" Harley suddenly burst out, her eyes flashing with anger. "If we're late, Mr. Fisher will think we don't care and walk away. This could ruin everything!"
I glanced at her, a strange warmth spreading through me. Harley wasn't just loyal—she was smart, passionate. Unlike some of my other workers, she genuinely cared.
"It's fine," I said, standing up with a new sense of purpose. "Call Tom again. Tell him to delay our rescue team and focus on Fisher instead. Have them bring him our finest whiskey set as a gift—apologize for my lateness. We'll make sure he stays interested."
Harley blinked, momentarily thrown off by the sudden change of plans. "But… Boss, are you sure?"
I gave her a sharp look. "We don't have time to discuss it. Just do it."
She nodded and moved away to make the call.
I stood there for a moment, letting the silence of the cave wash over me. The Talons weren't just a nuisance—they were a force. A dangerous one. They'd been trying to take over our turf for months now, and I had no doubt that their plans were already in motion. If they'd managed to track us here, we'd be dead in no time.
I crouched down to examine the ground, trying to think. The weight of the situation pressed down on me, but there was no room for panic. I had to think clearly. If we didn't act soon, the Talons would move in, and we'd lose everything we'd built.
Harley returned just as quickly as she had left. "Boss, Tom's handling it," she said, her voice tense. "But I spotted some of the Talons outside. They're looking around. We might not have much time."
I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise. "How bad is it?"
Harley's eyes were wide with concern, but her determination never wavered. "Bad. We need to move."
"Right," I said, nodding. "Get your vest. We might need to fight our way out of here."
She pulled off her bulletproof vest, offering it to me. "Boss, you should wear this."
I pushed it back toward her. "No. It's yours."
Before she could protest, a sharp crack echoed from the darkness outside. Both of us froze.
"Did you hear that?" Harley whispered, her eyes wide.
I raised a finger to my lips, signaling for silence. Something was out there.
"Shh," I mouthed, tension tightening every muscle in my body.