Nina

"Nina, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." Katy said. 

I spun around without a word and grabbed my phone from the counter, dialing my sister's number. 

Please pick. Please pick. 

The sound of her voice message made my heart drop into my stomach. I grabbed my coat and purse immediately. 

"Where are you going to? Nina, our shift isn't over." Katy barked. "You can't leave now. If the manager comes out the back and doesn't see you here, you'll lose your job. He's already warned you twice this month." 

"Katy, I have to go. This is about my sister. She might be in real danger." I told her desperately. 

Without waiting for her response, I rushed out. Out on the street, the sound of cars honking filled the air. The street was packed with cars stuck in a terrible traffic jam that didn't look like it was clearing up anytime soon. I couldn't afford to waste any time. 

I took to my heels running. Sweat poured down my face and back as I pushed past passerbys, knocking some over. I yelled out an apology as I ran, but I never stopped. 

By the time I got to the club, my legs were burning, heart pounding furiously in my chest. Police vehicles and ambulances were already outside the club, and I spotted a bloody body being carried out. 

I tried to rush forward, but one of the cops held me back. "You can't go in there. There's an active shooting going on in there." 

"You don't understand!" I roared. "My sister is inside." 

"If your sister is in there, there's nothing you can do for her. If you go in there, you'll most likely catch a bullet kid." His voice was full of irritation. 

"I'm not a kid!" I snarled. Even though I had only turned eighteen four months ago, I had felt like an adult for far too many years. Growing up in an orphanage and then having to fend for yourself would age anybody quickly. 

Just then, I spotted a familiar face. I had seen her hanging with my sister a few times in the past. The blonde girl was standing a small distance away, sobbing. There was blood on the side of her head. 

"You!" I snapped, heading toward her. 

Her eyes immediately went wide as she saw me. "Rosa! You're alive!" 

"I'm Nina, not Rosa." I corrected immediately. Even though Rosa and I were perfectly identical twins, we were completely different people. She had always been the wild one, while I was the responsible one, the one that dreamed of growing up to be a veterinary doctor while she wanted to be a popstar. 

"Oh." The blonde girl said, then dissolved into more tears. 

"Where's my sister? She came here earlier. Is she still in there? Where is Manuel?" I fired question after question at her. 

When she took too long to respond, too busy sobbing, I grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Damn it, answer me!" 

"Nina, I_" she whimpered. "Manuel lied to her. That bastard." 

"Is she in there?" I asked impatiently

She nodded. "But it's not safe. Those guys want to kill Manuel. He scammed them of millions of dollars of product and was trying to resell the product he stole from them. That's why they showed up tonight. Everything has been a mess, and I_" 

I didn't have time to listen to her sob story. I knew Manuel was bad news and I tried to warn Rosa. I just hoped after she got out of this, she'd begin to listen to me. In fact, it was for the best if we left Chicago altogether and started afresh somewhere else. 

Without a second thought, I slipped to the back of the building, searching for an entrance through the cloud of smoke. I could hear screams and gunshots ringing out from inside the building, but it my sister was in there, I had to take the chance. 

I just hoped I wasn't too late. 

Finally spotting a side door, I rushed into the building, my eyes immediately watering as the acrid smoke hit me. I coughed as the smoke got to my lungs, fighting through the terror and heat to search for my sister. 

My stomach turned as I spotted dead bodies littered around. Relief filled me as I didn't spot Rosa among any of them. The sound of a gunshot made me jerk, and I immediately followed the sound coming from the top level of the club. 

I got there just in time to see a tall man fire at Manuel before disappearing down the hall. Manuel dropped to the floor with a groan of pain, and I immediately dropped down to my knees before him. 

"Where is she? Where's Rosa?!" I barked at him. "Tell me you bastard." 

"Th-they took her." 

"Who took her?" 

His blank gaze told me that he was dead already. The screech of tires drew my attention, and I immediately leaped for the window. A van was driving into the parking lot and another masked man was dragging some girls toward the approaching vehicle. 

As soon as I spotted my sister, I jumped into action, racing downstair as fast as I could. 

"Hey, you stop!" One of the cops called as I zoomed past him, going around the club building to where my sister and the other girls were being loaded onto the van. 

"Rosa! Rosa!" I cried. 

My sister turned, eyes going wide as she spotted me. "Nina! Nina no. No!" 

Determination and terror for my sister was the fuel that kept me going even when I wasn't sure what I would do when I got to her. I increased my pace, lungs burning as I ran faster than I had ever run in my life. 

I didn't see the masked man raising his gun until it was too late. 

"Nina!" My sister screeched just as the sound of a gunshot echoed. 

Pain exploded through my thighs as the bullet ripped through my leg. I immediately collapsed to the ground, screaming. I watched helplessly as the man holding my sister tossed her into the back of the van and shut the door. 

I started to crawl, tears of frustration and defeat running down my face. By the time I heard the sound of boots running toward us, the van had already screeched away from the parking lot. 

