“Good heavens!” Sookie whispered as she covered her mouth, taking out her camera. Before her lay dozens of men and women, naked, wearing masks, and engaging in intimate activities. Some were even openly making love. Sookie’s cheeks burned red. She had only witnessed such scenes in old, satirical movies that mocked society – scenes of debauchery, abandon, and utter lack of restraint.
Sookie, a graduate student, was studying a psychological subject that required her to conduct social research in bars. As she stepped into the deafeningly loud dance floor of the D. O. bar, her heart raced with nervousness. However, in order to graduate smoothly, she had no choice.
After downing a few fiery alcoholic drinks, her face flushed. But the alcohol emboldened her, and soon her nerves began to ease. “Good lord, I’m going to strike it rich,” Sookie exclaimed excitedly, her eyes scanning the surroundings continuously. Truth be told, besides being a graduate student, she was also an intern journalist. Snapping such an exclusive scene would not only earn her a large bonus but also secure her permanent position.
As she walked, she suddenly noticed a security guard seemingly looking for someone. Afraid of being discovered, Sookie quickly darted into a private room. Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered, two people followed right behind her.
They immediately began to kiss passionately, the sound of their lips and heavy breathing causing Sookie’s face to redden and her heart to race. The next moment, the lights came on, revealing a truly handsome man.
He appeared aloof and distant, with a tall and robust physique that was irresistible. Clad in a black shirt with two buttons undone, a wolf tattoo peeked out from his neckline, framing a face of noble and handsome features.
Although Sookie wanted to continue enjoying this “live broadcast,” she felt the place was too dangerous. Just as she slowly edged away from under the table, preparing to open the door to leave, she felt a hard, icy metal object pressing against her head.
It was a gun.
Sookie’s heart leaped into her throat. She had been discovered.
The man’s name was Enzo, one of the leaders of the Shadowy Saints. He had come on a mission tonight. With the economy stagnating in recent years and the government intermittently pressuring the Shadowy Saints, under his and Tessa’s leadership, the Shadowy Saints had gradually expanded into legitimate businesses. When he saw such a bustling business at a small bar like D. O., he felt gratified, as most of these small taverns were also part of their assets.
Today, Barton’s people had arranged a girl for him as a gesture of goodwill. To show that he meant no harm, he could only accept this “kindness.” However, he had not anticipated this “surprise” in the room.
“Are you also from Barton’s group?” Enzo squinted at the petite girl in front of him, his eyes exuding a dangerous aura.
Sookie had never witnessed such a scene before and was so frightened that she could barely speak. When she finally spoke, her voice quivered, “No… I’m sorry, I’m not…”
“Who sent you? If you don’t want to die,” before Sookie could finish, Enzo’s gun was once again pressed against her head.
“I… I’m just a student here to do social research,” Sookie felt the threat of death, tears streaming down her face. “Please don’t kill me, please… I can prove it, this is my student ID, please.” Trembling, Sookie fished out her student ID from her backpack.
Enzo took it and glanced at it, then scrutinized Sookie from head to toe. Jacket paired with a denim skirt, the picture of a naive student. Thus, he holstered his gun. “Go, from the back door on the right side of this room. Don’t let anyone see you.”
Enzo had come tonight to coordinate trilateral relations. He didn’t want to cause a commotion and attract the attention of the federal investigators.
This area fell under the jurisdiction of the Shadowy Saints, and he didn’t want to get involved, but recently, the Shadowy Saints had been making amends with an Italian organization due to conflicts and contradictions. He had to go and resolve the matter.
Tonight was supposed to be a peaceful meeting, but there were too many people here, and he hoped nothing unexpected would occur.
Enzo detested attending meetings. In the past, Tessa always handled them, but she was currently busy honeymooning with Landon. So, when he heard that Barton Brown, the Polish consul in Boston, and Pia Russo’s nephew, were fighting on his turf, he truly wanted to eliminate them.
As the leader, he had a responsibility to get these bastards to sit down and resolve matters. It should have been possible for the other two leaders to handle, such as Landon, but he was probably busy rolling in the hay with Tessa. Then there was Trey, but he was currently in Chicago, managing his golf club and dealing with executives and politicians. Well, this was very necessary for the Shadowy Saints to move towards a legitimate path.
After being allowed to leave, Sookie rushed towards the back door of the bar and escaped. She crouched on the ground, gasping for air. Tonight had been truly thrilling. She had almost lost her life.
Fortunately, she had preserved the material in her hands. Sookie felt both relieved and somewhat happy. She bought a bottle of water from a convenience store and headed straight towards the direction of the school.
As it was already late, the streetlights were dim. Occasionally, the lights flickered due to poor connections. Sookie felt a bit anxious as she walked. Just as she prayed not to encounter anything untoward, a commotion of voices and footsteps echoed from around the corner behind her, growing louder and louder, accompanied by the clashing of metal.
The cold night wind blew, sending shivers down her spine.
Sookie instinctively turned around, only to find a group of gangsters, their oppressive presence emanating as they rushed towards her from behind.
The two sides were engaged in a brawl, with sounds of flesh being torn and cries of attack continuously reaching her ears. Sookie was petrified, unable to move. She was a simple, honest student who had only ever witnessed the dirtiest scenes during wild parties at the hippie bar, where drugs and alcohol fueled indiscriminate liaisons. She had never seen such a bloody and terrifying scene, with everyone brandishing guns and weapons, their bodies illuminated by the swaying lights, all covered in tattered bloodstains.
Unable to move, Sookie desperately sought help. She watched as the group of people approached the alley where she stood, terrified and about to scream, when suddenly, someone covered her mouth.
The rough palm pressed against Sookie’s lips, causing them to ache, although not forcefully, it was enough to pull her towards a corner.
She was terrified, struggling vigorously, utilizing all the strength and escape techniques she could muster. However, this man seemed to anticipate her every move, thwarting her efforts just as she was about to act.
Whether due to extreme tension or exhaustion, her entire body went limp, collapsing into his arms.
The man was covered in blood, his black t-shirt sticking to his body, a tattoo visible on his exposed neck, mingling with scabs of blood, a truly shocking sight.
As footsteps approached, the man flipped over, pressing himself on top of Sookie. She could feel each other’s chilling temperatures and hear their heartbeats. The man whispered softly to Sookie, “If you don’t want to die, don’t move.”
That voice was so familiar!
It was him!