The city never truly slept. Neon lights flickered against the inky sky, where the hum of distant traffic blended with the occasional shout of a drunken passerby. It wasn't exactly safe, but she was used to walking home alone. The streets were familiar, predictable.

Until tonight.

Until the sharp crack of gunshots shattered the air.

She froze.

For a moment, she told herself she had imagined it. Maybe it was a car backfiring, or fireworks, or-

BANG!

No. That was definitely a gunshot.

Her heart pounded as she instinctively stepped back, pressing herself against the cold brick wall of the alley she had just passed. A rational person would run. Call the police. Pretend the never heard anything.

But something made her stay.

Cautiously, she peeked around the corner.

That's when she saw him.

A boy, maybe her age or a little older, staggering against the alley wall, his white dress shirt soaked in blood. His dark hair clung to his forehead, and a deep gash ran along his cheek. He wasn't just hurt-he was dying.

She barely had time to process the sight before a man stepped out of the shadows, gun raised.

Her breath hitched.

This wasn't some random mugging. This was an execution.

Something inside her screamed to move - to do something.

Her eyes darted around, desperate. Her fingers curled around a discarded metal pipe leaning against a trash bin. She didn't think. She just acted.

With every ounce of strength she had, she swung the metal pipe.

The sound of impact was sickening. The ma. Barely had time to react before collapsing onto the pavement, the gun slipping from his grip.

Her hands shook as she exhaled sharply, chest heaving. 'What did I just do?'

The boy- still bleeding, still barely standing - lifted his head.

And for the first time, their eyes met.

Even in the dim alleyway, she could see the sharp contrast of his dark irises against his pale skin. His gaze, piercing and unreadable, bore into her like a blade.

Not with gratitude.

Not with relief.

But with something else.

Something that made her stomach twist.

She had saved his life. But instead of looking at her like a hero, he looked at her like she had just sealed her fate.

"Do you have any idea... What you've just done?" his voice was deep, rough from the pain but laced with authority.

Her lips parted, but the words didn't come.

Before she could think, before she could even step away, he moved.

Faster than she thought possible, his bloody hand grabbed her wrist. His grip was firm - possessive, almost - as if claiming her.

The distant sound of footsteps- more men approaching- made him curse under his breath.

"We need to leave. Now."

Panic surged through her veins. "W-What? I- No! I was just going home- "

His grip tightened.

"You don't get it, do you?" he murmured, voice low and dangerous. "You just changed your life."

She shook her head. " I was just helping- "

"You were just helping a Mafia boss."

The words hit her harder than bullet.

Her stomach dropped.

Mafia?

No. No way. That only happened in movies, in crime dramas. Not here. Not to her.

Ans yet- the blood on his shirt the gunfire, the way he carried himself despite his injuries... It all clicked into place like pieces of a nightmare puzzle.

The sound of footsteps grew louder. More men were coming. More killers.

She barely had time to react before he yanked her forward, pulling her into the darkness.

And in that moment, she realized.

She wasn't just a bystander anymore.

She was a target.

And this dangerous, bleeding, lethal boy was the only thing standing between her and death.

End of Prologue

The city never felt so suffocating.

Her legs burned, lungs screaming for air as she ran through the narrow alleyways, her wrist still trapped in his iron grip. She didn't know where he was taking her, didn't even know if she should be following him, but the sound of footsteps closing in behind them made one thing clear- if she stopped, she'd die.

"Faster!" the boy ordered, barely out of breath despite his injuries. His white dress shirt, now stained deep crimson, clung to his body, proof of the gunshot wound he refused to acknowledge.

She wanted to shout at him, tell him she wasn't some action hero who could keep up with a dying mafia boss, but there was no tome.

Gunfire erupted behind them.

She screamed as the impact of a bullet shattered a nearby streetlight, raining glass onto the pavement.

"Shit!" Kai cursed under his breath. Without warning, he yanked her sideways, pulling her into another alley and slamming her back against the brick wall. His body pressed close, shielding her from view as another round of bullets tore through the air.

She held her breath.

The gunfire stopped. The night fell eerily silent, broken only by the distant hum of traffic and the pounding of her own heartbeat.

