𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

7. An unsettling wink

"Dominic is here to take you." The fork tangled with delicious egg noodles slipped from my grasp as everyone rushed outside the kitchen at once, except for Kai.

Wait. Dominic- the Italian mafia boss I had arrested with solid evidence for drug trafficking was here? For me? How the fuck did he get out of jail? Fuck, I'm screwed. What if Kai gives up on me? No. I'm too useful for him to toss me away. Or am I?

"You know, Italians have a knack for turning stubborn detectives like you into, shall we say, works of art," Kai pulled me out of my string of thoughts, a wicked smirk stretching across his face. With the amusement dancing in his eyes, I knew this bastard was thoroughly enjoying this situation.

"Luckily, I'm not scared of scumbags like you."

"Then I'm sure you'll love their twisted form of hospitality that will be a fitting end to your troublesome behavior." Leaning in closer, he winked, causing my hands to clench into tight fists. He walked out of the kitchen with a sassy smirk all over his pigface. Damnit! He is going to throw me in front of the Italians. Grabbing the steaming bowl of Korean noodles, glistening with savory sauce and succulent slices of tender meat, I sneaked behind a wall to eavesdrop on the conversation between Kai and Dominic, hidden from prying eyes. The lounge buzzed with armed men divided between Kai and Dominic's group. The air was thick with a noticeable tension.

"You got out of jail earlier than I had expected," Kai remarked.

"I'm out on bail for two weeks. And I plan on hunting down every living being that torched my drug business to ashes," Dominic growled, clearly riled up.

"I highly doubt you'll need my assistance in that,"

"I wish that were the case, but there's someone under your wing I'm searching for," Dominic sneered.

"And who might that be?" Kai inquired.

"The bitch who made the grave mistake of messing with me, Detective Camille."

"I think you are looking for the wrong person in the wrong place. The man who is responsible for your downfall is Greg Berlanti. You should look for him instead." My eyes nearly popped out at Greg's mention. How the fuck did he find out about Greg?

"Have you joined hands with her?" Dominic probed, suspicion dripping from his words.

"She is just a hostage," Kai replied dismissively.

"Last time I saw one of your hostages, he was barely breathing, not slurping spicy noodles behind a wall." I froze mid-slurp, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. Kai's slicing gaze seized me, and I could sense the burning eagerness in his eyes to shred my limbs. A flicker of rage flashed across his piercing gaze, making me gulp with fear. His stare almost made me choke on my kimchi. Four of his men advanced towards me, and Kai redirected his cold gaze towards Dominic.

"You need to take my word for it. She is just a hostage." Kai asserted.

"Perhaps if you hand her over, I might consider the purity of your intentions and that you had no involvement in sabotaging our deal or in my downfall," Dominic threatened with a perfect blend of menace and resolve.

"I can't hand her over yet." The four men forcefully dragged me inside the kitchen and handcuffed me. Did he just? Damn, I never thought I could like anything coming out of that asshole's mouth.