MATED BY DECEPTION

RED LIGHTS casino stood gallantly in the bustling heart of the city, the entrance filled to the brim with posh cars and elegant customers. The nightlife of the city made the casino thrive and come alive as men with much to waste, played games and drew large bets, the women wrapped around their arms, watching in silent support. "Are you certain that he's going to come?" Paolo leaned back in his chair, twirling a glass of wine with a confident smile. "The offer is too good to pass up, Gabriel." "He will surely come." Gabriel looked around the casino, clicking his tongue at the drunk gamblers and women been passed around like commodities. "Why would you choose such a place to meet with him?" he asked. "The Moretti family isn't people that should—" Paolo chuckled, taking a sip of his wine. "Their family is nothing without people like us. We gave them that power." He gestured around. "The casino is my territory. I built this and if the Moretti family wants a deal with me, they would do well to respect my work." "There's nothing respectful about women being treated like slaves," a gentle voice interrupted and a woman stepped into their booth. She sat down, elegantly crossing her legs. "It's very shameful, Mr. DeRossi." Paolo observed her with a frown. The woman was gorgeous— breathtaking even. Her dark hair cascaded down her back in waves, face soft with the warmest brown eyes and lips painted in red. Dressed in a tight, black dress that amplified her curves, she was a vision to behold. Though, despite the soft features, there was a way she carried herself that screamed danger and had his senses at high alert. Gabriel spoke up beside him, "It's disrespectful to join a conversation that has nothing to do with you." The woman smiled gently. "I didn't mean to offend anyone." Paolo tried to sniff her scent to know what sub gender she was but came up empty. Either she was wearing scent blockers or had a great control over her scent. The latter was very rare even among dominant genders so he ruled it out. He leaned forward a sly smile on his lips. "A beauty like you can never offend me." Paolo reached a hand and placed it on her lap, gently squeezing. "There are ways that you can show that you're truly repentant." The woman's gaze darkened and she raised a brow. "Repentant?" she repeated, taking the hand off her lap. "It's no wonder that your business is crumbling, Mr. DeRossi." Paolo's eyes flashed red, his pheromones spreading out to express his anger. "How did you know that?" The woman lips with amusement. "I have my ways." "Who are you?" Gabriel asked. "Ruelle Moretti," she replied. "It's not a pleasure to meet you both." Paolo's eyes widened. "You're Luciano's sister?" Ruelle hummed. "The one and only." His face twisted further in anger. "This is total disrespect to me! I requested an audience with the heir of the Moretti family and they sent me a woman?" Gabriel's eyes widened and he subtly tried to pull his companion's sleeve only to be shrugged off. Paolo's pheromones spread around the booth, expressing his displeasure. "What good is a woman in this line of business?" "They are only good for—" He dropped down on the floor, a bullet between his eyes and Gabriel gasped, eyes wide with fear. Ruelle let out a tired sigh. "So much for having a peaceful negotiation." "Come in, Nico," she said and a man stepped into the booth, a gun in hand. Ruelle gestured to the body. "Feed it to the dogs." Nico nodded and dragged the body away while Gabriel watched, heart pounding with fear. Ruelle clicked her tongue, standing up. "I didn't want to be this messy, but his death was inevitable." She leaned in and gently tapped Gabriel's cheek, grinning when he trembled. "Inform the rest about what happened tonight. Don't leave a word out." "Am I clear?" Gabriel nodded furiously and Ruelle smiled in satisfaction. "Good boy." With that, she turned and walked out of the booth. As Ruelle exited the casino, her gaze fell on Nico standing by the car in the parking lot. She smirked. "Is it done?" The bodyguard nodded, opening the car door. "Yes, Boss." Ruelle got in and they drove away. She looked out the window, nose wrinkling at the tall buildings and luxurious shops they zoomed past. Valentieri was a a two faced city. On the outside, it looked beautiful, with it tall establishments and buildings and the people happy and satisfied. But Ruelle knew it was a city built