Cate swallowed her last bite of bacon, ran upstairs, and slipped on a fitted black leather jacket, tying her long, pale blond hair into a high ponytail. She tossed her leather gloves into the trash, too. Now, every movement she made had an aggressively sharp edge.
That afternoon, at a dockside warehouse in Brooklyn.
The air carried the briny smell of the sea. More than a dozen gang leaders from across New York stood in two rows, heads lowered, deliberately controlling even the rhythm of their breathing.
Nina wore a tight skirt and toyed with a solid-gold lighter. Its metal lid clicked crisply as she opened and closed it. Every click made the hearts of those below twitch.
"After all this time." Nina leaned against the railing, looking down at them. "You haven't found out a damn thing. Did an entire warehouse full of weapons just blow itself up?"
No one below dared make a sound.
The explosion had been so thorough that even the foundations had melted into glasslike crystals under the intense heat. No traces of explosives could be found at the scene.
Nina raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
Two burly bodyguards dragged out a bald man covered in injuries and kicked him behind the knees. He dropped onto the concrete with a thud. He was the boss of the hideout who had sent the distress signal earlier. A dark gun muzzle pressed against the back of his head.
"Then let's start with you." Nina looked at the bald man. "I had someone investigate the shipment we lost last time."
Her tone turned cold.
"It seems it had nothing to do with that rival gang you mentioned."
The bald boss knelt on the floor, cold sweat pouring from his forehead as his eyes darted around.
"They