BLOOD OWNS THIS CITY

Thursday Night

The Black Lotus was packed for Thursday night.

Marcus stood at the bar, nursing a glass of water. His leg was wrapped in a compression bandage. His spine was a constant throb. But he was here. Watching. Waiting.

Vivian Rourke's club was the meeting point. Gregor had said the mole met someone here every Thursday. Marcus had been watching for three hours. No sign of anything suspicious.

Darnell appeared beside him. His ribs were still bandaged, but he'd insisted on coming.

"You should be resting," Marcus said.

"You should be dead." Darnell ordered a drink. "We're even."

Marcus almost smiled. Almost.

The crowd shifted. A woman entered through the VIP entrance. She was tall, elegant, dressed in white silk. Her face was familiar.

Marcus's blood went cold.

Detective Nadia Cross.

She moved through the crowd like she owned the place. No one stopped her. No one questioned her. She walked straight to the VIP section and sat down at a private table.

Marcus's hands tightened on his glass. Nadia. The mole. She'd been playing him the whole time.

"I need to get closer," he said.

Darnell grabbed his arm. "Marcus, wait. If she sees you—"

"She won't."

Marcus slipped through the crowd. He moved like a ghost, weaving between bodies, staying in the shadows. He reached the VIP section and found a spot behind a pillar.

Nadia was talking to a man. Dark suit. Expensive watch. A face Marcus recognized from the Project Serpent files.

Simon Webb's personal assistant. The man who handled his father's business deals.

Marcus's hands curled into fists. Nadia was working for his father. She'd been lying to him from the beginning.

Nadia's voice drifted toward him. "—the Ghost is getting too close. He knows about the escape. He knows about the mole."

The assistant nodded. "Simon is concerned. He wants you to delay Marcus. Keep him occupied until the flight."

"I'll handle it." Nadia's voice was cold. "He trusts me. He thinks I'm on his side."

Marcus's vision went red. He started moving toward the table. Darnell appeared out of nowhere, blocking his path.

"Don't," Darnell whispered. "Not here. Not now."

Marcus shoved him aside. "She betrayed me."

"She's a cop. Of course she betrayed you." Darnell grabbed his arm. "But if you attack her now, you lose everything. You lose the evidence. You lose your leverage. And you lose your chance to stop your father."

Marcus froze. Darnell was right. He knew it. But the rage was overwhelming.

Nadia stood up. She was leaving. Marcus watched her walk toward the exit.

"I need to follow her," he said.

Darnell nodded. "I'll cover you."

They moved through the club. Nadia was fast, weaving through the crowd like she knew exactly where she was going. Marcus followed at a distance.

She stepped out into the alley. Marcus followed. The alley was empty except for a single car. Nadia got in and drove away.

Marcus watched the taillights disappear. His hands were shaking.

"She knows everything," he said. "She knows about my father. She knows about Viktor. She knows about the Project Serpent files."

Darnell put a hand on his shoulder. "Then she's the key. If we can turn her, we can use her against your father."

Marcus shook his head. "She'll never turn. She's been playing this game too long."

"Then we make her turn." Darnell's voice was firm. "We find leverage. Something she cares about more than money or power."

Marcus stared at the empty street. His mind was racing.

Nadia Cross had played him. She'd used him. She'd fed his father information about every move he'd made.

But she'd also been investigating Viktor's crimes for years. She'd wanted to bring him down. Maybe that was still true.

"Find out everything about her," Marcus said. "Her family. Her past. Her secrets. I need to know what she really wants."

Darnell nodded. "I'll start digging."

Marcus walked back toward Mrs. Chen's restaurant. His leg was screaming. His heart was cold.

Tomorrow night, his father was leaving the city. Marcus had one day to stop him.

And Nadia Cross was the only one who knew where he'd be.

*Should Marcus confront Nadia with the truth, or use her father's escape plan to trap them both?*