Kenzo y in bed, a tangle of sheets pooled around his waist, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. A faint light filtered through the windows of his loft, illuminating the cracks and peeling paint of the walls around him. Dust motes danced zily in the air, drifting through shafts of sunlight.

  His thoughts meandered, recalling the events of the previous day. His talk with the Dusk Tillers' leader revealed little, and whatever pn Virgil had brewing, it was only going to end one way—lots of killing. It always came to that in the end.

  That plicated things.

  His gaze drifted over to the woman sleeping beside him.

  Kasumi.

  The m light cast her in a soft glow, highlighting the tours of her athleti beh the thi. Her hair, usually so precise and trolled, was a wild cascade across the pillow. Her body was led against his, the warmth radiating off of her skin. Her bare chest rose and fell steadily, and her breathing was slow and regur.

  In sleep, her features softehe hard edges of her daytime persona were repced by a gentler version—a mask she only ever showed in the early hours of dawn. Kenzo's gaze followed the curve of her body, taking in every detail, every scar, and tattoo etched into her ivory skin.

  Memories of the previous night flooded his mind, and a smile spread across his face. It was like this every time they ended up iogether, a tangled mess of limbs and lust.

  He reached for her, trag the outline of her cheek with his calloused thumb. Her skin was smooth beh his touch. His fingers brushed the edge of her lips, trag their curve. Kasumi shifted in her sleep, unsciously moving closer to him.

  He allowed his hand to trail lower, along the line of her jaw, and down the n of her neck. His haed lightly on the rise of her colrbone, barely toug her skin.

  She stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She gazed at him sleepily.

  "Mmm, you're awake," Kasumi murmured, leaning into his touch. Her voice, husky with sleep, had a sultry hat sent a pleasant shiver running down his spine uo the drug that bore its name.

  "Just admiring the view." Kenzo leaned in, pnting a soft kiss on her forehead. She pressed herself against him, her lips finding his. The kiss was nguid at first, but deepened as he responded, his toeasing hers.

  Kasumi pulled away after a while, her eyelids heavy.

  She stretched nguidly, the motion causing the sheets to slip, revealing the swell of her breasts and the tours of her toned body. She sank bato the pillows with a sigh, her leg sliding over his, trapping him betweehighs.

  Kenzo swallowed hard, taking a moment to pose himself.

  "Did you enjoy st night?" Kasumi purred, her firailing absently over his chest. Her nails left marks on his skin, leaving faint red lines in their wake.

  "Yeah." He smiled at her. "I e. A lot."

  "Good. I'm gd. It was fun." Kasumi hummed softly, snuggling closer to him. "Want to go again?"

  His reply caught in his throat as he felt the press of her breasts against him. He cleared his throat and forced a chuckle. "Ahem, ah, maybe ter, okay? I'm kind of tired after st night."

  "That's a shame. I was hoping we could take a shower and have round two together." Kasumi pouted, trag a line down his abdomen with a slender finger. "Wash your back. Soap your chest. Rub your—"

  Kenzo silenced her with a kiss, his tongue plunging deep into her mouth. He teased her, drawing out a moan from her throat. After a few moments, he broke off. "You're dangerous. If you keep that up, I won't be able to resist."

  She gave him a ile, tilting her head to the side. "Is that a bad thing?"

  "For me, yeah. I'd like to enjoy this for longer. Let's take things slowly today. Is that okay?"

  Kasumi nuzzled his neodding her agreement. "Mhm, I don't mind. As long as you promise we'll pick this back up tonight."

  "I promise," Kenzo replied, kissing her forehead once more. "Tonight. Definitely."

  A fortable siletled between them as they basked in the peace of the early m. The st of jasmine from her skin filled the room, mixing with the musk of their rut from the night before. They y there for a while, enjoying the quiet intimacy, their bodies iwined.

  After a time, Kasumi eventually pulled aropping herself up on an elbow as she regarded him thoughtfully. "What's wrong, Kenzo? You're usually not this quiet unless you've got a lot on your mind."

  "I've been doing some thinking, that's all. Nothing serious." Kenzo brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face, tug it behind her ear. "Say, I ask you a question?"

  Kasumi tilted her head. "What is it?"

  Now came the hard part.

  He knew for a while now that Kasumi was the enigmatic leader of the Neon Vipers, Cobra. Yet she hadn't shared that with him. They both held secrets from each other, but this particur detail of hers articurly troublesome. It wasn't because she art of a gang, but rather, the fact that she art of the gang that was distributing Shiver.

  There was a certain code to this lifestyle. A sort of unwritten rule among gangsters and other unsavory types. Never get involved with something that would cause a rge part of the popuce harm. Drugs were a dirty business, but the ohat caused people to turn into savage beasts even worse.

