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When the elevator dinged softly, Aielle got off at the top floor and tried not to look out of place. The waiting room was empty, there was little to slow traffic nurses moving back and forth, and there were no guards, meaning Leon hadn’t found a way to insert his goons inside the hospital.

Walking straight to the nurses’ station, Aielle picked the first file on the desk. Before she could flip it open, a hand gently took it from her, and following the short lead, she came face to face to a well-rounded nurse.

“Are you here to replace Callie? Poor girl had to rush home for a family emergency.” Her warm voice and sharp blue eyes put Aielle immediately on edge. Getting caught at this stage wouldn’t spell well for any bone in her body.

“Yes, I am. I was informed when I clocked in for my shift.” Aielle said, standing straighter, and maintaining eye contact. “Is there anything I need to do or am I manning the computer?”

“All the patients are stable and still are, but we need to check on one final one.” She handed back the file she’d taken. “This one is popular and famous, Ivon Valachi, heard of him?”

“Who hasn’t?” Aielle shrugged, “It’s a terrible thing what happened to him, when I was coming up, I heard he was still in surgery.”

“He’s been out of surgery for over an hour and expected to wake up any minute- we hope he does because the doctor was worried about brain activity. You know your duty as a nurse, but I also understand how the gossip mill works, so even if you get carried away and want to share with your friends, give them backdated news.” The warning was firm and clear, “Got it?”

Aielle nodded. “Got it”

“Room 13, first door on your right down that hall; check his vitals, if you observe any movement, call the doctor immediately.” The nurse dismissed her without another look, dropping heavily into the chair behind the counter.

Sticking to her act, Aielle counted her steps and wasted time reading the number tags on the doors. At room 13, Aielle looked back at the empty hall filled with the soft sounds of consistent beeping, mapped out an exit then stepped in.

Ivon looked frail hooked to several machines, his skin wasn’t deathly pale but the video of him on the news clung to the walls of her mind and refused to let go. It was weird that he was the one in this condition, the brother who had never fired a gun, talk less of seen one.

Aielle had thought Ivon was a great actor, hiding the beast she knew all Valachi men carried, she thought as time moved on, he’d trust her and let her in on their secret, he’d let out what she already knew.

Days, months passed by, and Ivon wasn’t anything other than a smart party addict, obsessed with booze, drugs and her. He never spoke about his family or gave her the intel she needed. All they did all day was fuck and fight and then make up sex – it was a toxic cycle.

One she broke by wiggling her way into his family and meeting Leon, his twin brother. Getting his attention was easy, falling into his bed? Like red wine in a glass. Leon was her jackpot, and he made her realize Ivon wasn’t naïve, he was painfully clueless.

He knew nothing about his family’s side business, and never would have if she didn’t open his eyes to the other side. Was that her last fuck you to a man she hated? Hated? Did she hate him? Maybe. She hated how carefree he was, always so happy doing nothing when there was so much more happening in the background.

She hated that he wasn’t part of the bad stock, and she had to talk herself down from killing him most nights when he was blacked out in their bed. No matter how useless he was, ending his life would have ended hers.

Tossing the file on the bed, Aielle walked around so she was backing the window. It’d be foolish to jump, but it was the only escape route present. She doubted a dozen men were going to flood into the room to take her captive, just one, and she was sure she could take him, or at least escape him.

Ivon’s soft groan made Aielle refocus; the nurse had said he was going to wake up soon. Conversations with Leon were always easier to get out, sober Ivon was a curve ball with a stick up his ass or a brick wall with a god complex – depending on the day. He was either one or both.

Aielle stiffened when the door suddenly burst open, revealing Leon. “Well, well. I was wondering when you would show up. Are you here to finish the job?”

“No. I wasn’t the one who shot him, and I don’t know who did.”

Leon shut the door behind him and leaned against it. “A few days ago I would have lapped up your lies, but two hits to the head will change your perspective of someone, no?”

“I’ll offer an apology when I think I owe you one.” Aielle knew she was pushing her luck. “Contrary to what this looks like, I have no reason to want either of you dead, it’s too soon.”

“That’s what I’m trying to make sense of” He scratched his beard with one hand while the other disappeared under his jacket. “You keep talking in all these encrypted messages and you’ve seen me twice and haven’t killed me yet, but you gave up Conan’s location.”

“Whoa” Aielle held up her hands. “I had nothing to do with Conan’s death-”

“You needed him out of the way to get better access to us right? That’s what all this is about. It took me some time but I finally figured it out – how you got all that information. It was from my phone right? Every time you wanted to come over, it was so you could hack into my phone and get what you needed”

“Yes, Leon, I played you both. What more do you want me to say? You’re holding a gun, why won’t you shoot me and be done with it? Just kill me.”

“Killing you will be easy” Leon chuckled darkly. “Too easy for everything you’ve put me through, so I’m going to do you one solid for letting me leave the two times we had the misfortune of meeting, I’m going to let you go.”

Aielle cocked her head, “Let me go, as in let me walk out of here alive?”

“Yep” Leon interlocked his fingers, resting them on his thigh. “You can go. I need to be with my brother and I’m too tired to fight and win any way. Besides I have your man, and he’s going to tell me everything I need to know.”

Ivon groaned again, this time blinking twice and moaning when he tried to lift his hands.

“I’m going to call the doctor. Don’t be here when I get back.” Leon walked out quieter than he came in, and Aielle flew out the door, walking in the opposite direction where she hoped there was a stairwell.

Either Leon was stupid or he had something up his sleeve. She wasn’t going to wait around to find out