Thanks for welcoming me back guys! It means alot to me

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Chapter 2

Rayn groaned as she buried her head heavily into her palms. She didn't get much sleep because of the unfortunate experience she had last night. Taking over the city and leading a bunch of brainless beer drinking muscle heads were not going to be an easy task. She shuddered at the thought of having to walk into the Bloody Hook in leather and puffy hair just to get them to show her some sort of kindness. Scary thought.

"Some wine madam?"

She shook her head and waved her servant away.

She was running out of ideas and frankly, running out of patience. The only thing that helped to highlight her slowly crumbling life was Jak's winning streak in the races. Jak had sent word to her this morning about the explosives on his car being the same ones used to kill Blitz's father. Blitz refused to help them. She thought that was too strange to let go so she already sent some of her men to go and investigate why. She couldn't help but feel Blitz was related to this one way or another, related to Mizo the biggest Crime Lord in Kras.

Although the races were getting somewhere, her plans for swooning over her enemies with her convincing words of promise were utterly failing. To only think that there was less than two months before the end of the races and if she didn't straighten up, some other Crime Lord would take over in her stead once Mizo was gone. She couldn't let that happen. The Krew family was already right under Mizo in power but with the way things were, that could easily be changed.

Elbows resting on her mahogany desk, she began to massage her temples. As she watched the replay of that entry from her father when she came back from the bar last night, she couldn't contain the urge to throw random objects through his hologram, father or not. His little leverage plan didn't work and that's probably why he didn't last very long. It almost got a knife to her throat for being nosey. Now she knew better.

Singing birds led her eyes to the window as she lost herself in her daze. There was nothing to do but worry and she was tired of doing it. She also found herself rather…lonely at times in such a fancy and large condo such as this one. No matter which Krew property she would visit, none seemed to make her feel quite at home. She'd rather have been living in the bad side of Haven in her father's bar.

Somehow she stirred up the will to flip open her cell phone and make a call.

"Yes, the meeting is still on. Mmm hmm. Good. I'll be there"

Short but straight to the point. Even though things seemed downhill, she always had the ambition to keep going. Maybe that was what had taken her this far.

"Here we go," she huffed out in a breath before she got up from her heavy wooden chair. She rotated her shoulders back with a crack and began walking out of the office. She needed a tough face to show at the meeting. It was her first meeting with the Crime Lords, excluding Mizo in which they were all trying to overthrow, since the races began.

She would need all the luck she could get. If she couldn't win over his goons yet, she'd at least work on the bigger fish to fry. Maybe finding out Mizo's identity and defeating him in the races would be enough to win his goons over anyway.

Somehow she thought that when it came to Razer, it wouldn't work that way. He wouldn't work for someone simply because of the change of authority.

Her fists clenched at the image of his smug face from last night. As much as he irritated her, he was absolutely one of the most valuable pawns in the business and she needed him to side with her. His skills were enough to replace half of Mizo's goons because she knew none could match up to him. That's why no one in the bar dared to question him when he hoisted her out of there before.

It was almost as if he was the boss instead of Mizo although only she knew the true story behind that. Thanks to her father, she knew the truth. She needed to take that truth and use it to her advantage. She needed to meddle with it, Razer's hate for Mizo.

For now, she'd worry about that meeting.

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"What!" Her palms hit the round table in protest as she stared around at the rest of the seats. They were occupied with at least seven men in suits, mostly middle aged to elderly. One of the men spoke up.

Middle aged, brunette and had a curly mustache hiding his slick devious smile. He seemed to find it amusing that she was so easily disturbed by his words. Maybe he was into that sort of thing. Lucien, she was already learning to become disgusted with that name.

"I said, what makes you think that you may be fit to take over this city after Mizo's demise"

All the other men grunted in agreement and she shook her head. "Fit? Now what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It seems that you are… lacking in some things"

Now she couldn't help but cringe at the insult. "Lacking eh? You mean like you're lacking in the funds to provide you with the rule over this city even if you wanted to take my place?"

A satisfied grin was placed on his face instead of anger. She was sure she had hit one of his weaknesses and he didn't even flinch the slightest bit.

"I can obtain the funds…soon enough"

Before she could throw another comeback at him, another man spoke. So very calm, all of them. This angered her even more.

