"Can you add these people to the list as well?" Isaac asked, sliding another stack of documents over to Ashe.
She only glanced up briefly, took the papers, and immediately started typing. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as if they had long since started working independently from her mind.
The task Vincent had left her with was practically running on its own by now. Once Isaac understood what he needed to look out for, it had become surprisingly easy to filter out the truly relevant information.
Especially together with Ashe, they were making unbelievably fast progress. Isaac could never have typed at this pace or checked multiple data sets at the same time without losing track. Ashe, on the other hand, despite her obvious exhaustion, worked like a machine.
He leaned back and yawned quietly.
"Oh no, Isaac, please don't," Ashe muttered immediately. "If you start, I'll yawn too."
She rubbed her tired eyes and blinked several times against the burning exhaustion.
"Sorry," Isaac admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just not used to this kind of work."
Ashe snorted. "This isn't exactly normal either. We pulled an all-nighter, and the pile just keeps growing."
Isaac glanced at the clock. True. It was already afternoon. Had they seriously been stuck in this office for over forty hours? Surrounded by all those files? Thinking about it, they had only left briefly the previous evening for dinner and a shower before diving straight back into work.
"Really? I was hoping we'd already gotten through a decent amount."
"We have," Ashe replied with an exhausted sigh. She shut the laptop with an audible snap and let her head fall back for a moment. "But I need a five-minute break before I end up face-first on the keyboard."
Isaac stood up as well and stretched until his joints cracked in protest.
"Sounds good," he said. "Coffee?"
For the first time in hours, a genuine, albeit tired, smile appeared on Ashe's face.
"I was starting to think you'd never ask. I'm not surviving another night without caffeine."
Together, they headed toward the kitchen.
The Webster hideout was far too quiet, with so many of them out on missions. Some to kill, others to spy, and the rest to hold the line at the Leviathan Clan.
Isaac snorted in amusement. "You're seriously planning to pull another all-nighter?"
He gathered everything he needed and started brewing the coffee. It didn't take long before the kitchen filled with the rich aroma of fresh coffee.
Ashes lips tightened into a thin line. "We don't really have a choice. We barely have any time left, and there's still way too much to do," she sighed. Anger settled over her delicate features. "I can't wait to see him fall. That bastard deserves far worse than rotting away in prison."
She leaned against his side.
"Especially after what he did to you."
Isaac briefly lowered his gaze to the steaming coffee machine.
"It's okay, Ashe."
"No, it's not." Her voice sharpened instantly. "If I had known earlier what that bastard did to you, Vincent, and Noctis, I would've torn his damn firewall apart months ago."
She crossed her arms over her chest and let out an angry huff.
"I swear to you, I would've burned his entire network to the ground."
"Don't worry. He'll pay for everything he's done to us and everyone else," Isaac promised darkly.
Ashe stepped away from him and looked at him with determination. Despite her exhaustion, there was suddenly a dangerous clarity in her eyes.
"If you want to hurt him, I'm in," she said without hesitation. "You just have to tell me when and where."
Isaac's stomach tightened.
He wanted so badly to ask her about Noah. Whether she knew who had killed him… but he couldn't. In this matter, he really wasn't any better than Noctis and his brother. If he dropped that bomb now, they wouldn't be able to put the boss behind bars. Everything would be delayed, and with enough bad luck, the boss would find out that his safe had been cracked and that someone knew all his secrets.
He would disappear underground, and in the worst-case scenario, they'd never get close to him again.
Isaac suppressed the urge to ask and chose a different direction instead.
"How did you meet Vincent? You two seem to go way back."
Ashe looked at him in surprise because of the abrupt change of topic. She seemed to think for a moment.
"It's probably been around four years or so by now," she said thoughtfully. "Noctis introduced me to him because he said my skills as a hacker were damn good."
Isaac leaned against the kitchen counter.
"Did you do a lot of jobs for him?"
She nodded slowly.
The coffee machine hissed quietly before finally finishing its cycle. Isaac pulled two mugs from the cabinet and poured the coffee.
"They were all safe jobs, though. Vincent always makes sure someone protects me while I'm gathering information for him."
Isaac handed her the mug, which she accepted with a grateful nod. Ashe studied him over the rim of her cup with curiosity.
"So how come you're suddenly taking an interest in me?" she asked. "You're usually not that interested in other people."
Isaac didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he stared into the dark coffee for a moment, as if searching for an appropriate answer there.
