by August Red
Maybe for once Judas doesn’t have to live with the consequences of his actions. He was just thirteen when he took a life. Thirteen. Just a boy. Just a stupid boy who didn’t know any better, a boy who could never grow up because he never had a childhood—just relentless training and hardcore conditioning he could never break. Training that would always draw him back, back to this, back to the fucking shit of his youth. He was just a boy...
But meeting Belle, he knows the truth. It isn’t his call to decide who lives and who dies anymore.
It isn’t my fucking call anymore!
“Noooo!” Belle’s scream swells through Judas as his fist charges downward with full force.
It has to end.
A shock runs up Judas’s shoulder as his hand cracks into the stone beneath, right next to Diablo’s head, throwing the killing blow. Diablo bucks underneath him, his eyes wide, knowing how close he was to kissing Death himself. The crowd go silent.
Vladimir shoots up from his seat, outrage and disbelief evident on his gnarled face. Judas struggles for breath, Belle’s cries blurring his senses, as he staggers up to his feet and locks his eyes onto Vladimir. “I won’t kill for you anymore,” Judas roars through heavy pants. “It. Ends. Now.”
Disgruntled noises and murmurs spread through the crowd. Vladimir walks into the arena. Makes a strange sound, part amusement, part annoyance. Judas knows he’s embarrassed Vladimir. Got him into a lot of trouble. Cost him millions for not playing by the rules. This had been a highly-exclusive fight to the death, attended by notables. Men who had paid millions to watch two of the greatest underground and highly sought-after fighters, beat one another to the death. Men who are very powerful, and very dangerous. They don’t look at all pleased with Vladimir Kulich.
Vladimir turns slowly, clears his throat before addressing the room. “Judas Bane. The man with balls of iron has won,” he says, with a nervous laugh. “But this is a fight to the death.” Vladimir pulls out a gun, aims the barrel at Judas.
“Go ahead. Shoot me,” Judas seethes, spitting blood. “But you’ll never get Spencer. Never get revenge.”
Vladimir smirks. “Now, what fun would that be?” Vladimir changes the direction of the gun and shoots Diablo in the head.
Judas closes his eyes for a second before he looks over at Belle. This is his chance. But five of Vladimir’s best guards surround Belle’s cage with guns.
“Don’t try and be the hero, Judas,” Vladimir sneers. “I will shoot you before you make it to her.” Vladimir walks over toward Belle, never taking the firing-line off Judas. “I want Spencer. Let’s end this.”
His breathing heavy, Judas watches as Belle is taken away. He’s helpless. There is nothing he can do to reach her. Not yet.
Moving out to the edges of the arena, Judas lets the shadows take him. He’s no longer a creature of violence in the darkness. He doesn’t know who he is anymore.
There is no going back.
Nothing will ever be the same again.
Chapter Eleven
THE SKY IS JUST AS BLACK as his mood.
Judas’ body feels like it’s been run through a meat grinder. But he can’t be concerned with his injuries, just yet.
His blocked mind goes over the other avenues that will be just as risky as the plan he’s chosen. But there are none. There are too many roadblocks, too many ‘what ifs’ to take a bigger chance. And he refuses to endanger Belle further. This is the one time he has to play it safe. But if Vladimir gives him no choice… Judas is going to have to play his wild card whether he wants to or not.
“You don't move,” Judas orders. His face is still forward, watching, as he gives his directions.
The silence in the SUV is only broken by the small trembles of Spencer Dela Cruz's breathing.
“My Isabelle isn't a bargaining chip. She shouldn't be involved in this. At all," Spencer mutters.
“That's not something I can help now,” Judas replies. “Maybe you should've considered your children's safety before you started stealing from a crime lord."
Leather creaks. Spencer kneels closer. “I thought I was... I was only going to take a little."
“No.” Judas eyes his rearview mirror, then goes back to staring at the skyline. “I don't."
“I never meant for this to happen, you have to believe me… I was struggling... I had debts, Mr. Bane… A huge sum of money… The loan sharks were threatening me… They would have… my family… they needed..."
