Vera’s POV

The drive back was silent. Antonio knew better than to speak when my mind was working through something, and right now, I had too many thoughts colliding at once. The fight with Claire still burned in the back of my mind, the anger, the frustration, the way she looked at me like I wasn’t enough—like she wanted something from me I couldn’t give.

And now this.

Leo had just put a bullet in one of my men’s heads, and the other? He had a mission. I didn’t know what it was yet, but I had a damn good idea.

When we pulled into the safe house, I didn’t even cut the engine before turning to Antonio. “We don’t let him out of our sight. I want someone on him at all times.”

Antonio gave me a sharp nod. “I’ll put Julian on him.”

“No.” I shook my head. “He is good, but I need someone smarter. Someone who won’t spook him.”

Antonio considered for a second before nodding again. “I’ll put Javier on it. He knows how to keep a low profile.”

“Good.” I exhaled, gripping the wheel a little tighter before finally shutting off the engine. “Make sure our guy doesn’t feel a thing. Leo needs to believe his plan is unfolding exactly as he wants it to.”

Antonio hesitated, then asked, “And when we find out what his mission is?”

I turned to him, my voice low, deadly. “Then we make sure he doesn’t live long enough to complete it.”

The answer satisfied Antonio. Without another word, he got out of the car and went to handle it.

I stayed behind for a second longer, resting my head against the seat. My pulse was still too fast. I knew it wasn’t just about the traitor.

I thought of Claire. Of the way she looked at me before I walked out.

I clenched my jaw and got out of the car.

I didn’t have time for her right now.

But I knew she was going to make time for me.

I barely made it three steps into the hideout before I heard her voice.

“You were gone for hours.”

I clenched my jaw, ignoring her as I shrugged off my jacket. My mind was still running through what I had just seen—Leo putting a bullet in one of my men’s heads, turning to the other with something cold and calculated in his expression before letting him live.

That wasn’t mercy. That was a mission.

And I needed to know what it was before it bit me in the ass.

Claire wasn’t letting up. She was sitting on the arm of the couch, arms crossed, eyes sharp as she watched me.

“You good?” she asked, voice less teasing than usual.

“Fine.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Bullshit.”

I let out a sharp exhale, brushing past her. “Not in the mood, pastelito.”

She didn’t budge. “Too bad.”

I rolled my eyes, walking past her toward my room, but she pushed off the couch and followed, not letting me escape.

“Vera.” Her voice was firm now, none of the playfulness from earlier.

I stopped, turning back, my patience wearing thin. “What?”

She studied my face, her brows knitting together slightly, and I knew she could see it. The tension, the anger simmering just beneath my skin.

“What happened?” she asked, quieter this time.

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. I didn’t want to talk about this, but I also knew Claire. She wasn’t going to let this go.

So, I gave her the short version.

“Leo executed one of my men tonight.”

Claire’s expression shifted instantly, eyes widening slightly.

She waited, sensing there was more.

I hesitated, then added, “And then he let the other one walk away.”

Claire frowned. “Why?”

I smirked humorlessly. “You tell me.”

Her jaw tensed. She didn’t need me to spell it out. She knew Leo wouldn’t just let someone who betrayed him live unless that person was more useful breathing than dead.

Claire inhaled slowly. “He sent him back with something.”

I nodded once. “A mission.”

Silence stretched between us.

Claire ran a hand through her hair, thinking. “Okay… so what’s the move?”

I tilted my head slightly, watching her. “We let him play it out.”

Her brows furrowed. “What?”

“We don’t spook him,” I clarified. “We let him think he’s still safe, that he still has my trust. Meanwhile, I have someone tailing him, watching his every move.”

Claire’s lips pressed together, but she nodded slowly.

Then, after a moment, she said, “Leo wouldn’t give him just anything. It has to be something big.”

I already knew that, but hearing her say it out loud made it feel heavier.

She met my eyes. “Whatever it is, it’s meant to cripple you, Vera.”

I exhaled sharply, rubbing my jaw.

Claire stepped closer, her voice softer now. “And you think you can just wait this out?”

I smirked, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “What’s the alternative? Kill him now and never know what Leo’s planning?”

