Chapter One – The Hunt in the Rain
650 Words
The storm struck the city without warning, Rain hammered the glass walls of Stone Tower, bleeding across the skyline in shimmering rivers. From his corner office, Darius Stone watched the city below traffic snarled, horns blaring, and figures disappearing into the night as if the rain could wash away their sins.
It wouldn’t.
Darius stood in silence, his reflection a shadow against the glass. The storm didn’t bother him. In fact, he welcomed it. Rain had a way of exposing the cracks in people.
And tonight, the city felt ready to break.
Behind him, the office door opened with a soft click. Darius didn’t turn.
“You’re late,” he said quietly.
Theo stepped inside, shrugging off his wet jacket with a sharp shake. His blond hair stuck to his forehead, water dripping onto the sleek marble floors. “I didn’t know we were on a schedule.”
Darius glanced at him, eyes narrowing. “We are now.”
Theo crossed the room, dropping a thick folder onto the desk. “Another one of Marek’s men turned up dead by the East River. Same as the last three.”
Darius’s gaze darkened. He already knew.
Theo exhaled, pacing slowly as if trying to shake the weight of the news from his shoulders. “Andre Marek’s already barking. He’s telling people we’re responsible. Says you’re hiding the rogue that’s doing this.”
Darius’s jaw tightened. He hated the way Theo said it rogue. Like the word could somehow explain what was happening.
“I told him the bodies weren’t ours.”
“And you think Andre believes you?” Theo scoffed. “He’s not looking for the truth. He’s looking for an excuse to start something.”
Darius turned away from the window, the glow of the city behind him casting his sharp features in half-light. “Then let him start something.”
Theo stilled. “You know what that means.”
“I do.”
There was no point pretending anymore. The Marek family had been pushing the edges of Darius’s territory for months. Testing him. Waiting for him to snap.
But Darius didn’t snap.
He broke people slowly.
Before Theo could respond, Darius’s phone buzzed on the desk. He glanced at the screen and his expression shifted, the faintest flicker of surprise crossing his face.
Isla Marek.
Theo noticed. His eyes narrowed slightly. “That can’t be good.”
Darius let the phone ring once more before answering. He kept his voice low, careful. “You’re not supposed to have this number.”
“Relax.” Isla’s voice curled through the line, smooth but tense. “I wasn’t planning on using it either.”
“And yet, here we are.”
There was a pause on the other end. Darius listened carefully, catching the faint shuffle of movement behind her words. Wherever she was, it wasn’t home.
“I need to see you,” she said finally.
Darius raised an eyebrow. “Is this a social call, or should I be expecting bullets?”
“Neither. Nero’s. One hour.”
She hung up before he could press her further.
Theo watched Darius slip the phone back into his coat. “Tell me you’re not actually going.”
Darius stepped around the desk, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves with calm precision. “I am.”
Theo frowned. “It’s a trap.”
“Probably.”
“And you’re fine with that?”
Darius smiled faintly. “She wouldn’t dare try to kill me. Not yet.”
Theo didn’t seem convinced. “What if it’s not her trying to kill you?”
Darius pulled his coat from the rack, tugging it over his shoulders with practiced ease.
“Then,” Darius said, “I suppose I’ll remind the Mareks why they’ve been afraid of us for so long.”
The storm outside welcomed him as he stepped into the night.
- Writer
