The city streets blurred as Ochieng drove through the neon-lit roads, his mind a battlefield of old memories. The revelation from Wei Lang had shaken him more than he cared to admit.
A woman.
Someone from his past.
Someone who should be dead.
Veronica sat in the passenger seat, stealing glances at him.
"You know who it is, don't you?" she finally asked.
Ochieng tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"I have an idea."
Veronica exhaled. "And?"
His jaw clenched. "If it's her… then everything we've built is about to burn."
Veronica stared at him, unblinking. "You mean her?"
Ochieng didn't respond.
He didn't have to.
The air in the car turned ice cold.
Because they both knew the name neither of them wanted to say.
Elaine.
---
Elaine.
The only woman who had ever truly matched him.
Once, they had been inseparable—partners in crime, lovers, shadows in the underworld.
Until she betrayed him.
Until he buried her.
At least, he thought he had.
But if she was alive, it meant only one thing—she wanted revenge.
And Elaine never played fair.
Ochieng took a sharp turn, heading straight to the one place where ghosts never dared to return—the Black Lotus Lounge.
---
The Black Lotus Lounge was not just a club.
It was a sanctuary for the world's most dangerous players.
A place where information flowed like wine and secrets were currency.
Ochieng walked in with Veronica by his side, ignoring the curious stares from criminals, fixers, and killers alike.
At the center of the lounge sat a woman.
Dressed in black silk, sipping red wine.
Her presence demanded attention, yet she remained an enigma.
Ochieng's breath hitched for just a second.
Because he knew that silhouette.
Elaine.
Slowly, she turned.
Their eyes met.
And then—she smiled.
A smile that sent a shiver down his spine.
"Miss me?" she whispered.
---
Ochieng didn't move.
He had faced assassins, gangsters, and betrayal.
But Elaine was different.
She was the one sin he could never erase.
She stood up, moving toward him with the grace of a predator.
Veronica tensed beside him, hand hovering near her gun.
But Elaine ignored her.
Her eyes were locked onto Ochieng.
"You look good," she murmured, voice dripping with something dangerous.
Ochieng remained silent.
He knew her games.
"You should be dead," he finally said.
Elaine chuckled. "Disappointed?"
Ochieng's jaw tightened.
Elaine leaned closer.
"You left me to die, Ochieng. Did you really think I wouldn't crawl my way out?"
He remained still.
Because deep down—he had always known she would return.
---
Veronica finally spoke.
"What do you want?"
Elaine shifted her gaze to her, amusement flickering in her eyes.
"I want what's mine."
Ochieng exhaled slowly. "And what exactly is that?"
Elaine's smile widened.
"You."
Veronica stiffened.
Ochieng didn't flinch. "You lost that right a long time ago."
Elaine tilted her head. "Did I?"
There was something in her voice.
Something dangerous.
Then—she reached into her coat.
Veronica reacted instantly, drawing her gun.
But Elaine was faster.
She pulled out a small envelope.
And slid it across the table.
"Before you say no, read this."
Ochieng stared at it.
Then, slowly, he picked it up.
Inside was a single photograph.
And what he saw made his blood run cold.
---
The photo showed a man.
His face was covered in scars.
His eyes—cold, empty.
A man Ochieng had killed years ago.
Yet here he was.
Alive.
Elaine whispered, "You're not the only one who buries ghosts, love."
Ochieng's hands curled into fists.
Because he knew exactly what this meant.
This wasn't just a warning.
It was a challenge.
A war was coming.
And this time—it was personal.
---
Ochieng's hands tightened around the photograph. The man in the image wasn't just any ghost from his past—he was the nightmare that had shaped him into who he was today.
A man who had once torn everything from him.
And now, he was alive.
Elaine's smile didn't waver as she leaned back, sipping her wine.
"You thought I was the only one crawling back from the grave, didn't you?" she teased.
Ochieng remained silent.
Veronica's fingers twitched on her gun. "Who is he?" she demanded.
Elaine's gaze flickered toward her, amusement gleaming in her eyes. "Ah, the new lover. You have good taste, Ochieng. But she's still too green."
Veronica bristled, but Ochieng raised a hand. "Enough." His voice was sharp. Cold.
Elaine smirked. "Still as commanding as ever."
His eyes bore into hers. "You brought him back, didn't you?"
Elaine's smile deepened. "Oh, love. You give me too much credit. I merely… let fate do its work."
Ochieng's heart pounded.
The man in the photo—Jafari.
The warlord who had once ruled the underworld with an iron fist.
The man Ochieng had buried with his own hands.
If Jafari was back, it meant blood would soon flood the streets.
And Elaine… she had come to warn him?
No.
She was playing both sides.
She always did.
And that made her more dangerous than the devil himself.
---
Ochieng slowly slid the photograph back onto the table.
"What do you want, Elaine?"
Elaine tilted her head, studying him. "Straight to the point. I've always loved that about you."
Ochieng didn't blink. "Talk."
Elaine's expression turned serious. "Jafari wants revenge. And he's not coming alone."
Ochieng expected as much. "How many?"
Elaine's lips curved. "Enough to burn this city to the ground."
Veronica's breath hitched.
Ochieng exhaled slowly. "And you? Whose side are you on?"
Elaine chuckled. "Mine, of course."
Veronica scoffed. "Then why are you here?"
Elaine leaned forward, her expression unreadable.
"Because, darling, whether you like it or not, Ochieng and I… we share unfinished business."
Her fingers traced the rim of her wine glass. "I know Jafari better than anyone. If you want to survive, you need me."
Ochieng stared at her.
The devil in silk.
And the worst part?
She was right.
---
Memories surged through him.
Jafari wasn't just an enemy.
He was the man who had once ruined his life.
A mentor turned monster.
A father figure turned executioner.
And when Ochieng had finally taken his revenge, he had promised himself that chapter was closed.
But now?
It was wide open again.
Veronica crossed her arms. "You really expect us to trust you?"
Elaine grinned. "Oh, no, darling. I expect you to use me. Just like I'll use you."
Ochieng rubbed his temples. "You haven't changed."
Elaine's eyes darkened. "Neither have you."
And that was the real problem, wasn't it?
Because deep down, Ochieng knew—Elaine wasn't just a part of his past.
She was a wound that had never truly healed.
And now, she was back.
Bringing hell with her.
---
Ochieng exhaled. "Fine. We talk. Nothing more."
Elaine's smile widened. "Oh, love. We'll see about that."
She stood, her black silk dress flowing like liquid shadow.
"I'll be in touch."
She turned, walking away.
But before she reached the door, she paused.
"Oh, and Ochieng?"
He looked up.
Elaine's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Jafari… he still remembers."
Then she was gone.
And the weight of her words settled over him like a noose.
Because he knew exactly what she meant.
Jafari remembered everything.
And he wouldn't stop until Ochieng paid the price.
In blood.
---