4. Silas
Chapter 4
Silas
“We lost her again.”
I stand silently behind Max, watching his shoulders tense as he glares at the frozen image on the screen.
Avaline Darling, the elusive thief we’ve been tracking for years, is caught in a moment of hesitation outside the hotel room door.
“How the hell did she get away?” Max barks at his security team, his voice laced with barely contained fury. “She was outside the fucking door.”
Her hand is outstretched, almost touching the handle, before she suddenly backs away.
I resist the urge to sigh. We had thought our plan was foolproof. Lure her in with the promise of an impossible score, then spring the trap. But somehow, she’d sensed it at the last moment.
“Sir,” one of the security guards ventures, “by the time we exited the elevator, she’d vanished. We’ve reviewed all the camera footage. It’s like she turned into fresh air.”
“She’s not a fucking apparition! She’s an omega, for God’s sake.” Max slams his fist on the desk, making everyone in the room flinch. Everyone except me. I’ve seen his rage before, and I know it’s nothing compared to the cold calculation that will follow.
“What about the card?” I ask, drawing Max’s attention. “Did she take it with her? Maybe she is still tempted.”
One of the security team steps forward, holding up an evidence bag. Inside is the black card we’d used as bait, the one Max had personally given her at the cafe. “She left it pressed into the door frame, sir.”
Max’s eyes narrow, a dangerous glint in them. “She’s taunting us,” he growls.
I nod, feeling a familiar surge of anger. Avaline Darling has been a thorn in our side for too long. And while I don’t know the full extent of her crimes against Max, I have my own score to settle with her.
“What’s our next move?” I ask Max, already knowing the answer.
He turns to me, his face set in grim determination. “Whatever it takes, Silas. No more games, no more cat and mouse. I want her found, and I want her brought to me.”
I nod, a bitter smile spreading across my face. “Consider it done.”
As the security team files out, discussing new strategies and increased surveillance, I linger behind. There’s still one question burning in my mind.
“Max,” I start, choosing my words carefully, “I know you have your reasons for wanting Avaline, but what exactly did she do? If I’m going to hunt her down, it might help to know what we’re dealing with.”
Max is silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the frozen image of Avaline. When he finally speaks, his voice is low, dangerous. “I gave her too much freedom.”
I nod, not pushing further. But I’ve worked for Max long enough to know when he’s holding back. I am too.
“I want her Silas. Do whatever it takes.”
“Anything?” I ask, hoping.
“I want the omega. So yes, anything. As long as she can give me what I want, I’m fine with the process.”
“Then the hunt is on,” I say. And this time, there will be no easy way out for Avaline Darling. Not like before.
And what Max has planned for her, I almost feel sorry for the thief.
Almost.
I’ve been at this for hours, my eyes burning from staring at the screen.
The dark web is a labyrinth of illegal services and shadowy figures, but I know Ava has to be here somewhere.
She’s too good, too professional not to have a presence in this underworld.
As I scroll through endless listings of hackers, hitmen, and drug dealers, I can’t help but admire Ava’s skill.
She’s stayed off our radar for so long, operating with a level of stealth that’s almost supernatural. It’s as if she’s dampened her omega nature to become a ghost in a world of alphas and betas.
“Where are you?” I whisper at the screen as I scroll.
Just as I’m about to call it a night, a listing catches my eye. It’s not flashy or attention-grabbing, which is exactly why it stands out in this sea of neon promises and bold claims.
NO JOB IS TOO BIG BUT SOME DIAMONDS MAY BE TOO SMALL.
WE CAN GET WHATEVER YOU NEED.
The simplicity of it is almost elegant. Beneath the headline is a brief message:
Send a message with your requirements and expected timeline. Fee: ten percent of the value of the job. Minimum $100,000.
The contact name listed is simply “Lindon”. It’s not Ava’s name, but something about it feels right. This understated professionalism, the quiet confidence, fits everything we know about her methods.
I lean back in my chair, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Got you,” I mutter to the empty room.
My fingers hover over the keyboard as I consider our next move. We could set up another trap, but Ava’s too smart for that now. She’ll be on high alert after our last attempt.
Because there was no way she didn’t have a feeling about what lay in the hotel room once she got inside.
Everything was silent.
The corridor.
The hotel.
But she knew.
Unless someone else has a greater role to play in their operations.
I tap the table in front of me.
We need to play this differently. We need to become the clients she can’t resist, to offer her a job so tantalizing that she’ll let her guard down.
My fingers press on the keyboard as I type out a message, crafting our bait with careful precision. Avaline Darling might be the perfect thief, but she’s never faced an opponent like me before.
This time, there’ll be no escape. And as much as I’m doing this for Max, I can’t deny the personal satisfaction I’ll get from finally bringing her down.
She doesn’t know what she did that night. Or the pain she caused me.
But she will.
“Let the games begin, Ava,” I murmur as I hit send. “Let’s see how good you really are.”