Cash, Chaos, and Consequences Hanna Tosa CasH, CHaos, and ConsequenCes Tyler Kane had always believed in the badge. In a world full of chaos, it was his anchor, the one thing that kept him grounded when everything around him started to spin. He was no longer just the badge. He was part of the scene. Hanna Tosa Ovi ebooks are available in Ovi/Ovi eBookshelves pages and they are for free. If somebody tries to sell you an Ovi book please contact us immediately. For details, contact: ovimagazine@yahoo.com No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the writer or the above publisher of this book An Ovi eBooks Publication 2025 Ovi eBookPublications - All material is copyright of the Ovi eBooks Publications & the writer C Cash, Chaos, and Consequences Cash, Chaos, and Consequences Hanna Tosa Hanna Tosa An Ovi eBooks Publication 2025 Ovi eBookPublications - All material is copyright of the Ovi eBooks Publications & the writer C Cash, Chaos, and Consequences T yler Kane had always believed in the badge. In a world full of chaos, it was his anchor, the one thing that kept him grounded when ev- erything around him started to spin. He’d tell himself that every time he doubted his place in the world, ev- ery time the dark corners of East Houston threatened to swallow him whole. But tonight was different. To- night, he wasn’t just another cop. He was something else. He didn’t know it yet, but tonight was the mo- ment it all began to change. The club was alive with smoke and bass, a pulse of the city’s underbelly that Tyler had learned to ignore, even while buried deep within it. The neon lights bled into the haze of cigarette smoke, illuminating faces both familiar and unfamiliar. The hum of whis- pers, the clinking of glasses, and the clatter of dice rolling across polished tables filled the air—laughter, sharp as broken glass, floated above the din. Hanna Tosa Tyler leaned back against the velvet-lined booth, his hand barely grazing the cool surface of his drink. He wasn’t supposed to be here, not like this. An un- dercover cop working within the syndicate, embed- ded deep in the web of El Loco Vega’s criminal em- pire, he was supposed to stay invisible. Stay neutral. Gather intel, then bring it all crashing down. But tonight, as the casino’s security details shuffled past him, Tyler could feel the pull of the life he was living now. He was no longer just the badge. He was part of the scene. The flashing lights, the chatter about fast cars, the deals happening under the table, he was knee-deep in it all, and God help him, he wasn’t sure he wanted to leave. “Tyler,” a voice cut through the noise, low and smooth, the kind of voice that could slice through a man’s soul. Ramon “El Loco” Vega, the man at the top of it all, appeared at his side. His eyes were hid- den behind thick sunglasses, even in the low light, and his smile was wide, unsettling. Tyler gave a quick nod. “El Loco,” he said, using the nickname with an ease he hadn’t quite mastered yet. He hadn’t earned it, but he was getting closer every day. “Everything’s good?” Cash, Chaos, and Consequences “Always good when I see you, amigo,” El Loco said, his grin widening as he slapped a hand down on Ty- ler’s shoulder. The kind of gesture that said they were more than just business associates. “You know, Tyler, we’ve been doing this dance for a while now. How long you been with us?” He leaned in, his breath tinged with the scent of expensive cologne. “Long enough to know what I’m doing,” Tyler an- swered, his voice steady. El Loco chuckled, leaning back. “That’s what I like about you. Cool as ice.” He then flicked his fingers, signaling one of the dealers to approach. “I got some- thing for you,” he added, lowering his voice. Tyler followed the gesture, watching as the dealer, a jittery guy with tattoos creeping up his neck, stepped forward with a briefcase. El Loco slid it across the table without even looking, his eyes still locked onto Tyler’s. “Take it,” he said casually, his tone like he was handing Tyler the keys to the city. “It’s yours now.” Tyler’s stomach tightened. “What’s this?” El Loco smirked. “Just a little gift for a job well done. You’ve been solid, my friend. We don’t forget that kind of loyalty.” Hanna Tosa A cold laugh bubbled up in Tyler’s chest, but he swallowed it down. “I wasn’t looking for a handout, El Loco.” The cartel boss leaned in close, his voice a whisper. “Loyalty, Tyler, goes both ways. You’ve done good work, so you get a taste of the life. You want in? This is what it looks like.” The briefcase snapped open with a quiet click, re- vealing stacks of cash, money that could buy a small house, or a hundred nights in a penthouse suite. It was obscene, the kind of wealth that Tyler had spent his entire life chasing in the name of justice, but here it was, laid out like a buffet of temptation. For a moment, Tyler just stared at the money, feel- ing the weight of his own desire grow heavy. It wasn’t just the cash. It was the power that came with it. The kind of power that had men bowing at El Loco’s feet, the kind of power that could make a man feel un- touchable, immortal. He could feel his heart beat faster, the blood rush- ing to his head. His phone buzzed in his pocket—a text from Linda Grant, his partner back at the pre- cinct. You alright? It’s getting too close. Cash, Chaos, and Consequences But before Tyler could even look at it, El Loco spoke again, his voice like the sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath. “Take it, Tyler. Enjoy it. It’s the first of many, if you play your cards right.” The temptation was too much. Tyler didn’t take the case right away, but his fingers itched to touch it. El Loco’s eyes glinted, reading him, waiting for the mo- ment Tyler made his choice. Then, in that split second, Tyler