Chapter Eighty
Aht sat up with a low groan, pressing his fingers against his temples.
A dull, persistent throb pulsed behind his eyes: it was the kind that only ca from a night spent overthinking and he did that a lot, thinking about the most infuriating woman he had ever known. She was innocent this ti around. He reminded himself.
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. His phone sat on the nightstand, the screen dark, and waiting.
His fingers twitched. He should call her.
His jaw tightening, he reached for it but then hesitated.
He could already hear her sharp tone, and feel the weight of whatever insult she would throw his way. But still, he needed to call her. His grip on the phone tightened.
Damn it.
With a muttered curse, he threw the covers off and swung his legs over the bed. His ego had kept him silent all night. Maybe it was ti to throw it out the damn window.
Aht exhaled through his nose, staring at the screen as the call rang and rang then went silent.
No answer.
His jaw ticked. Typical. He had expected that also.
He lowered the phone, tapping it against his thigh, while considering his next move. He could blackmail her. A few words, exert the right pressure, and he knew she would co running just to spite him.
The thought should have satisfied him. But It did not.
His grip softened and again tightened around the device. Whatever this thing was between them, he didn’t want it to feel forced. It probably already was, but he was not ready to admit that— not yet.
Instead, he sat back, staring at the screen, waiting. Hoping.
Aht leaned back, gripping his phone as he stared at the blank screen. He knew Asli. He knew her stubbornness, knew how she held grudges like a vice. After provoking her, she was unlikely to call back.
Still... he knew also that he ant sothing to her. He had to.
’I an, who would think she would allow soone to touch her? Let alone .’ The thought wrapped around him like a lifeline. It was a poor excuse for comfort, but he clung to it anyway.
The minutes dragged. Each second that passed without her na flashing on his screen gnawed at him and chipped away at whatever patience he had left.
Was she avoiding him, or was she just genuinely busy?
Aht barely had ti to wrestle with the thought before his phone buzzed. His eyes darted to the screen.
"I’m busy."
A slow breath left him, the tension in his chest loosening just enough.
They were cool. They were good... maybe.
Or probably she understood why he did what he did. She had to. She would’ve done the sa thing if she were in his shoes.
He wasn’t just so man she was with; he was a leader. His organization ca first. That was his priority. If sothing of theirs went missing, of course, he would freak out.
Still, he found himself staring at the ssage a little longer than necessary, as if searching for sothing more between the words.
’If only I knew Markus was behind it!’ Aht groaned, his fingers raking through his hair in frustration.
His thumb hovered over the keyboard.
"See you tonight?"
Before he could think twice, he deleted it. It sounded too much like a damn booty call— or worse like he was being clingy. He wasn’t about to give her more reasons to be angry with him.
Instead, he typed a single word.
"Okay." Sent.
Now, all he could do was wait. Would she call him when she was done? Would she even want to see him?
Too many damn questions were going through his head. No answers.
And it was eating at him.
Aht shrugged on his jacket, rolling his shoulders as he stepped out of his apartnt. He had a hunt this afternoon. He needed sothing to keep his hands busy, and sothing to pull his mind away from her.
By the ti he arrived, the weather was already shifting and stretching long shadows across the cracked pavent of the abandoned warehouse lot. The heat clung to the atmosphere, thick with the stench of fuel and rust.
He inhaled slowly, letting the sharp scent around him sink in.
’Focus.’
This was what he did best. This was where he thrived. And yet, even as he moved toward the place, a part of his mind refused to let go of the woman who hadn’t called him back.
Aht stepped out of his gray car.
Straightening his sleeves, he scanned the area. He didn’t like pulling his gun out in broad daylight. It was sotis a risky move unless it was a necessary one.
Alec believed that daylight made him safe. Maybe that was why he had chosen to operate in the morning.
Hmm... that had to be the worst idea he could ever think of.
The guy was leaning against a beat-up car, obliviously tapping away on his phone.
Aht’s shoes crunched against the gravel, causing his head to snap up.
He watched as the man’s face lost all color, fear creeping into his wide, darting eyes. His chest started heaving quickly and his hands trembled at his sides as if he already knew there was no way out of this.
Aht took a slow step forward. The longer he remained quiet, the heavier the silence stretched between them. The man swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
"You look like you have seen a ghost," Aht mused, his voice calm, almost amused by the man’s audacity.
The man flinched and Aht smirked. He liked that reaction.
"Boss... I was just about to call you," Alec stamred.
Aht chuckled, slow and asured. "Were you?"
Alec was an underdog who beca greedy. He began pocketing a little extra from drug deals at first but wasn’t punished because, at the ti, his child was ill. But, the child was no more and he was now collecting protection money, assuming no one would notice.
However, in the Mafia business, all money was accounted for. When he found out, he had to set an example for him.
Alec nodded too fast, eyes darting to the open road. Aht smirked. "Go ahead. Run like the rat you are."
He hesitated, but he knew the rules— there were no third chances. His hands shook as he raised them slightly. "I can explain this. It’s not what you think."
Aht sighed, stepping closer. "You are forgetting sothing. This is the second chance."
A whisper of air passed which followed by a slight thud. Alec’s body jerked as if soone had plucked a nail in his chest. His breath caught, and his eyes widened. His fingers twitched near the wound on his shirt.
Even Aht felt the pain for him.
He lurched backward, his legs giving out, and he slid down the side of the car, leaving a red sar behind him. His mouth opened, but no words ca out— only a harsh, and painful gasp.
Aht never gave second chances but whenever he did, he didn’t take its betrayal lightly. He exhaled, sliding his pistol back into its holster. The job was done. No need to linger. He texted his location to his n to clean up imdiately.
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