Page 2 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family

Chapter

Two

Emir Corvidae.

Crescent Falls was a city of power and money. The people who thrived here knew how to move like they understood their worth. I was in that number but my money and power were acquired in the shadows unlike these overprivileged muthafuckers I had to tolerate tonight.

The Kingston Foundation Gala was an event where billionaires rubbed elbows with politicians who made backroom deals.

Corrupt, powerful men paraded their wealth like it made them untouchable.

This shit wasn’t my vibe. I was only here because I was hired to end the life of someone who paid for an overpriced ticket to this function.

Warren Devon.

I leaned against the alleyway wall behind the building, casually watching the service entrance. A few event workers moved in and out too distracted to pay attention to their surroundings which worked in my favor. People were always so caught up that they made shit easy.

But tonight one woman made things interesting.

When she stepped outside and the light from the doorway highlighted her mocha-colored skin I was granted a bonus that gave me a secondary focus for the evening.

Shoulder-length hair framed a heart-shaped face and them pretty ass lips were tight like she was pissed about something.

She wasn’t dressed like the waitstaff in a uniform though.

Instead she wore a black dress and heels.

She also had an iPad tucked under her arm.

Must have been the event planner which meant she paid attention to detail and that was likely why she felt my presence.

Her eyes swept the alley and landed right on me.

I didn’t move or break eye contact.

She hesitated for a second and her fingers tightened on the device in her hand before she looked away and stepped back inside.

Smart girl.

I hadn’t been hiding, but I also hadn’t expected anyone to notice me long enough to identify me. She wouldn’t have known who I was but her instincts were on point because she took her ass back inside.

Too bad for her, this wouldn’t be the last time she saw me because now I was the one curious. She was pretty as hell and my dick approved.

By the time I walked into the private club, people were deep in conversation and several drinks in.

I moved through the crowd like I belonged there because tonight I did.

My suit was expensive but nothing flashy so I blended in with the dumb fucks in attendance.

My presence didn’t draw attention unless I wanted it to and tonight I was keeping a low profile.

In and out quickly, that was the plan. From my position at the bar, I spotted my target.

He sat at an exclusive table, drink in hand, laughing too loudly at something someone said.

Arrogant, cocky, and completely unaware that tonight would be his last. Devon had money, influence, and no shortage of enemies.

He was fucking reckless and arrogant. Too reckless.

He thought he was untouchable and that was always a mistake.

His dumb ass was going to pay for that mistake thanks to the very nice wire transfer I received an hour ago.

I lifted my glass to my mouth and scanned the room, making one last mental note of exit points and security placements, needing to be aware of the quickest way out if shit went sideways. No witnesses. No mistakes. I was the fucking best.

Devon had been lured to this gala under the impression that he would stack his assets before the end of the night and the text sent to him by my brother Kades would ensure Devon would be exactly where I needed him, an access hallway that wasn’t being utilized for the event.

He thought there would be a private meeting happening.

The text requested that he step into the hallway for that meeting but what he was about to find wasn’t a come up. It would be me.

I followed him into the secluded area just off the main event space.

The heavy wood doors muffled the sound of music and conversation.

When he rounded the corner to return the text saying he was waiting, one silenced shot hit his chest. I delivered a second in the head to make sure there was no chance he would survive.

He released a shocked gurgle before he slumped against the wall and slid to the floor.

Clean. Quiet. Efficient.

His body wouldn’t be found until the next day when the club was back to full staff.

I crouched beside him while I searched his suit pocket, pulling out his phone which I powered off and dropped into my own pocket before straightening and adjusting my sleeves.

My brother would break into it to get what the guy who hired me needed and the final payment would be in my account before the sun came up.

Another job finished. I was completely unfazed. Until I felt eyes on me. I turned my head and there she was. The woman from the alley.

She stood at the entrance of the hallway with her brown eyes wide, unblinking as she stared at me, iPad clutched against her chest like a gotdamn shield.

That can’t protect you from me, beautiful.

She hadn’t screamed or ran but she did freeze like her brain was still trying to process what the hell she walked into. Her curvy frame was stiff, breath visibly caught in her throat, like she was waiting for me to react first. I guess she assumed I would lunge at her or send a third shot her way.

I didn’t.

I’m not gonna hurt your pretty ass. That would be counterproductive.

Instead, I tilted my head, watching and reading her.

A dozen ways to eliminate the problem ran through my mind, but I didn’t move.

She wasn’t screaming or panicking. Just staring at me.

Something about that made my dick swell. I was fucking amused and even more curious. I walked right past her, calm as ever.

There was no need to threaten or chase her. I damn sure planned on seeing her again and when I did, she wouldn’t be getting away so easily. I stepped out of the event through a side entrance, keeping my pace unhurried as I pushed my hands into my pockets.

Another clean hit with no complications except for her .

I smirked as I approached my car. I needed to know who she was.

I had already cataloged her details in my mind.

Mocha skin, brown eyes and curves that looked incredibly fucking good, even in that basic ass dress she had on.

But the most memorable thing about her was that she hadn’t lost her shit after what she witnessed.

She just stood there with her mind short-circuiting as she tried to process the fact that she walked into a crime scene.

