Page 2 of Alessio DeLuca

I take a deep breath, mind racing. “Fifty percent of whatever we take,” I say, forcing my voice to come out steady. “Half for me, half for your crew.”

There’s a moment of stunned silence, and I can feel the tension in the room. Ghost leans forward, his eyes narrowing. “Fifty percent,” he repeats, his voice dangerously low. “That’s a hell of a cut for a newbie.”

I meet his gaze head-on, refusing to back down. “I’m not a newbie,” I say, my voice ringing with conviction. “You know that. And if we pull this off, we’re set for life.”

He stares at me for a long moment, expression unreadable. Then, he throws his head back and laughs.

“You got balls, kid,” he says, shaking his head. “I’ll give you that. But hacking the DeLucas… that’s a big fucking risk. If we get caught… we’re all dead.”

I nod, my heart pounding. “I know. I got a plan. If we do it right, they’ll never even know we were there.”

Ghost leans back in his chair, eyes glinting with something that might be respect. “All right, kiddo,” he finally replies, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Let’s hear this plan of yours. And it better be fucking good.”

I grin, fucking giddy with excitement. “Oh, it is,” I respond. “Trust me. This is gonna be a huge score.”

And with that, I launch into my pitch, my words tumbling out in a rush as I lay out every detail of my plan. The vulnerabilities in the DeLucas’ systems, the backdoors and loopholes I’ve spent months uncovering. The way we can steal millions without anyone realizing it, a little bit from each of their secret off-shore accounts until we’ve amassed a fortune.

As I talk, I can feel the energy in the room shift, skepticism turning to growing excitement. The other hackers lean in closer, their eyes glinting. Even Ghost seems impressed, his gaze narrowing as he listens to my every word.

When I finally finish, there’s a moment of silence. Then, Ghost leans forward, his elbows resting on the desk. “If this works… if we actually pull this off…” He shakes his head.

I nod, my heart pounding with pride. “I know,” I say, voice trembling. “And we’re gonna do it.”

Ghost grins wickedly. “Well,” he says, eyes glinting with anticipation. “Let’s get to work.”

And with that, we dive in, our fingers flying over keyboards and our minds racing. We work through the night and into the next day, fueled by caffeine and adrenaline . And some other shit the team offers me but I have no interest in.

It’s not easy. The DeLucas’ systems are a fucking fortress, wrapped in layers of encryption and security protocols that would make a lesser hacker weep. But not me. I’m fucking Thunder!

I lose myself in the code, in the thrill of the hunt. The entire world falls away, and there’s nothing but me and the screen, the dance of numbers and symbols that hold the key to our fortune.

And then, just when I think I can’t take anymore, just when my eyes are burning and my fingers are numb from typing… We’re in. We’re fucking in!!

A cheer goes up from the other hackers as the DeLucas’ accounts light up on the screen, the numbers ticking up and up and up as we take our cut. It’s a fucking thing of beauty.

But even as the rush of the hack fades into a warm, satisfied glow… I can’t shake the feeling that something’s not right.

And then, just as I’m about to voice my concerns… all hell breaks fucking loose.

The door to the hideout bursts open, the sound of splintering wood and shattering glass filling the air. I whirl around, my heart in my throat, as a group of men in dark suits pour into the room, their guns drawn and their faces grim.

“Fuck!” Ghost shouts, leaping to his feet.

Panic surges through me, hot and sharp. This can’t be happening. We were so careful, so fucking precise. How did they find us?

Everything after that is a blur.

I remember running, my heart pounding in my ears as I tried to lose myself in the labyrinth of alleyways and side streets. But they were too fast, too strong. They caught me before I even made it three blocks. The goons on us in seconds, their hands rough as they grab us and haul us to our feet. I struggle against their grip, my heart pounding and my breath coming in short, sharp gasps.

“On your feet, little girl,” a voice snarls, the cold metal of a gun biting into my skin. “We’re gonna fucking teach you about boundaries and fucking respect.”

I swallow hard, my mouth dry. I’m hauled to my feet, dragged kicking and screaming to a waiting car…

* * *

Alessio

I turn to my right-hand man, my eyes never leaving the car in front of us where a young woman was pushed through, as it peels away from the curb. “This is the girl who fucking started it? Bring her to me,” I say, voice low and hard.

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