  Even now, despite his displeasure, Kenzo tolerated Kasumi and her group's activities in the slums. It wasn't in his nature to meddle with others' business. That wasn't the kind of life he wished to lead—but that was being increasingly difficult to abide by. Especially if she po keep selling Shiver.

  He o tread carefully here, otherwise one of them could end up dead. It'd be better t it up ily. Getting a straight answer out of her was unlikely, but maybe he could coax o of her.

  "So, the slums are getting worse," Kenzo ventured with a casual tohere's a new drug cirg around these parts. Ever heard of Shiver?"

  Kasumi's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of something dark passing through them. "'t say I have. Is it causing a lot of trouble?"

  "Yeah, but it's not just the usual kind. A lot of people start berserk rampages after they use it. One guy even tried to kill his girlfriend. And the worst thing about it is that they 't trol themselves. They're just as violent as any animal. Not to mention the addi rate is insane." Kenzo studied her rea, noting how she stiffehe slightest bit upon hearing the specifics.

  Definitely knows something.

  "Seems like a stupid way to get high to me," Kasumi remarked, her tone nont. She traced her finger over his chest idly, avoiding his gaze. "But it's just another symptom of the rot that's beeing away at this pce feions, right?"

  Kenzo nodded, following her lead and keeping his demeanor rexed. "Yeah, I agree. It's bad business, that's for sure. Too dangerous for us. A drug that induces mindless violence is just asking for trouble." He paused for a beat, measuring his words. "Selling a drug like that would be foolish, especially when enough people catch wind of what it does. Uhe payoff is worth the potential risk, I suppose."

  Kasumi blinked, a puzzled frown tugging at her lips. She locked eyes with him. "Huh? What are you getting at, Kenzo? I'm not sure if I follow."

  This woman...is she trying to py dumb? Or is she testing me?

  Kenzo smirked, deg to roll the did push her further. "Shiver is making a lot of people paranoid and angry. A drug that causes people to act crazy puts everyone around them at risk. So, imagine a situatiohat happens in the slums, a pce where a good portion of the popution already walks around armed, and gang violence is onpce. Whoever brought that drug here is either incredibly stupid, or they've got an ulterior motive."

  He stopped to let the implications sink in, gauging her expression closely.

  Kasumi returned his stare with a cool, even gaze, her face impassive. "Iing theory you've cooked up, Kenzo. What do you think it means? Any idea on who's responsible for spreading that stuff?"

  She shifted, sitting up and pulling the sheets arouhe a was casual, yet deliberate—a barrier between them.

  Kenzo met her gaze evenly, letting the sileretch a beat longer before he answered. "Holy? I have a guess or two, but I've also been trying to figure out why they would do such a thing. But those ideas only lead to more questions." He shrugged. "Guess I 't figure out why someone would go to all that trouble. A better question would be: who would be most from having a bunch of addicts itting acts of senseless violence?"

  He paused, taking note of the subtle tension in Kasumi's shoulders, the guarded look in her eyes. She said nothing, waiting for him to tinue.

  Kenzo exhaled, shaking his head.

  No sense in dragging this out further. The point's already made. Time to drop the hammer.

  He leveled a hard stare at her, the warmth in his tone fading away. "Something tells me you already know the ao that question, Kasumi. Every wire tells a tale. And yours is screaming at me right now, Cobra."

  Her expression darkened instantly, the mood between them shifting in the blink of an eye. Kasumi's eyes hardened, her jaw set. "How long have you known, Kenzo?"

  "Doesn't matter, does it?" Kenzo sighed, holding his palms up in a pg gesture. "I've known for a while. I didn't say anything because I assumed you had a good reason. I figured you would tell me sooner or ter. Guess I overestimated you."

  "If you know who I am, then you should uand why I couldn't tell you." Kasumi's tourned harsh. Her eyes fshed dangerously, but she didn't move to attack him. "I have my own goals, and my methods arely savory. The less you know, the safer you are."

  Kenzo chuckled, running his fihrough his hair as he sat upright, matg her pose. "Safe? Your s about my safety seem a little mispced. I don't need your prote, Kasumi. I've managed fine all by myself for years. I'm just a musi who sometimes picks a fight with street thugs for fun."

  He grinned wryly. "I'm a lot tougher than I look."

  Kasumi shot him a pointed gre. "Fihen. What would you have done if I told you? Would you try to stop me? Because I don't take kindly to people who try to get in my way."

  The threat hung in the air for a long moment.

  Kenzo met her steely gaze with a casual shrug and a grin. "Stop you? Why? I never cared if you were in a gang or not. You're still the same Kasumi I've grown fond of, just with a different name." He arched an eyebrow. "That, and the fact that you're a big fug deal in the gang world doesn't faze me. Actually, the opposite. The more notorious, the better, as far as I'm ed. Shows I've got good taste in women."

  He ended his reply with a pyful wink.