saw it, El Loco’s power, the respect that followed him, the fear and the loyalty of his men. All of it, right in front of him, and all it took to have it was to let go. Tyler swallowed hard, feeling the air in the room grow thick. One wrong move, he thought. One slip, and everything falls apart. But the thought of hav- ing that power, that respect, the money, he couldn’t shake it. “Thanks, El Loco,” Tyler said, his voice low but steady, almost in surrender. He slid the briefcase across the table, accepting the gift, though his chest tightened with something that wasn’t just adrenaline. The man had him. As the night dragged on, Tyler found himself walk- Hanna Tosa ing with El Loco through the club, a sense of unease crawling up his spine. The deal was done, but what Tyler didn’t know was that it was just the beginning. The first taste of power was always the sweetest and the deadliest. He didn’t realize it yet, but as the laugh- ter from the VIP tables echoed in his ears, something inside of him had changed. This was the world now. This was his world. And for the first time in a long while, Tyler Kane wasn’t sure if he was still the man who wore the badge. Cash, Chaos, and Consequences I. Tyler Kane sat at the bar, nursing his whiskey with a steady hand, his fingers tracing the rim of the glass as the noise of the dive bar swirled around him. The place smelled like stale beer and spilled regret, a soundtrack of honky-tonk country mixed with muf- fled laughter. He wasn’t here for the atmosphere, he wasn’t here for anything but to forget. His phone buzzed in his pocket, cutting through the thick fog of alcohol and self-doubt. The screen flashed “Linda Grant,” his partner from the depart- ment, and the text that followed: You alright? It’s get- ting too close. Tyler’s hand hovered above the phone, the glow of the screen casting a faint light on his rough features. He stared at the words. He should respond. It was simple. Just tell her everything was fine, that he was Hanna Tosa still in control, still the guy who wore the badge. He could almost hear her voice in his head, sharp and concerned, like a record skipping on an endless loop. But it wasn’t that simple. It hadn’t been simple for months. He swirled the whiskey in his glass, watching the amber liquid catch the light. Just a few more hours, he told himself. Just get through the night, and then everything would fall into place. He was going to take down El Loco Vega and his cartel. That was the plan. The one he’d been playing by since day one. But plans had a way of going sideways, and Tyler knew that better than anyone. He slipped the phone back into his pocket, stood up, and moved toward the back alley. The sound of his boots clacking against the worn tiles was swal- lowed by the muffled music and chatter inside. He didn’t need to answer Linda’s text. She didn’t under- stand, not the way he did. She was still stuck in the world of rules and procedure, while Tyler was now tangled in a web of his own making, one where right and wrong were as murky as the streetlights bleeding into the night. The alley smelled of garbage and exhaust, a fitting Cash, Chaos, and Consequences reflection of his life at the moment. As he lit a cig- arette, the smoke curling up into the night air, he caught sight of Carlos a new recruit for the cartel, still trying to find his place in El Loco’s world. Car- los grinned at Tyler as he approached, the kind of grin that spoke of youthful ambition, like he thought he could take on the world and win. Tyler had been there once. “Hey, Tyler!” Carlos greeted, his voice laced with excitement, his eyes wide. “Long time no see.” Tyler nodded, blowing a plume of smoke into the air. “What’s up, Carlos?” Carlos was eager to impress, that much was ob- vious. His jacket was a little too fresh for someone who lived in this world, the seams still tight around his shoulders like he hadn’t quite learned to wear his new identity. But he was trying. That was something. Carlos opened a small, black briefcase and handed it over to Tyler with a flourish. “Thought you could use this,” he said, his voice tinged with something between pride and nervousness. “I’ve been working with El Loco tonight. He sent me to make sure you got your cut.” Hanna Tosa Tyler took the case without hesitation. He knew what was inside. Cash, lots of it. Money that would make most men’s palms sweat. He glanced at the wad of bills, crisp and clean, and for a moment, a strange kind of thrill rushed through him. It was the same feeling he’d had the first time he put his badge on, the first time he caught a criminal, the rush of doing something right. But now, that same rush felt different. It wasn’t about justice anymore. It was about power. Control. He flicked the cigarette butt to the ground, crush- ing it under his boot. “Not bad for a night’s work,” Tyler said, his voice low but appreciative. He shot Carlos a glance, his tone turning thoughtful. “You’re starting to blend in, huh?” Carlos chuckled, his eyes darting nervously. “You know, Tyler, you’re lookin’ more like one of us every time I see you. When are you gonna stop playin’ the cop? You’ve earned your place. Might as well take the next step.” The words hung in the air like a challenge, a ques- tion that Tyler wasn’t sure how to answer. For a sec- ond, his mind raced. He’d been doing this for months working both sides, balancing the law with the cha- Cash, Chaos, and Consequences os of El Loco’s empire. But Carlos, bright-eyed and naïve, had a point. When was he going to stop pre- tending? When was he going to admit to himself that he wasn’t just undercover anymore? He was in it, deep. Tyler felt a tightness in his chest, a flicker of doubt. But he shoved it down, burying it beneath the weight of the case in his hands. “Not