It was past 2 a.m., and my screen glowed like a second sun in the darkness of my office.
Lines of code scrolled rapidly across my monitor as I cracked my knuckles and leaned back. Firewall-patched. Logs-scrubbed. Trail-nonexistent.
A smug smile tugged at my lips.
Take that, Vortex.
Letting the challenge stew for a few days before fixing it had been risky-but worth it. If Dante thought he could rattle me with some dramatic test, he was sorely mistaken.
I yawned and stretched, my muscles aching from the hours of focused work. Between the breach, the wreck of a morning, and Alex's hilarious call, I definitely deserved a break.
I walked into the kitchen, poured myself a cold glass of juice, and leaned against the window ledge. The street outside was quiet. Too quiet.
Then a chill slid down my spine.
I didn't see anything... but I felt something. Like I was being watched.
Again.
I shook the thought off with a mutter, "Paranoia."
I was officially starting work at Vortex the next day. Which meant one thing-sleep. Glorious, uninterrupted, soul-restoring sleep.
After one last sweep of my security feed and locking up my workstation, I shut the door to my office. I took a second quick shower, changed into an oversized hoodie and shorts, and dove into bed.
Exhaustion took me fast.
---
My phone buzzed violently on the wooden shelf, and I groaned, reaching out without opening my eyes.
"Hello?" I croaked, not even checking the caller ID.
A slurred voice came through the line, "Raaav... come get me."
I blinked twice. "Jayden?" I sat up, already annoyed. "Jeez, you're not a baby! You can't get drunk every damn time and expect me to clean it up! And you woke me up for this?!"
"I'm at Ben's..." he mumbled again.
That name hit me like ice water.
I threw the blanket off and swung my legs out of bed. "I'm coming," I snapped, already wide awake.
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I checked the time-4:03 PM.
"Damn," I muttered. "I actually got decent sleep."
Still grumbling, I dragged myself to the bathroom. Yeah, I was worried about Jayden, but I needed to be calm if I didn't want to kill him on sight. A hot twenty-minute bath later, I felt slightly better.
I threw on a pair of grey sweatpants, a black crop top, and tied my hair into a messy bun. I grabbed my keys and headed to the garage.
Ben's house was on the outskirts of Ceilind-a sketchy, borderline lawless area I constantly warned my brother about. Drugs, gang activity, underground parties-it was crawling with the kind of trouble that left people with missing teeth or missing limbs.
But my stubborn little brother never listened.
As I hit the road, I pulled out a menthol cigarette, lit it with a flick of my thumb, and took a deep drag. The orange glow flared in the side mirror and dimmed just as quickly.
It grounded me.
I needed clarity. And right now, my brain was spinning.
Jayden was getting cut off. From now on, just basic allowance-food, school, essentials. I was done with this pattern.
Then another thought slid into place like a puzzle piece.
The job offer.
A high-paying gig had landed in my inbox-two million dollars to track, trace, and profile a criminal gang. I'd initially turned it down. I don't like getting involved in blood-money cases. But maybe it was time.
Time to stop playing it safe.
Time to use my skills for more than online cleaning jobs.
The city gave way to cracked roads and dim streetlights. I pulled up outside Ben's place-if you could even call that broken-down excuse of a house a place.
I stepped inside, and the stench hit me like a slap.
The scent of booze, weed, and cheap cologne choked the air. The room was dimly lit, bodies draped over couches, laughter echoing from a back hallway, music thumping from an old speaker.
Wasted guys everywhere. Some high. Some passed out.
I shook my head. "Disaster zone."
I scanned the room and finally spotted Jayden slumped in the corner.
"Jay," I called, striding toward him. "Get up."
He blinked and grinned like an idiot. "You're really here... you're cute," he slurred, reaching out to pinch my cheeks.
I swatted his hand away. "Cut that out. Get up. We're leaving-now."
He got up but collapsed again. I knelt down beside him to help him up-just then, I felt a presence behind me.
I turned-and froze.
The face staring back at me screamed danger.
It was Ben. I'd seen him once before when Jayden showed me pictures. Built, bulky, and radiating pure menace.
His thick voice slithered through the air. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing in my den... all alone?"
I straightened and replied, "Getting my brother."
He stepped closer. "I see that."
I took a step back. "If you'll excuse me-"
He grabbed me by the waist.
"Let me go!" I snapped, struggling.
He just grinned. "I like them feisty."
"Fuck you."
"We will... soon," he sneered, his hand already creeping beneath my shirt.
I kneed him hard between the legs.
He let out a roar. "You bitch!"
I ran to Jayden again, but he yanked me back by the hair.
"You fucking whore!" he snarled, ripping my top.
I screamed and fought him, but his grip was like steel. He shoved me against a table, broken glass cutting into my skin.
"If you'd just been a good girl..." he rasped, yanking my sweatpants.
BANG.
A gunshot shattered the chaos.
Ben screamed.
I twisted away and saw him bleeding from both legs-shot clean through.
The room was silent.
I didn't wait to find out who fired the shot.
I dragged Jayden, heart pounding, body shaking, and ran to my car.
I wasn't ready to find that out.
Not yet.
Right now, all I could think about was getting us back to my apartment-safe, alive, and away from whatever fresh hell just nearly swallowed us whole.
But just as I slammed my car door shut and started the engine...
A message pinged on my dashboard screen.
Unknown number.
> "You should really stay out of places like Ben's, little storm... You won't always be so lucky."
---