Judas sees the wink of headlights blur two-by-two down the busy street. His brow lowers, his jaw stiffening. “Everyone struggles. That's no fucking excuse."
“You're a self righteous bastard,” Spencer says, bravely.
“Yeah, like you tell your daughter everything, huh?”
“I bet you can’t wait to paint me as the bad man in this, like some monster. We'll you're no goddamn better. You kill people for a living. I stole some money—so what? The money isn’t legal and your boss isn’t exactly a nice guy."
Massaging his temple with the tips of his two fingers, Judas wants to relieve the ache, the noise building up inside him. He unlocks the door, puts his boot between the door and the ledge as he looks back to his unwanted guest.
“Whatever goes down, you stay here."
“But if—”
“But nothing. You listen to what I say, show yourself only when I say to.” The dark roll of his order falls on Spencer’s shoulders. “We clear?"
Understanding crackles in Spencer's worn gray eyes as they bob between Judas’ icy ones. “You care for her.” There is no question in his words.
Posed like a block of granite, Judas replies, “I asked—are we clear?"
Spencer's head shakes. “Yes. We are clear."
Judas holds his stare for a hard minute, then gets the rest of the way out of the car, slamming the door behind him. Just as he steps out from the driver's seat, he sees the black Bentley creep up in the small alley.
There is nothing but the sounds of the city surrounding the small dark corner. The echoes of shouts from drunken passers-by fills the air. Vladimir doesn’t wait for the Bentley to roll to a complete stop. That's a bad sign. Vladimir’s dark eyes searches and finds Judas instantly. Leaning against the brick wall opposite the Bentley, Judas tries to decipher how delicately to play this. He doesn’t want this to turn into a bloodshed.
Not for his or Vladimir’s sake. But for Belle's.
Judas clears his mind; his glare a furnace of contained fury as he meets Vladimir’s dark, imposing figure. Breaking contact for a second, Judas flicks a look at his surroundings, his face hardening as he quickly finds Vladimir again. He glances at the tinted window of the car, knowing she’s only a few feet away and halting the jump in his bones to get to her.
“You don’t look so good, Buddy,” Vladimir sneers.
“Where is she?” Judas asks, his voice rough.
Tilting his head, Vladimir opens his arms. “Show me Spencer."
“Show me her first."
Vladimir's head shakes, throwing the idea away with a huff. “Not until we talk."
Judas shrugs, the blue in his eyes sedating. "Nothing to talk about."
“I beg to differ,” Vladimir spits, nothing but hate in his eyes. “You lied to me, Judas. You lied to me."
Judas barely moves to breathe as he replies in a low voice, “You gave me no choice."
“You could've told me how you felt!"
“She’s a means-to-an-end to you, Vladimir,” Judas states, matter-of-factly. “You never planned to let her live. The second I told you what happened—you wanted her dead."
“And you agreed."
“I went along,” Judas corrects.
“Because that's what you do. You trust me,” Vladimir points out, waving his hands around before settling them into his pant pockets. “I've been in this business longer than you've been alive, Judas. In the past there's been no second-guessing between us."
“I know. You were there for me when I had nothin
g. And yeah, I looked up to you… But things are different now,” Judas informs, lowly. He steps in the middle to bridge the difference, glaring at Vladimir head on.
“Because of this fucking bitch?” Vladimir's words hold no malice, but there’s a spark of a test in his black gaze. “Huh?”
Nostrils flaring, Judas whispers the warning, knowing full well how dirty Vladimir likes to play, “Don't."
Vladimir chuckles, his chest rises as he scratches the corner of his mouth, and for a second, he reminds Judas of the man he’d once idolized. But that man no longer exists to Judas.
“Judas, come on. How did this happen? What changed? You were like a son to me."
“I won’t ask for forgiveness.”
“That's right."
Judas sighs. It’s time to face the man he betrayed.
