He stared down at her.
Then, with a soft, daring laugh, she whispered near his ear, "600 per hour."
He grabbed the back of her head and wrapped his hand around her neck, choking her. She laughed "Now that you know where I live… come find me whenever you get bored of her."
She pushed him, he fell on top of the bed and unbuckled his belt then pulled his zip down. She came on top of him with a protection rubber in her hand. She fixed it on him and outside her apartment, a neighbor passing hears her loud moans.
"Fourth time today?!"
***
The air in Octa 8 smelled like blood and metal. A single bulb flickered above the man tied to the steel chair, his face swollen and streaked with sweat. Two of his fingers were gone, blood caked around the stumps. His breath came in sharp, broken gasps.
Governor stood beside him, tall, dressed in black from gloves to boots, eyes cold and empty. He looped a coarse rope around the man's neck and yanked it tight. "For the last time," he said, his voice smooth but deadly, "who do you work for?"
The man spat out blood. "Screw you."
Perez chuckled from the shadows, flipping open his pocket knife. "Screw this!" he said, stepping closer, the silver glint of the blade catching the light. "A loyal mutt."
He stopped in front of the man, staring him dead in the eye. Then, without hesitation, he plunged the knife into the man's chest. The sound was wet and final. He twisted, slowly, then pulled it out and drove it back in.
He coughed blood then his eyes closed shut in seconds.
Eric, sitting nearby with his glass of wine, smirked. "Always the heart, huh? Since we were kids. You've got a weird obsession with hearts."
Perez wiped the knife with his white handkerchief, the fabric turning red, then tossed it onto the body. "And you've got an obsession with eyes," he said.
Eric laughed, low and amused. He stood up as Governor stepped aside, straight as a statue. The two men walked down the corridor, passing rows of guards who stood at attention, silent, respectful. Their shoes clicked on the concrete floor, echoing through the base.
Perez's car beeped, a black Tesla sliding out from the shadows. Eric moved toward the passenger side.
Perez frowned. "Why are you getting in my car?"
"Mine's in repair," Eric said simply, opening the door.
Perez raised a brow. "Then how did you even get here?"
Eric smirked. "Flew in on a giant eagle with big boobs."
Perez blinked, sighed, then burst into laughter. "Did it have three boobs like your ex from college?"
"Please don't do this," Eric groaned, trying not to laugh.
"She did have three boobs," Perez said, still chuckling as they got in.
"It was a tumor, not a third boob, she had cancer Perez, cancer!" Eric said between laughs.
"And you're still defending her?" Perez grinned, revving the engine.
Eric shook his head, still laughing. "You're impossible."
The garage door began to rise slowly, the light outside spilling in. Both their smiles faded.
At the other end, a dozen black cars waited, men in masks standing beside them with rifles raised and aimed straight at them.
Perez's hand tightened on the wheel.
Eric glanced sideways at him. "You were saying something about obsessions?"
The garage erupted into chaos the second the first bullet tore through the air. The windshield of Perez's Tesla, glass flying everywhere as Perez slammed his foot on the brakes and ducked.
"Why's your car not bulletproof?!" Eric yanked out his gun from under his suit and fired back through the cracked window, hitting one of the masked men in the shoulder.
The roar of engines filled the air as their enemies advanced, surrounding the car in a semicircle. Sparks flew from the metal walls as bullets ricocheted off. Perez rolled out of the car and took cover behind a pillar, returning fire with sharp, precise shots. Eric followed, reloading with practiced calm.
"Where the hell did these bastards come from?" Perez shouted.
"Maybe they didn't like your stabbing hobby," Eric said, crouching beside him.
Governor appeared from the shadows, dual pistols blazing as he picked off two men trying to flank them. The sound of gunfire and shouts bounced off the concrete walls. Smoke filled the air. One of the masked men threw a grenade, and Perez cursed, dragging Eric down behind a parked van just before the explosion rocked the base.
Dust and blood hung heavy in the air. Perez glanced around; they were cornered. The exits were blocked, and the enemy kept closing in. Governor was down on one knee, bleeding from his arm but still firing.
Governor gritted his teeth. "We're surrounded."
Eric smirked. "It's been a while since we were trapped together, huh?"
Perez gave him a look. "What do you say when death comes knocking on your door?"
Before Eric could reply, a black sports car slammed through the metal gate outside. The screech of tires cut through the gunfire, followed by a rain of bullets from the car's mounted machine gun. Men scattered as the car spun sideways, forming a barrier between Eric and Perez and the attackers.
The door opened. Shinpei stepped out, calm and expressionless, his gun drawn "Not today!" He moved like smoke, silent, and deadly. Within seconds, three men were down, then five, each shot clean and deliberate.
Perez whistled under his breath. "He's got aim."
Eric stood up, brushing off dust. "Of course he does. He's my son."
As the last body hit the floor, Shinpei holstered his weapon and turned to them.
His voice was steady, low, almost cold. "It's the tolerado family."
Eric frowned. "They're really asking for death aren't they?"
Shinpei's eyes darkened. "A woman, she tried to kill me in my sleep."
Perez raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "She was in the mansion?"
Shinpei continued. "No— it was an apartment. She climbed on me with a knife hidden behind her back. I let her get close enough. When she swung, I caught her wrist, turned her over, and used a pillow to silence her. Told the cleaners to take care of it."
Eric exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "How was she able to get so close to you?"
Shinpei met his gaze, unbothered. "She disguised herself as a whore"
Perez stepped forward and patted Shinpei's shoulder. "We'll discuss this later. If they ambushed all three of us, that means they could be after Rose as well." he said,bringing his phone out.
Shinpei only nodded, his expression unreadable as the sound of sirens echoed faintly outside the base. Eric glanced at the pile of bodies, then back at Perez.
"They exposed out base as well? Looks like someone declared war." Governor muttered.
Perez smirked, pulling out another cigarette. "Then let's show them what war really looks like."