Brinda

“The mission was smooth, Boss." Bullet's voice was flat, yet her eyes glinted with an edge that made me wonder just how much of her soul was buried under the mask she wore.

Francesco’s gaze didn’t leave her, his eyes cold and calculating. “And you ensured all the evidence was cleared?" he asked again.

The tension in the air was palpable. Bullet didn’t respond verbally, but I could feel the answer in the silence. She nodded.

Francesco's grip on my hand tightened, his fingers digging into my skin as I fought to free myself.

“Whether you want it or not, Bullet is your partner now. She’ll be by your side on all operations. Your mission begins once we touch down in New York.” His words were sharp, as though he’d already decided my fate.

I pretended not to hear him, staring out the jet window, the cold wind biting at my resolve. The minutes dragged on, stretching into what felt like hours. I was trapped. There was no escaping the web Francesco had spun around me.

Soon, we were at the airport. I was yanked from my seat and pulled, not toward Francesco, but to the back of the jet.

The cold hands of his men guided me into a separate section, forcing me to sit apart. They shut the door with a finality that made my blood boil.

The muffled sounds that followed made my stomach turn — low moans from behind that closed door.

Francesco had locked himself in with Bullet, his toy, while I was left outside, helpless and burning with jealousy, fury, and something darker.

I tried to block out the noises, but sleep eventually claimed me. Exhaustion took over after hours of forced stillness.

When the night began to fall, Francesco called for me. I walked into his room, my every step filled with dread. He sat there, sprawled out as though the weight of the world couldn’t touch him. His posture screamed dominance.

"Sit," he commanded sharply, his voice carrying an icy authority that left no room for defiance. I hesitated, but only for a second, before I took my place opposite him, my gaze cold and distant.

“Purab Chaturvedi,” he said, breaking the silence, his tone casual but deliberate.

I looked away, pretending to be uninterested, but the name struck a chord. It felt like a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit, and I hated how much I wanted to know what they shared.

“Purab Chaturvedi runs a media empire and has deep ties in the oil business,” Francesco continued, his voice colder now, with a hint of contempt. “Two years ago, he struck a deal with my father, but there’s more to that deal than what meets the eye. People like him aren’t to be trusted.”

"Why are you telling me all this? I didn’t ask," I shot back, my eyes narrowing as I met his gaze.

Francesco ignored my defiance. He picked up his glass, swirling the wine before taking a slow sip. The smoke from his cigarette filled the air like a cloud of menace, his every movement deliberate.

I couldn’t help but notice how much he smoked, his health slowly deteriorating with each drag. It was only a matter of time before it killed him — and I’d be there when it happened.

He leaned back, crossing his legs, his expression unreadable. “This is for your mission. You’ll need to set fire to the rain.”

“What mission? What fire? I’m not running errands for you,” I fired back, unable to contain my irritation.

He leaned forward, his eyes locking onto mine, the air around us suddenly feeling colder. “You will. And you will die if you don’t listen. Remember, Deadly Nightshade runs through your veins.”

His words hit me like a physical blow. The threat was real. I sighed deeply, the weight of his ultimatum pressing on me. “And what exactly is this mission?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Francesco stood, his tall figure casting a shadow over me as he moved toward the balcony. “Retrieve the crypt key,” he said, his words sharp like the edge of a blade.

I frowned, confused. “Crypt key? What is that?”

“You don’t need to know the details,” he replied, his voice devoid of warmth. “Just do as I say. No questions, no attitude.”

"Where is it?" I pressed, my impatience showing.

“The Fernandez family,” he said, his words dripping with disdain. “They’re my family’s greatest enemies. Their leader died recently, and now, it’s the perfect time to strike. The hideout’s location will be shared with you.”

I shook my head in disbelief. "How am I supposed to carry out this mission if you won’t tell me anything?"

Francesco’s gaze sharpened, and he raised an eyebrow. “You were once a spy. You know how to connect the dots. Do your job.”