"The Krew Dynasty doesn't seem stable. We may have to rethink our dependence on you or Mizo's end may never come"

"Rethink your depende-," she cleared her throat in an effort to keep calm. "My team is the one winning all the races here in case you haven't noticed".

"Yes, yes we have noticed. However it doesn't do any good if Mizo will not come out or if his identity is not revealed. He'll just fight back and rebuild"

"No he won't. We will have him destroyed completely," she was sure of herself. At least she was trying to sound this way.

"How? Have you even gotten the slightest clue as to who Mizo really is?"

Her mouth hung open in hesitation, searching for words to spill out of it. It was true. Although she had sent out her spies to pick up any piece of dirt they could find, Mizo was very good at hiding. They were still unable to figure it out. It seemed that none of his bar drunken goons ever went anywhere but their own homes, the tracks and the Bloody Hook. None had ever had any contact with any man strangely particular or traveled anywhere suspicious. There was no trace of that damn man anywhere.

"Well I- we-"

"Enough said, we're running out of time right now and these meetings must be held briefly and secretively. We can discuss this at another time along with other options"

Funny how when he said options, he glared right at her. All the men nodded before they stood up from their chairs and walked out through the thick metal doors in silence. No one knew the other's destination or plans once outside those doors and outside the warehouse.

They were all enemies outside the warehouse but it was only Mizo's power that brought such enemies together in a plan to bring him down. He was taking their men, by recruit or by death, taking over their businesses and leeching their money dry. He was destroying the rest of them bit by bit and somehow they needed to get rid of him.

After being left in the room alone, she banged her fists on the now empty round table.

"Damn it Mizo, I swear by my father's death I will find you"

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After a few minutes of tending to her private tantrum she opened the doors outside the warehouse. It was on the outskirts of Kras City and there were many others like this near other cities depending on wherever the other races were held. This was where they held their meetings. This was where they'd part and act as if nothing ever happened.

However right now, she couldn't act as if nothing ever happened. Inside her head, she was screeching from the top of her lungs hoping that some fluke of Mar would rescue her from her misery.

Maybe the scream in her mind was so loud and so disturbing, it was somehow heard.

"Having a hard time I see"

The voice made her almost jump from her shoes. She spun her head to the empty deserted grasslands outside the warehouse only to see nothing. Finally she turned back around to face the warehouse. There he was wearing that smug grin again. This man was like the devil and it seemed that he knew. He knew it all too well.

"I'm in no such mood to deal with you right now," she spat at him in anger. She was so angry she didn't care how her words sounded to him. She didn't care if they might provoke him or strike him as being rebellious. Right now a knife to her throat sounded pleasant, anything to put her out of this torture.

Razer shrugged his shoulders and smiled again. What was it about men that they found her so amusing when she wanted to kill something, when she was so pissed off? What was so funny to them?

As he was about to raise a cigarette to his lips she began to walk towards him in a rush, obviously angry and most likely going to take it out on him. Not a wise choice but understandable.

Before his lighter could greets its white edge with a burn, her delicate fingers slipped between his hand holding the lighter and his fingers holding the cigarette. She quickly pulled it out from him, almost squeezing it in half. Almost like she wanted to break it but wouldn't risk breaking it if she knew what was good for her. These were Razer's fixes and those…you don't mess with.

She raised it to his view, shaking it violently, "This! This is a disgusting habit!"

Razer said nothing. He was trying not to laugh because of such a petite young woman such as herself acting like such a princess so furiously; it would make any man laugh. It was like a small girl stomping for some ice cream. He was sure it angered her more because she had no idea what she looked like to others. She had no idea why she was so amusing.

A princess, in such a world that only criminals knew of, there was no such thing. This was something she had not yet realized.

Seeing that he had no response, it seemed her angry energy drained away before she slumped back against the wall. She didn't care that the man next to her was her enemy, she didn't care that she was making herself very vulnerable right now. Nothing really mattered.

The cigarette was still in her hand unlit as she rested her head against the cold concrete wall of the warehouse. She stared ahead at her vehicle buried behind green shrubs almost forgetting that Razer was there. She hadn't even bothered to question why he was there talking to her but at the moment, she was a bit relieved to have someone, anyone there to keep her from going insane.

