Chapter 2

Roman

The sun”s just starting to paint the sky with those annoyingly pretty colors when we pull up to the base. This place, I”ve grown to hate it with every fiber of my being. It”s the heart of our operations, sure, but every corner, every shadow holds a memory I”d rather forget. Yet here we are, back again with a trunk full of trouble.

As we unload, I can”t help but throw out, ”Maybe we should just get high off our own supply, sell the clients some sugar pills.” It”s bullshit, of course, but I like to see Lana”s reaction.

She shoots me that look, the one that could either mean she”s amused or plotting my demise. ”Don”t even joke about that,” she says, but there”s a smirk playing at the edges of her lips.

Grigori, ever the silent giant, starts heading off to do his security sweep. I call after him, ”Hey, maybe find something in there to loosen up. God knows you could use a chill pill.”

Lana rolls her eyes, ignores my comment. That”s the thing about her; she knows when to play along and when to shut it down.

We”re inside, the air thick with the scent of money and danger. I watch Lana, can”t help it. Fuck, she”s a vision, even in this hellhole. I”m caught between wanting to be with her and wanting to be her. It”s a sick game my mind plays.

Lana catches me staring, gives me that challenging look. ”Focus, Roman. We”ve got work to do.”

I grab a crate with a grunt, moving it aside to hide our stash beneath the floorboards. The wall of muscle we call Grigori is overseeing everything with that steely gaze of his, making sure nobody fucks up.

”Roman,” Lana scolds me again, ”focus.”

Her voice—it’s like a whip cracking through the air and damn if it doesn’t turn me on more. I quirk an eyebrow at her, staring openly now because I don”t give a shit about hiding my desire anymore.

She smirks—a tiny curl of her lips that sets my blood on fire. Goddamn it! This woman would be the death of me, but what a way to go.

”Later,” I promise, shifting another crate into place before wiping the sweat off my brow with my arm. ”We”ll settle this later.”

And by “settling,” I mean pinning her against a wall and showing her exactly what kind of man I am.

Lana”s eye roll is the cherry on top, a sign that the night”s still young in our world of chaos.

The sight of Lana”s backside as she climbs the stairs fuels the fire in my veins. She”s all curves and confidence, a lethal combination that has me aching for her. Shit, the way she moves could make a dead man rise.

Memories from last month surge forward, raw and potent. The way her body arched under mine as I claimed her—it”s enough to make a saint sin.

But here”s the kicker—I”m fucking relieved it hasn”t messed us up. Working with her, standing by her side, it”s where I”m meant to be. And the thought of screwing that up over what? Feelings? It”s not an option.

As we reach the top of the stairs, Lana stops short, causing me to almost collide with her. She turns around, too close for comfort but not close enough for my liking.

”You”re supposed to be watching our backs,” she chides me, poking me in the chest with a pointed finger.

”Believe me, darling,” I retort, my voice low and laced with dark promises, ”I”m definitely watching yours.”

She scoffs at my remark but doesn”t move away. It”s dangerous territory, this dance we”re doing—playing with fire and gasoline—and part of me can”t wait for everything to just fucking explode.

Underneath it all though, there is an unspoken understanding between us; we are both monsters in our own rights—a result of this damned life we lead—but together... together we might just be invincible.

The door swings open suddenly and Luca stands in the doorway, a stern expression on his face. Our game is over—for now.

”Get to work,” he orders sharply. Lana is gone in a heartbeat, all business like the professional she is. Luca eyes me warily before retreating back into his lair.

I linger in the hallway, the taste of anticipation bitter on my tongue. For a brief moment, I allow myself to imagine Lana beneath me once more, writhing in pleasure, submitting to my every command.

And then I”m back—back in this godforsaken place that breeds darkness and violence. Because in the end, that”s what we are: products of our environment.

Luca doesn”t waste time, diving straight into the heart of the matter. ”Your little adventure tonight has stocked us well,” he starts, eyes sharp as knives. ”But let”s talk clientele.”

Luca leans back, a sly grin playing on his lips, the shadows of the room clinging to him like a second skin. ”Take Senator McCarthy,” he starts, his voice a whisper of silk over steel. ”Man”s got a nose for our product like a truffle pig.”

I can”t help but chuckle, the image of McCarthy, all high and mighty in the public eye, getting down and dirty with our goods—it”s too good. ”Bet he thinks it”s his secret weapon for those marathon filibusters. Adds a whole new meaning to political ”powder.””

Lana shakes her head, a smirk threatening the corners of her mouth, ”And then there”s CEO Anderson. Wanted a bulk order to ”inspire creativity” in his team. Since when did brainstorming sessions need a side of coke?”

”Since Anderson realized his ideas were shit without a chemical boost,” I shoot back, unable to keep the amusement from my voice. It”s a fucked-up world we operate in, but moments like these, they lighten the load.

Luca”s nodding, his laughter a low rumble in the dim light. ”And let”s not forget our dear friend, Judge Thompson. Man preaches justice by day, snorts it by night. Wanted a steady supply to ”keep his judgments clear.””

I snort, ”Yeah, clear as mud. Guy”s probably seeing double on the bench. Explains some of his more... ”creative” rulings.”