She exhaled, shaking her head slightly. “I hate this.”

I chuckled dryly. “Welcome to my world.”

She studied me again, and for a second, I thought she might push further.

But then she just sighed. “Fine. But the second we get a clue, we move.”

I hummed, amused. “You giving me orders now, pastelito?”

She rolled her eyes. “Someone has to keep your ass alive.”

I smirked faintly, shaking my head before finally stepping past her. “Get some sleep, Claire.”

I walked away, but I could still feel her watching me.

And for the first time tonight, that didn’t bother me.

---

The next morning, the tension in the hideout felt different. Claire was moving through the space like she knew something was coming, but she didn’t know what. Antonio had already given me the update—I barely had time to process it before we were out the door, tracking the rat who thought he was being careful.

We kept our distance, trailing him through the city. He wasn’t rushing, but his body language screamed nervous. A man who knew he was walking into a dangerous conversation but had no other choice.

Antonio parked the car a few blocks away, and we took the rest of the way on foot.

The rat turned down a secluded alley.

Antonio and I stopped at the edge of a building, keeping our backs to the wall.

The traitor shifted on his feet, pulling his phone out.

Seconds later, another figure approached from the opposite end of the alley.

I recognized him instantly.

One of Leo’s men.

Not just any lackey—someone who worked closely with Leo, someone he actually trusted with sensitive information.

I felt Antonio tense beside me.

They didn’t waste time with pleasantries.

"You’re late," Leo’s man said, voice sharp.

The traitor swallowed hard. "Had to make sure no one followed."

"Did you?"

A pause. The rat didn’t answer.

Leo’s man scoffed. "Doesn’t matter. You know why I’m here."

I leaned forward slightly, straining to catch every word.

The rat nodded quickly. "Yeah. The job will be done soon."

My breath stilled.

Antonio shot me a glance. I didn’t move, my mind racing.

The job.

He wasn’t just feeding them information. He was still working for them.

Sabotage.

I needed to know what the hell he meant by "soon."

Leo’s man studied him, unconvinced. "You better not fuck this up. Leo’s done being patient."

The rat nodded again. "I know. I know."

"Then say it back to me."

The traitor exhaled shakily, looking around before lowering his voice.

"The job is to take out the person who led the warehouse hits."

A slow, cold realization settled in my bones.

Claire.

Antonio stiffened beside me. I barely heard him over the blood pounding in my ears.

Leo wanted Claire dead.

It made sense—she was the new variable, the unknown. The one who had walked into my world and immediately left an impact. And Leo was smart enough to recognize a threat when he saw one.

Antonio exhaled sharply. "Vera—"

I held up a hand, stopping him. My mind was already moving, assessing every possibility.

I had two choices.

I could end it now. Step out of the shadows, put a bullet between this bastard’s eyes, and cut off the threat before he had a chance to act.

Or—

I could let him believe he was still safe. Let him think he had time.

And in the meantime, I could use that time to set a trap of my own.

I clenched my jaw.

Antonio was still watching me, waiting for the call.

I exhaled slowly, stepping back into the shadows.

The moment the rat finished speaking, my decision was made.

I wasn’t going to kill him.

Not yet.

Letting him live meant keeping control. It meant letting him believe he was still safe, still playing his role without suspicion. If he thought he had time, that gave me time—to set the board exactly how I wanted it.

But Leo’s man?

That was a different story.

I watched as the traitor hesitated, shifting on his feet. His handler—Leo’s man—sighed, clearly irritated.

"You better get this done," he muttered, stepping back. "Leo doesn’t give second chances. He wants the girl gone. Fast."

The rat nodded quickly, his nervous energy obvious.

And then they started to part ways.

Leo’s man turned first, heading down the alley toward a black car parked at the other end.

I grabbed Antonio’s wrist, my grip firm.

"Take him out," I ordered, my voice low, dangerous. "Now."

Antonio didn’t hesitate.

He pulled out his silencer, moving with quiet precision, slipping around the edge of the alley before I even had to say another word.

The traitor kept walking, completely oblivious.

Leo’s man didn’t make it five steps before Antonio fired.

A single shot.

The body hit the ground with a dull thud.