with corruption, manipulation and thrived on the pain, tears and blood of the innocent. To her, it was a city of blood and nothing in it, interested her anymore. "Has the goods arrived yet?" Nico nodded. "Yes, Boss." Ruelle hummed in satisfaction, tapping a finger almost playfully against the car's window. Then a pair of headlights appeared in the rear mirror and Nico glanced at it, eyes narrowed. His change of expression didn't escape Ruelle and her lips curled in amusement. “Are we being followed?” she asked quietly. Before Nico could respond, the first gunshot shattered the night and glass exploded across the back seat. “Get down, Boss!” Nico shouted. Ruelle clicked her tongue in annoyance and she ducked, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Getting enemies on my first day?" "How iconic." The bodyguard resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Only, Ruelle Moretti would make light of such a situation. The car swerved violently as another bullet slammed into the rear window. Tires screeched against the road. The vehicle behind them sped up, its headlights glaring like eyes in the dark. More gunshots rang out and Nico pressed down on the accelerator, trying to lose them, but a second black SUV suddenly pulled out from a side street ahead. “Damn it!" he cursed. He slammed the brakes and turned sharply, but it was too late. The car clipped the edge of the road barrier and the vehicle spun sideways before crashing hard into a streetlight with a deafening crunch. For a moment everything went still. Smoke curled from the hood and the air smelled of burnt rubber and shattered glass. Ruelle's ears rang so loudly she could barely hear anything else. Pain throbbed in her shoulder where she had been thrown against the door. "Boss..." Nico whispered, head bleeding. "You have to get out of here..." Right. The assassins. She forced herself to move and pushed the door open. "We're leaving together." Nico shook his head. "I'll stay back and distract them." Ruelle shot him a look. "I'm not letting you kill yourself." "Get out." Nico grunted but obeyed and they both stumbled out of the wrecked car. Headlights washed over them as voices shouted from the road. “They are still alive!" "Find them!" "Don't let them escape!" The duo didn't wait to be caught. Ruelle slipped between two parked cars, Nico right behind her. Her pulse pounded in her ears as they walked into an old building. Behind her, footsteps thundered across the pavement. "They must have gone this way!" "Let's split up and find them, else Boss will have out heads!" Ruelle watched as they ran past them, perfectly hidden in the shadows. "Amateurs." Nico smirked. "What do we do now, Boss?" Ruelle smiled. "Let's go home." Nico stared in disbelief at his boss. "When you said we're going home, I didn't expect—" The bodyguard watched as she took off her heels, standing barefoot on the roadside. "Boss—" Ruelle gathered her dark hair into a messy bun atop her head and grinned at him. "You should always expect the unexpected with me, Nico." She glanced at the quiet street with a frown. There was no cars in sight and the headlights flickered dangerously, giving the area an atmosphere straight from a horror movie. "I wonder what those corrupt officials are doing with the money they get from us." Nico chuckled, crouching to pick up her abandoned heels. "Frequent our casinos and sleep with women?" "Who do you think the assassins were from?" Ruelle scoffed, taking off her wristwatch. "Those aren't even worthy to be called assassins—" A low engine hum cutting through the silence and she lifted her head to see a car approaching. A Cadillac Escalade—black, polished to a mirror sheen, windows tinted so dark they swallowed any hint of who sat inside. Another followed behind it and five more. The convoy moved as one, engines low and controlled. Ruelle walked to Nico and ruffled his hair, scattering the bodyguard's usual pristine hairstyle. His black hair fell over his face, giving him a helpless look. "What are you doing—" "Stay still," she instructed and he obeyed, a helpless look on his face. Ruelle tugged at his tie and it loosened, falling to his chest. "Now, you look pitiful." She stepped back, eyes shining with satisfaction. Nico's brows furrowed in confusion. "What?" Ruelle ignored him and faced the approaching convoy. She raised a hand and waved, trying to catch attention. "Help us!" "Help!"