"I was just surprised to find you here with the Webster Clan. That's all."
Ashes eyes widened slightly.
"Are you actually worried about me?"
The question hit him with unexpected force.
Was he? Probably.
Ashe mattered to him. She was one of the four people he had allowed close to him over the past few years.
He gave a short nod.
"The Webster Clan has a reputation for being brutal. Out of all the criminal organizations here in Magnolia, the Webster Clan is the one that puts fear into everyone else."
To his surprise, Ashe smiled faintly at that.
"I like the people here," she said. "The jobs were never dangerous, and even when getting information was difficult, I was never personally in danger. It was different with our robberies. And all the other jobs the boss gave me were never exactly clean… or safe."
Isaac pressed his lips together.
"I always thought you were able to focus on school in peace."
Ashe raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Well, school was never a problem for me. Honestly, I was usually underchallenged," she said with a small chuckle. She took a sip of coffee, which immediately brought a smile to her lips. "Your coffee is seriously the best."
Isaac ignored the slight knot tightening in his chest at the unexpected compliment.
"Did you ever work for other clans?"
Ashe immediately shook her head in alarm.
"What? No!" She looked at him as if he had suggested something completely absurd. "I would never do something like that."
She set her mug down on the counter.
"The Webster Clan was okay because Noctis accompanied me on my first two jobs. Besides, Vincent is really nice. He actually takes care of his people. Completely unlike the boss."
Isaac bit back a comment. If Ashe knew how many things Vincent kept hidden from her, she would probably see him very differently.
Instead, he studied her silently.
He noticed the dark circles still lingering beneath Ashe's eyes from all the sleepless nights before they had thrown themselves together into that mountain of documents.
"Are you… doing okay?" he asked carefully.
She nodded. "The last two weeks were really awful, but at least you made it out, Isaac," she said with a cheeky grin. "Honestly, I have no idea what I'd do without your coffee."
Isaac wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. Probably because he had meant something entirely different.
Ashe noticed the look on his face, and her smile slowly faded.
"Oh…" Her voice grew quieter. "You mean because of Noah."
For a moment, silence settled between them. The only sound left was the soft hum of the coffee machine.
Ashe took another sip.
"I really miss him," she said quietly.
A sad smile appeared on her face.
"But it was only a matter of time before something happened to one of you. You always got hurt during the other robberies or because of some stupid coincidence beforehand. Noah wasn't any better. He practically danced around in the police's crosshairs out there. Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't die much earlier," she said softly. She quickly wiped away a tear. "I knew they wanted to shoot him. Not just him, but you too."
"He wasn't any better either. He practically danced around in the police's crosshairs out there. Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't die much earlier," she said quietly. She quickly wiped away a tear. "I knew they wanted to shoot him. Not just him, but you too."
Isaac reached out and awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder.
So she doesn't know that Moz killed him on Vincent's orders?
"Ashe…"
She immediately threw herself into his arms.
"I really liked him!" she sobbed openly now. "It's so unfair that he had to die!"
Her entire body trembled.
"If that damn bastard of a boss had acted differently just once…" Her voice cracked with rage and grief. "He kept putting Noah and you in danger over and over again just to make even more money! Even though he already had more than enough!"
She buried her face against his chest.
Isaac slowly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her a little closer. Hesitant at first, then more firmly. Ashe clung to him sobbing, as if she would lose all support the moment she let go.
"I'll never forgive him," she pressed out.
Isaac said nothing.
Because while Ashe hated the boss, she had no idea that part of her anger should really be directed at someone else.
"At least he'll pay for everything soon," she sobbed exhaustedly.
And Isaac could only feel the guilt in his chest growing heavier and heavier.
He slowly stroked her back while she gradually calmed down again.
It was the first time they had taken a break alone. Usually, someone else had always been around. Should he risk it? At the very least, he wanted to find out what she knew.
"Who do you think killed him?" he asked quietly.
Ashe stiffened briefly, but then slowly shook her head.
"I don't know, Isaac. It wasn't the cops. I searched through their entire database, but there was nothing there. Nothing except Noah's autopsy report. It must've been some clan…"
She pulled away from him and wiped at her eyes.
"I'm okay again, thanks," she sniffled. She gave him a crooked smile. "Besides, I'm a dead woman if Noctis finds us like this."
Isaac snorted in amusement. "Probably."
"Let's drop the subject," she said eventually. "I don't even know if I want to know who was behind it. The underworld is huge… whoever it was is long gone, and if the whole incident was covered up, then there won't be any records anyway."