Most people would have panicked. The fact that she didn’t let me know she would fit in my world.

Why the hell I cared about her fitting in my world would have to be addressed at a later date.

I didn’t know shit about her but I liked the idea of having her close.

I got in the driver’s seat of my black Audi and was about to head out when the burner phone I had on me vibrated.

I glanced at the screen but didn’t need to.

My brothers were the only two people who had this number.

Yair encrypted the line so that there was no access.

Not a damn soul could get past the program he loaded on our devices to ensure our communication was protected.

“Yeah.”

“You done?” Kades sounded casual as hell like we were discussing a grocery run instead of an execution. I started my car and backed out of the spot I was in. After shifting gears I pulled out onto the street ready to open this shit up. This car was my baby.

“Yeah. He won’t be making it to his morning meetings.”

Kades chuckled. “You sound bored as hell, Mir.”

“I am. The job was too fucking easy.”

Warren walked straight into his death without a chance in hell of surviving the night but it wasn’t necessarily the kill that had me bored and more so the lack of challenge. No thrills or resistance. Just another name crossed off a list.

“The fuck you want, a standing ovation?” Kades said smugly.

I took the ramp to enter the highway and hit 100 within a matter of seconds. “Nah, I don’t need praise, fam. Just something more interesting than that entitled muthafucker.”

Kades laughed. “Stop taking them easy ass jobs then. You’ll also be happy to know I checked your exit routes and Yair made sure you’re not on camera. Everything’s clean. Your presence was a ghost.”

It always was…

I took pride in the fact that I never left a trace or made mistakes but tonight I damn sure left something behind.

A witness.

“You sure about that?” I asked lazily, gripping the steering wheel tighter with one hand, shifting gears with the other.

“Yeah. Why? You leaving something out?” He asked.

“Nah, I’m straight. No loose ends or evidence.”

That wasn’t technically a lie. She wasn’t either. More like a complication, but I wasn’t worried about her talking. I was more interested in why she hadn’t run and I was going to find out.

Kades’s voice pulled me back. “You heading home?”

“Not yet, I need to drop this phone off to Yair first.”

“Bet. I’ll hit you in the morning.”

“Aight,” I muttered before ending the call.

I exited the highway and approached an intersection with my mind still replaying the moment her eyes met mine. She knew exactly what I was and she didn’t fucking run. The moment was going to haunt her for sure but there was something there. I needed to know what.

Yeah, this damn sure wasn’t over and she was gonna see me again.

An hour later I pulled into my driveway and stepped out of the car feeling my muscles relax as I walked toward my front door.

The neighborhood was quiet and exclusive, tucked into one of Crescent Falls’ wealthier neighborhoods, Chandler Heights.

A huge contrast from the life I lived most days but that was intentional.

Once I was inside I shrugged off my jacket and tossed it over the back of the sofa before heading straight for the fridge. I grabbed a beer, popping the cap off with one hand before sinking onto the sofa.

I turned the TV on and a late-night sports recap played in the background which I barely paid attention to while I reached for my personal phone, powering it back on.

The screen immediately filled with notifications of missed texts and emails which I ignored.

I moved right to Skroll and opened the app.

When it came to me and my brothers, I was the only one who actually had a presence online. Kades stayed off the grid, paranoid about data trails and digital footprints. Yair didn’t see the point in social media but I knew how to use it to my advantage.

Perception was power. When people saw your face and recognized you out in the world, living normally, they were less likely to make assumptions about the parts of your life they weren’t privy too.

My focus wasn’t my life at the moment. I needed details about my new obsession.

The woman with a curvy body and sexy brown eyes.

I lifted my beer turning it up before I typed the name from the van outside the event into the search bar:

Haute Events.

The company site loaded, highlighting their latest events and the names of their team. I scrolled through the staff page swiping through the names and profiles until I found the face I was looking for.

Baylyn Andrews.

Them pretty ass eyes and those full lips immediately had my attention. She was listed as an event coordinator, and when I tapped her name, it led to a brief bio. Nothing personal, just professional details, but that was enough to find the rest of what I needed.

Found your pretty ass.

I copied her full name into the Quest search engine and her profile popped up on Skroll.

Public profile. Rookie mistake.

I clicked on it, scanning through selfies, food, drinks, travel pics, and nights out.

She didn’t post a lot, but it was enough to get a feel for who she was.

There was also a recurring face in her pictures.

A woman who based on their interactions looked like a close friend.

They had inside jokes in the captions, birthday tributes, and random pictures of them drinking at the same two apartments.

Probably the person she was closest to and the person she would confide in about tonight if she couldn’t keep secrets. I clicked the tag in one of the photos and memorized her friend, locking the details away for future use if needed.

I leaned back, finishing the rest of my beer before hitting the follow button from one of my dummy accounts.

It was a basic profile with nothing traceable to me, so she wouldn’t suspect anything even if she did a deep dive.

I scrolled a little more, locking my phone when I was done, and lay back, folding an arm under my head.

Tomorrow, I needed to pull up on Ms. Andrews. She had seen me and I needed to know how to handle her but she would damn sure be handled one way or another.