“I finally realized you and me are nothing alike. We both know my inheritance had a lot to do with what you did—taking me in. How much have I given into the business—you?” Judas shakes his head. “I don’t care about the money. This has never been about money. I looked up to you, Vladimir. You're the family I never had. You welcomed me into your world and showed me what I thought was the true meaning of life—power. But underneath all that I figured we’d a common goal. Stay powerful, in control, do what we love to do." Judas speaks from under hooded eyes, guarded and at war with whether to continue making this personal, or to get on with the business-end of things.
Judas can’t ignore their past though and Vladimir knows that.
“But we're not alike,” Judas goes on. “I might've killed on your orders and worked the system to your advantage but there's a big difference between you and me. I was forced into this world, unlike you. Was never given a fucking choice. Forced by my father not to care, feel. Forced by you to fight and kill… But that isn’t me… I get it now… I couldn't let Belle die anymore than I can let her now."
Vladimir snickers, dismissing Judas’ version of the truth. “Don't play this fucking game with me, Judas. You understood the stakes going in. I told you we weren't honorable men, that the ends has to justify the means, no matter how fucked-up things get."
“Doesn't matter now.” Judas tosses away his excuse with a shrug. “You wanna think I betrayed you—I can't stop you. But I'm not sorry for what I did."
“You're telling me this Isabelle fucking Dela Cruz is the reason for all this?” He points toward the Bentley. “Suddenly now you've seen the fucking light, found some salvation through her?"
Judas doesn’t like him saying her name. He doesn’t like Vladimir talking about what happened between him and Belle like Vladimir knows all about it.
Tainting the only pure in his life.
But with everything else that's going down, Judas has no choice but to take it.
“No. I am who I am and she knows that. But she makes me see not everyone in this godforsaken world is as fucked as you and me or my bastard father. She saved my life when she didn't even know who I was—that’s something special you just don’t ignore and it never goes away."
Shuffling his feet, Vladimir answers in a bored manner, “Sounds like misplaced gratitude if you ask me."
“I didn't. Now let’s end this.” Judas returns his glare back to the car door, wanting to just fight his way to Belle and go, but his features remain detached and in place as he continues. “You want my explanation—that’s it. Anything more between me and Belle is none of your goddamn business."
“C’mon, Judas. You know it’s not gonna last.” Heat rushes through Judas’ body. Vladimir has the nerve to sound concerned. "Whatever the fuck’s going on with the two of you, it won’t last. And if your balls really have fallen off and you care for her, you’ll let it go now... before it's too late."
Judas sets his glare over Vladimir's shoulder, forcing himself to rein his temper in. “Like I said—not your concern."
“So, Judas. Does this little pussy know you dig her that fucking much? You plan on having her in this life, raising ten shitty kids? What? What future can someone like you really give her?!” Vladimir's voice rips through the night air. “You know this business will fucking kill her in the end. Is that what you want? Judas, there’s no life with a woman by your side and you letting her think there’s one is just as fucked as what you're doing to me!"
“I'm done discussing things. Let her go,” Judas demands, his voice guttural, threatening.
Vladimir isn’t impressed. “Gimme Spencer."
“Not until I see she’s okay.”
“You’ve seen her. Remember? In the cage. And let me tell you, Judas, she loved every second of it.” Vladimir grins, knowing what buttons to push to get Judas over the edge of reason.
It nearly works. Judas is breathing heavy. He has to stop, gain some fucking control before he snaps and loses it. Next thing he knows, he’s going to have his hands wrapped around Vladimir's neck and that will be the end of it.
Vladimir grins, the corners of his mouth pinch together. “Fine."
Only using his one hand, Vladimir yanks Belle from the arm, forcing her out of the Bentley. Judas takes the small second to eye the surroundings. The building opposite him is high.
Vladimir isn’t alone.
Vladimir jerks at Belle’s arm, bringing her against him. “Tell him you're fine."
Judas stiffens, tries to screen his reaction to seeing her, but he knows it doesn’t work. She looks so tiny in that big sweater. Fragile and young. Not someone who should be mixed-up in this fucking disaster. Her beautiful soft hair is falling around her face and he can barely read her expression. In that moment, he wants so badly for Belle to look at him.