He paused at her words.
"You don't want to find out who it was?" he asked quietly.
Ashe shook her head.
"I want to be able to say goodbye to him. It already hurts enough as it is, so what would years of unfulfilled revenge even give me?" she replied just as softly. "Look at Vincent. He spent seventeen years planning his revenge. I definitely don't want that."
So you don't want to know the truth?
He studied Ashe as though he were truly seeing her for the first time.
How did I never notice all these years that you grew into such a strong woman?
Eventually, he nodded.
If she doesn't want to know, then I won't interfere in this anymore.
"Then we'll let the subject rest."
Even if it personally bothered him that the answer was lying right in front of Ashe's nose.
Stop it, Isaac. You've never involved yourself in things like this before, and you shouldn't start now. You do not want to poke this hornet's nest.
Ashe took his hand in hers.
"Will you come with me to his grave once we're able to go there?"
"If I'm allowed outside again, then sure," Isaac promised.
"Thanks, Isaac," Ashe said with a faint smile.
Suddenly, the kitchen door opened. Both of them turned toward it as Lucy paused briefly before stepping inside. Her shoulder-length red hair was perfectly styled as always, and her face showed no signs whatsoever of exhaustion from the assassination she had carried out earlier.
As usual, she wore tight leather pants with a loose sweater over them.
"I wasn't expecting to find you two here," she said in surprise.
She stepped into the kitchen carrying three family-sized pizzas and two bags full of drinks.
"Lucy! You're back!" Ashe called happily and hurried over to help take some of the load from her.
Lucy smiled at Ashe. "Hey, kid. Have you been crying again?"
"Oh, it's fine. We were just talking a little," Ashe said cheerfully as she took the huge pizza boxes from Lucy. She sniffed the top box. "Mmmh, do I smell pepperoni?"
"A little bird told me how much you like pepperoni."
"Oooooh, you're the best. And is that my favorite energy drink?! Damn, with this I can survive the entire next night too!" Ashe said excitedly.
Lucy immediately took the energy drink away from her again. "Wait. Don't tell me you still haven't slept?" she asked sharply.
"No. I'll sleep once we finish our task," Ashe replied.
Lucy's gaze shifted to Isaac. "How much is left?"
"Two more folders, and after that we at least wanted to go through the material on the human trafficking."
Lucy slowly exhaled. "That's still going to keep you busy forever. Let's eat something, and then I'll help you."
"Absolutely not, Lucy. Aren't you tired after your assassination?"
"I'm a professional. That job didn't even make me break a sweat," Lucy replied in amusement.
They sat down at the table and talked a little about the mountain of paperwork ahead of them, about Lucy's completed assassinations, and about whatever Vincent was currently up to. After that, the two women drifted into small talk while Isaac quietly ate his pizza.
He pulled out his phone and checked his messages.
Isaac wondered what Noctis was doing. They exchanged short messages from time to time, but neither of them had much time to actually talk. Noctis had promised he would hurry, and yet two days had already passed.
Even though his own task was keeping him extremely busy, Isaac missed him.
Secretly, he hoped they would at least be able to go to sleep together.
After eating, they quickly cleaned everything up and returned to Vincent's office, where Vincent was already waiting for them, freshly showered.
"Lucy, you're back?" he asked in a cheerful mood.
Lucy immediately pulled a face.
"You're seriously creepy when you're in a good mood," she remarked dryly. "So, were you successful?"
Vincent grinned with satisfaction.
"My handsome cop is going to help us officially hand the case over to the police."
Lucy visibly relaxed her shoulders in relief.
"Very good," she murmured. "I'm glad we won't have to use the emergency plan."
Vincent tilted his head slightly.
"What exactly do you have against Plan B?" he asked innocently.
"Nothing effective," Lucy replied.
Isaac immediately grimaced.
"Plan B always goes wrong," he snorted dryly.
He still hated Plan B, no matter the situation or when it had to be used. Plan B was always an absolute last resort. Either Plan A worked, or you improvised.
Vincent smirked.
"Then we can be glad we don't have to use Plan B, right?" His gaze wandered over the chaotic piles of paperwork. "How far along are you?"
"The folder with the summarized data on his drug business is finished, and we're almost done with the human trafficking operations too," Ashe answered. She gave Lucy a warm smile. "Lucy's helping us with the rest, and after that we're getting some sleep."