The black and crimson lighter to her face made her blink back into reality. She stared at the lighter dumbfounded and then back at Razer. He wasn't looking at her. Instead he inhaled on another cigarette that he must've lit when she dazed off as he offered her the lighter.

Hesitating at first, she cautiously brought her hand up to his and took the lighter from his hand. He let go only to bring his hand into his pocket as he smoked silently. She looked at him for some sort of facial expression but there was none.

Finally giving up and taking the risk, she brought the cigarette to press her red lips around. He eyed her from the corner of his eye, entertained by her attempting to smoke most likely for the first time in her life. Maybe she had been around smokers but had never really tried it herself. Inhaling it and actually smoking it were two different things.

Let's see what you're capable of Krew's girl…

The orange light against her sharp feminine eyes glowed attractively as she lit it. Her red lips staining the white on the cigarette tastefully. The way her fingers held it to her lips almost looked graceful until…until…

The cigarette fell to the floor as she threw it down in disgust. Tears welling up in her eyes as she hacked and coughed from inhaling such poisonous fumes into her lungs. This time Razer couldn't help but laugh.

Very ladylike, very…

"Disgusting- cough- horrib-," she wheezed as she inhaled sharply, finally realizing that Razer had the widest smile she'd ever seen on such a blood lusting man. It was a bit scary as well as severely embarrassing.

Finally she was able to contain herself and catch her breath, so was Razer. Her cheeks were redder than the lipstick she wore and he knew it had nothing to do with her loss of breath earlier. Women were such fragile things.

Razer opened his palm, the corner of his mouth stretched in amusement. She practically shoved the lighter back into his palm before he closed his fingers around it and placed it back in his pocket.

"Too bad…" was all he said as he went down the steps of the warehouse, walking away from her.

Her eyes widened with confusion. Too bad? What kind of thing was that to say? What was that supposed to mean? Somehow she couldn't help but feel that she missed something. Then it struck her. He must've looked down at her. That had to be it.

Full with another whim of determination, this one more confident than the one earlier when she first tried the cigarette she ran after him. Forcefully spinning him around to face her she pulled away the cigarette still damp from his lips and halfway smoked. She was tired of being underestimated.

You think I don't have what it takes? I'll show you.

Before he could say or do anything to her she shoved his cigarette in her lips and inhaled, this time more relaxed and less rushed. His green eyes narrowed intensely on her, watching her. She paid him no mind as she closed her eyes, letting the warmness of the smoke smolder in her mouth and through her nostrils as she exhaled. It was a slight buzz when it traveled and lingered through her nose and lips. Now she understood just a bit why people tended to enjoy it so well, especially through times of stress.

She opened her eyes to meet his; intensely fixed on each other she took another try at it. It still made her eyes burn and it still tempted her lungs to cough but she made herself do it. She used all she had to hide it.

Razer didn't spit at her for taking his cigarette from him. He didn't pull a knife to her throat for touching him with such force. He didn't press her to the floor for over stepping her boundaries. Instead, a satisfied look became evident on his face.

"Guts. You may not have enough at times but its there"

Was that a compliment or an insult?

"Your ambition intrigues my curiosity…far too much to ignore"

Her eyes stood wide in surprise. No threats. No violence. No death. She was still here and he was…impressed?

She watched as he started heading around the warehouse, possibly to where he parked his vehicle in the back. Just as she was about to follow he raised a hand to stop her, a business card in his two fingers.

"Meet me at the bridge in Kras City tomorrow night. 3 AM"

"Three in the morning? But I-"

"No refusals. We're still enemies. We cannot be seen. Show up or never step within my personal bounds again"

She nodded even though he wasn't facing her to see it. She was sure he already knew she'd agree. The card flew to the ground behind him as he walked on, silently with a wave as he always did. After his figure had vanished and she was sure he heard the rumbles of his vehicle fading away from the back of the warehouse she moved forward to pick up his card.

It was plain white. Just a hand written phone number and that was all. Funny how it was just like him. Couldn't tell what he was thinking but at the same time he was straight to the point. Never said or did anything unnecessary.

It was then that she knew for sure, it really was her ambition that had gotten her that far. Now hopefully it would take her all the way to the winner's circle.

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Srry if this sounded like a commercial about peer pressure or smoking. Smoking is bad kids. Hope the scene was as intense as I hoped it would be. Hope you liked.