Alliance || 1 || ✔️ mature

03 | Archer

"We didn't steal it."

"I didn't ask if you stole it." My voice is dark with threat and demanding as I lift a brow, telling him with my eyes to obey.

The man who spoke bumps his shoulder into the others, "Hand it over," he sighs, "The trouble ain't worth it."

"But the bosses-"

"Hand it over."

The second man looks towards the one who spoke before grumbling, lifting the bag, and throwing it to my feet.

I watch them with wariness. My eyes flick to Cleo's dark ones.

Her gun is cocked and ready in her hand as she stalks closer.

I crouch, keeping one gun on the two and laying the other on the asphalt. I reach for the bag, pulling it open to see the contents inside.

Money spills from the bag, jewels and gems nestled between the bed of bills and I lift a brow at the stolen goods before reaching in and retrieving one of the gems, the blue stone glistening under the moonlit sky.

I lift the diamond and show dumb and dumber.

"Do you know what this is?"

"A diamond." Thing one says hesitantly.

"The Hope Diamond." I correct, before placing it back with the other gems and closing the bag. I look at the two who stare at me as if I'm the stupid one, "You're stealing things you know nothing about."

"It's a diamond." Thing two spits.

"A cursed diamond, everyone who has ever stolen that diamond or gained it by nefarious means has suffered a very untimely and tortuous death." I flash a smile their way, "You just signed your own death certificate, congrats."

"B-but-"

"There is a loop hole." I murmur, watching the diamond with curiosity before flicking my gaze back to thing one and two. "A rumour that if you spill information you hold dear, your life is spared."

"What kind of information?" Thing two splutters while thing one watches both of us.

I tap my finger against my chin in thought, "Maybe if you told me where the twins are, you could be spared."

The both of them swallow thickly but keep silent.

My hazel eyes darken, chin flicking to my left.

A scrape echoes and Liam peels himself from the shadows, stalking over.

The tattoos crawling up his arms darken as he walks under the moon, glaring with menace.

His strawberry blonde hair falls into his face, and he reaches up to smooth it back, glancing down to the bag at my feet.

His twinkling blue eyes latch onto the two men and he grins, a dimple appearing on his right cheek.

Thing one takes a step back and I surmise he's the only smart one of the two.

"We don't know."

"You don't know where your bosses are?" I drag their attention back to me.

The two men ignore me, cocking their chins in stubbornness. The tallest one shuffles on the spot, glancing to the guy on his right.

"They didn't turn up to the rendezvous point."

Liam acts, stalking towards them. He circles behind their back, his focus sharpening on the taller man, picking him as the weak link.

His eyes rest on mine and he nods.

My jaw clenches and I take a step forward, the attention of the two settling on me.