Two Traitors
1617 Words
HIM
Fears are weaknesses that lead to your downfall, and as Cassian watched the girl who had blown up his warehouses lose all the courage she had clung to from the moment he caught her, he realized something was off. Her light blue eyes suddenly turned intense and wary as she stared straight at the girl in the far corner with visible unease.
“N-No… it’s not… possible.” She trembled as she mumbled the words to herself.
Cassian looked away from her and walked toward the table, taking the head chair designated for the Capo of the syndicate. He signaled for the elders to sit, and they complied immediately.
As his eyes swept over the room, he forced his expression into something neutral. Every single bastard in this room disgusted him, Mara included. He tolerated their existence only because that was how the f*****g syndicate functioned. A gathering of sick individuals who thought their opinions actually mattered.
“We called for this meeting over two hours ago, Capo,” Giovanni Moretti, the middle-aged, bald-headed elder and Cassian’s uncle, commented.
Cassian leaned back in his chair. “And?”
“You are late, Capo.” Naomi Sharif chimed in.
Cassian’s gaze slid to her, cold and uninterested. Naomi was one of his sworn enemies. She was the same age as his late father, and her sister was the same age as Cassian. They had been betrothed when they were barely two years old, and the delusional woman had actually believed he would go through with marrying her sister. Ever since he refused, she had made it her life’s mission to be a thorn in his side. Futile efforts.
“Naomi, I don’t think you remember how this works. I don’t care when the meeting is called. I come when I want to.” He paused, his voice dropping just enough to carry weight. “Am I clear?”
Naomi huffed and looked away, her irritation obvious.
Cassian ignored her and shifted his attention to the man seated beside her. “Rafael, you finally graced us with your presence today. Is Mexico giving you heat?”
Rafael Saenz groaned, running a hand through his brown hair. He was about Cassian’s age, but far less composed. “Don’t remind me of the problems waiting for me when I get back, Capo.”
“If you have so many problems waiting for you, why did you feel the need to come here today?” Cassian’s voice hardened. “I do not tolerate incompetence.”
“That’s because today’s meeting is really urgent. I couldn’t miss it.”
“Of course,” Cassian murmured, his tone laced with quiet mockery. “I can see that you all seem very optimistic about today’s outcome.”
Naomi shrugged, but he didn’t miss the excitement she was trying to hide.
“I notice everything,” Cassian continued, his voice calm in a way that made the air heavier. “Like how you’re all clearly up to no good. Not surprising, considering that’s your default state. So what is it this time?”
“Relax, nephew. Why are you getting worked up for no reason?” Giovanni said.
Cassian’s eyes snapped to him. “It’s Capo to you. Never refer to me as your nephew, Giovanni. Don’t be delusional.”
“But you are–”
“And I don’t regard you as anything but a syndicate elder. Even that is still up for debate. So shut the f**k up. I’m not in the mood.” He said it casually, like it cost him nothing, which somehow made it worse.
“You’re never in the mood,” Mara spoke up.
“You finally figured that out? Good.”
“I think it’s better we get straight to the point,” Nico Kostova said, breaking in. He had been silent until now.
Cassian regarded him carefully. Late forties, quiet, and always watching. The act of restraint fooled many, but not him. Nico was anything but harmless. A f*****g predator with pretentious patience.
“Nicholas, you know I don’t entertain riddles. Get to the point.”
“I’m talking about the warehouses that have been blown up over the past few weeks. Three warehouses at very strategic locations.”
“And our fears came alive,” Mara added.
Cassian’s gaze narrowed. “Our? I believe you’re referring to yourselves.”
Mara ignored him. “Our fears of information getting out came true. Word spread quickly in the underworld that we were losing control. That’s the only explanation for why anyone would dare attack us like that.”
“And it’s not a good look for our partners,” Naomi added. “Especially the government officials we keep in our pockets through fear. We asked Mara to inform you that we wanted to take over control of some warehouses, but you declined.”
