Chapter 2
1217 Words
S A I N T
The first shot cracked through the air, sharp and final. Another followed. Then another.
This was where I felt most alive—finger tightening around the trigger, pressure applied with precision. A smile tugged at my mouth every time reality set in: my hands had just erased a life. Control surged through me, intoxicating and absolute.
The gun rested comfortably in my grasp, my pulse accelerating in sync with the bullet slicing through space.
After the final shot, I lowered the weapon. The vacant stare on the i***t’s face welcomed me like an embrace. Blood kissed my cheek, warm and sticky—his heart’s last confession.
Watching blood spill from a body was thrilling. Like freedom, finally released from confinement. Lies peeled away at the edge of death, stripped bare until only truth remained. Darkness faded as life drained, and I stood there—the one who brought the light.
“Sorry to interru—”
“You already did,” I snapped. “What the f**k do you want?”
Silence followed.
I lifted a brow, then shifted the gun from the corpse to the trembling boy nearby. Beto.
“What. Do. You. Want?”
“R-Red is h-here,” he stammered.
“Where?”
He dropped his gaze, which only fueled my irritation. I clicked the safety off and smiled thinly.
“If you make me ask again, you’ll be joining him.”
“In the next room,” he whispered.
His eyes flicked back to the body—pity lurking beneath his fear. Disgusting.
“Clean him up,” I said coldly. “Tell Adriano he was useless. He knew nothing about Viktor.”
Viktor.
The source of every violent thought I carried. The reason vengeance lived in my bones. Every trigger I pulled carried the fantasy that it was his blood spilling instead.
Beto nodded quickly as I shut the door behind me, loosening my tie with practiced ease.
It was time to meet the prodigy.
The moment I entered the adjacent room, my mood shifted. There she was.
Red.
A gag sealed her mouth. Her hands were bound behind her back. Fear shimmered in her eyes—and it was captivating.
Giovanni stood off to the side, watching me closely, likely curious about how the interrogation ended. That could wait.
I stepped closer to her and reached for her ponytail, threading the dark strands around my fingers. Soft. I tilted my head, assessing her.
She looked fragile.
My hand drifted to her trembling chin. I tightened my grip and forced her to look at me. She tried to pull away. I didn’t allow it.
Giovanni moved behind her and removed the gag. The way her lips parted around it wasn’t unpleasant.
Once free, I expected screaming. Spitting. Resistance.
Instead, she stayed silent.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
She struggled again.
Annoyance sharpened my grip.
I wanted obedience. I wanted submission. Every question deserved an answer—honest and immediate.
“What’s your name?”
“Red,” she whispered.
I released her and crouched to meet her gaze, mockery curling my lips.
“No,” I said softly. “Your real name.”
“R-Red.”
My smile vanished.
Her eyes widened when she saw my expression shift. Fear bloomed instantly.
“Clarissa,” she breathed. “M-My name is Clarissa.”
“Clarissa,” I repeated, testing it like a blade.
I glanced at Giovanni. He understood without words—everything we needed was already in his hands.
Before her, I believed Giovanni was unmatched with technology. He could uncover anything. That was why I made him caporegime.
Turns out, he’d been outplayed.
Clarissa had covered her tracks expertly. Giovanni had spent months hunting her identity. And now—she was exactly where we wanted her.
“Most people who did what you did would already be dead,” I told her.
She looked at Giovanni—hope flaring.
When her gaze returned to me, it died.
“Are you going to k-kill me?”
I stood.
The gun rose smoothly to her temple. Her eyes shut as she bit her lip.
I knew she wasn’t trying to provoke me—but it worked. Gun in hand. Fear in her body. Control coursing through my veins.
I dragged the barrel along her cheek, down her neck.
“Not yet,” I murmured. “But I could.”
She looked wrong.
Oversized clothes. Thick glasses hiding her eyes. Everything that usually drew my attention was buried beneath fabric and fear.
I preferred curves. Confidence. Blond hair.
And yet—I found myself wondering what she looked like without any of it.
“I have a question for you, Angel,” I whispered near her ear.
“W-What?”
“You hacked my system. Stole files. Threatened me,” I said calmly. “So tell me—why would someone like you be digging into my world? Curiosity? Or desperation?”
She shook her head, panic surging. “P-Please don’t kill me.”
“Answer.”
“My mom,” she said quietly. “I’m looking for my mom.”
Giovanni and I shared the same stunned look.
That wasn’t the answer I expected.
I’d assumed Red was a man. Blame misogyny if you want—but women didn’t do this. Or so I thought.
I was wrong.
And I hated being wrong.
“And you think we have her?” Giovanni asked.
“I-I thought so,” she admitted. “I checked every crime group. N-No one has her.”
I slid my gun into my waistband.
Her panic faded slightly as she tracked my movements.
“Which groups?” Giovanni pressed.
She glanced at him shyly—then at me.
“The Morellis. The Rubinos. The Santoros,” she swallowed. “And the Rossis.”
“You have files on all three?” Giovanni lit up.
“I’ll give them back,” she rushed. “Please don’t kill me.”
Her honesty poured out freely.
In my world, that was dangerous.
She was innocent—and innocence was a liability. Something to corrupt. To break.
I wanted to be the one who ruined her.
“Put the gag back on,” I ordered.
I left the room.
Giovanni followed shortly after, tension etched into his face.
“She can help us,” he insisted. “She’ll find Viktor. You know what he’s done. We can’t let her go.”
I slammed him into the wall by his collar, fist crashing beside his head.
“Don’t ever question whether I care,” I snarled. “Speak with respect—or I’ll show you what happens when you don’t.”
He nodded immediately. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
I stepped back.
“Take her to my house. Guest room. Lock everything. Then tell Adriano I need him.”
Giovanni’s eyes lit up. “So you’re keeping her?”
I thought of the girl.
Ordinary. Nothing special.
But Giovanni never looked at anyone.
“I should’ve known you’d develop a little nerd fixation.”
“It’s not that,” he said quickly. “She’s the key to Viktor.”
I studied him carefully. In my world, trust was a myth.
“Have fun,” I said.
- Writer