"Call an ambulance!" I heard one of the cops yelling. Someone was asking me something, but all I could do was stare at the now empty space where my sister had stood a minute ago. 

"They took my sister." I whispered. "Who were they?" 

"That was the black smoke gang, led by Rafael Santiago." One of the cops informed me. "Don't worry kid, we will get your sister back. We promise." 

They never did keep that promise.

Nina

Eight years later.

"Sir, I have some intel about the Black Smoke gang and-"

"What did I tell you about putting your nose where it doesn't belong, Agent Torres?" Chief Keef shot me a withering glare.

I stayed undeterred. "Sir, this time the information is good."

"Really?" He stopped and turned, one eyebrow arching. "Okay then, agent. Who's your source?"

"That doesn't matter. What matters is this is usable-something we can use to nail them once and for all. Those bastards keep slipping through our fingers."

He raised a hand to cut me off. "So what makes you think you can finally catch guys who've been evading our best agents for years? There's a reason nobody's put them away, Torres-there's no admissible evidence."

I scoffed. "Oh, come on, chief. We all know the Black Smoke gang are the worst scum."

He shrugged. "We all know it, yes. But common sense isn't what you bring to a courtroom. Rafael Santiago-the man suspected of leading them-presents to the world as a philanthropic billionaire. He's got dozens of businesses that may or may not be money-laundering fronts."

"Chief-" I started, but he'd already turned and continued down the hallway toward his office. Gritting my teeth, I sped up to catch him. "I don't even need the rest of the team. I just need your permission to check this intel. If it's a bust, I'll drop it. If it isn't-"

He halted, sighed, and spun to look me in the eye. "Agent Torres, you're a damn good agent."

Pride swelled. I'd kicked my own ass through college and the Academy to become an FBI agent. I'd pursued leads and paperwork and late nights-and for years I'd been trying to find Rosa.

Deep down I believed she was still out there, and that bastard Rafael Santiago knew where. If I could tie him to that night, I could save her.

"But you're too damn fixated on the Black Smoke gang," he finished. The words deflated me. "I don't know what this obsession is-"

"They're evil and notorious, and the longer we let them roam, the worse this city gets. If we want to-"

"Cleaning up the city isn't our job." He cut me off with a hard look. "Leave this alone. Stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong before you get hurt. Leave the Black Smoke gang to the big boys."

My fists clenched at my sides. By "big boys" he meant Richard Greer and Matthew Mullock-the two alpha agents who treated the job like a trophy hunt. They wanted glory and press releases; they didn't give a damn about the victims.

"It's been months since they had a lead," I protested.

He shrugged. "Why don't you hand your so-called intel to them? They'll check it out."

There was no way I'd trust those assholes with what I'd dug up through blood, sweat, and tears.

"But-"

"Enough, Torres." He snapped. "This discussion is over. And one more thing-if you disobey me and pursue this on your own, you'll be in big trouble. Understood?"

I forced a nod. "Understood, sir."

"Good. Now go get me my damn coffee from that nice place down the street." He turned to walk away, then glanced over his shoulder. "And the paperwork from the Colby case was supposed to be on my desk two days ago. If you don't want this job, Torres, I know a hundred people eager to take your place."

"The file will be on your desk before the day ends, sir," I said.

"Don't fail me." His voice carried a warning. "And while you're at it-throw in some donuts with the coffee."

Damn it.

One year on the job and I was still stuck doing paperwork and coffee runs. If it weren't for capability, I was capable-but this was the reality of being a woman in a male-dominated field. I was treated like a secretary more than an agent, and I was sick of it.

I marched out and headed down the street for Chief Keef's coffee and donut. As I paid, my phone buzzed. The caller ID flashed. I answered.

"Hey."

"You know that cute lawyer from the other day? He thinks you're perfect and he's interested," Katy squealed into the phone.

"I'm not interested, Katy. I've told you a million times-I'm not dating right now." I sighed.

"But, Nina!" she whined. "You always say no. Don't you think he's cute?"

"I do-" My words trailed off as someone bumped into me. I nearly spilled the coffee. "Hey, watch it!"

"Are you even listening, Nina?" Katy snapped. "You never hang out, you never go on dates. All you do is work."

I rolled my eyes, tired of the same lecture. "Can we talk later?"

"No-we're talking now!" she insisted.

Across the road, a dark-haired man shook hands with another man and slid into a black Mercedes. I caught my breath when I realized who it was.

"You spend every waking moment digging into the Black Smoke gang and talking about-"

"Rafael Santiago," I muttered.

"Yeah, him," she hissed.

"No, I mean-he's right across the road." I blurted. "I have to go."

"Nina, don't do anything stupid. Do not confront the big, bad, deadly gang leader. Please tell me you're not that crazy."

I winced, ended the call, and climbed into a waiting cab. Maybe I was a little crazy. But I had to find Rosa. Time was running out.

"Where to, ma'am?" the driver asked.

"Follow that black Mercedes. Now."

