Mafia's Mate (M Book1)

The neon glow of the city lights blurred into streaks as Clio dashed through the rain-slicked streets, her heart a frantic drum against her ribs. The chill of the evening air did little to cool the exhilaration coursing through her veins. She clutched her camera bag tighter, its familiar weight a comfort against the storm brewing outside and within.

Reaching the towering glass facade of her company's building, she barely registered the surprised waves from her colleagues, already halfway out the door. “Hey! Our pretty boy’s back!” one called, a familiar chorus that always grated, a reminder of the secret she guarded so fiercely. But there was no time for resentment now. The Boss was waiting.

She rapped her knuckles against Nolan’s office door, the sound echoing in the suddenly quiet corridor. "Come in," his deep voice resonated, and Clio pushed the door open, a triumphant grin already forming on her face. "Nolan! I did it!" she exclaimed, holding up her DSLR, eager to show him the exclusive scoop she’d risked everything for. It was only then, out of the corner of her eye, that she noticed Cherelle, his secretary, standing quietly by the wall. The air in the room seemed to thicken, charged with an unspoken tension, a scent of something acrid and wrong.