Vincent nodded.
"Unfortunately, I can't give you a long break," he said with genuine regret. "Our friendly cop is coming by the day after tomorrow, and I want everything finished before then."
He glanced at his phone.
"Noctis and Moz will be here soon too. They're helping as well."
Lucy crossed her arms.
"And Madison?"
"Already out again," Vincent replied casually. "She's keeping an eye on the cop so he doesn't make any stupid decisions in the meantime."
He said it in a tone that made having someone under constant surveillance sound completely normal.
"As soon as the other two arrive, we'll split into two teams of three and work through the remaining folders together."
"Sounds reasonable," Ashe said.
She stretched extensively and grimaced slightly as her tense muscles protested. Then her gaze fell on Isaac.
"Come on," she said with renewed motivation. "Let's continue where we left off."
Isaac set his now-cold coffee mug aside and sat back down at the desk.
Shortly afterward, he was once again deeply focused on the folder that he and Ashe had already been working on earlier. At some point, he had swapped his contact lenses for his glasses because his eyes were far more exhausted from wearing the lenses continuously than he wanted to admit.
It wasn't bad to do something different for once, but he missed his canvas and all the beautiful colors waiting for him in his studio. If only he had at least managed to save his brushes. They had been the first ones he bought with his very first paycheck. They were old by now, yet still in remarkably good condition.
Over the years, they had become a part of him.
Maybe he could ask Noctis to help him retrieve a few things from his apartment once the boss was behind bars.
Three coffees and one energy drink later, it was already eleven o'clock at night. He felt awake, but his body desperately wanted a few hours of sleep.
He had just stretched extensively when Noctis entered the office and walked straight toward Isaac.
"I'm back, darling," he murmured tiredly.
He practically collapsed into Isaac's arms, and Isaac simply let him. He was relieved that Noctis had returned.
"Welcome back," he murmured softly.
Noctis pulled him even closer, as if trying to make up for the lost hours in a single moment. His arms rested firmly around Isaac's waist.
"I could get used to this," he murmured contentedly against his hair.
Isaac looked up. "Are you hurt?"
A shake of the head. Internally, Isaac breathed a sigh of relief, even though there was technically no reason for it. Noctis always came back uninjured. Noctis loosened the embrace just enough to look at him properly. His golden eyes studied Isaac carefully before a crooked grin spread across his lips.
"Don't I get a kiss to welcome me home?"
Isaac instantly felt warmth rush to his face. "It rarely stops at just one kiss with you," he muttered embarrassedly.
He could practically feel the others staring at them.
"It's not like I can do much more to you here," Noctis replied in amusement. His voice dropped slightly lower as he leaned closer to him, deliberately slow. "Besides, I prefer saving those things for moments when we're alone."
Isaac leaned forward briefly to give him a small kiss on the lips.
At least, that had been his intention.
Noctis immediately slid a hand to the back of his neck and held him in place, as though he had no intention of letting him go again anytime soon. The kiss deepened instantly, more demanding, and Isaac felt heat flood his face. A quiet sound escaped him against his will, barely more than a suppressed moan.
As Noctis finally pulled away, he wore that self-satisfied grin that both drove Isaac insane and left him completely disarmed at the same time. Of course, he then deliberately licked his lips in a provocative gesture.
"That was more than worth the wait."
"You idiot," Isaac muttered, looking away to hide his blush.
"Are you two done with the flirting?" Vincent's voice cut through the atmosphere with audible amusement. He was now leaning against the table with his arms crossed. "I assume you've finished your assignments?"
Noctis nodded and ran a hand through his dark hair.
"If one of my clients hadn't been constantly surrounded by people, I would've been done much faster."
"Good," Vincent said. "Then we should get a move on. My handsome cop is going to help us take down the boss of the Leviathan cartel. I can't fully predict what will happen afterward, but we should prepare for chaos. I want the paperwork handed over in at least three days, meaning everything needs to be finished by midnight the day after tomorrow."
Noctis raised an eyebrow. "How did you manage to convince him?"
"People rarely resist my charm," Vincent replied amusedly. He leaned forward. "Any more questions?"
"Well," Ashe murmured beside Isaac, rubbing her eyes, "two hours of sleep will probably have to be enough."
Isaac let out a quiet sigh. Exhaustion was clearly weighing on all of them by now, but no one was really acknowledging it.
"We should get moving," he said calmly at last.
"You're absolutely right," Ashe replied with a tired exhale.