Jess winced as Leo forced her to the ground on her knees. He tightened her blindfold and walked around to face her. Her eyes were covered but he could still tell she as tense. Her full lips pressed into a tight line, her shoulders drawn forward, and her arms flexed.

She was waiting for him to make a move.

He tilted her chin up watching the fabric around her eyes wrinkle slightly. She was frowning. Probably confused.

"How are you going to get out of this one?" he asked dropping her chin and standing.

"I-I don't know," she admitted pulling at the rope tying her hands. She yelped feeling her head yanked back as Leo grabbed the tails of the blindfold.

"What are you going to do when they think they have you cornered? When they think they have you caught?"

Jess gulped trying to think.

"I don't know will get you killed," he pushed pulling the tails a little harder. He leaned closer to her ear and continued, "If you're ever in this position—when you're caught—they're going to let their guard down. They're going to think you're trapped. They're going to be busy taunting you. You might even have a gun pointed at your head. We don't what you to even be in this position, but if you are. . .how are you going to get out?"

"How am I going to get out?" she muttered working the small knife out of her wraps holding it between her knees and cutting the rope on it. She let out a breath when the knot gave. She wrapped a newly freed arm around Leo's neck pulling him closer and rolled her weight knocking him off balance.

He landed on his shell with a thud and a small knife at his throat.

Jess yanked off the blindfold surprised that she'd actually done it.

"Nice," he said gently pushing the knife away from his neck. "You got out of it."

"I did," she breathed with a grin and let him up.

"Where did you get that?"

"Raph. He said it might come in handy," Jess explained slipping the small knife back into her wraps. "Break?"

Leo nodded, "Yeah, we're done for today. I have to go meet Karai."

Jess watched him leave the dojo dropping her wraps into a basket. She ran her thumb along the knife Raph had given her. Even as she and Leo formed a plan that just might work, she knew there were too many loose ends. Problems would arise. More bloodshed. Their current plan was to take Laker out, dead or alive, and effectively cut the head off the dragon—or so they hoped. But that would still leave a power struggle in the city.

Turning she left the dojo deep in thought. She paused in the living room considering her options then went to the lab. She knocked waiting patiently. Donnie opened the door a bit surprised to see her but welcomed her in nonetheless.

He noted her furrowed brows and tense shoulders. "Are you alright?" he asked, sitting back down in his chair.

Jess paced silently thinking trying to decide if what she was about to ask was a good idea. Her eyes flickered up to Donnie but shifted almost immediately back to the floor. "I want Karai's number. I want to talk to her."

Donnie's mouth fell open in surprise, but he quickly regained his composure. "Why?"

Jess met his eyes searching his face for a moment before speaking, "I just have some questions about Hun. I figured she would know something that you guys don't." She waited a beat for him to respond, but he didn't so she continued, "I just—I just can't shake the feeling we're missing something, Don."

Donnie sat back in his chair considering it. "What more do you want to know about Hun? How is that going to help—"

"He was my father, Donnie," she cut off. "I just want to know more about him and the Dragons," she explained further after taking a breath.

He hesitated but grabbed a pen and scribbled down Karai's number on a scrap piece of paper. Before he handed to off to Jess, he pulled back meeting her eyes with a warning. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

Jess took the paper, folding it into her hand and gave a curt thank you.


Leo waited just outside the sewer entrance for Karai. When a black sedan pulled into the spill way, he stepped out of the shadows just as Karai and Ryu stepped out from the back seat.

"Leonardo," Karai greeted. Ryu stood beside her scowling and adjusting the suitcase in his hand.

"Hi, Ryu," Leo said hoping to start off on a good foot with the boy, but he ignored him.

Karai glared at her son. "Ryu, be kind to Leonardo. He is being kind enough to watch you while I am in Japan."

"I just don't understand why I have to stay here in stupid New York. Why can't I just go to Japan with you? I can take care of myself."

