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Chapter 6 - Eyes in the Walls

Raven stared at the photograph in her trembling hands.

Her and Dante.

In his private room. In his bed. His mouth on her skin. Her hands tangled in his hair.

Someone had captured the exact moment her mask cracked.

And they had sent it to her.

Not to him.

A message. A threat. A warning.

She checked the hallway. Empty.

Her hands moved quickly, tearing the photo into pieces and flushing it down the toilet before anyone else could see it. She turned on the tap and splashed her face, trying to calm the panic in her chest.

He's watching you too.

Those words echoed over and over, louder than the faucet, louder than her heartbeat.

Who was watching?

Who else knew?

And more importantly… why hadn't Dante said anything?

Unless…

He didn't know.

Or worse—he did, and this was all part of the game.

🖤 Later That Night – InfernoThe club was alive again, pulsing with neon and heat and the desperate hunger of men. Raven stood behind the bar, pretending to clean empty glasses as she scanned every face in the crowd.

Looking for eyes that lingered too long.

For shadows that didn't move.

But no one looked suspicious.

Until she felt it — that chill at the base of her spine.

She turned.

And found him watching her from the upper level.

Dante.

He wasn't smiling. He wasn't drinking. He wasn't even seated.

He was just… watching.

But tonight, something about his stare felt different.

Colder.

Sharper.

Suspicious.

Like he could see every lie she hadn't spoken yet.

🥀 VIP Lounge – Minutes Later"You've been quiet," Dante said as she stepped into the room.

She shut the door behind her. "You've been distant."

"Have I?"

She crossed her arms. "Don't play dumb."

He rose from his seat and walked to her, slow and calculated. "Last night was a mistake."

Her heart stuttered. "Excuse me?"

He looked her dead in the eye. "You distract me. That makes you dangerous."

She forced a laugh. "So now I'm a threat?"

"Maybe," he said softly. "Or maybe you're just a very good liar."

Her stomach dropped.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Do you think I don't know when someone's hiding something?" he said, circling her. "You flinch when I touch your left wrist. You never use your real name. And you carry yourself like a woman trained to survive—not to entertain."

Her mouth went dry.

"You're not just a stripper, Raven," he whispered. "You're something else."

She swallowed hard. "And what exactly do you think I am?"

"I haven't decided yet."

He stepped in closer, until his mouth brushed her temple.

"But if you lie to me again," he said softly, "I'll find out the hard way."

Her voice shook. "What if the truth is worse?"

He paused.

"Then I'll bury it."

🖤 Flashback – One Year AgoThe man behind the glass wore a bulletproof vest and an ankle monitor.

"Moretti's empire is built on blood," he whispered. "But if you want to take it down, you start with the club. That's his heart. Everything runs through Inferno."

Raven leaned forward.

"And the man himself?"

The ex-soldier leaned back with a smirk. "Untouchable. But…"

"But what?"

"He's obsessed with control. Get close enough, and you can use that against him."

Raven wrote one word on her notepad:

Weakness.

🩸 Present – Inferno OfficeDante watched her through the hidden monitor behind the liquor shelf.

She was onstage now — dancing, twisting, working the pole like the shadows obeyed her.

But her eyes…

They never looked at the crowd.

Only at the dark corners of the club.

She was looking for something. Someone.

Not tips. Not attention.

Information.

He knew the signs.

And he hated that he didn't see it sooner.

He opened the encrypted file on his tablet. Cross-referenced her photos. The apartment. The burner phone. The ex-military contact she spoke to once on the street.

It all pointed to one thing.

She wasn't here by accident.

But the bigger question was—

Was she here to kill him? Or save him?

🖤 Later That Night – The RooftopRaven stepped out into the cold air, heels clicking on the concrete. The music faded behind her as she leaned against the railing, finally able to breathe.

Then she felt him.

Dante emerged from the shadows behind her.

He didn't say a word.

Just stood beside her, looking out at the city lights.

"Why did you come up here?" she asked after a moment.

"Because I can't stop thinking about you."

She turned her head.

He wasn't looking at her.

Just clenching the railing so tight his knuckles were white.

"You make me question myself," he murmured. "And I don't like that."

She tried to speak, but he cut her off.

"I need to know what you are, Raven," he said, finally turning to her. "Not your job. Not your stage name. You."

Her pulse raced.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because if I don't figure it out," he said darkly, "I'll either fall for you or destroy you."

Her breath caught.

And then, without warning, he kissed her again.

But this time, it wasn't about power.

It was desperation. Need. Fear.

Like he was trying to taste the truth in her mouth.

She didn't stop him.

Because she didn't know how.

Because in that moment, she wanted the lie to be real.

🕯️ Back in Her Apartment – Hours LaterShe stared at the burner phone on her desk.

It buzzed once.

HAWK: You're in too deep.

RAVEN: I know.

HAWK: Pull out.

RAVEN: I can't.

There was a long pause.

HAWK: Then finish the mission. You have one more week.

She turned off the phone and slid it back under the false drawer panel.

One week.

To bring down Dante Moretti.

To break the man who just whispered he might fall for her.

Or kill her.

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