A CHILD prodigy, a thrill-seeker, a waste of potential. All were ways that conveyed the absolute disappointment that was Dylan Mack.

At one point in his tumultuous life, he had been ahead of the curve. For a while, at least, until it became a sphere. He was trapped in an infinite, hellish circle of constantly trying to be better, do better, prove that he was better than the ten year old child prodigy associated with his name. But no matter how deeply he engrossed himself in his studies, doing all he could to stay ahead of his peers, he found himself slowly being overtaken. Because the twenty-something Dylan Mack, plain and simply, could never achieve the potential that his ten year old self set for him.

Dylan was the disappointment of disappointments. Her could still recall when he was offered his first real job in that Godforsaken bank at twenty seven. He'd called up his mum and told her the good news, only to be met with, "it's not bank manager, though, is it?" Well, she was perceptive, that was for sure. 

That day marked a turning point in the endless loop of proving himself that Dylan fervently fought for. He would be someone of importance. Or if not, he'd be drowned in wealth so excessive that his family would be begging for a fraction of it. Then, he could do exactly as he'd always planned, he'd tell them to go fuck themselves, leaving them behind in the ruins he'd managed to dig himself out of.

Or, in other terms, it was the day that Dylan Mack became a crucial component in the ploys of the most infamous heist group in US history, the Black Wolves. Because no-one could ever deny his success, nay, power, if he were one of them. Everything was on track to go exactly how Dylan had planned. Until. . . "You killed her grandpa?" Sure, he knew what he was getting himself in for when he joined them; murder, robbery, probably some deceit here and there, but still this wasn't a part of the plan he'd so willingly signed up for. "Why the fuck would you do that? She'll sell me out now."

Just as always happened when things began to slip from his grasp, Dylan Mack resorted to spiralling beyond control.

Kai hadn't really murdered the old man. He'd killed someone else — he knew Astra knew it too — it was just a warning, a way of telling her to get shit done and fast. Because if she didn't. . . well.

"If you don't calm the fuck down I'll kill you too." Perhaps it wasn't the right thing to say. But dear god was Dylan far more work than Kai thought a mole would be. Though, it was an honest mistake, after all there weren't many people he could go to for reference when pondering on a scale from one to ten, how complicated can shit get when there's a mole involved in a heist? Besides, his search history was dodgy enough already.

"I want my share, now." He demanded, Dylan's over-analytical mind told him that the only way out of this sure-to-be shit show, was by leaving the country — maybe he'd go to the Maldives or somewhere hot — anywhere as long as he didn't face prison time. Because really, who would she sell out first? Phoenix? Yeah right, the guy was too nice. Kai? She didn't have a death wish. And she was already working on Enzo. That left only one. . .  Though they'd met twice, he was sure that she was cunning enough to enact revenge. And what better way of doing that, than turning in Dylan Mack?

Truthfully, Astra had forgotten about his existence, but Dylan had always been convinced that the world spun on its axis to revolve around him ( because really, his life was a tragic movie and he, the protagonist )

"We have to be careful about wire transfers, they're still watching you." Kai felt the overwhelming urge to push him out of the thirty story building and watch as he squirmed in agony when he hit the cobblestone pavement. "Unless you want to get caught?"

Phoenix Carter had been uncharacteristically impertinent since Astra Hart had left, the group couldn't quite put their finger on why. "I mean, let me know anytime. I wouldn't mind seeing you in a cell."

Dylan in all his anxiety, positively snapped, lunging after Phoenix who let out a taunting laugh. "She's not going to sell you out." It was like he could read his mind. "She'd put herself in a worse situation that you, if she did. She's clever enough to know that. So calm the fuck down. You'll get your money once Enzo is gone."

Kai was unusually impressed with the typically timid boy, he couldn't have said it better himself. "She took a liking to you, Mack. How would she feel if you doubted her so quickly?"

But money was what made the world go round, and every man in that room knew it. Their obsession with dollars and their place in the world was the one thing that tied them together — an unbreakable bond — even with Phoenix, who so vehemently tried to convince Astra that he hated the Black Wolves with every inch of his being. There was something that kept him there, the promise of the power that wealth provided. Astra Hart felt it too.

"The final phase will be put into action soon." Kai informed the men, who were still tense following Dylan's outburst.

Phoenix's brows knit together, already?

"But first, I'm in need of some reassurance." He slowly leaned back in a plastic chair, his legs resting on the table. "Phoenix, you go, and you tell her about the next phase. If she shows any signs of hesitancy, you shoot her in the head and blame it on the agent who's practically living in her flat." He smiled wickedly at the sight of the mens faces, sending a pointed look Dylan's way, he added, "to calm everyones queries."

Dylan Mack was in the mood to test his luck, clearly. "Is she fucking an FBI agent?" When Kai approached him with a glare that told him to count his days, he realised that it was probably best to think before he spoke, next time.

"A vulgar way to talk about a lady, don't you think?" But there was something in his eyes which told Dylan that he wasn't quite convinced, either.

"What will happen if she is?" He couldn't refrain from asking.

Kai's jaw clenched, he too wasn't sure what he would do to her. "She'll be dead before she makes it back to the compound, I'll kill her myself."

His words seemed to cool Dylan's flaming nerves. But it was only a matter of time before they began to rise once more. Because Astra Hart seemed to have a special place in the cold cell that was Kai Walker's heart. For what reason? Who knew. But there was one thing that was undeniably certain. . .

. . . If push came to shove, Dylan would be Astra's scapegoat, and he was less than willing to go down for her mistakes.

authors note.
still can't believe i totally wrote off dylan's character in the original draft like the number of plot holes were shocking.