Madwoman.

After saying that he leaned back against the counter, the weight of the night seeming to press heavy on his shoulders. His jaw still ached from where Scarlett's nails had dug in.

"Crazy woman," he muttered again.

Jarvis, still sitting on the couch, didn't seem in any hurry to leave.

He leaned forward now, elbows on his knees, staring at Killian as if trying to see through him.

Finally, he spoke, "Should I call Scorpion and the rest?"

Killian shook his head. "No. I want you to do it."

He blinked, his usual calm cracking for just a moment. "Wait, you want me to snipe her?"

Killian nodded, his expression unreadable.

Jarvis sat back, running a hand over his jaw. "You're serious?"

"Dead serious."

He leaned forward again. "Why? You don't think anyone else can do it?"

Killian exhaled slowly, glancing down at the water bottle on the counter before answering. "No. I don't think anyone else can beat her."

The words landed like a punch, and Jarvis's face hardened. "Since no one else can do it, why don't you do it?"

Killian didn't answer right away, his jaw tightening. "Firstly, you know I don't go on missions like this, if things go south, the police will be on my neck due to my very obvious eye color and secondly,..." He gritted his teeth. "That lady is not normal, I don't think I can beat her."

"Even you!" Jarvis's eyes widened slightly, shock flickering across his face.

Killian had been trained by Mario, one of the most ruthless mafia leaders in all of Las Vegas, since the day he could walk.

There wasn't a weapon he couldn't use, a fight he couldn't win. If even Killian thought Scarlett was unbeatable…

"That means what Seven said was right," he muttered under his breath, but it was loud enough for Killian to catch.

He turned his head, his eyes narrowing. "What did Seven say?"

Elijah hesitated, his fingers drumming against his knee. "He said…back when she was still Lilith, she wasn't just an assassin. She was a goddamn nightmare. They called her the Butcher."

Killian didn't flinch, but the weight in his chest grew heavier. "Why?"

Jarvis sat forward, his voice dropping as if he didn't want anyone else to hear. "Three years ago, before she retired, she was in Italy. A job went sideways, one of Russo's enemies. And then the entire mafia family was wiped out in one night. Over two hundred people. Men, women, children. She didn't care who they were or what they'd done. She just killed them all because her master told her to."

Killian's stomach turned, but Jarvis wasn't finished.

"And that's just one story. Africa was worse. There was a civil war, a full-blown battlefield. Two armies fighting for control. She walked in, alone, with nothing but a machete. When it was over, there were over two thousand bodies. Not captured. Not wounded. Dead."

Killian felt his grip on the counter tighten.

"She didn't just kill people," Elijah continued, his voice grim. "She destroyed them. She sent messages. Entire cities were scared to sleep because of her. They tried to kill her, of course. Everyone did. Entire governments put bounties on her head, but no one ever collected. You know why?"

Killian didn't answer, his eyes locked on Elijah.

"Because of Russo. He made her untouchable. And even if someone had gotten through him, they'd have to survive her. And no one ever did."

"How?" Killian asked, almost to himself.

Elijah shrugged. "Because she didn't just fight. She hunted. She didn't leave witnesses, didn't leave survivors. Just blood and bodies. Why do you think the Omega Order didn't immediately issue a warrant for her, the moment she stepped on U.S soil. It's because they're afraid. Lilith's influence spans over continents, If they make one wrong move, it could lead to international consequences."

Killian's throat immediately felt tight.

His mind flashed back to the car, to the wicked grin on her face as she sped through the night. To the way she'd looked at him—like a predator toying with her prey.

And that was because he was her prey.

He was like an ant in front of her.

He gripped the counter, his knuckles white. For a moment, he couldn't breathe.

How could anyone, let alone a girl be capable of all that?

And at that time how old had she even been. Eighteen. Twenty years.

Jarvis' voice broke through his thoughts. "This information is only known to the special forces and government agencies. So, what do you say? Do you still think we should kill her?"

Killian closed his eyes for a moment, the image of his mother flashing in his mind, her warm smile, her gentle hands. Then the blood, the sound of gunshots, the weight of guilt he'd carried ever since. The weight of being completely useless and defenseless.

