Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 196

The SUV crawled through the broken streets of Crimson Valley, tires crunching over scattered debris. Jade sat in the back with Night while Ethan and Connor occupied the front seats. Chris followed in another vehicle, maintaining a careful distance.

Night leaned toward Jade, his breath warm against her ear. “Baby, I’ve been thinking,” he said, voice low and intimate. “Why don’t we take action tonight? I’ll go tear apart that drug cartel’s territory, and you can blow up the arms dealer’s compound. With that much chaos, I bet our mystery master will have to show his face.” He stretched his arm across her shoulders. “This shithole is getting on my nerves. The sooner we finish, the sooner you can join me for that vacation in Russia.”

Connor’s head whipped around so fast Jade thought he might give himself whiplash. “Blow up what?” he sputtered. “You want to blow up their territory? The arms dealers?”

Night fixed him with a cold stare. “And who the fuck asked for your opinion?”

Connor immediately turned back to the road, frantically trying to catch Ethan’s attention. “Mr. Haxton, sir—”

Ethan didn’t respond. His gaze remained fixed ahead.

Jade shrugged Night’s arm off. “Let’s wait and see what happens tonight.”

Night pouted but didn’t press further.

The explosions started just after midnight.

Jade was sitting on the edge of the bed in her room when the first blast shook the windows. Within seconds, ten, twelve, fifteen more followed in rapid succession, their echoes reverberating through Crimson Valley like thunder.

Night bolted upright from where he’d been lounging, a gleeful smile spreading across his face. “Damn, baby! When did you plant those bombs? Why didn’t you invite me along for the fun?”

‘I didn’t do this,” Jade said, moving to the window. The night sky glowed orange with distant fires, illuminating the low clouds with an eerie light.

Chris burst through the door without knocking, his usually immaculate appearance slightly disheveled. “Scorpio territory,” he confirmed, slightly out of breath. “Someone just hit at least a dozen of their gambling dens simultaneously,”

Night’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “The military strategist in me is impressed. The jealous friend in me is wondering who’s stealing our thunder.” He turned to Ethan, who had appeared silently in the doorway. “It’s getting dark. Shouldn’t you be leaving? Or are you planning to spend the night?”

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8:21 Thu, Sep 25

Chapter 196

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Ethan’s gaze slid from Night to Jade, his expression unreadable. “I’ll leave when Jade asks me to.”

Jade ignored both of them, focusing on the orange glow in the distance.

97

In the Scorpio family’s headquarters, Loki received the news with a calm that unnerved his subordinates.

“Twelve casinos hit simultaneously,” reported a man with a fresh cut across his cheek. “Military precision. They’re claiming it was the arms dealer’s people.”

Loki nodded slowly, though knowing it was not. “I’ll inform the family about these developments, along with Marcus’s unfortunate demise. Suggest everyone lie low for a while.”

Better to let them burn. We can rebuild, and all of this can be blamed on Marcus. First the auction house, now the casinos. His incompetence was staggering. The family won’t miss him much.

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