  Kasumi stared at him in disbelief, her anger seeming to drain away in an instant. Her brows furrowed as she gaped at him, searg for the right words to respond to his ued response. "You...I mean, what?" she sputtered.

  Kenzo burst out ughing. "Hahaha, you really thought I'd care that you're Cobra?" He gestured around them, enpassing the entire room. "We live in the slums, where every other person has some sort of affiliation with a gang or has a family member ihe reason why you think I would care is because you've only lived here for a few years. You weren't born here like I was. So, I'll let you in on a secret."

  He leaned forward, causio tense, her body poised t away as if expeg a sudden blow. He patted her on the shoulder and said, "The average Slumshine wouldn't bat an eye. We're all outws anyway. Living on the fringes of the Metropolis, surviving day to day. Having the infamous leader of the Neon Vipers in a retionship with me only makes me cooler—as long as yroup doesn't step out of line, of course."

  The fusioed off her face, repced by a smirk. "Tch. Cocky bastard."

  "If by 'cocky,' you mean 'tells it like it is,' then yes, I am quite cocky." Kenzo's voice became serious as he regarded her, his expression grave. "But listen to me, Kasumi. Shiver. Is. Dangerous. It's going to cause problems in the slums, and you're smart enough to realize what will happen if things spiral out of trol. If I were you, I'd pull the plug on that deal immediately. That shit is just pin bad business, and I'd hate to see you get burned by it."

  She pondered his advi silence.

  When she finally spoke, her voice was cold and measured, but there was a hint of weariness ione. "Believe me, I know what it's like to walk a tightrope of death on a daily basis, Kenzo. I didn't bee the leader of the Neon Vipers by pying h others. I took what I wanted a a trail of corpses in my wake."

  She closed her eyes, sighing softly. "Shiver is a necessary evil. It's the price we have to pay in order to keep roup afloat. Besides, you still haven't answered my inal question. Are you pnning to stand in my way, Kenzo?"

  He raised an eyebrow. "What I do? Write a diss track about it? Rap about how the Neon Vipers suck ass? I'm a musi, not a viginte. I fight with songs, not guns. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem fighting yuys in a street brawl, but gang warfare isn't my style."

  She watched him closely, her eyes glittering with a straensity. "Then we're on the same page. Just a musi and a gangster sharing a bed. Nothing else."

  "As far as I'm ed, there's nothing wrong with that." Kenzo draped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. He pnted a gentle kiss oemple. "I never once asked you to give up everything. Just to be ho with me. And for you to be careful with that shit."

  Kasumi grunted in reply. She curled into him, resting her head on his chest, her body rexing a bit.

  The atmosphere between them ged, the tension evaporating away like mist. The room grew warm, and they found themselves falling into a panionable silehere was nothing more to discuss.

  Eventually, Kenzo decided to break the quiet. He kissed the top of Kasumi's head and said, "Anyway, sihat's over with, how about that shower you mentioned earlier?"

  She peered up at him through her shes, her eyes dang with amusement. "I thought you were tired, Kenzo? Where's all this energy ing from?"

  Kenzo smirked at her, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's amazing what a revetion do to a man. My body's wide awake now, ready to perform at peak capacity. Plus, we have the whole m to ourselves, and I'd like to make the most of it before you leave."

  "Well, then. Since you've taken su i in my well-being, I 't disappoint you. Allow me to demonstrate the Neon Viper's hospitality. The bes are quite substantial, as you imagine."

  Kasumi tossed the sheets aside and stood, the rest of her naked form exposed to the m light. She gnced back at him over her shoulder, her expression turning cool and collected. "But o thing about Shiver, Kenzo. If I were you, I'd stay out of my business. There's a storm ing, and you don't want to get caught up in it. Just leave me to hahings on my end, okay? That way, her of us has to worry about the etting hurt."

  Before Kenzo could muster a reply, she sauntered into the bathroom, a sway to her hips as she walked.

  He let his gaze roam appreciatively over her body, taking in the curves of her hips, the muscles of her legs, and the gentle slope of her backside. She paused in the doorway, gng over her shoulder. Their eyes met.

  Without a word, she disappeared into the bathroom, leaving him alone in bed with his thoughts.

  Inwardly, he frow her words. Kasumi might think she was being cryptic, but Kenzo uood her message perfectly.

  Too te for that now. I'm already ed up in this bullshit, whether I like it or not. At least I have a better idea of what's happening now. I work with that. Still, I hope you know what you're doing, Kasumi.

  Mier, the sound of running water echoed through the loft, followed by Kasumi's sultry voice being him to join her.

  Kenzo snapped out of his musings and shook his head. He rose from the bed, leaving his worries behind as he ambled toward the bathroom.

  Who knew when they'd share another m like this together? Better to enjoy the moment for all it was worth.

  Besides, he couldn't wait to colle Kasumi's earlier offer.

  In the distahunder rolled, and the sky rumbled with the promise of rain.