He opened his eyes and nodded. "Yes."

Jarvis studied him for a long moment, his eyes narrowing then sat back with a sigh. "Alright. What's the plan?"

Killian's mismatched eyes glinted in the dim light, his expression cold and calculated. "She's interested in me. That's her weak spot. I think we can use it."

Jarvis frowned but didn't interrupt.

"Here's how it'll work. The school's surrounded by trees and small mountains. That gives you plenty of cover to set up. The best spot will be the ridge just west of the school, it's dense enough to keep you hidden but high enough for a clear shot."

Jarvis raised an eyebrow. "Courtyard? You're planning to lure her outside?"

Killian nodded. "She's unpredictable, but she's also territorial. If I can provoke her, make it personal, she'll follow me anywhere, I'll draw her out to the courtyard and that's your cue to set up."

"Okay, and then?"

"I'll position her. If she thinks she's in control, she'll stay in the open. You take the shot when I give the signal."

Jarvis leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "How close are you planning to be to her? Because if you're in the line of fire.."

"I will be," Killian interrupted. "I have to be. She won't let her guard down otherwise."

Jarvis shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "You realize what you're asking, right? If I miss..."

"You won't miss."

Jarvis stared at him, the silence stretching between them. Finally, he let out a low chuckle. "You've got more faith in me than I do. Anyway, what's the signal?"

"It's when I give her my back. When she's focused on me, you take the shot."

Jarvis raised an eyebrow. "You're seriously using yourself as bait."

"I don't have a choice," Killian replied. "She's too dangerous to confront any other way."

Jarvis leaned back. "And what happens if she doesn't follow you outside? Or worse, she figures out what you're doing?"

"She won't," Killian said firmly. "She doesn't know that I know her true identity and she's a control freak. She'll think she's the one pulling the strings."

"And if you're wrong?"

Killian's smirk faded, his eyes hardening. "Then I'll deal with it."

Jarvis shook his head, staring at him like he'd grown a second head. "You're insane."

"It'll work, don't trust me anymore?"

"That's not what I meant."

Killian pushed himself off the counter and headed for the stairs. "Then don't argue. Either you're in, or you can go back to my father."

Jarvis cursed under his breath, standing quickly and following him. "Fine, fine! I'll do it. But if this goes south, don't blame me for putting a bullet in both of you."

Killian smirked, unbuttoning his shirt as he stepped into his room. "That's more like it."

Jarvis was about to retort, but his eyes widened suddenly, his hand shooting out to point at the window. "What the hell, there's someone there!"

Killian's head whipped around, his heart skipping a beat.

For a split second, all he saw was a shadow, a figure sitting on the windowsill like a scene out of a nightmare.

And then he realized what he was looking at.

A woman. Dressed in black. Sitting on the wide window sill, one knee propped up casually, a bag of popcorn resting between her thighs.

She plucked a kernel, popped it into her mouth, and chewed lazily, watching them like she was about to enjoy the best movie of her life.

"The fuck?"

He froze, his mind short-circuiting as the woman grinned, looking smug.

"Well, don't stop now. I've been waiting for ages."

His mind struggled to catch up.

"Who the hell is that?" Jarvis hissed, already reaching for his gun.

Killian grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Don't."

He took a step forward, but the woman raised a hand in a casual two-fingered salute. Then, as if gravity didn't exist, she tipped herself backward, disappearing out the window.

"Shit!" Killian launched himself forward, throwing the window open.

He leaned out, his eyes scanning the alley below. There she was, landing fluidly in a crouch.

For a moment, she just sat there, staring up at him. Her lips curved into a smug grin as she popped another piece of popcorn into her mouth.

Then she stood, brushed herself off, and moved into the shadows, leaving him staring after her, his heart pounding in his chest.

Jarvis joined him at the window. "Who the hell was that?"

Killian gritted his teeth, his gaze still fixed on the empty alley. "A madwoman."

He stepped back, slamming the window shut.

"If we don't kill her tomorrow. I'm gonna have to upgrade my damn security system."