Chapter 1
I turned the volume up and stopped behind a car at the traffic light, drumming my hands on the steering wheel. The song wasn’t exactly to my taste, but my bright mood didn’t care about that and made me dance in excitement.
It had been a few months since I last saw my cousin Jace. Although the reason I was back in Seattle wasn’t good, I was thrumming with joy. I really missed him and his girlfriend, and I couldn’t wait to tease the life out of her.
I peeked at the higher stories of the skyscrapers from my windshield and grinned at the clear blue sky. Summer was my favorite season, and if I had time, I could spend it in a pool or on the beach. There was nothing better than letting the warm water caress my skin under the strong sunlight. I loved swimming nearly as much as I loved spending time in the gym.
My eyes slid down to the office buildings on my side of the car and stared. The sidewalk was as busy as ever, especially now that it was lunchtime. People were pushing through each other, not minding the tiny space they had to work with, and something among that chaotic routine made my gaze narrow and carefully watch as an event took place.
The loud music from my speakers was replaced by the ring of my phone, and my hand slapped the answer button on the steering wheel. I ground my teeth.
“Are you in Seattle already? We’ve got a situation—” Jace tried to say, but I watched as the hooded man on the street stumbled into the lady, as if on accident, and cut the bottom of her bag, pulling a purse out. Cocking an eyebrow, I studied his precise movements. He was good. But not good enough. A lipstick fell out of the woman’s bag, and she turned around, catching the thief red-handed.
She screamed.
Of course. I rolled my eyes and snapped my gaze back to the lights. It was green.
“Hello, Anna? Did you hear what I said?” Jace asked through the speaker, a bit dumbfounded at my lack of response.
“Nah. I’ll talk to you when I get there, okay? I’m a bit busy right now.” I quickly pulled over and parked my car by the street. It was probably going to get towed away, but I didn’t give a shit. I had more important business now.
“Wait, where—”
I ended the call and grabbed my backpack from the passenger seat, jumping out of the car. The strong sun hit me with a blast and intensified the difference between the temperature in my Cayenne and the outside.
This wasn’t just an ordinary thug, was it? He was one of Camila’s people. I thinned my lips and scanned the mass of people for the thief’s dark gray hoodie. When I noticed someone shoving past people, thanks to an annoyed businessman, I bolted in that direction.
I sprinted to the middle of the street and tried to cross as fast as possible. A few angry horns and curses wanted to grab my attention, but I was more interested in the person I was chasing. If Camila Olivers wanted to start a war, well then, here I was, returning the favor.
I just needed one right person, and I was going to throw her to the bottom.
Gasping, I spun around to avoid a collision when a car nearly slammed into me, and flipped off the bastard who was driving over the city limit. I knew he got out of his car to yell at me, but my attention fixed on the brat who was gaining leverage. I pushed my muscles to run faster and reached the sidewalk. We were entering another part of the city that wasn’t full only of skyscrapers. I could see the man among the people, running all alone. There were no heroes trying to get back that woman’s purse. Of course. There were no heroes in real life. They were just a myth. Something to make people watch movies and drool over their perfect men.
When the thug twisted to the left and sneaked into the alley between two old buildings, I inhaled. The woman wasn’t chasing him anymore. She’d run only a few yards before she gave up. So, why was he in such a hurry? Had he noticed I was on his trail?
I pursed my lips and followed him. The space between the buildings was so tight. Like one of those that you could jump into your neighbor’s window from yours. I curled my lip. That reminded me of Jace and Claire. Except for a few stray cats, there was no sight of the burglar. The world seemed frozen here, like a whole different galaxy.
I strained my ears to hear something distinct, but the noise from the crowded street behind me wasn’t very obliging. Something shuffled from the corner of the right orange building, and I flinched. Good. He gave himself out. Taking slow steps to it, I widened my eyes when the thug peeked from the corner.
“Hey…” I ventured with a smirk. My steps were slow and calculated. “Can I talk to you? I’m not with the police, I promise. I’m on your side, actually.”
He frowned and pursed his lips, and before I knew it, he was gone from his spot. Fast son of a bitch. I leaped after him and barely took the turn. My hand roamed the side pocket of my backpack for my dagger. The one time I wouldn’t put it in my jeans or boots, and I would end up needing it. Good job, Anna.
I had to catch this guy and dig out whatever information I could out of him. I was sure he was working for my enemy. She was the one who ruled over this part of the city. Ordinary thugs couldn’t roam around her market.
If my informants were wrong, I was going to kill them.
Chasing after this man, I noticed some figures scuttle from a corner to a corner. They were observing every step we made, but they weren’t helping either of us. What was going on?
I was starting to pant as this asshole led me down another small alley, this time blocked by a high fence on two of the sides and a building on the other. My skin prickled. What the hell? Was this a trap?
My wide eyes whirled to the right in shock and anger. A few bulky men appeared from a door and glared at me. They were holding bats, and one of them, the one in the middle, who was also the biggest out of them, patted it in a hand. Fear rushed up my spine, and I clenched the dagger in my hand.
“S-She!” The guy I’d been chasing pointed at me from behind them. “She was trying to catch me!”
So, he’d lured me here just to get me some beating? Oh, no, dude, you got the wrong person. I was more than capable of taking care of myself. I had been trained for that my whole life. My phone’s ringtone broke the tense silence as it started buzzing at my back.
Well, great. What a perfect moment.
The first guy swung the bat at me, and I bent forward, shoving my hands into his stomach. He lost his breath, and just as he fell on the ground, another prick tried to punch me from behind, but I swirled in the air, lifted my legs, and let them crash with his chest. He grunted and collapsed on the ground just a moment after I did. The backpack hit my back, and I was sure it would leave a bruise or two, but that would be nothing compared to what could happen to me if I didn’t deal with these cuckoos. A shadow loomed over my head, and I jerked my head back, horror splashing through me. Just as the bat lifted over my head, another hand grabbed it and snapped a punch at the jerk’s face.
I twisted around on my stomach and stared as a familiar figure smashed that guy’s nose and let him crash to the ground, unconscious. That muscular figure showed the other two men who the boss was. I noticed that the thug I’d been chasing since the beginning was trying to sneak away and shot to my feet, eager to catch him.
A yelp came out of my throat when my savior grabbed my forearm and stopped me from chasing my target.
