The night air was cool as Rose and Madison sat on the detective office balcony, the dim glow of streetlights barely reaching their faces. The streets of Liverpool stretched endlessly before them, silent and indifferent to the chaos they had witnessed.
Madison let out a slow breath, stirring the coffee in her cup. "We need to talk about him."
Rose didn't answer immediately. Her fingers curled slightly around her mug, her thoughts tangled in the storm that was Alexander Bluestone.
"Everything he's done… everything we've seen him do," Madison continued, her voice laced with uncertainty. "It's not normal."
Rose finally spoke, her voice quieter than usual. "Normal doesn't win against people like the Grim Reaper."
Madison scoffed. "And what exactly is he, Rose? A detective? A vigilante? A devil wearing human skin?"
Rose exhaled slowly. She had asked Alex herself. What was he? What was his purpose?
His answer still sent shivers down her spine.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But he's not just a man."
Madison leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Let's put it all together."
She began counting on her fingers. "He manipulated a gang leader into killing his own men. He convinced a grieving woman to execute her own husband. He wiped out fifteen men at the shipyard without hesitation. And let's not forget the way he plays with people's fear—like it's a tool only he knows how to use."
She stopped, running a hand through her hair. "And then there's the way he looks at people."
Rose shivered involuntarily.
Those sapphire-blue eyes.
They weren't just cold. They weren't just calculating. They saw through everything. Through lies, through fear, through the very essence of a person's soul.
He had pinned her against the wall once, those piercing eyes locked onto hers. He had felt her fear, acknowledged it, even teased it—then soothed it like it was something he had complete control over.
And yet… he had held her when she broke down. He had been there when she needed comfort.
Madison shook her head. "The way he operates… he's not just intelligent, Rose. He's…"
"Terrifying."
Madison looked at her. Rose's grip on her cup was tight, her knuckles pale.
"I've never met someone who can shatter a person with just words." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "It's like he's always ten steps ahead. Like we're playing a game we don't even understand."
Madison leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "The real question is... do you trust him?"
Silence.
Rose hesitated.
Alex had saved her life. He had protected her. But he had also scared her more than anyone ever had.
Finally, she whispered, "I trust that he knows what he's doing."
Madison frowned. "That's not the same as trusting him."
Rose didn't respond.
Because deep down, she wasn't sure she could trust a devil with sapphire-blue eyes