Earlier, when the Spade Hounds' captain first laid out the contract, Viola didn't just take the deal and sit on it. The second the call cut, she tossed her pad on the table, leaned back, and sighed.
"Of all the bastards out there… Xavier, huh," she muttered, running a hand through her hair.
She didn't waste another second. Viola tapped her earpiece, dialing a number she had memorized too well. A moment later, Xavier's voice answered.
"Yeah?"
"It's me," she said flatly. "Listen, you've got a target on your back now. Not the usual scum—high-level. Assassins, hitmen, syndicate trash. They'll be crawling out of every hole for you. So be careful."
"Touching," Xavier muttered, but his tone was sharper than usual. "You think they'll come tonight?"
"They'll come whenever they smell blood," Viola said. "Be ready."
