Mafia's collateral (M Book2)

The shadow at the window

''Dear Mom, today was another tiring day. Eris burned the apartment down in which we were living and she almost burned in it as well.' I looked at the ceiling, 'Thankfully, my boss was there, he got us out and even got us treatment. He's a very odd person. I still don't understand if he's a good guy or not but all I can do is take my chances.'

This wasn't much different than just thinking, but I pretended like I was talking to her.

I let out another sigh

I'm so glad Eris is safe. I stared into space. And I feel like Azef is way better than all the other thugs I've met in my life. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have done all this for us. Giving us a place to stay, saving Eris, giving us food, he gets absolutely nothing out of being kind to us.

Yet, he's doing it.

I brought my legs up on the bed and wrapped my arms around my knees as I rested my head on my knees as well, "What a strange man," I whispered to myself

I had my eyes on Eris when I felt a shadow loon over us from behind

Hmm?

It wasn't a particular shadow or anything. It was just something that made the area a little darker. Like when something blocks a light source or a reflective area.

Like the window,

My heart skipped a beat as I turned to look, my breath catching in my throat. I stood up and stared at the window but there was nothing there.

Did I imagine it?

I walked to it to take a better look. But when I peered out into the rainy night, all I saw was the dim glow of streetlights reflected in the puddles below. There was nothing there—no lurking figure concealed in the shadows, no whispered voices carried in the wind.

And yet, despite the emptiness that greeted me, a sense of foreboding settled over me like a weight, a silent warning that something was amiss

I grabbed the curtains and pulled them to a close. With a shiver, I tore my gaze away from the window, the sense of unease that lingered in the air sending a chill down my spine. I knew that I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

No, it's alright.

I'm overthinking it. Besides, we're not alone in this house. Azef is here too.

...

Those thoughts actually made me feel better. Right, Azef is here too. Right below us.

I flicked the lights off and went to bed. Taking my place besides Eris, I pulled the blanket over us

I hope I'm just tired and am not seeing things. I closed my eyes.

And I hope tomorrow is a better day.

***

>>Azef

The sound of rain pattering against the windows drew my attention, a soft rhythm that echoed the turmoil swirling within me. A sense of unease gnawed at my insides, a primal instinct warning me of impending danger.

I glanced around the dimly lit room, my eyes narrowing as I searched for any sign of movement. But aside from the flickering shadows cast by the rain-slicked streets outside, there was nothing to indicate the source of my unease.

With a frown, I walked out of the kitchen, the ache in my chest a constant reminder of the events that had transpired earlier. It had gotten a lot better but I'm guessing it's going to take the whole night for me to heal.

I kept my eyes on the window.

I know I'm not wrong. I'm good at this. And so I know I noticed a movement there.

As I made my way to the door, the sound of rain grew louder, a relentless torrent that drowned out all other noise. I stepped outside, the cold droplets pelting my skin like icy needles, but I paid them no mind as I scanned the area for any sign of movement.

But there was nothing—no shadowy figures lurking in the darkness, no whispered voices. Only the steady drumming of rain against pavement and the oppressive weight of silence that hung in the air.

A sense of frustration welled up, because of the rain, I couldn't catch the scent of the person who was here.

This isn't good. At the moment, I can't even guess who it could be.

I stepped back into the house.

I'll need to be more careful.

And I closed the door, then locked it.

***

>> Ricky (Lilac's right hand man)

The weight of my drenched clothes clung to my skin like a second skin, I couldn't shake the sense of unease that had settled over me.

He's as sharp as I've heard.

Azef Greer.

I had barely entered the house and he already caught onto it. I only got away because he took his time coming out of the house. If he had come out when that girl was still with him, he would have caught me.

Oh! And I'm glad it was raining! He won't be able to catch my scent! I should have been careful. Before entering the house, I should have calculated where the windows were.

I entered the office, the rain drummed against the windows like a relentless drumbeat

"So?" Lilac was already there, waiting for me to come back

"I found her," I answered,

"Good," Lilac smiled, "Where is she?" He was excited

"She's living with Azef Greer,"

"What?" His smile immediately vanished, "With who?" And then he was shocked, "With Azef Greer?"

"I don't think it's a good idea to mess with them, Lilac," I said, "Especially not for some unimportant girl."

"Why would she be with him?" Lilac shook his head, "There is no reason for him to take her."

"Exactly, that means he's taken her for a reason." I made a valid point, "Boss, it's not a good idea to mess with Azef Greer,"

"We're both rogues, why does it matter if we just talk?" He seemed to have taken a bit too much liking to that girl. She's beautiful, I'll admit, and she's like that without any skin care or makeup. So I understand why she attracts so much trouble.

It's like a curse for pretty women.

"If things escalate, we both know what he's capable of." I said,

"No," He shook his head, "The reason doesn't matter. It's not like that's her mate. He might just hand her over if we can negotiate it right."

"What makes you so sure that woman isn't her mate?"

Lilac rolled his eyes, "All the rogues in the city know about it. His mate died when he was young."

"And how does everyone know that?"

"He sleeps with anyone during his rut." Lilac shook his head, "No wolf with a mate would ever do that. Plus his rut gets very irregular because of his unstable wolf."

"His wolf is unstable?" I was shocked

"Yea, why?" He folded his arms.

"It's a shock..." It really was, "If he's still strong with his wolf being unstable, how much stronger would he be if his wolf was fine."

"Why?" I guess Lilac hasn't seen him in action, "Is he stronger than Matthew Meirikh?"

"Physically, they're at par," They both got the best genes from their father even though they're both bastards.

"Hmmm," Lilac thought about it.

"But brutality vise, Azef shows no mercy."