[Book 1. Double Deception.]()

Chapter 1. A Night Call

The sudden shrill ring of the phone pierced through the stillness of the night, jolting me out of a dreamless sleep. With a racing heart, I reached for the phone, already knowing that a call at 2 am was never good news.

“Vic, please, you have to help me,” Maria’s terrified voice trembled through the line, barely audible. The fear in her tone was like an icy hand gripping my chest.

“What’s happened, Maria?” My mind snapped to attention, every instinct preparing for the worst.

“It’s Alex… he’s dead. There’s so much blood…” Her sob was a sharp stab of reality, shattering the last remnants of my sleep.

“Give me the address. Now.” Without hesitation, I threw off the covers and hurriedly made my way towards my car, my mind already racing ahead to the scene I would soon find.

Pulling up to the nondescript building minutes later, the flashing lights of my unmarked vehicle reflecting off the slick pavement. The air was thick and heavy with pre-dawn humidity as I stepped out, my boots clicking with authority on the wet asphalt. The smell of rain from earlier lingered in the air, mixed with another scent – one of death.

Alex’s apartment loomed before me like a fortress of secrets and shadows. The door creaked open into a dimly lit space that exuded an aura of opulence tainted by violence. Dark leather furniture contrasted sharply against blood-red walls adorned with abstract art pieces that seemed to whisper sinister truths.

Making my entry carefully as trained professional, I found Maria standing over his lifeless body, her face pale as a ghost. Alex lay slumped on the floor, his tattoos stark against his now-pallid skin. My eyes flickered to his phone; a message glowing on the screen read: “Be there in a sec. Time to share the new girl.” It was from someone named Dani. Daniil…a Russian name? Was this connected to the Russian mafia?

Me having a coffee while writing

“Listen carefully, Maria,” I said in a low but commanding tone. “We need to move the body and clean up any traces of blood on the floor. Then, you’ll go to the bathroom, turn on the shower, and not come out until I tell you to. Understood?”