The scent of freshly brewed coffee drifted through the crisp morning air, but

tead, a younger barista, who looked barely out of college, was fumbling with the espresso machin

ow furrowed. "

efore mumbling, "

idn't seem right. L

re felt... off. It wasn't just Lena's absence. The tension from last night still lingered, an unspoken

r didn't

ut a message to one of his private investigators.

pocket, the café door swung open, and

e same uneasy chill through Alexander's spine. He was built like a brawler, thick ar

counter. She didn't acknowledge Alexander, didn't ev

was very,

't hear the words, but he didn't need to. He could read body language well enough. Len

nder. Just for a moment. But in that brief second, her ey

lp

ce from people's problems, ensuring his world remained clean, c

ery. A problem

alked away fro

ined distant, quieter than usual. Even Mason seemed on edge, constantly g

ly emptied out, Ale

rouble," he

wiping down the counter.

d, his voice dropping l

raction of a second befor

ask for a

not wit

m then, eyes sharp. "Sta

o l

temple. "You don't underst

think I don't know how t

e, a flicker of something crossed her face somet

oice steady. "But I need to

e leaned against the counter, cro

frowned.

er head. "M

plained

something messy, and Lena was t

e owe?" Ale

fore finally whispe

't easily rattled, but even he had heard of Moretti. A loan shark, rut

d Mason were ta

?" Alexan

r head. "It d

u're planning

that was all the

tegy. He had dealt with men like Moretti before. They operated on fe

midation. Lena had made it clea

needed to play

, he noticed a figure leaning against

ering to

smirked.

a number from memory. A gruff voi

uca Moretti," Alexander

nd chuckled. "Planning

ing lik

to his pocket. Then, with calculated ease, he turned

be noticed. Alexander gave him a slow, del

lenge ha

ander ne