Cassian tapped his finger lightly against the table. “I did. And that’s not changing.”
“But–”
“Look, I see what you’re doing. All of you.” His voice stayed calm, but there was something sharp underneath it. “Warehouses get blown up, and suddenly you’re spinning conspiracy theories to justify grabbing power. None of you are getting control of my warehouses.”
“We need to vote on it,” Naomi argued. “We waited for you to get the situation under control.”
“And I did. It’s under control.”
Rafael frowned. “What do you mean?”
Cassian stroked his chin, his gaze drifting back to the girl standing at the edge of the room. Leonid still had her cuffed to his wrist. She looked lost now, her eyes shut tightly as if she could will herself out of reality. You’re not as composed as you pretend to be, are you?
“You’ll know in due time,” Cassian said.
“We still need to vote,” Giovanni insisted.
“Not happening,” Cassian replied flatly. “And that’s final.”
Naomi huffed, but then a strange smirk curled her lips. “We knew that would be your verdict. As always. A Capo too afraid to let the elders vote.”
Cassian gave her a bored look. “I’m not afraid of anything. Least of all your useless votes.”
“You know we’d end up getting the warehouses–”
“You get nothing unless I want you to. Even if your votes somehow go in your favor, which they won’t, I still have the final say. Save yourself the trouble.”
“We can’t let some woman out there ruin our reputation in the underworld,” Nico said. “This should have been dealt with weeks ago.”
Cassian exhaled slowly, impatience creeping in. “Where is this going?”
Naomi leaned forward slightly, her eyes gleaming. “We did your job for you. We found the woman blowing up the warehouses.”
Cassian’s gaze sharpened as he studied her. “You did what?”
He glanced at the girl he had captured. Her eyes were wide now, shock written all over her face. That reaction again.
If he had caught her… then who the hell were these idiots talking about? Something wasn’t adding up.
Rafael smirked. “We found the damn woman, Capo.”
Mara cleared her throat. “Cassian–”
“Capo,” he cut in without looking at her. He had made that rule clear long ago.
Mara straightened. “Capo,” she corrected through gritted teeth. “I got a call from the elders today. They insisted on calling this meeting. When I asked what it was about, they claimed they had caught the girl.”
Cassian understood immediately what she was doing. Distancing herself. Making it clear she wasn’t part of whatever scheme this was.
“We aren’t claiming anything,” Naomi snapped. “We caught her. I told you this already. What are you trying to do? Throw us under the bus?”
Mara’s hand lifted sharply. “Watch your mouth when you speak to me, Naomi. I don’t play that.”
“You wish,” Naomi scoffed.
“Focus,” Rafael cut in. “We have bigger issues.”
Cassian tilted his chin slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Yes. Like you idiots claiming you’ve caught the woman responsible.”
“It’s not a claim. It’s the truth,” Giovanni said, gesturing to the guard behind him.
The guard stepped forward and walked towards the woman tied up nearby.
Cassian finally assessed her. Red hair fell past her shoulders, sticking slightly to her skin. The guard nudged her, trying to wake her. She must have been knocked out before being brought in. When her eyes fluttered open, hazel and terrified, she scanned the room in confusion.
Cassian’s attention shifted back to the girl he had brought. She was staring at the redhead like she had seen a ghost, her hands pressing together tightly.
Sister. He remembered her saying it.
His gaze lingered, comparing them. They didn’t look alike. The redhead had soft, delicate features. Fragile. Almost breakable.
The one he had captured was the complete opposite. Sharp. Defined. Dangerous. His jaw tightened slightly as his mind flickered back to the previous night.
Everything about her had been precise. Controlled. Even her curves carried a certain defiance. There was nothing soft about her sharp jaw or pointed nose. Didn't seem like someone who breaks easily.
The guard shoved the redhead to the floor. Cassian tilted his head, studying her with detached curiosity. “And who the hell is she?”
Naomi Sharif smirked, satisfaction dripping from her expression. “The woman who blew up our warehouses.”
- Writer