With that, he walked away, disappearing into the bathroom and leaving me standing there, lost in a swirl of questions.

I couldn’t help but wonder — what had I gotten myself into? Purab Chaturvedi, Francesco, the Dante family, the Fernandez family... the pieces didn’t fit together, not yet.

I made my way to my room, where a well-packaged box awaited me. I opened it slowly, unsure of what to expect. Inside was a black suit, pistols, and a phone. The phone buzzed with a message.

Francesco: Ensure you set a lock screen password. Through this phone, I’ll know if things go wrong.

I tossed the phone aside, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me.

I didn’t want to do this, but if it was the only way out, I’d do whatever it took.

After slipping into the black outfit, I covered my face with the mask Francesco had provided. My hair was pulled back tightly, and the pistols were tucked into my sides. The phone slipped into my breast pocket, the screen set to silent.

As I stared at my reflection, memories from the past flooded my mind. This was too familiar. The sleek black costume, the weapons, the mask — it was all too much like my old life.

The clock struck midnight.

I moved quickly, making my way down the silent corridors. The house was eerily quiet, and I quickened my pace. When I reached the door, I heard footsteps behind me — footsteps that didn’t belong to Francesco or his men.

I turned to find Bullet standing there, her eyes sharp and calculating, like a predator preparing to pounce.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

She ignored my question, rolling her eyes before walking past me. "Boss doesn't trust you. From now on, we’re partners on missions."

With that, she entered a black car parked outside, and I followed her. The driver, covered in tattoos and with his hair braided, gave us a nod before taking off.

We reached our destination, a dark building nestled in the shadows of the night. Bullet and I stayed low, blending into the darkness, moving swiftly like shadows. We had a mission to complete.

We approached the building, two guards standing at the entrance. Bullet gave me a sharp look, then raised an eyebrow, echoing Francesco’s signature gesture.

“Stay here,” she whispered. “I’ll go around. We take them down together.”

"I’m ready," I replied, already feeling the thrill of the hunt rise within me.

With a clean swoop, the men were down.

I shot one in the head, while Bullet took a more brutal approach, slitting her target’s throat.

Bullet turned to me, her expression unreadable. “These people are more dangerous than you think. Now I understand why Boss doesn’t trust you.”

She moved towards the entrance. “As we go in, we have two choices: come out alive or get killed. Make your decision.”

I followed her into the building, every step taking us deeper into the unknown. The mission had begun.

$Chapter

Brinda

As we stealthily made our way into Fernandez's hideout, we slaughtered his men to clear our way into the underground apartment.

When we finally reached the tunnel to the underground, Bullet instructed me to be very cautious as more secrets would be revealed.

I braced myself for whatever is to come.

We faced the apartment, four guards were there. Their eyes clearly opened to catch every glimpse of unclear activities. Without wasting time, knowing we can't go round them, Bullet and I sprung into action.

The men, alerted by our hideous presence, brought out their guns but we prevented them from using it as we all battled to gain the upper hand. I knocked one of them out when he tried to stab Bullet from behind while I punched another in the nose. I was less worried if he had a broken nose or not. Bullet's words were already at play as I sought only for survival.

The guard with a broken nose held onto his nose for a while before he attempted to escape into the apartment. I went after him and he also tried going toe-to-toe with me. I defeated him after I delivered a painful knee strike to his jaw.

Too cool that I still had it in me — The energetic spirit.

Turning around, I saw that Bullet already silenced one of the men she was in a fierce fight with while the other man fought relentlessly. Given his huge stature, it would take time for Bullet to defeat him.

I charged towards them and called Bullet to step aside before I plunged a knife into the man's chest. He was about to let out a loud cry but Bullet was quick enough to cover his mouth with the blood stained gloves that shielded her hands.

“That's more like it,” she said, beckoning at me.

We jumped into the apartment through the back window. The apartment was as silent as a graveyard. We walked carefully ensuring our boots did not make the least of a noise as we surveyed the area.