Kai's arm was still braced beside her head, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Even up close, his features remained sharp- dark eyes that gleamed under the dim streetlights, jaw clenched in frustration. He smelled of gunpowder, rain, and something faintly intoxicating.

Her mind screamed at her to move, to push him away, but she was frozen in place.

His eyes flickered toward the alley's entrance, where shadows shifted. They were still looking for him.

He muttered a curse. Then, with the same swiftness he had used to escape death, he leaned in close, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear.

"Stay quiet." he whispered.

She swallowed hard, every nerve in her body going rigid.

Kai',s hand moved to his waist, gripping the gun tucked under his jacket. She hadn't even noticed it before- hadn't had time to register just how dangerous this boy really was.

But now, with his bloodied hands, the sharp scent of gunpowder, and the way his grip on his weapon never wavered, she knew one thing for certain.

This wasn't just some bad boy from school. He was a killer.

And she had just saved his life.

Minutes Ago...

She wasn't supposed to be here.

She had just finished her shift at the cafe, walking home like she always did. She had taken this route a thousand times before, cutting through the alley to save five extra minutes.

But tonight, fate had other plans.

The first gunshot shattered the silence.

She froze. No. That wasn't possible. This wasn't a crime movie- this was her city, her world, where things like this didn't happen.

Then came the second shot.

a voice- low, rough- grunted in pain.

Against every instinct screaming at her to turn around, she stepped forward. Just one step, just enough to see.

And that's when she saw him.

A boy, maybe eighteen or nineteen, leaning heavily against the brick wall, a hand pressed to his bleeding stomach. His dress shirt was drenched in red, the color so dark it looked almost black under the flickering streetlight.

Even in the dim light, she could see his features- sharp, intense, and far too calm for someone who had just been shot.

Then she saw a man standing over him, gun aimed directly at his head.

Her breath caught.

The boy on the ground smirked, blood trailing from the corner of his lips. "Took you long enough."

The man with the gun scowled. "You talk too much."

He pulled the trigger.

Without thinking, she moved.

Grabbing the nearest thing- a rusty metal pipe leaning against a dumpster- she swung.

For a moment, she just stood there, stunned, heart pounding against her ribs.

Then the boy lifted his head. And rheir eyes met.

Dark. Unforgiving. Full of something she couldn't name.

But instead of gratitude, all he said was- "Do you have any idea what you just did?"

Present....

She pressed hearself further against the wall, forcing herself to stay still, to ignore the burning questions in her mind.

The voices outside the alley faded.

Kai exhaled, finally stepping back. " They're gone."

She stared at him, still breathless, still processing everything. "Who were they?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead he ran a hand through his dark hair, eyes scanning their surroundings. Then, as if deciding something, he met her gaze.

"People who want me dead."

She led out a shaky breath. "And now they'll want me dead too, won't they?"

Kai tilted his head slightly, considering. "Probably."

Her stomack twisted. "Great. Just great. I was supposed to go home, take a shower, and binge- watch some stupid drama- not get hunted down by the freaking mafia!"

Despite everything, the corner of his lips twitched. "Guess your night didn't go as planned."

"Understatement of the year!" she snapped. "And you- who even are you?"

His smirked faded, replaced by something unreadable. "Kai."

She frowned. "Just Kai?"

"That's all you need to know."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're unbelievable."

Kai igbored her, stepping toward the alley's exit. "We need to move. It's not safe here."

She folded her arms. "Oh, really? And where exactly do you think i'm going?"

He glanced over his shoulder. "With me."

Her body tensed. "Excuse me?"

"You think they'll just let you go now?" he asked, voice cool and detached. "You saw too much. You saved me. They'll assume you're involved, whether you are or not."

She swallowed. "So... What? I'm just supposed to follow you? A guy I just met? A mafia boss?"

Kai turned fully, taking slow, deliberate steps toward her. He stopped just inches away, his presence overwhelming.

"You want to survive?" murmured. "Then, yes."

Her breath caught.

Everything in her screamed to say no, to turn around, to run.

But deep down, she knew.

The second she had stepped into the alley... her life had changed forever.

And there was no going back.

End of Chapter 1.

The night air was thick with tension.

She didn't know what was scarier- the fact that she was now being hunted by the mafia, or the fact that she was actually considering going with him.

Kai.