I exhaled slowly, watching as Antonio stepped forward, making sure the job was done before slipping his gun back into his jacket.

The rat, who was still heading in the opposite direction, his back to the scene.

Completely unaware that his handler—the man who had just ordered him to kill Claire—was already dead.

By the time Leo realized his orders had been cut off at the source, it would be too late.

He had planned to strike at me through Claire.

Now, I had struck first.

And the best part?

The traitor still thought he was safe.

I glanced at Antonio, my voice calm. "Get rid of the body. Make it disappear."

Antonio nodded and got to work.

I pulled out my phone, exhaling slowly before dialing a number.

Claire answered immediately. "Vera?"

"Where are you?"

"My room." A pause. "Why?"

I tightened my grip on the phone.

"Stay there," I ordered. "And lock the door."

Claire's POV

I locked the door like Vera told me to.

But I hated it.

Hated sitting here, waiting, not knowing what the hell was going on.

Vera’s voice had been sharp—too sharp. Not her usual teasing, not her usual control. There was something wrong.

I paced the room, my stomach tight, my thoughts spiraling.

Why was she suddenly telling me to lock the door?

Why did she sound like something was about to happen?

I chewed my lip, my fingers tapping against my thigh as I sat on the edge of the bed. The tension in my body was too much. I wanted to move, to do something. But I couldn’t.

Vera had told me to stay put.

And for once, I wasn’t about to argue.

A soft click made me freeze.

Footsteps.

Then, a knock.

I swallowed, my heart pounding as I reached for the gun Vera had given me a while back. My fingers curled around it, steady but hesitant.

"Claire," Vera’s voice came from the other side of the door.

I exhaled, relief and frustration hitting me at the same time.

I shoved the gun back under the pillow before unlocking the door and swinging it open.

Vera closed the door behind her, her face unreadable. I knew that look. Something was wrong.

“Alright,” I said, arms crossed, trying to mask the anxiety creeping up my spine. “Just tell me how bad it is.”

Vera leaned against the desk, watching me. “It’s not just a rat.”

I frowned. “Yeah, I know. We already figured that out.”

She exhaled sharply. “Claire—Leo didn’t just plant a man in my crew to leak information. He gave him a job.”

My stomach twisted. “What kind of job?”

Vera’s eyes stayed on mine, unwavering. “To take out the person who led the hits on the warehouses.”

Silence settled between us, heavy and suffocating.

I blinked, my brain racing. “Valeria?” I asked, my voice a little too sharp, a little too panicked.

Vera shook her head. “No. No one in my crew knew Valeria was involved.”

The breath I had been holding didn’t release. My mind caught up, and the realization slammed into me like a freight train.

“Me?”

Vera didn’t answer right away, but she didn’t need to. The look in her eyes was enough.

I forced a laugh, but it sounded hollow even to me. “Wow. That’s… flattering, honestly. My first official assassination attempt. I should throw a party.”

Vera didn’t react to the joke.

I swallowed, trying to keep my voice light. “Okay, so—so what, they think taking me out is gonna cripple you?”

“They think it’ll weaken me,” Vera corrected. “That it’ll be a message. That I let you in and now I have to suffer for it.”

A chill ran down my spine, and I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Well, jokes on them. I annoy you daily, you’d probably be relieved.”

Vera’s jaw tightened. “Claire.”

I held up my hands. “Alright, alright. So what’s the plan? Do I—what? Stay locked up? Go into hiding? Disguise myself as a wall?”

Vera didn’t look amused. “I’m not locking you up again.”

Something in my chest warmed at that, but I didn’t let it show.

“Then what?” I asked, my voice quieter now.

Vera’s expression darkened. “Then we wait. We keep watching. And when he makes his move—” She didn’t finish the sentence, but she didn’t have to.

I exhaled slowly, trying to process it. “Alright, cool. Sounds… not terrifying at all.”

Vera finally moved, stepping closer, her gaze locked onto mine. “Claire.”

I hummed. “Yes, oh mighty crime boss?”

Her hand gripped my chin, tilting my face up slightly. The teasing died on my tongue. Her voice was low, dangerous. “You don’t leave my sight.”

A shiver crawled down my spine. And for once, I didn’t argue.