章節 14: 13. Kabir

__Kabir POV__

From some news, we got to know about Dev. He was the one, that we don't know about So, I sent Sheena to Dev, knowing she was my best shot at figuring out how he knew about the heist. She was sharp, seductive, and persuasive everything I needed in this situation. She could slip under his radar, get close to him, and find out what he was hiding.

But even as I watched her leave, a part of me wondered if this would be enough. As we didn't even know who Dev was, and that's what bothered me the most. It was like he just appeared out of nowhere—no history, no connections, no trail. It was as if someone had dropped him into the middle of our game, and suddenly he knew everything. The heist, the crew, every detail we had worked to keep buried—Dev had it all figured out.

Sheena, though, could play her part. She was good at making people talk, at making them think they were the ones in control. What Dev didn't know was that she wasn't just a pawn. She was a weapon, for moments like this. But even as I reassured myself of her skills, I couldn't shake the unease creeping in. Dev wasn't an easy target, and if anyone could turn the tables, it would be him.

Still, I had no choice but to take this chance. Dev had crossed a line by knowing too much about my plans, and now I needed answers. Sheena would get them—or I'd have to come up with a more direct solution.

Whoever Dev was, he'd forced his way into our world, and now it was up to me to find out why.

.....

As Sheena headed toward her meeting with Dev, I couldn't help but replay everything we knew or didn't know about him. My instincts were telling me he wasn't just some random player looking to make a quick score. He moved too deliberately, too precisely. There was a purpose behind his actions, something deeper than just knowing about the heist. But what was it?

I had to be honest with myself—this wasn't just about the job anymore. Dev had become a problem. A wild card. And wild cards in my business tend to burn everything down if you let them. That's why Sheena was crucial. She was the best at getting close to people, making them think she was on their side, while really pulling the strings behind the scenes.

But Dev? I wasn't sure if he could be played like the others. I didn't show it, but sending her in made me uneasy. Sheena was smart, but Dev was unpredictable, and unpredictability was dangerous. Still, I needed to take the risk. If she could get him talking, even just a little, maybe we could finally get some leverage.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was Sheena's message: "I'm with him. Will update soon."

I stared at the screen for a moment, feeling the weight of it. She was in now. This was where the real game began. Whatever happened next, one thing was certain—Dev was about to show his hand, and we'd see just how much of a threat he really was.

....

I stared at Sheena's message for a long moment before slipping the phone back into my pocket and turned away from the window, my mind racing. She was with him now, face-to-face with the ghost who'd suddenly disrupted everything. I had to trust her, but that nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach wouldn't go away.

Pacing the room, I ran through every possible outcome. If she played her cards right, Dev would talk—or at least slip up enough to give us something to work with. But if she made one wrong move… I shook the thought away. Sheena was smart, too smart to fall into any traps.

Still, the problem wasn't just Sheena. It was Dev. He wasn't like anyone we'd ever dealt with before, and that made him dangerous. I'd built my empire on reading people, understanding their motivations, their fears, their desires. But Dev? He was a blank slate—no weaknesses to exploit, no clear intentions. Just a man who knew too much.

What if he had planned for this? What if sending Sheena to him was exactly what he wanted? The thought gnawed at me, but I couldn't pull her back now. The game was in motion, and it was too late to fold.

I had to stay sharp, anticipate his next move. If he was testing us, we'd have to respond in kind. But there was no way I'd let him keep the upper hand. Whatever his game was, I would figure it out.

Minutes passed, each one feeling like an hour. The silence was deafening, the waiting unbearable. Finally, my phone buzzed again, snapping me back to reality. the tension thick in the air. The message was from Sheena, and this time it was short, but exactly what I needed: "I got him."

A slow smile spread across my face. She had done it. She had Dev exactly where we needed him. Now, it was just a matter of time before we unraveled everything he knew.

...

I leaned back in my chair, the weight of Sheena's message still heavy on my mind. "I got him." Those three words should have brought relief, but all they did was amplify the doubt gnawing at me. Dev wasn't someone who got cornered so easily. There was something more—there had to be.

I couldn't help but feel that we were playing right into his hands. Still, I had to stay focused. Sheena was in, and the next step was to reel him in slowly, unravel his game piece by piece. The thing with Dev was that he wouldn't give up everything at once. He'd make you think you were in control, just before flipping the board and walking away with your prize.

As I paced the dimly lit room, the tension in the air felt palpable. I had sent Sheena in to get close to Dev, thinking I could manipulate the situation to our advantage. But now, every second felt like a dagger twisting deeper into my gut. I needed information, but I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was off.

I grabbed it instinctively. Call her. I held my breath as I dialed, the sound of her voice sending a rush of adrenaline through me. "Kabir."

But there was something in her tone that sent alarm bells ringing in my mind. It was too breathy, too intimate. I narrowed my eyes, trying to decipher what was happening on the other end. "Sheena? What's going on?"

A pause. "Kabir, I'm with him right now."

My heart sank, the weight of her words crashing over me like a wave. I had sent her to get close, but I hadn't expected this. I clenched my jaw, fury and frustration bubbling to the surface. "Is he talking?" I asked, forcing my voice to remain calm, though I could feel the heat rising within me.

"Not yet," she murmured, and I could hear the faint rustling in the background. My pulse quickened. "But he's… responding."

I cursed under my breath, the pit of my stomach twisting. Sheena was good at her job, but Dev was a wildcard—too unpredictable for my liking. "Stay focused," I said, my voice low and firm. "Don't let him play you."

"I know what I'm doing, Kabir," she replied, her tone carrying a hint of irritation. I hated this—hated feeling like I was losing control. "Trust me."

Trust? It was hard to trust when I could practically feel Dev's presence seeping through the phone. "You're playing a dangerous game," I warned, but I could sense her resolve weakening. I had to keep her focused; she was our best shot at unraveling Dev's game.

There was a moment of silence, and then I heard her voice drop to a whisper. "I'll call you later, Kabir."

Before I could respond, the line went dead. I stood there, my heart racing, the phone still pressed to my ear. This wasn't how I wanted things to go, but I had to let her play her part. I had sent her in to reel him in, but it felt like she was the one being caught in his web.

I slipped the phone back into my pocket and stared out the window, the city lights flickering in the distance like distant stars. This was no longer just about a heist; it was a battle for control. If I didn't stay sharp, Dev would take everything from us—including Sheena.

My mind raced with the implications of what I had just heard. I felt a surge of anger, but it was mixed with something else—fear. Fear of losing her to him. I couldn't let that happen. Not to her. Not to my plan.

I had to find a way to regain control, to pull her back from the edge before it was too late. I could already feel the tight grip of despair wrapping around me, but I wouldn't let it consume me. I was Kabir, and I would do whatever it took to keep her safe.

As I turned away from the window, determination surged through me. I would figure this out. I would get Sheena back. Whatever it took.