Lucifer's POV
The moment the car stopped, I was already out.
The warehouse loomed in front of me, still scarred from the fire... blackened steel, the smell of ash lingering like a bad memory that refused to fade. It should have made me angrier but it didn't.
Not anymore because now? I had something better than anger, I had direction and someone to that will pay.
My heels hit the concrete floor in sharp, steady clicks as I walked in. The place was quieter than usual... controlled, chilled, focused.
Red was already waiting... He was leaning against the table with that same unreadable expression, and a file in his hand.
I didn't slow down.
"What have you got?" I asked, voice flat, and direct.
No greetings, no dillydallies... I am in no mood for that.
Red pushed off the table, stepping toward me.
"We ran the plate," he said.
"And?"
His jaw tightened slightly. "It belongs to a cop."
I paused and stopped in my tracks.
"A cop?" I repeated.
I mean, I wasn't exactly shocked... Just… irritated.
I hated that a fucking cop got this close before I caught it.
Red nodded. "Yeah."
I stared at him for a second longer, then looked away, pacing slowly like I needed the movement to keep my thoughts sharp.
A goddamn cop... I mean it made sense.
The access to cameras, clean operations and calculated execution... It all lined up too perfectly, it screamed professional.
"What's his name?" I asked.
"Sylvester," Red replied. "From what I gathered… he is low-ranked."
Low-ranked? A low-ranked motherfucking officer came after me... I almost laughed.
What audacity? Who the hell gave him such balls? Because nothing about this feels low-ranked to me... Someone else has to be in charge.
I turned back to him, eyes narrowing slightly. "You have his address?"
Red didn't hesitate. "Yeah."
Good, very good.
I nodded once. "Let's go."
I don't need to make a fucking plan or delay this any further, I just need to take actions.
Minutes later, we were back in the car... Moving and hunting for the hunter that has now become the prey.
The city stretched out in front of us, lights flickering like they didn't know something darker was moving through them tonight.
I sat back, one leg crossed over the other, phone resting in my lap as my fingers tapped lightly against it.
I wasn't nervous, I am never nervous... Just thinking.
Who the hell was he? A low-ranked cop doesn't pull something like this... Burn my warehouse, tail me that closely and access systems like that without raising alarms.
So either... He wasn't as low as Red thought or he wasn't working alone.
I tilted my head slightly, staring ahead.
"Do you have anything else on him?" I asked.
Red glanced at me briefly before reaching beside him and handing over the file.
"Yeah," he said. "He has a wife and one son."
I took it, flipping it open. "And?"
"Our guys are with them right now."
Good, smart move... Always secure leverage first.
I skimmed through the pages quickly.
Name: Sylvester Hale.
Occupation: Police officer.
Rank: Nothing impressive.
Address: Confirmed.
Family: Wife... Elena. Son... Willy, about eight.
Honestly, Red had every detail in him down to his routine... My eyes narrowed slightly as I scanned deeper but nothing stood out and that?
That was the problem because men like this... the ones who looked average, forgettable, easy to overlook?
They were the most dangerous, they had nothing to lose.
"Good," I murmured, closing the file.
Red didn't respond... He didn't need to, he already knew what I was thinking.
The drive didn't take long but it gave me enough time to sharpen my plan.
We pulled up to a modest house... Nothing flashy, nothing that screamed danger. Just… normal.
I stepped out of the car slowly, eyes scanning the surroundings automatically. Red was already moving ahead of me, reaching the door in seconds.
No knocking, no warning... He kicked the door open.
The door slammed against the wall with a loud crack... Ordinarily, chaos should have followed. Maybe panic, fear, scream, movement. Anything but instead... Silence.
I stepped in behind him and that's when I saw him... Sylvester.
He was standing in the middle of the living room, waiting with no fear, no shock or confusion on his face... Just a smile, he was fucking smiling.
I was stunned... Not visibly, not even enough for Red to notice but internally?
Everything changed, every plan I had in mind changed because this? This wasn't normal.
He stood tall, relaxed, like we were expected guests instead of intruders who just broke into his house.
His eyes landed on me instantly but there was no reaction what so ever... He just stood there watching and studying me.
He watched with kin interest like he had been waiting for this moment, to stand before me.
I tilted my head slightly, stepping further into the room calm, collected and deadly.
"You were following me," I said, voice smooth but edged with steel. "Why?"
Sylvester's smile widened slightly.
"Because I can," he said.
Just like that... Simple and unbothered.
Behind me, I felt Red shift slightly, tension rolling off him.
"Do you have any idea who she is?" Red snapped, stepping forward.
Sylvester didn't even look at him, didn't acknowledge him. His eyes stayed on me.
"Not exactly," he said calmly. "But your presence here…"
His gaze flicked briefly toward Red, then back to me. "…just confirmed my suspicions."
For a minute there I was speechless, dangerously quiet because now I know he was way too confident and I have to break that confidence.
As I stared at him, I realized one thing... I needed to turn him to my bitch, which means every plan I had on my way here is automatically out the fucking window.
"Well," I said slowly, taking intimidating steps closer. "By the time I am done here…"
I stopped just a few feet in front of him, close enough to see the details... The calm in his eyes, the confidence and the lack of fear.
Which was unusual and interesting because it would be fun breaking me.
"…you will wish you didn't confirm anything."