Lana”s laughter, rare and genuine, fills the space between us, a reminder of the twisted camaraderie that binds us. ”This city,” she says, ”built on pillars of powder and hypocrisy.”

Luca”s expression turns serious again, the moment of levity fading as quickly as it appeared. ”Just remember, these pillars can crumble.”

”Speaking of crumbling,” I start, my voice reverberating around us. The mention of danger making the air feel electric. ”We should keep an eye on Perez – the guy”s a ticking time bomb.”

Perez. Lana’s main rival, the thorn in our side. His syndicate, a mirror image of darkness to ours, holds the other half of Los Angeles in a tight grip. Ever since Lana”s old man was taken out, Perez has been like a shadow at our backs, waiting, watching. He thought he”d take over, thought the kingdom would fall into his lap. But Lana, she”s made of tougher stuff. Perez has been biding his time, nursing his grudge.

Lana sits back, her lips curling into a wry smile. ”What”s your plan then?” she asks, eyes glinting with that challenge I crave.

A wicked grin spreads across my face. ”Well, sweetheart,” I purr, savouring the way she visibly shivers at the predator lurking in my tone. ”I say we give him an overdose of ”justice”.”

Luca chokes out a laugh despite himself. It”s a fucked up idea but then again, we”re fucked up people.

”But that”s for later,” I decide, standing up abruptly, the lingering adrenaline making me restless. Lana raises an eyebrow provocatively and instantly my mind is filled with images of her pinned underneath me - tangled hair spread out like a halo, body bare and begging for punishment.

Fuck.

”You okay?” Lana”s voice cuts through my dark thoughts, her cool hand resting on my arm snapping me back to reality.

Tearing my eyes away from her teasing gaze, I manage a curt nod. The moment Lana”s touch falls away, it”s like the warmth of the sun being snatched away by clouds. Not that I”d ever admit it out loud. ”Got a debt collection that needs a personal touch,” I mutter, already plotting my next moves.

Her eyes narrow, slicing through the bullshit. ”Just don”t do anything too rash. We can”t afford more heat right now.”

I almost laugh. Rash is my middle name. ”Since when do you worry about heat? Thought you liked playing with fire.”

The corner of her mouth twitches, almost a smile. ”Only when I”m the one controlling the flames.”

Our banter is cut short as Grigori looms into view, his presence like a cold shadow. ”We moving out?” His voice is like gravel, rough and unyielding.

”Give us a minute,” Lana says, her gaze lingering on me a moment longer before she turns to Grigori, slipping back into business mode. I watch her go, every step she takes a twist in my gut. This thing between us, it”s like dancing on a wire. Thrilling, yes, but one wrong step and it”s a long fall down.

We had a one-night stand for fun, or maybe it was because she was sad, or maybe because, for a fleeting moment, she felt like she could trust me completely. I”m her protector, after all.

If things were different, if we weren”t entangled in the deadly embrace of the mob, would we have even been a thing? It”s a question that haunts me, a what-if in a sea of certainties. Lana, with her strength, her fire, and her unyielding determination, shines like a beacon in the darkness of our world. But she”s also a product of that darkness, shaped by loss and betrayal, hardened by the cruelties she”s had to endure.

She”s never had a relationship in her entire twenty-six years. Not surprising, really. Maybe she”s afraid of men turning out to be like her father. The bastard who not only betrayed her trust but shattered her world by murdering her mother. Lana loved her mother fiercely, and how her father treated them both left deep, festering wounds. At twenty-one, she staged a coup, a bold move that spoke volumes of her courage and her desperation for change. She took over the syndicate, stepping into a role that demanded ruthlessness and a cold heart, qualities she wears like armor.

Yet, for all her moral flexibility when it comes to the business, Lana believes in the sanctity of family, in treating those you consider family with loyalty and respect. It”s a belief that”s kept us bound together, a motley crew of broken souls seeking redemption in each other”s company. She might not have moral qualms about the paths we”ve chosen, the lives we lead, but at her core, Lana is driven by a desire to protect what she considers hers.

And there lies the rub. Because as much as I want her, as much as I yearn to explore the ”what could be” between us, I know that going down that path could destroy the fragile balance we”ve maintained. Not just between us, but within the very foundations of our syndicate. Love, or whatever semblance of it we can afford, is a luxury that comes with too high a price.

So, I push these thoughts aside, lock them away in the same place I keep my doubts and fears. There”s no room for weakness in our world, no space for what-ifs and might-have-beens. We are who we are, and while the night we spent together will always linger in the back of my mind, a sweet poison that tempts and torments in equal measure, I know that some lines are better left uncrossed.

For now, I”ll keep playing my role, the loyal enforcer, the protector.

Turning to leave, I feel Luca”s eyes on me, the weight of his gaze heavy with unspoken warnings. He”s been like a brother, sure, but in our world, blood ties are just as likely to strangle you as keep you warm. And he knows, just as well as I do, that what Lana and I have been doing could unravel threads we can”t afford to lose.

As I head out, the echo of my steps a steady beat in the silence, I can”t shake the feeling that we”re all teetering on the edge of something. Maybe it”s change, maybe it”s disaster. Only time will tell.

But for now, there”s work to be done. Debts don”t collect themselves, and fear is a currency just as valuable as cash in our line of work.