Rehab for SuperVillains (18+)-Chapter 138: A new client?

"We’re bringing the next client to the Haven."

Rhea’s jaw dropped, her amber eyes wide. "A new client? Already? We just formed REAPER!"

Freya’s lips curved into a sly smile, her sapphire necklace catching the light. "Guess we’re moving up fast," she said, her voice laced with excitement. "Who is it?"

Kael leaned back taking a deep breathe.

"Rhea," he said, his voice low, "you’re not gonna like who the next client is. Fair warning—you hate them."

Rhea’s amber eyes narrowed, her fork pausing mid-air, a piece of toast crumbling in her grip.

"I hate a lot of people, Kael," she said, her tone dry but sharp. "So many I’m not even sure I hate them anymore, it’s more like a hobby now." She leaned forward, her ruby necklace swaying, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.

"Hell, I hated Freya when we first met—thought she was all icy and stuck-up. But now?" She glanced at Freya, her smirk softening into a genuine smile. "She’s... a friend."

Freya’s blue eyes widened, a warmth breaking through her usual cool demeanor.

She returned the smile, her sapphire necklace catching the light, her voice soft. "Didn’t think I’d ever hear that from you, Rhea."

Rhea shrugged, her grin widening.

"Yeah, well, miracles happen." She turned back to Kael, her expression resolute. "So, whoever this client is, I promise I won’t lose it. Lay it on me."

Kael’s face was straight, his hazel eyes wary. "It’s the Haunter Twins."

The air at the dining table froze.

Rhea’s expression darkened, her amber eyes blazing with a cold fury, her fork clattering to the plate.

The memory of the twins’ attack days ago surged back—her body bloodied, minor scars peppering her skin, a deep gash on her arm and thigh that had left her dizzy from blood loss, barely clinging to life.

"No," she said, her voice low, venomous, her hands clenching into fists. "I’m killing them. Before you even get near them, Kael, I’m ending them."

Freya’s gaze sharpened, her blue eyes flicking between Rhea and Kael.

She had no personal grudge against the Haunter Twins, but Rhea’s words—calling her a friend—struck a chord.

The thought of anyone nearly killing Rhea, now her ally, her friend, sparked a protective fire in her chest.

She leaned forward, her voice steady, her sapphire necklace glinting with her resolve. "I’m with Rhea," she said, her tone unwavering. "I don’t like those freaky twins either, I’m backing her."

Kael’s stomach sank, his hazel eyes darting between them.

Great, he thought, Freya and Rhea getting close is already a problem.

Their united front was a force he hadn’t anticipated, and it complicated everything.

He raised his hands, his voice calm but firm.

"Hold on, both of you. Hear me out."

"Why them?" Rhea wailed, her voice rising, raw with betrayal.

She stood, her chair scraping the floor, her black tank top taut against her tense frame.

"Have you forgotten what they did to me? Don’t you care that they left me bleeding out, Kael?" Her amber eyes glistened, her fists trembling, the ruby necklace swinging like a pendulum of her anger.

Freya’s jaw tightened, her blue eyes narrowing at Kael, her silence louder than words.

She folded her arms, her cyan t-shirt creasing, waiting for an explanation.

"Don’t get me wrong," Kael said, his voice steady, meeting Rhea’s gaze. "I was furious when they hurt you. Hell, I wanted to hunt them down myself. But something happened in the sewers yesterday. You need to hear this."

Rhea’s glare didn’t waver, but she sank back into her chair, her arms crossed, her amber eyes burning.

"What?" she barked, her tone daring him to justify this.

Freya leaned forward, her blue eyes locked on Kael, her expression unreadable but attentive, her sapphire necklace a quiet gleam against her chest.

Kael took a breath, his hazel eyes distant as he recounted the memory.

"Yesterday, when Clara and I were clearing the last of the rats in the sewers..."

______

The sewer’s damp air clung to Kael’s skin, the faint hum of the blowers mixing with the drip of water echoing through the tunnels.

He moved cautiously, his SMG raised, its silencer gleaming faintly as he scanned the pavement for hidden rats, his hazel eyes darting to every nook and shadow.

Clara trailed beside, her green eyes unfocused, lost in thought, her white hair catching the faint light of his torch.

A flicker of movement caught Kael’s attention—a shift in the shadows from a nearby connecting tunnel, subtle but unmistakable.

"Clara, something’s over there. Follow me," he said, his voice low, stepping toward the shadow without glancing back, missing that Clara hadn’t moved.

As he neared the tunnel, darkness surged around him, engulfing him like a living thing, blinding him completely.

His pulse spiked, but he stayed calm, flicking on his torch, its beam cutting through the inky void.

He swung his gun, ready to fire, his hazel eyes narrowing as he searched the shadows.

Then he saw it—a faint silhouette, a lithe, mature figure standing before him, her face obscured, blending into the darkness like a phantom.

His heart pounded, a jump scare, but his expression remained steady, his training kicking in.

Her gown was black, blending with the shadows, her curly hair darker still, her presence almost impossible to discern except for the faint outline his torch revealed.

"The Haunter Twins," Kael mumbled, his voice low, recognizing the signature shadow play.

He tightened his grip on his SMG, but her lack of hostility gave him pause.

She hadn’t attacked, which meant she wanted something.

"What do you want?" he asked, his tone firm, his torch steady on her.

"Kael," she said, her voice soft but clear, cutting through the sewer’s hum.

His brow furrowed, surprise flickering in his hazel eyes. "How do you know my name?"

The shadows covering her face shifted, parting like a curtain, and a familiar face emerged.

Kael’s breath caught as recognition hit.

"Lila," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The receptionist from the massage parlor where he worked.