The Cross Hairs

The sharp scent of gunpowder lingered in the air, mixing with the cold night breeze sweeping through the shattered window. The city skyline stretched beyond the broken glass, glowing and indifferent, as if nothing had just happened. Selene's body remained still, her mind was calculating very fast.  Aurora's breath was unsteady, her body pressed against the floor beside Selene, her fingers digging into the fabric of Selene's sleeve. "Someone... someone just tried to kill me." Selene's eyes narrowed as she slowly sat up, her gaze flickering toward the exposed glass. Whoever had fired that shot had been precise.  It hadn't been a random warning it had been an attempt to end Aurora. Selene clenched her jaw the thought made something sharp coil in her chest. She stood, moving toward the broken window with measured steps. The city lights cast a golden hue over the rooftops, but whoever had been out there was already gone. Aurora sat up, her hands still trembling slightly. "Selene what do we do?" Selene turned, her expression was totally unreadable. "We find out who just pulled that trigger." Aurora exhaled shakily, gripping the edge of the couch to steady herself. "It could be my father." Selene studied her carefully. "You sound unsure." Aurora shook her head. "I don't know anymore. I thought he only wanted to control me, but this?" She gestured toward the broken window. "This is something else." Selene glanced toward the door. "We need to move." Aurora blinked. "Move?" Selene's voice was firm. "If someone just tried to kill you, they won't stop now. They'll try again." Aurora swallowed hard. "Where can we even go?" Selene's lips curled slightly. "Somewhere they won't expect." Aurora hesitated. "And where is that?" Selene's gaze darkened. "A place I swore I'd never return to." Outside The City The black car cut through the quiet streets, moving away from the towering skyline of the city. The roads stretched into quieter parts of town, away from the high-rise buildings and the elite world of power and money. Aurora sat beside Selene in the back seat, arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Where are we going?" Selene's fingers tapped lightly against the leather of the seat. "To someone who owes me a favor." Aurora studied her carefully. "You never told me much about your past." Selene smirked, her eyes glinting in the dim light of the car. "You never asked the right questions." Aurora exhaled. "I'm asking now." Selene didn't answer immediately. Instead, she glanced out the window, her expression unreadable. "Before I became this, I had to learn how to survive." Aurora remained quiet, waiting. Selene continued, her voice smooth. "There was a time when I wasn't the woman people fear now. I was just another girl trying to climb out of the gutter." Aurora frowned slightly. "You were never weak." Selene chuckled"I wasn't always strong, either." The car pulled to a stop. Aurora glanced out the window, her breath catching slightly. They were in front of an old warehouse, tucked into the industrial district, where few dared to venture after dark. Selene opened the door, stepping out without hesitation. Aurora followed, her heels clicking against the cracked pavement. "Who are we meeting here?" Selene smirked, tilting her head toward the entrance. "An old friend." Aurora hesitated but followed her inside. The air inside the warehouse was thick with the scent of oil and metal. Machinery stood abandoned, rusted from time. But what caught Aurora's attention was the man standing in the center of the room, waiting. He was broad-shouldered, dressed in dark clothing, his arms crossed over his chest. His sharp green eyes flickered toward Selene, and a slow grin spread across his lips. "Well, well," he drawled. "Look who finally decided to crawl back." Selene's smirk was cool. "Still hiding in the shadows, Axel?" Axel chuckled, stepping forward. "You never did like playing by the rules, did you?" Selene arched an eyebrow. "Rules were made to be broken." Axel's gaze flickered toward Aurora, curiosity dancing in his expression. "And who's this?" Aurora straightened. "Aurora Sinclair." Axel let out a low whistle. "Sinclair? As in-" Selene's voice was sharp. "Not the time." Axel smirked. "Fair enough." He studied Selene again. "So, tell me-why the hell are you here?" Selene exhaled slowly. "Because someone just tried to kill us and I need to know who." Axel's smirk disappeared "That's not something you say lightly, Selene."  Selene's gaze darkened. "And I don't." Axel studied her carefully before nodding. "Alright. I'll see what I can find." Aurora frowned slightly. "You can do that?" Axel grinned. "Sweetheart, there's not a thing that happens in this city that I don't know about." Aurora blinked. "How do you two even know each other?" Selene smirked. "Axel and I have... history." Axel chuckled. "She means I once saved her ass, and now she owes me." Selene rolled her eyes. "You're never letting that go, are you?" Axel grinned. "Not a chance." Aurora exhaled, rubbing her temples. "This is insane." Selene's voice was calm. "Welcome to my world." Axel's expression turned serious again. "Give me a few hours. I'll have something for you." Selene nodded. "Make it fast." Axel smirked. "You know me." Selene exhaled, turning toward Aurora. "We stay here until we get answers." Aurora hesitated but nodded.But just as she took a step forward, the warehouse lights flickered. Axel's body tensed. "That's not normal." Selene's heart slowed then a single bullet shattered the silence. Aurora gasped, stumbling back as it hit the metal just inches from her immediately Axel cursed, reaching for a weapon hidden beneath his jacket. Selene's breath was controlled, her mind sharp as she knew they had been followed. A voice echoed from the shadows. "You should have stayed in the dark, Selene." Selene's pulse remained steady, but her muscles were tight, ready to fight. Then the sound of more footsteps and they were already surrounded and whoever had come for them wasn't here to talk.