"I don't know his full name, but I already know the first," she said before sitting down on the couch and leaning back.

Mason and I sat side by side while she took a seat across from us.

She crossed one leg over the other. Then, she pulled out a piece of paper from the brown envelope she'd brought with her earlier.

My gaze fixed on it, and my brow arched as I noticed the long list of names written on the sheet. I couldn't decipher its meaning right away.

Evangeline opened her mouth, ready to explain her findings, but Mason interrupted her.

"Is that enough?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her before crossing his arms.

More blood smeared across his clothes from the motion. Not that he seemed to care.

But I did. I grimaced at how messy he looked. Both Evangeline and I were starting to feel uneasy. He looked like a criminal who had just escaped from prison. "Can you let me explain first?" Evangeline shot back, a smirk curled at the corner of her lips. "And clean yourself up. You look like you've been through war." "Because I have," Mason retorted with a grin, glancing down at his blood-soaked shirt.

He raised his hands, nearly as red as his clothes from all the blood.

"Here." I handed him my black handkerchief to at least wipe his face, but he waved it off.

"I don't need that," he replied, his grin widening. "I like what I'm seeing right now."

A shiver ran down my spine at his words. When I looked at him, it was as though his bloodlust had been awakened, and he was reveling in it. Would he grow fond of this feeling, or was it just temporary?

He can't stay involved in this. Even if I didn't act, Simon would definitely kick him out if he learned about everything that happened today.

"Attention here, everyone," Evangeline called out, clapping her hands sarcastically.

We'd momentarily forgotten she was about to share something important.

"He has a pretty unique name, I'd say."

"What is it?" I asked coldly, while Mason remained silent, listening to us.

"Azrael." My eyebrow arched even higher at the name.

She was right; it was a unique name for a guy.

Glancing at Mason, I noticed his eyes widen slightly, but I chose to ignore it.

"I only found out a little about him. If I hadn't killed his spy earlier, we might've learned more," she admitted with a shrug, massaging her temples.

What she did wasn't impulsive; she knew the consequences of her actions. But the thought that more spies might exist in this organization terrified me.

It made me doubt myself and my leadership even more. How did someone like that infiltrate this place? The spy she killed might have held the answer to my question, but...

"Then why did you kill him?" I asked, my face full of confusion.

"I didn't want that fucking Azrael to think we're pushovers," she growled, clenching her right fist tightly. "The moment he decided to mess with your life, he dragged all of us into this fight. You'll never have to battle alone." Her serious tone left me momentarily speechless. It had been so long since we'd shared a deep bond, but every time I remembered our past, it felt surreal.

There was a time when she constantly picked fights with me, yet here she was, stepping up to defend me.

Talk about character development.

"How did you know about this?" I asked curiously as I stood and moved to sit beside her.

But my eyes widened, and I grimaced when she suddenly sprayed alcohol all over me. I waved my right hand in protest. "Fuck, Evangeline! I'm clean, okay?"

"Just making sure," she replied, putting the alcohol back in her bag before tossing the papers at me without warning.

If she weren't my cousin, I'd have cursed her out by now.

"Their tattoo... Special forces," she whispered, pointing to the document. "Tanner thought it could be a lead, and he was right. Their leader's name is Azrael."

It was a list of the people who had cornered me during my last mission. I nodded, unable to hide my admiration for how detailed the document was.

Sometimes, I felt like asking Tanner to tutor Kesha because of his skill.

If this Azrael guy could recruit from the special forces and plant a spy in my organization, his connections were anything but ordinary.noveldrama

He could have rivaled Haze's influence.

"Azrael..." I murmured, trying to recall the name, but nothing came to mind. "Do you have a picture of him? Like his real face?"

I wasn't sure if it was the same guy I almost killed before. With such a unique name, it shouldn't be easy to forget.

"Mind telling me more about that?" she asked, intrigued.

"Remember when you showed me that head?" I was referring to the realistic mask she'd brought to the hospital back then. "He had plastic surgery this time. He completely copied Ash's identity." Her eyes widened.

"I'm not sure if it's the same guy I mentioned before. I need to confirm," I told her.

The situation confused me even more. Why would someone go to such lengths to target me? Sacrificing his authentic identity to mimic Ash's was absurd.

It was something only a person with a deep personal grudge would do-or someone just really ugly.

While thinking, I glanced at Mason. My brows furrowed as I noticed how lost in thought he seemed.

"Mason..." I called out when I saw him staring blankly into the distance. "Are you okay?"

He flinched as I stood and flicked his forehead lightly, snapping him out of his thoughts. I expected him to get mad, but he remained dazed.

"Yes..." he answered, though he still seemed out of it. "I'll go clean up."

Before I could respond, he stood and walked toward the bathroom. His eyes held a confused, faraway look.

What just happened to him?

***

"This is impossible..."

Mason stood motionless under the shower as the water cascaded over his entire body. He endured the cold water flowing down his skin, but it was nothing compared to the shock of the words Evangeline had uttered earlier. It was the name of the person who was ruining his sister's life.

He glanced at the blood mixing with the water as it washed off his body. A smirk briefly crossed his lips, but it faded quickly as he remembered who that man was connected to.

"Azrael..." he murmured into the silence, the sound of the running water was the only noise around him. "You died back then. I'm certain of it."

His thoughts traveled back to their shared history.