Chapter 212 The Bargain
REVELATION
“How was I so foolish that I didn’t realize it?”
That was the thought echoing in my head as I sat bound to their ridiculous torture chair.
I glanced around the damp room. It smelled like mildew and moldy onions.
Why the hell did it smell like onions?
If Mama were here, she’d probably laugh first before helping me out of this mess.
She’d say, “Mija, you got played at your own game. Didn’t I tell you to leave that house after that man fed you that drug through a kiss?”
And speaking of that asshole…
The door creaked open, slicing through the darkness with a harsh light. I flinched, closing my eyes as it burned against them. The door slammed shut again just as fast, and footsteps followed, heavy and slow.
When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by a broad chest wrapped in leather. Of course, I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. His scent filled the room, strong, sharp, drowning out the mold and rot.
I sighed. “Does Knight not have any other lackeys? Why is it always the dumb ones?”
I finally looked up and met those cold, dark eyes I despised.
I hate this guy.
The corner of Damon’s mouth lifted in a smirk. “Is El Alacrán sad she got caught?”
He crouched in front of me, his voice low and amused.
My jaw tightened. How could I have been so stupid? My hatred for Knight had blinded me to the signs. I’d let myself be seduced, manipulated, played by the devil himself.
Damon moved closer, silent now. His stare was unreadable, and that was worse than any threat. Since the night he drugged me while they massacred Takeshi’s men like they did years ago with…
I forced the memory down. No. Don’t go there.
“Tell me, El Alacrán,” Damon finally said. “You’re not just after Genesis, are you? You’re after Knight. Because I can’t wrap my head around why you’re still here. You could’ve told Genesis the truth, that you’re twin sisters. Hell, you and the elusive Lady Red have proof. You could’ve done a quiet DNA test and, bam, she’d be yours. Even if you didn’t want to tell Kieran at first, after staying here, you’d see how much he adores your sister, how much he loves her. You’d have revealed yourself. But you didn’t. You want to know why?”
I rolled my eyes. “Nope. But I know you’re going to tell me anyway.”
His smirk deepened. His hand slid onto my thigh. My eyes darted down, and for a split second, I pictured grabbing the dagger strapped to his leg and driving it into his hand even if it cut me too.
He pulled his hand away from my thigh only to cup my face. I jerked back.
“Don’t touch me,” I snarled, my whole body thrumming with rage.
“That’s what I like about you, kitten,” he murmured. “You’re fierce. I’m going to enjoy breaking you.”
I laughed darkly. “I’d love to see you try.”
His brow twitched. “You think I’m here to torture you?” He shook his head, leaning closer until his breath brushed my ear.
“No. Frankly, I don’t want to. But I would love to break that attitude of yours, with my cock. Hear you whimper, begging and screaming.”
Heat flared up my face, anger and disgust twisting together. I turned sharply to him.
“Your feelings are clear,” I spat. “But since you know my purpose here, let me make something clear too. I hate you, all of you. And I’d rather die than…”
The door burst open.
Knight stepped in. “Well, dying isn’t in the cards for you, Mi querida cuñadita. Not yet. And definitely not by my hands.”
My fists clenched behind me. “But yours will be by mine,” I growled.
“Cute,” he said simply, lips curving faintly.
Damon stepped back as Knight moved into his place.
“You see, Cuñada,” Knight said smoothly, “I’ll let you have your shot at killing me. But I want something in return.”
“Ah, you think I’m going to work for you? You’re out of your damn mind,” I snapped.
He glanced at Damon, then back at me, his tone turning cold. “You don’t have a choice, cariño. Because if you don’t… your sister will be in danger.”
My blood ran cold. “You wouldn’t hurt her.”
“Never,” Knight said softly. “She’s my life.” He circled me slowly, resting a hand on the edge of the chair. “But tell me, what do you know about The Bishop?”
My brow furrowed. “The Bishop?”
He nodded, smirking.
“Well, for one, you and he are cut from the same cloth, killing whoever you please.”
Then Knight laughed, a dark, low sound that filled the room.
“Ah, but we learned from the best.”
He continued "I've heard of you since I was a boy. You and my wife are the same age. She's twenty-three, and so are you. I’m in my thirties, but you started killing at ten. At that age I was learning to talk back to bullies. You were already known in the dark circles of Japan, El Alacrán, the one who killed The Lynx, Rafael ‘El Lince’ Madrigal. One of the most notorious, largest drug lords.”
The words tasted like bile. I stared at him, and the memory came back in a flash: how El Lince’s blood had spattered my face. It was like I could still feel the warm stickiness on my skin.
“So don’t come play innocent here, amore.” His smile was slow and dangerous. “But you see, The Bishop, he’s after something of mine, something of ours.”
Genesis. Of course everyone was after her.
“And let me guess,” I said. “You can’t kill him yourself.”
Knight licked his lips. “Oh, I can,” he said softly. “But I want it slow. Memorable. I don’t want to be distracted, constantly watching my back for your mother or you, wondering when a bullet will come. I want him to watch the world end and know who did it.”
My pulse kicked. I hated the way he spoke as if he were planning a party.
He reached up and cupped my chin with one fingertip, guiding my face so I couldn’t look away. My skin prickled under his touch. “So you’re going to be a good little killer and do as I say,” he murmured. “I’ll indulge you. I’ll let you try to kill me. Hell, I’ll include Damon. I know how you’ve been itching to slit both their throats.”
His hand slid over my jaw, and I forced my eyes to flick to Damon, then back to Knight. Damon’s expression was still hard to read, calm, like a man who has watched wolves at close range and doesn’t blink.
Anger flared hot in my chest. “Fine. I’ll help you kill this bastard,” I said, tasting the lie and the promise in the same breath. “Then I get what I want.”
He chuckled, a low sound that made the room lean in. “Yes, sister-in-law,” he said, voice thick with some private amusement. “My head on a platter of gold.”
The offer hung between us, obscene and irresistible. For a beat I imagined the perfect ending: The Bishop’s chest caving in, his eyes going blank, the world finally quiet. Then I pictured Genesis, small and trusting and a cold dread clenched my gut.
Killing him would fix nothing and everything at once. It would turn blood into currency and choice into a wound that never healed. I swallowed and felt the edge of the chair under my palms.
“Remember this,” Knight added, leaning forward until his breath grazed my ear. “You either play my game, or the next time you breathe, it's under a different sky.”
I closed my eyes and let the pulse in my throat steady. The devil had a smile; I had a dagger. The bargain had been made…at least for now.