Falling Into Ruin.

First Step

[Briar’s POV]

“There you are.”

Miles’ chipper voice is the first thing to reach me as I rush into the precinct out of breath and covered in sweat.

“I was beginning to wonder if you decided you didn’t want this job.” He continues as I wonder what kind of trouble I will get in if I hit him. “Anyway, follow me.”

Not waiting for a response, he begins to move, heading toward his office where I’m sure my first assignment is waiting for me.

“Have a seat,” he announces, nodding toward the chair in front of his desk.

Nodding, I do as he instructs; I take a seat and then glare, wondering what the hell was actually going through his head for him to not even try to find me when I disappeared the previous night.

“Well?” I demand, crossing my arms and throwing a leg over the other. “Explain.”

“Explain what?” He asks, eyeing me calmly. “I don’t know what on earth you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb.” I warn. “What friend allows a friend to just go off with some random person?”

What the hell was I doing? Why was I so annoyed by all of this? Was it really because he let me go off with that gorgeous beast, or was it because after having his way with me, that damned beast just disappeared?

“You’re an adult.” He shrugs. “Why should I have to keep an eye on what you’re doing?”

True. I think inwardly, but if he didn’t let me go off with him, then I wouldn’t have had the best f**k of my life and then been left before I even f*****g woke up the next morning.

“It could have been a killer.” I snap, my annoyance growing more. “I could have become the next missing person’s case, and then you wouldn’t have anyone but yourself to blame.”

“Are you suggesting that I act like your keeper and not let you do anything?” Miles asks, a strange look flashing in his eyes. “And if you are, what right are you going to give me to do that?”

Frowning, I take Miles in while trying to figure out what it was that he was getting at but decide that it wasn’t a concern of mine.

“Anyway,” I say now, not bothering to respond. “What is my first mission?”

“Paperwork,” Miles grins, turning around and grabbing a stack of papers that sit behind him. “I need you to read through all of this by the end of the day.”

“What?” I hiss, eyes widening. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, but I am,” he smirks. “Everything here is what we have compiled in regards to the leader of the underworld. You need to brief yourself so that you are ready for when we go to meet him. Got it?”

Opening my mouth, I prepare to tell him no, but I know that there’s no point in doing that since this was my job and it was a step closer to my end goal.

“Alright.” I sigh, taking them. “But you better pay me overtime.”

For the rest of the day I focus on reading through the paperwork, and as expected, I’m only halfway through by the time I clock out, and even if I don’t have it finished, I still get to leave only to return early the next day to continue with it.

That’s how the next few days go for me: home, work, reading, reading, reading. It’s a pain, but it helps me get a better idea of the one that I am going up against in the near future. And from each line I read, my suspicion that the leader is something more than a human is only strengthened.

Strange wounds that seem to be made by animals.

Superhuman strength.

Quick reflexes and agility.

It’s all on par with what I suspected, and that just makes me excited for what is to come next. That’s why when the day to meet with one of the leader's underlings hits, I’m more than stoked, not just because he could possibly introduce me to my target, but also because I may get to see the psycho bastard.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that I was looking for him since our parting, but I wasn’t not looking for him, so much so that I stopped by that pub a few times hoping to see him or even Amelia, but in the end I came up empty. And even though I know that I shouldn’t care or even be bothered, I feel like something is missing with each passing day that I don’t see him, and that bugs the hell out of me.

“You alright?” Miles asks me on the day of our visit with our target. “You look a bit…”

Anxious? I think inwardly realizing that maybe I’m a little too on edge as we drive through the slums of the city and park in front of a large building.

As we get out, a few men who linger nearby smoking and joking peek at us, but they don’t seem too interested, which I guess is good.

“I’m fine.” I sigh, continuing to take in my surroundings. “Maybe just a little nervous now that I’m here.”

“Nervous, you?” He asks, raising a disbelieving brow. “You can’t be serious.”

He was right. I was pretty damn spontaneous and didn’t think much when we were younger, but it was the best I could come up with without having to admit that I was actually hoping to see the man who f****d me so good I dreamt about it every night since.

“I am,” I lie, turning my gaze to the building that is our destination. “Anyway, shouldn’t we get going instead of standing around here?”

“Yeah,” he responds, giving me a final look. “Let’s go.”

Nodding, I wait until Miles begins to move and then fall into step behind him. Together, we move, heading into the building, which I quickly realize is a small bar where dangerous men linger drinking, playing pool, and, if I look into the darkest corners, shooting up drugs.

It’s a new world for me and one that I wouldn’t dare step foot into if I wasn’t determined to avenge my brother.

“It’s this way.” Miles murmurs, touching the small of my back and moving me along as my gaze lingers a bit too long on one particular group that seems to be watching us like hawks. “He’s waiting in a private room.”

“Got it,” I mutter, unable to stop the feeling of unease that is starting to move through me. “But are you sure that he’s willing to cooperate?”

Miles doesn’t bother responding as we continue through the bar, and when we reach our destination, he knocks a distinct rhythm on the door and then waits until it opens, revealing a man with a buzzed head that shows off a striking spiderweb tattoo on his skull. He takes us in with one glazed eye and one blue ocean that is almost as bright as the sky.

“What do you want?” He asks, looking from Miles to me.

“I’m here to see Angus.” Miles responds. “Or has he decided to stand me up after offering me a deal that I can’t refuse?”

Remaining silent, the man considers, and after a long pause, he gives a slight nod, then steps aside, allowing us in. However, when we enter, I stop dead in my tracks as two golden eyes come to rest on me, locking me in place just like they did the first time I saw them while I can't help but wonder if this is all designed by fate.