I gave another involuntary huff as I made my way out of the study, and out the long hallway, and down the flight of stairs, and then another long hallway, before I found the big double doors that would lead me outside Gio's house. I paused at the sight, my concerns momentarily forgotten. In front of his house was a gently sloping, long and winding driveway riddled with pines, trees and flowering shrubs landscaped to perfection. On either side of the driveway was a vast expanse of green grass. There was a landscaped waterfall at the right side of the house about two stories high. 

I turned around completely to come face to face with the behemoth of a house, and gasped. Gio's house--no, mansion, was three stories high of modern architectural design with overlapping stories and balconies. The second and third floors had floor-to-ceiling windows while some parts of the first floor had glass walls. The mansion itself was painted mostly white, with black and gray accents. Hugo's five-story mansion may be bigger, but Gio's was far more elegant and sophisticated. 

I faced the driveway again.  I couldn't even see where the gates were. Seriously.

My phone buzzed and an unregistered number flashed on the screen. I answered it.

"Reianne, get  back here," Gio said, irritated. I didn't even wonder how he got my number. It was futile anyway.

"Gio, there are two things that we must do for sure. One, we have to deliver Ranya to Hugo. We can't afford him coming after the Reaper—you don't know how extensive his networks are. Why do you think I never robbed him all this time? Second, I need to get inside Ran Musa's facility. Between these two things, we can only prepare to do damage control."

"There are other ways to do this. Ranya--"

I put down my phone and cut my conversation with Gio short.  This was exactly why I worked alone. I couldn't have other people telling me how my plans wouldn't work. Heaving out a breath, I strode down the long driveway. I wouldn't be able to get pass Gio's gates without violence. He would have alerted the guardhouse by now. I winced at the irony of the Reaper breaking out of a house.  

My phone buzzed again with a text from Michael.  I smiled as I read his message and deleted it right after reading it. That's one piece of news I didn't mind hearing today. 

"What do I owe this pleasure?"  Hugo greeted me with that creepy smile I abhorred.

"Can't the Reaper visit you without an appointment?" I asked him, returning his smile. I sat cross-legged on the chair where I previously strapped Ivan on, and swivelled it so I could face Hugo fully. Nothing in his study had changed since the day I broke into it. And based on the unsavory stories I heard from the drunken lips of his henchmen that explain the faded stains on the desk, painfully visible against the bright noonday light, just sitting where I was made me want to douse myself in alcohol.    

"You are always welcome here, Reaper. The streets heard that the Reaper is working for me, and suddenly they all fall in line." Hugo gave a hearty bellow, and poured himself another glass of his favorite whiskey. It was still high noon, and the fucker was already intoxicated. Things must be running smoothly in his criminal empire.

"Do you have news for me?" he asked. 

I nodded. "Yes, I do. Ranya is in the country. I learned that she went abroad for sometime. But she is here now."

Hugo's eyes twinkled and his smile grew wider, more sinister. "That's good. Anymore information?"

I leaned on my seat and let the chair rock a bit. "Yes, she plans to go to El Fuego this weekend. Her husband won't be there."  

El Fuego was a popular resort an hour drive from the city and frequented by the elite members of society. It was a resort where everything was overpriced, but the brand validated the insecurities of the socialites who, in turn, kept raining down mana from the sky. It was a good business arrangement.

"And the guards?" Hugo asked.

"I'll take care of the guards."

"Good." Hugo shoved a thick envelope in my direction. "Here, a bonus. You'll get the rest when we have her. I wasn't expecting it to be done this soon. I'm impressed. "

I smiled at him assuredly, took his glass and drank from it. "I always deliver."

"I can see that. How did you do it?"  Hugo raised those menacingly eyes at me. He's assessing me, looking for a hint of betrayal.

I smirked and looked Hugo straight in the eye,  secretly swallowing the shudder that crept up my back at the sight of his malevolent eyes. "Trade secrets." 

Hugo hummed,  pleased with my answer.  I waited a second or two before taking another sip from his glass,  putting it down in front of me.  

"That's not the only thing I came here for." 

Hugo seemed surprised at my sudden audacity.  He said nothing for a long while. When he finally spoke,  however, there was an unmistakable condescending air frosting his words. "Go on.  I'll humor you."