"Your father and I have already decided. You will be staying with Leonardo until your start school again. End of discussion," she bit out.

Ryu grumbled under his breath but followed Leo into the sewers stopping to watch his mother get back in the car already on her phone talking to someone.

"Come on," Leo said taking the luggage from Ryu's hand, "the lair's not fair."

The younger boy wrinkled his nose. "Glad to know it still smells like ass."

Leo let out a breathy laugh. "Not much we can do about that, unfortunately. Some things have changed since your last stay with us."

"How do you mean?" Ryu asked following behind Leo closely as they wound through the dark sewers.

Leo stopped and pulled the pipe that opened the door to their home and stepped in. "Follow me. There are a few people I want you to meet."

Ryu followed Leo to the dojo where Raph was instructing training with their teens. Ryu could hardly believe what he was seeing. When his mother had returned from the Christmas party, she had mentioned that the turtle brothers had found children like them. He'd taken that as more mutated turtles, not actual half human children.

Raph noticed them and called for a break.

Ryu flinched when the blonde girl suddenly stood in front of him with a scrutinizing look. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Andrea asked innocently.

"Ok," Leo said rolling his eyes, "this is Ryu. He will be staying with us for a few weeks. Andrea, I've talked to Amber, you're going to stay with her and Mira. Nikki, Ryu is going to take Andrea's bunk."

Nikki shook Ryu hand, "Nice to meet you."

Ryu looked the boy in front of him and glanced at Raphael standing on the other side of the dojo discussing something with Mikey. The resemblance was uncanny. "Nice to meet you, too."

"Alright, back to training," Leo ordered. "Ryu, would you like to join us?"

"Sure," he said, "I'll go change."


"Get in, I don't have much time."

Jess got in the car feeling a pit in her stomach. "Thank you for agreeing to talk with me, Karai."

The older woman considered Jess for a moment. "I want nothing to do with this gang war, Jess, and I don't wish to get involved with something that doesn't have Leonardo's blessing."

"I just want some advice," Jess said quietly, thinking over her plan slowly coming together.

"Alright, what do you wish to know?"

"You have experience with gang wars, right?"

Karai met Jess's hazel eyes noting how the younger woman looked exhausted. "It was a long time ago, but, yes, I have some experience."

"How do you get out of one?"

"You know that there is not an easy answer to that."

"You're right let me rephrase. How far should I be willing to go to end one?"

Karai thought for a moment. "You really wanted to talk to me just for that? You know that answer, don't you?" Jess was silent and looked away. "What is it you want to know, Jess?"

"Russo."

"Russo? I don't understand."

"Leo and I are coming up with a plan, but it leaves too many loose ends."

It was then that Karai realized what Jess was asking.

"I have a duty to fix what Hun started," Jess started, meeting Karai's eyes with a feeling Karai was familiar with. "As much as I don't want anything to do with this, I don't have a choice—not one I'm willing to make anyway. Russo could offer a solution. But it also feels like making a deal with the devil. Every gang wants me dead, Karai. I just want people to stop dying."

Karai thought for a moment thinking about her own struggle with power. "You haven't spoken to Leonardo about this have you?"

"He wouldn't even consider it."

"I hope you can understand I can't tell you what to do in this situation, but I can offer you some advice. You must trust yourself and don't second guess your choices. It could get you killed."

Jess nodded thanking Karai and asked the driver to pull over.


Chief Vincent met Jess in the parking garage of the NYPD headquarters a little miffed at her sudden arrival. "What is so important that you couldn't wait till the end of the week?"

"I didn't want Leo here."

Vincent came to a halt.

"Or Lila. Neither of them would like what I'm about to propose."

"Ok. . ." Chief Vincent said, "what exactly are you proposing?"

"A meeting with Russo."

Vincent scoffed taking a step back, "Russo? Are you insane?"

Jess crossed her arms her frown deepening. "Look, the plan we're coming up with will only add more problems to your plate. If we kill Laker or lock him up for good—which isn't even guaranteed with a jury—that still leaves the dragons without a leader. There could be another power struggle, they could disband, they could do a number of things, but there will still be a fight over territory for months."

