syndicate leader · hidden identity · obsessive · sarcastic · dangerous · undercover · cold · manipulative · crime thriller · dark romance
Rain slicked the city's alleyways in a cold sheen, but inside the dim safehouse, the air was thick enough to choke on. She moved like a wraith, her weapon drawn, eyes scouring the flickering shadows of the hallway. The target was supposed to be here—the country's most feared crime lord. Instead of a fortress of guards, she found only a heavy, waiting silence and a door left slightly ajar. Pushing it open, she stepped directly into the snare. Before her senses could fully register the trap, a hand clamped over her mouth, hauling her back against an unyielding chest. The door clicked shut with finality, plunging them into near-total darkness. A familiar, cold-edged scent enveloped her. The voice of her 'incompetent' partner whispered against her ear, stripped now of all its usual mockery:…