Realizing there was no single soul in the building, I and Bullet separated so we could find the crypt key as fast as possible. On my side, I searched endlessly to get my hands on the crypt key since my life kind of depended on it.

After a thorough search, Bullet hurried in. Her breath was fast. Really fast. “What's wrong?” I asked, curious.

“I couldn't find the key. I guess you couldn't find it either. But right now, we need to leave.” Before she completed her last statement, she already dragged me away. I kept on looking back, stretching my hands around the room we were in.

In a jiffy, we were out of the room then back to the spacious living room.

We trespassed the dead bodies of the men we killed earlier and went out of the underground. Judy then, a series of headlights shone brightly as cars made their way into the compound.

I pulled Bullet in time and we hid behind a parked car. Our breaths heightened as we tried to keep a low profile. We watched as men cladded in a black suit made their way out of the cars which after two of them made their way to the most-looking luxurious car of them all.

Bullet's almost manly voice pierced through the air. “Isn't the Don of Fernandez's family dead?”

I threw a quick glance at her. “How do you know that? And if the Don is dead, who is the man or woman the guards are about to escort out of the car?”

Bullet ignored my questions with a face full of disapproval. Whether she wanted it or not, I knew I was going to get to the bottom of the whole issue.

I returned my head to the left and tapped my right leg on the floor anxiously waiting for the person to emerge from the car. Then, I saw a leg which another followed before a man exited the car.

His presence alone exuded power and dominance. He was dressed in a black suit which complimented his figure perfectly. However, I couldn't see his face because of the darkness that shrouded the area.

“Who the fuck is this?” Bullet cursed under her breath.

I was about to reply to her but I was stopped by the deep male familiar voice that cut through the air. Not only did it cut through the air, it reverberated in my ears.

My chest tightened and I was forced to accompany the pressure by placing my hands on it. My legs shook vigorously and the air got more tense. All of a sudden, I found it difficult to breathe. As I gasped for air, to my surprise, Bullet used her hands to apply a little pressure on my back.

“Is it all set?” The man asked another question after a long silence.

If I am not mistaken, this man is Peter, my boyfriend whom I almost pushed down the cliff days ago based on Francesco's request.

“How come he's still alive?” I asked no one in particular with a heavy pounding in my chest. “No, it can't be.”

He is the one I love. The one I can die for. Maybe not anymore.

All I want is to run to hug him. I just want to be in his arms to tell him how much I have missed him but probably, that has come to an end.

I ended up cursing myself repeatedly as I asked myself why I obeyed Francesco's demand.

Then Peter and his men marched towards where we hid since their last destination seemed to be the underground apartment. Behind Peter is a man who carried a golden box — Very small. Just a few inches compared to my pinky finger.

“That is the box that contains the crypt key.” Bullet whispered.

“Don Marshall, we were unable to find information on the lady, Brinda, and the other man.” One of his men reported.

Don Marshall? Did he switch his name? Is he a twin? No! It can't be. Peter's voice is the same. Though the looks have changed as he now has a plaited hairstyle.

“Francesco can't run for long, nor can Brinda. Find them both. Even if it is their dead bodies, I want to see it.” He ordered shortly before they got to the tunnel. He stopped and smiled. That was when I saw his bright face for the first time since the incident.

His deep blue eyes glinted with happiness. “I changed my mind. As for Brinda, get her back no matter what it costs. If she's alive, my revenge will be much more intriguing because I will watch her suffer for the rest of her miserable life. Isn't that fair… boys?”

His herd of men laughed in response which showed they were satisfied with their Boss’s intentions.

A volcano erupted within me and I almost scampered towards them but Bullet who was almost irrelevant in the scene pulled me back and that came with a grace cost.

Her hand hit the car's rear window resulting in a loud thud that caught the attention of Peter or Marshall and his men.

“Make sure you skin them alive.” Peter's commanding voice echoed, sending shivers down my spine.

$Chapter