Chapter 103 Present Day

• Darren stood at the window, the glow of his cigarette ember briefly painting his face in the glass reflection. The night skyline of New York stretched endlessly before him, but his eyes were elsewhere, buried nine years deep. He dragged slowly and exhaled, the smoke clouding the glass before dissolving into the air.
• “Horace didn’t waste time after that,” Darren continued, his voice calm but edged with something Nina could feel more than hear. “He made us swear an oath of loyalty, blood, words, and silence. There was no walking away once you took it. Then he sent us to Japan. Said if we were going to work for him, we had to be more than just muscle. We had to become ghosts.”
• He turned slightly, glancing at her over his shoulder. Nina was curled on the bed, knees tucked under her chin, listening intently. She didn’t interrupt, though her eyes flickered with both fear and fascination.