The stranger disappeared into the rain before I could get his name.
But I saw his face. Grey eyes. Sharp jaw. A dragon tattoo curling up his neck. He moved like a predator. Silent. Fast. Deadly.
And he knew my father.
"He killed someone I loved."
Those words echoed in my head as I walked into the café. My father was sitting by the window, reading his newspaper like nothing had happened.
"Dad."
He looked up and smiled. "Kira. You're soaking wet."
"I was just mugged."
His smile vanished. "What?"
"Some guy with a gun. He's in custody now." I slid into the seat across from him. "But that's not the problem. A man helped me. He knew who you were. He said you killed someone he loved."
My father's face went blank. That was worse than anger. That was fear.
"What did he look like?"
"Grey eyes. Dragon tattoo. Russian accent."
The color drained from his face. "Alexei Volkov."
"Who?"
"He's the son of Elena Volkov." My father set down his coffee. His hands were shaking. "I was there when she died, Kira. Fifteen years ago. A raid. Bad intelligence. She wasn't supposed to be there."
"Did you kill her?"
"No." His voice cracked. "But she died in my arms. I tried to save her. I swear I tried."
"Then why does he think you murdered her?"
"Because his father needed someone to hate. Someone to blame. He couldn't hate himself for bringing his wife to a mafia meeting. So he hated me." My father grabbed my hand. "And he raised his son to hate me too."
I pulled my hand back. "He saved my life, Dad. He didn't have to. But he did."
"That doesn't matter. Alexei Volkov is dangerous. He's been trained to kill since he was a child."
"You're wrong."
"How do you know?"
Because I saw his eyes. When he looked at me, there was something there. Something that didn't match the monster my father described.
But I couldn't say that.
"I'm a cop," I said instead. "I can handle myself."
"You're my daughter." His voice broke. "I already lost your mother. I can't lose you too."
I stood up. "I won't go looking for him."
It was a lie. We both knew it.
"Promise me, Kira."
I walked toward the door. "I'll see you at home."
---
Three days passed.
I didn't go looking for Alexei Volkov. That was the truth. I stayed at the station. Filed my reports. Went home. Slept. Repeated.
But I couldn't stop thinking about him.
At night, I lay in bed and replayed the mugging in my head. The way he moved. The way he spoke. The way his grey eyes locked onto mine like I was the only person in the world.
It was stupid. Dangerous. Reckless.
I was a cop. He was the heir to a criminal empire. There was no world where we existed in the same sentence without the word "enemy" attached.
And yet.
On the fourth night, I found myself driving to the alley where we first met. I told myself I was just passing by. I told myself a lot of things that weren't true.
The alley was empty. Just wet pavement and a flickering streetlight.
I was about to leave when I heard a voice behind me.
"You're bad at keeping promises, Officer Kira."
I spun around.
He was leaning against the brick wall, arms crossed. Grey eyes. Dragon tattoo. Black jacket.
Alexei Volkov.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"I didn't promise anything," I said.
"Your father asked you to stay away from me. You said yes."
"How do you know that?"
He smiled. Cold. "I have eyes everywhere. Including inside the police station."
I reached for my gun. "That's illegal surveillance."
"That's survival."
We stood there, ten feet apart, the rain starting again.
"Why are you here, Alexei?"
"My name sounds different when you say it."
"Answer the question."
He pushed off the wall and took a step closer. I didn't draw my gun. I should have. But I didn't.
"Because I can't stop thinking about you," he said.
"You're my enemy."
"No." He shook his head. "Your father is my enemy. You're just the woman who looked at me like I wasn't a monster."
I didn't know what to say.
Then he said something that changed everything.
"Your father didn't kill my mother. I know that now. I've done my own investigation. It was an accident." He paused. "But the Bratva doesn't care about the truth. And my brother Dimitri is planning to finish what I started."
My blood ran cold. "Finish what?"
"Kill your father. Tomorrow night. At the police charity gala."
I drew my gun. "Why are you telling me this?"
Alexei Volkov looked at me. And for the first time, I saw something human behind those grey eyes.
"Because I'd rather break my blood oath than see you cry."
He turned and walked into the rain.
This time, I didn't let him disappear.
I ran after him.