Nina

My phone buzzed for what felt like the hundredth time since I'd hung up on Katy. I snatched it up and turned it off without a second thought-my eyes never leaving the black Mercedes ahead.

We'd been tailing the car for over half an hour when it finally slowed and pulled into the lot of a warehouse on the industrial edge of town.

"Shit." I ducked low as Rafael Santiago stepped out of the car. "Drive past a little."

The cab driver grumbled but obeyed. When he finally parked, I shoved a handful of hundred-dollar bills into his hand, wincing as I did. That money had been meant for groceries-but this was more important.

Steeling myself, I climbed out and followed Rafael into the warehouse, crouching low to stay out of sight. I slipped behind a stack of crates and peered through a narrow gap.

Rafael leaned lazily against a concrete pillar, his face half-turned away. Two men stood before him, fidgeting nervously.

"Let me get this straight," he drawled. "You blacked out, and when you came to, the packages were gone?"

The men exchanged panicked glances. "Boss, we-"

"Yes or no?" His voice sharpened, deceptively calm.

"Yes, boss," the first man stammered. "But we can find them. They couldn't have left the city yet-"

"They've had six hours to disappear, Tommaso." Rafael straightened, towering over them.

From my hiding place, I caught only his back-broad shoulders filling out a tailored suit that probably cost more than my rent for the year. What were they talking about? Drugs? Ammunition? Trafficked girls?

"I'm a businessman," Rafael said smoothly, "and I hate losing money. But what I hate even more is someone thinking they can screw me over. I'll choose to believe you-for now. But if I find out you lied..."

He didn't need to finish. The threat hung in the air like smoke.

A door creaked open behind me. I gasped and ducked lower, heart hammering as a new man entered from the side.

"Mr. Santiago, we found the package," he announced. "It's in a warehouse on the south side. They repainted the vehicles to throw us off."

"Good," Rafael murmured.

The group began to move deeper into the building. I waited, breath shallow, until their voices faded. My pulse was pounding with adrenaline. This was it-proof of something illegal, maybe even the break I'd been chasing for years.

If I could follow them and find this package, I might finally have something solid on Santiago.

Excitement surged through me as I crawled out from behind the crates-only to slam headfirst into something solid.

A startled shriek escaped me as I stumbled backward-but a strong arm shot out, looping around my waist and pulling me upright. My body collided with a wall of heat that smelled faintly of leather, spice, and sin.

"Looking for something, ma'am?"

That voice. Smooth. Mocking. Familiar.

I froze, eyes widening as I met Rafael Santiago's gaze-grey eyes glinting like cold steel.

"I-uh-was just-uh-" My mind scrambled for words that didn't exist.

I tore myself from his grip and cleared my throat. "I'm lost, actually."

"Lost?" His mouth curved into a slow, knowing smirk.

I'd always scoffed when people said he was dangerously handsome, but up close, I understood. His beauty wasn't soft-it was sharp. Magnetic. The kind that warned you it would hurt to touch him and made you want to anyway.

"Yes, lost," I repeated, glaring to hide my fluster.

"Is that why you followed me all the way from the city, Agent Torres?" He lifted something, and my heart dropped-it was my badge.

"Give me that!" I snapped, snatching it back.

He chuckled. "Doesn't the Chicago FBI have better things to do than tail an honest businessman?"

"Oh, please," I scoffed. "There's nothing honest about you."

"Now why would you say that?" His smirk deepened, amused.

"How did you even know I was following you?" I demanded. "And why let me?"

He tilted his head, watching me with predatory amusement. "I have to admit, Miss Torres, you're much more entertaining than the two bulldogs who usually trail me."

Richard and Matthew. Of course.

"Are you their replacement?" he asked, genuinely curious. "If so, the Bureau must be getting desperate."

Heat flared up my neck. I stepped closer. "I'm a damn good agent-better than those two asswipes. And no, I'm not their replacement."

"Ah." His eyes gleamed. "So this is a little off-the-books investigation, then? I wonder what your boss would say."

I froze. "Are you threatening me?"

"Why would an honest man do that?" he said silkily.

The smug bastard was taunting me. I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face-preferably with my fist.

"I know you're a criminal," I hissed. "And one day, I'll find the evidence to prove it. Until then, enjoy your empire of lies."

"How cute," he murmured. "Have dinner with me. You can tell me all about how you plan to destroy me."

My eyes widened. "You think I'm stupid enough to fall for that?"

"Fall for what? Dinner?" His eyebrow arched, wickedly amused.

God, he was infuriating. And worse-he was enjoying this.

"I'm not one of your groupies, Santiago," I snapped. "If it were up to me, the only meal you'd get would be prison food."

He smiled. "How about lunch, then?"

"Go to hell."

"Are you always this charming? No wonder you're single."

I staggered back, spluttering. "Who-who says I'm- you know what, it's none of your business!" I snapped. "You know what? I don't have time for this. I have a date to get ready for."

I turned and stormed off, cheeks burning.

Why the hell had I said that?

Ugh.