Walking out of the damn meeting, my head was already spinning with one thought:
Influence. Power.
I had about a hundred pounds on me, and sitting on money in Birmingham was never good. Money didn't belong in pockets for long—not if you wanted to stay alive. It had to move. Turn into something useful.
I was walking back to my place, lost in my thoughts, when I saw a face I recognized immediately.
Lizzie Stark.
We made eye contact, and she didn't hesitate. She walked right up like the street belonged to her.
"Haven't seen you in a bit, Jack," she said, eyes flicking over me. "You look different."
"Lizzie," I said, voice steady. "Yeah… I guess I am."
"Different how?"
"Better," I answered.
Her mouth twitched, like she liked that.
Looking at her, I remembered the time I'd spent with Lizzie in the past—moments of release, temporary escape. But I knew she could be more than that now. She could be useful. An asset for what lay ahead.
And there was no denying her appeal.
She was tall and willowy, with pale skin that seemed to catch the light. Her frame was slender, her breasts small and pert, remarkably sensitive to even the lightest touch—a detail he hadn't forgotten. He remembered how she'd gasped when he'd teased her nipples, how responsive she'd been.
He remembered her mouth too—the way she'd taken him in, eager and skilled, her lips wrapped around him as she looked up with those eyes. And her ass, firm and perfectly shaped, how she'd arched back against him, taking him deeper as she moaned his name.
Just thinking about it made heat rise in my veins.
I kept my face calm anyway.
"That's good," she said softly, stepping a little closer. "Maybe you should come visit me."
I held her gaze. Didn't smile too much.
"Maybe I will."
She watched me like she could tell something had changed under my skin. Like she was trying to figure out if I was still the same Jack… or something worse.
As I walked away, I couldn't stop thinking about how small my room felt now. How it made me look—like a man with no position.
I had money.
More importantly, I had momentum.
I pulled up my system screen as I walked and checked my numbers.
[STATUS]
Name: Jack Shelby
Alias: None
Affiliation: Shelby Family
Rank: Associate
Territory: None
Status: Active
[SOCIAL]
Influence: 15
Fear: 8
Reputation: 50
[PHYSICAL]
Strength: 11
Stamina: 10
Vitality: 10
Agility: 9
Luck: 4
=== NEW TASK AVAILABLE ===
Target: Billy Kimber
Task Type: Elimination
Objective:
Eliminate Billy Kimber.
Time Limit:
None.
Warnings:
• Target is heavily protected.
• Failure may trigger retaliation.
Rewards:
• Cash: +£1,000
• Stat Points: +10
• Unlock: Skills Shop