tonight, Carlos,” he said, the words tasting like ash on his tongue. “But keep your eyes open. You’ll learn quick.” Carlos nodded, looking both impressed and a lit- tle intimidated. As he backed away into the shadows, Tyler couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being pulled further into something he couldn’t control. The night wore on. Tyler slipped back into the bar, the noise swallowing him whole as he made his way to the backroom, where El Loco’s men were closing a deal. It was the usual crowd, gangsters, dealers, the kinds of people who could smell weakness from a mile away. Tyler had to keep his cool. He’d spent too long building his reputation to let it slip now. The room was dim, the air thick with cigar smoke and the low hum of conversation. Tyler took a seat at the table, his eyes scanning the room. He was playing Hanna Tosa it cool, staying calm. But inside, his nerves were on fire. “Tyler,” El Loco’s voice cut through the haze. The man was smooth always had a way of making you feel like you were the most important person in the room. He slid into the seat next to Tyler, a sly grin on his face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Tyler chuckled, trying to shake off the unease. “Not a ghost, just a guy who’s been staring at too many walls lately.” El Loco leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrow- ing with curiosity. “You’re not getting cold feet, are you, amigo? We’re partners now. You don’t back out.” Tyler swallowed hard, meeting the cartel boss’s eyes. The weight of the moment hung heavy on him. He had a choice—stay loyal to the badge or embrace the world El Loco had offered him. The power. The money. The life. He could feel the pull deep inside, tempting him. But Tyler wasn’t sure anymore which side of the line he was standing on. “Not cold feet,” Tyler said, his voice steady, but there was an edge to it now. “Just wondering how long I can keep walking this tightrope.” Cash, Chaos, and Consequences El Loco laughed, a low, rumbling sound. “Don’t think about it too much, Tyler. Just keep walking.” Tyler smiled, though the humor didn’t quite reach his eyes. The deal went down as planned—high- stakes, fast-paced, and with a lot of shouting and gunfire. A rival gang had tried to muscle in, but they didn’t stand a chance. Tyler was in his element now, a player in the game, not just a spectator. As the last of the bullets flew and the adrenaline settled in his veins, Tyler realized something. He wasn’t a cop anymore. Not in the way Linda would have wanted him to be. He was something else. Something darker. And the thrill? The thrill was just getting started. Hanna Tosa II. The city was alive with a hundred different sounds that Tyler had once known too well. The hum of the streetlights. The distant rumble of car engines. The faint cry of a siren somewhere, but always too far to matter. But tonight, those sounds seemed far off, a distant memory, as if they didn’t belong to him any- more. Tyler sat in a penthouse above the city, the kind of place where the windows never seemed to stop glint- ing, no matter how late the hour. He sipped from a crystal glass filled with a scotch so smooth it didn’t taste like alcohol at all. El Loco’s men were gathered around the poker table, the clinking of chips filling the space between bursts of laughter and the slow exhale of cigars. Carlos, young, eager, still trying to impress, was leaning over the table with a wild grin, pushing his stack of chips forward. Cash, Chaos, and Consequences “You gotta be kidding me,” Carlos said, shaking his head as he stared at Tyler’s hand. “A full house? Man, you’re just lucky.” Tyler smirked, flipping his cards onto the table. “Luck, Carlos, is what they call it when I’ve been playing my hand right all night.” Carlos groaned, slumping back in his chair as the others let out a collective laugh. The men around him had the rough edges of hardened criminals, but none of them were his real concern. Not anymore. The moment Tyler had stepped into this world, sit- ting in a penthouse, drinking top-shelf scotch with these men, it had stopped being about the job. Tyler glanced at El Loco, who was leaning back in his chair, a cigar dangling from his lips as he studied the action at the table. The cartel boss was a man who thrived on control. His presence in the room was like the shadow of a storm cloud, just waiting for the right moment to burst. “Nice hand, Kane,” El Loco said, his gravelly voice cutting through the laughter. “You keep playin’ like that, you’ll be runnin’ the table soon enough. Hell, maybe runnin’ the whole show.” Hanna Tosa Tyler’s smile was sharp. “Just following your lead.” And that’s when it hit him. It wasn’t just the game anymore. It wasn’t just the money or the scotch or the power that was beginning to pull at him. It was El Loco’s words. The undercurrent of truth in them. Ty- ler had spent months infiltrating this world, playing the role of the insider while keeping his badge tucked away and pretending he was still who he once was. But tonight, the mask was slipping, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to put it back on. El Loco’s empire had become too real, too alluring. The promise of wealth. The freedom from laws, from the constraints of being a cop. The power that came with being in control of the streets, not just observ- ing them from the sidelines. “Deal me in,” Tyler said, his voice low but firm, as if that was the moment he knew for sure. But it wasn’t just about poker. It was about every- thing. The small share of profits, the lavish nights in pent- houses, the promise that if he played the game right, he could walk away with it all. It was a world without limits, a world where every crime, every deal, every betrayal had no consequences.