Vincent considered Jess's perspective knowing the younger woman was right.

"I know you want gangs gone from the city for good or at least manageable but making a deal with Russo could bring that closer to reality."

"The NYPD can't just make a deal with a known mobster, Jessica."

"I'm not asking the NYPD. I will."

Vincent shifted her weight trying to think how this would pan out in the end deciding to entertain the idea. "What are you planning?"

"Russo has been the main rival of the Dragons. Recently they've taken a good chunk of Dragon territory. It's clear what they want. So, we give it to him with conditions."

"Conditions?"

"Obviously there will be some negotiation."

"You realize that this will just make Russo a bigger problem, right?"

"Not necessarily. When we take out Laker and hand over the territory, they will be busy building ranks to defend the new territory which gives the NYPD the opportunity to plant undercover cops and do what we've been doing."

"You're right, Leo and Lila would not like this," she muttered starting to pace. "There's a lot that could go wrong here, Jess. You going to Russo could get you kill. Who's to say the moment one of his gang member see you they don't kill you?"

"If we don't try, there will just be more bloodshed."

"Say this crazy plan does work, how are you even going to find Russo?"

Jess smiled, "I'll figure that out. Think about it. Let me know." Jess started walking out of the garage pulling up the hood of her coat.

Chief Vincent watched her go mentally arguing with herself. "Damn," she cursed heading back to her office.


Jess looked down at her phone and the message from Leo asking where she was. Her thumbs hovered over the keyboarded debating her answer. Did she want to lie? Come clean? Make up some excuse?

She settled on saying she went for a walk and would be home soon. Not a whole lie, but she still felt guilty.

With her conversation with Chief Vincent still fresh she entered the club making a b-line upstairs.

The guard at the stairway to the third floor stopped her.

"Tell Ry it's Jess. He's been expecting me," Jess said to the guard, but he didn't move. "Please."

The man thought for a moment but went of stairs. Just as Jess was getting impatient, he returned and let her go up. She entered the lavish room finding it quiet and not hazy with smoke.

Ry stood by the bar pouring himself a drink. "I thought you didn't need the money," he mocked sipping his whiskey.

"I don't, I have a favor to ask."

Ry quirked a brow turning to face his old partner. "A favor? What have you done to earn a favor?"

"Saved your life on multiple occasions for starters."

Ry pursed his lips taking another swig of whiskey. "What is it you want?" he huffed setting his glass down on the counter.

"I want a meeting with Russo."

"Are you fucking crazy?" he scoffed walking out from behind the bar. "That's a death wish. You wouldn't believe how many people have come to me wanting you dead! I've had to hire more security and you just want to walk into hell and have a nice till chat with the devil?"

Jess wrinkled her nosed at the smell of alcohol on his breath leaning away from him. "You've been good to me, Ry, but I need to do this so I can stop the gang war. I need Russo's help to do that."

Ry looked at her hard but looked away with a huff shaking his head. "I'll give you his number but you're on your own from there."

Jess took the sticky note from Ry shoving it in her pocket. "Thank you, Ry."

"I'm going to regret this. I hope you know what you're doing."

"I'm just trying to do what's right, Ry."

"Just. . .go," he muttered going back to the bar.

Jess did as told and walked out of the club typing the number into her phone hesitating at hitting the call button. She decided to wait until she was in the sewer. Safely underground she hit call. Her heart stopped as the dial tone started only to start up again with a frenzy when a gruff, annoyed voice answered.

"Who is this? How'd ya get this numbah?"

"Russo. . . My name is Demonio. I want to talk with you."


I just want to clarify that book 2 will be posted right after this so don't fret! The first chapter of book 2 will be post in a few days as usual. I split it up into 'books' because it was easier to outline.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. There's still so much to come and book 2 is my favorite! Let me know what you think!