A name that was too short, too simple for someone so dangerous.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Look, I- "

"You don't have a choice."

Her eyes snapped to his. Cold. Unrelenting. He wasn't just saving it to scare her- he was telling the truth.

Somewhere out there, men with guns were looking for her.

Her stomach twisted. "This isn't fair."

Kai's lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Welcome to my world."

She clenched her fists, frustration boiling inside her. "Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't." He turned away, already walking toward the street. "But I'm the only thing standing between you and a bullet."

She stared at his back, heart pounding. This is insane.

She should just walk away. Call the police. Go home.

And yet...

She had seen the way those men looked at him. They wanted him dead. And now because of her, they wanted her dead too.

No one would believe her.

The cops? Probably on the mafia's payroll.

Her parents? They'd just tell her to stop watching too many crime dramas.

And as much as she hated to admit it- Kai was right.

She had just stepped into his world. And there was no way out.

With a deep breath, she followed him.

Thirty Minutes Later...

"Are you kidding me?!" she hissed, staring at the abandoned warehouse he had led her to. "This is where you're taking me?"

Kai ignored her, pushing open the rusted door with ease. "No one will look for us here."

She hesitated before stepping inside, the wooden floor creaking beneath her weight. Dust filled the air, mixing with the scent of metal and oil. Old crates were stacked in the corners, and a broken down car sat in the middle of the room, covered in a gray tarp.

"This place is disgusting." she muttered.

Kai tossed his bloodied jacket onto a nearby table. "It's safe."

She scoffed. "Says the guy bleeding out in the middle of a crime scene."

Kai unbuttoned his shirt with a wince revealing the wound on his side. The sight made her stomach churn. The bullet had grazed him, leaving a deep, angry gash. His skin, now slick with sweat, was littered with scars.

Here gaze lingered on a particularly jagged mark across his ribs.

'How many times has he nearly died?'

"Done staring?" he drawled.

She scowled, heat rushing to her cheeks. "Shut up."

Kai smirked but didn't argue. Instead, he grabbed a bottle of alcohol and a rag from a supply bag hidden behind one of the crates.

She watched in horror as he poured the alcohol directly onto his wound.

"Are you insane?!" She gasped as he gritted his teeth, his body tensing in pain.

"Either I clean it, or I die from infection." he said through clenched teeth. "Your call."

She huffed, crossing her arms. "Fine. But at least let me help."

He raised an eyebrow. "You a nurse?"

"No, but I took a first-aid course last year." she said l, grabbing the rag from his hand. "And unlike you. I actually have common sense."

Kai chuckled, but let her help.

She worked quickly, cleaning his wound and wrapping it with bandages she found in his bound.

"Where'd you even get this stuff?" she asked.

Kai smirked. "I have my ways."

"Of course you do." she muttered.

He watched her quietly as she finished securing the bandage. His gaze felt... different. Not cold, not mocking. Just curious.

"What?" she asked, feeling self-conscious.

"You're not freaking out."

She blinked. "Huh?"

"Most people would be screaming by now. Crying. Maybe running." his voice was unreadable. "But you? You're patching up a mafia like it's nothing."

She swallowed. He's right.

Why wasn't she running?

Why did she feel... calm?

"I don't know." she admitted. "Maybe i'm in shock."

Kai studied her for a long moment before leaning back against the crate. "Or maybe you're not as normal as you think."

She frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kai didn't answer. Instead, he closed his eyes, exhaustion finally catching up to him.

She exhaled, looking around the warehouse. "So, what now?"

Kai's voice was low, almost lazy. "Now? We wait."

"For what?"

His lips curved into something dangerous. "For them to come find us."

Her heart skipped a beat

"Are you serious?!"

Kai chuckled. "Relax. I have a plan."

"Care to share it?" she asked, voice laced with sarcasm.

He tilted his head slightly, eyes gleaming with something mischievous. "What's the fun in that?"

She groaned. "I hate you already."

Kai smirked. "You'll learn to love me "

She wanted to argue, but exhaustion weighed down her body. The past hour had been nothing but running, fighting, and surviving.

She sighed, leaning against the crate beside him.

This was her life now.

She had saved a stranger

A mafia

And now, she was stuck in hir world.

For better or worse

End of Chapter 2