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“No, Julius. You promised me that we would be together. We’re supposed to be the family at the top.

Now you want to say fuck me and be with his mother.

Adriana, that bitch. What does she have that I don’t?

She’s been in the way since you moved from California.

I’m supposed to be beside you, not her.”

“For one, my son. She has my damn son Nina. That daughter of yours, The Lynx, logged onto the dark web yesterday and sanctioned a hit on me at The Lioness's request. You didn’t do your fucking job properly. You should’ve had the foresight to take out the entire family, Nina.

Now I have to convince him…” I’d heard enough.

I quickly and quietly returned across the house, kneeling to pick up my heels and out the front door, not making a sound.

I cursed myself for not getting all the information; instead, I hurriedly started my car and backed out of the driveway.

I sped off before she realized I was on the premises.

Thankfully, I was driving my Mercedes-Benz EQS EV, so my car hadn’t alerted her to my presence.

Then I realized that I’d probably be on her camera.

About three blocks away, I pulled over and reached for my laptop, which was in my bag.

From there, I hacked into her security feed and deleted the last fifteen minutes of footage.

Her home was secluded, so I didn’t have to worry about neighboring feeds.

Once I completed that task, I took out my phone to call Jourdan.

As my fingers hovered over her contact in recent calls, I decided I couldn’t tell them what I’d just heard.

Jourdan had already put a hit out on Miller, meaning she knew who he was and what he’d done.

She would think I was involved because the Lynx Julius Miller spoke of was my alter ego.

When I wasn’t running after children, I was a handler and occasional contract killer.

I quickly thought against that and began to call Jourdan, only for all my calls to go unanswered.

The sound of my phone’s alarm finally filtered into my head. My eyes focused back into the present from where I’d zoned out to find the time on the dash. I needed to leave. Otherwise, I’d be late.

“Shit,” I spoke out into the car. I’d let time get away from me.

I clamored around, pulling the visor to check my appearance.

I looked tired because I was. I tried my best to cover the present bags under my eyes with a light coat of concealer.

I hoped it didn’t reflect today. I started the car, threw it in reverse, and pressed the gas.

I quickly mashed the brakes when a matte blacked-out Porsche Taycan pulled into the parking lot.

I waited for it to park before backing out.

The car's owner got out, one leg at a time, to stand to his full height. He wore a perfectly tailored designer suit and an unbuttoned shirt sans the tie. He turned his head towards my car while he buttoned his suit jacket, and I took in his chiseled jawline covered in a thick, close-cut beard. His perusal stopped when he reached my car. He slightly adjusted his glasses as he gazed. It was Devin Haven. I knew because I’d researched them all before moving from California .

Aside from Jourdan already living here. I remembered a man named Devin visiting Brice on campus when he was in medical school.

I just so happened to be there when he arrived at his apartment.

I was always with Brice, and I may as well have lived with him.

The day he showed up, I listened to him call the man Devin before quickly yelling towards my room that he was about to slide, and then he closed the door.

I never saw him, and it didn’t mean anything to me at the time, but I quickly connected the dots when I searched for Devin and Cypress, North Carolina, on a search engine.

Damn, his ass is fine! The pictures don’t do him justice.

Entirely out of his car, he stood by his before entering A Child’s Haven.

I’m sure he was trying to see if he could identify mine.

I nodded at him as I drove and continued until I left the lot.

I was sure I would see more of him; I was counting on it.

Although they weren’t looking for me, I’d located them.

I knew precisely where Brice, Jourdan, and her new husband were, as well as everyone they associated with.

I was hurt when I found out she’d hidden a whole relationship with the personal protection specialist, whom she’d briefly mentioned intruding on one of her missions.

I wasn’t privy to it before my search. And according to what I’d overheard with that woman and man, he was also my brother.

Them and their fucking trust issues. Ugh! This has to work!

First, I needed to find the woman who gave birth to me.

The days of calling her my mother were long gone.

Three days after I’d sanctioned that hit, Jourdan had completed the task.

Three months after that, my life had taken one.

I should have just shot that bitch that day then I wouldn’t even be in this situation.

They still wouldn’t have believed me, though. I needed proof.

I’m coming for you, Nina Nine.