He sees her chin wobble right as her glassy vacant eyes climb up to meet his. His gut squeezes in pain when he hears her weak reply, “I-I'm… fine."
“Did he hurt you?" Judas asks, his voice low, full of strength.
Her head shakes, but she seems to be somewhere else entirely. “No."
“Can we cut this prissy-shit and negotiate now?” Vladimir says, as he watches the exchange volley between Judas and Belle, unabashedly.
Fuck. I need to end this. Belle looks so weak, about to collapse.
“The exchange has changed, Vladimir.” Judas’ eyes dart back to Vladimir only for a second before landing back on her. “Give me Belle or you lose the business. All of it."
Vladimir's shoulders stiffen just as his eyes suck all the air out of the alley, black holes of endless contempt. “Excuse me?" Vladimir spits.
A tendril of fear cascades in slow inches down Judas’ spine. But the unfamiliar feeling isn’t for himself. His eyes do a quick shift to the woman next to him, then back to Vladimir.
“Abruzzi's not happy with you. From the beginning he’s been reluctant to link names with you but you offered more money. I spoke with him and he's willing to back me since I made it clear to him—I’m the one with the money. That I was thinking of branching off with my own territory."
“That's bullshit. Everyone knows you fucking work for me. You're my glorified hit man, Judas. Don't you assume you hold more fucking weight around here than you do. I made you, asshole. I can just as easily destroy you."
“That's what I’ve led you to believe,” Judas hoarsely lets out. "You don't think your partners haven't offered me more power to join them? I didn’t because I felt I owed you after what you—”
“Yeah, after what I did for you, you piece-of-shit! I killed your fucking father after he chained you up and made you watch him rape and beat your mother to death—right in fucking front of you! For you!”
Belle gasps; Judas feels it vibrate through every one of his bones.
Vladimir’s chest rises higher and higher, and Judas can taste the rage filtering out from the man in front of him. “And you’re wrong. About the money. I did that for you because I loved your mother. I’d loved her since the day she moved into my neighborhood when we were kids. Told her not to marry your shit-for-brains father ‘cos she meant something to me—so you meant someth
ing to me, Judas! And this—this is how you fucking repay me, you son-of-a-bitch!”
“Thought you were a man with conscience,” Judas says, ignoring the pain taken over his senses. “Who had some kind of soul."
“Like you?” Vladimir snarls, shaky in his rage. “She’s gonna see someday you’re just as evil as your fucking dad—so stop the fucking act!"
“I'm not the one acting! You're a desperate man, Vladimir. A man who can't handle the pressure of this business. You've become paranoid, a liability. Too much snorting blow. Thought it was temporary but it's not. You and I both know it. The other partners see it. You're done."
“This is my payment for what I've done for you? Given you?!” Vladimir's tone treads past the formality of his trademark control. “This is what I get back? After all the years I’ve given you—to allow you to be by my side!"
“You can have your precious empire back. Just give me Belle.” Judas is back to his dull whisper.
“How’d you know I won’t just kill her right now…? Before I even give her back to you, asshole."
Judas cocks one corner of his mouth up. "Because you'd be dead before you even moved to go for your gun, old man. Don't forget, Vladimir—you handed me a gun at thirteen. I'm a faster draw than you."
“What if I offered you more than Abruzzi? More power?"
“Keep talking." Judas ignores Belle as her eyes widen and fall on him. Vladimir doesn’t catch it.
“I'll give you anything you want—more titles, you can have your own fucking territory, make decisions on contracts. Be right at the top with me. Whatever."
“And?"
Vladimir pauses. “I get Spencer."
“Just Spencer,” Judas says, his brow peaking in interest.
“Judas...” Belle implores. But Judas keeps his eyes firmly on Vladimir, knowing if they fall on Belle’s, his defenses will crack.
“How will I know you won't retaliate on Belle and the rest of her family?"