A Ruthless Lullaby

~Rafael's POV~

I sit in the dimly lit room, thick clouds of cigar smoke curling around the vaulted ceiling, blending with the low murmur of men speaking in hurried whispers. The mahogany table stretches across the room, heavy and imposing, like the men seated around it.

Their eyes flicker nervously at me, but I don't flinch. I never do. Each of them knows I am patient, calculating, and deadly. The