The pompous son of a bitch. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him. 

"I want to meet Ran Musa." I  smirked at him knowingly. Two could play this game.

He was on his feet in an instant,  his heavy hands banged the wide mahogany desk so hard, I felt it vibrate.  The amusement on his face was gone, and was replaced with blind fury. It was a miracle I didn't flinch.  That would have been disastrous. 

 "Who told you about that!?" Hugo's face was red with rage. Spit flew from his mouth as he screamed and rained curses. He drew a gun,  and pointed it straight to my face. 

"Tell me the fucker who told you,  or I swear you're not leaving here alive!" 

I smiled.  This seemed to get him off-guard,  his rage subsided very, very slightly.

"Do you think that I would agree to work for you without an agenda of my own?" With a sudden movement, I was on my feet as well. I grabbed his gun and gave his hand a twist, stealing the weapon from his fat hands. I dislodged the bullets and dismantled the gun before him.  His eyes grew wide in shock. 

"We won't need guns for this discussion," I told him flatly. 

He sneered. "What do you want?"  

"I am interested in one of his toys. The one he gave to you.  I'm here to offer you a partnership. Think about it Hugo.  Ran Musa isn't a criminal like you and me." I gave Hugo my biggest,  sweetest, fakest smile. He scrutinized my face, his eyes boring into mine in silent assessment.  After a full minute, he extended his hands to me. 

"I'm interested," he said. 

A day after,  I was in the car with Ivan and Nas,  with Gab on the driver seat. With some stroke of luck, or probably a pre-planned arrangement with Gab,  I was riding shotgun. I had been with Gab for approximately twelve hours now, preparing for this meeting with Ran Musa, in the span of which, he has asked me to go out with him ten times.

I had a hunch that Ran Musa sourced his private army's guns from Hugo after I saw all those AK-47s slung at the shoulders of his men. Some of them had the same markings as the ones I saw at Hugo's mansion.  Michael texted earlier to confirm my hunch. He seemed to have gathered a lot of information from the bugs I planted inside Hugo's mansion.

I spotted Ivan glaring at my direction from the rearview mirror, so I turned back and gave him a smile. He snorted and turned away. I guessed he was still salty from being needled in the groin, being tied to a chair, and just the other night, giving me quite a hefty sum of money which he won on their stupid bet. 

My phone inside my pockets vibrated,  and I didn't have to look to see who was calling.  Gio had been relentless in calling me, and I refused to answer his calls.  I also avoided my apartment because I was sure I would find him or one of his men there. I spent the night at Hugo's mansion instead. 

My musing was cut short when a bottled water appeared five inches from my face. 

"Water?" Gab said, waving the bottled water in front of me.  I was about to take it, but he withdrew his hand and opened the bottle before handing it back to me. 

"I could have opened it. I'm not a kid. You should focus on driving." 

"I know." 

I sighed and silently cursed Michael in my head. "Gab,  for the hundreth time, I am not gay."

Gab looked at me very, very intently to the point that I wanted to squirm in my seat.  

"Yeah, sure," Gab drawled. I resisted the need to facepalm.  

"What do you want me to do to prove to you that I am not gay?" 

Gab stared in front of the vehicle and was silent for a full five minutes. 

"I guess you can kiss a girl in front of me." 

I almost spat the water I was drinking. Okay, I had to admit I walked right into that one. Once again,  I resisted the urge to facepalm. I had a coughing fit as a continued to choke on water. 

"Fine," I said in between breaths. How bad could it be?  It was just a kiss right? If it would stop Gab from annoying me relentlessly. 

As if you've ever kissed anyone,  Mr.  Yang's berating tone whizzed through my head.  I scoffed at him.

Gab looked at me, mildly surprised.  I could tell that he did not expect me to agree so easily, but he did not say anything. 

"Okay,  after this meeting with Ran Musa,  let's go to a bar." Gab smirked at me and I rolled my eyes at him.  

"Sure," I answered him flatly. On the screen of my phone,  I stared at the image of Father which I got from Quin earlier, memorizing every detail of his face.

I might not even be alive by then. Problem solved. 

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