John moved like a shadow, weaving through the dimly lit Black Veil.
His heart was steady. His mind, focused.
He wasn’t just listening. He was hunting.
The two men sat in a booth near the back, voices hushed.
John positioned himself behind a decorative pillar, just close enough to catch their words.
"—hasn’t resurfaced in two years."
"Cain doesn’t care. He wants results, not excuses."
"Then someone needs to tell him that ghosts don’t answer summons."
John’s pulse spiked.
Ghosts.
They were talking about Eli’s father.
And from the sound of it?
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He was supposed to be dead.
The first man sighed, swirling his drink. "You really think he’s still alive?"
The second man scoffed. "If he wasn’t, Cain wouldn’t still be looking."
John exhaled slowly. That was important.
Eli’s father wasn’t just a runaway.
He had something Cain needed.
And whatever it was… Cain still hadn’t found it.
The first man leaned in. "So what now? The kid didn’t have anything. We wasted our time."
The second man’s fingers drummed against the table.
"Cain has another plan."
John’s stomach twisted.
Another plan.
That meant they weren’t done looking for Eli.
And if John didn’t move first?
They’d find him.
John had heard enough.
He turned, slipping back toward the entrance.
But just as he reached the doorway—
A hand grabbed his wrist.
John reacted instantly, twisting to break the grip—
Then froze.
Because the person standing there, smirking at him?
Aria.
"Leaving already?" she murmured.
John’s jaw tightened. "Let go."
Aria didn’t. Instead, she leaned in slightly, voice lower.
"You have no idea what you just walked into."
John’s eyes narrowed. "Then tell me."
Aria smiled.
And for the first time, it wasn’t playful.
It was sharp. Calculating. Almost… amused.
"You just stepped into Cain’s game," she whispered. "And now? You can’t step out."
John exhaled.
Of course.
It was never going to be that easy.
