The King's Pawn: The Complete King Crime Family Duet

by J. L. Beck

  “You still think there is any good left inside of me?” Enzo yells in my face, his voice laced with so much unbridled rage, it shakes me to the core.

  I can’t respond to anything, I can’t process the cruelty surrounding me. My mind is off in la-la-land, and my body isn’t responding. I can’t figure out how I have gotten to this dark and dismal place. I feel as if I’m outside of my body, watching the carnage take place.

  “Take her,” Enzo orders and shoves me into Eli’s arms.

  “What do you want me to do with her?” he asks, sounding a little annoyed that he has to deal with me. There is a moment of silence that makes the pounding in my head and heart stop.

  “Put her in the basement,” he orders emotionlessly. “I’ll deal with her later.”

  “Got it, boss.” Eli nods as he starts to drag me out by my arm. I quickly lose my other shoe, figuring going barefoot will be better than hobbling along.

  As we pass Mack on the way out, he looks at me with sad eyes, almost like he is sorry I had to see this. Why can’t Mack take me back? Maybe he would help me escape.

  Deal with her… Enzo’s words are on replay in my mind as I’m pulled down the hall and toward the main room of the club. Is he going to deal with me like he just dealt with these people?

  I need to get away, and this might be my only chance.

  Eli has a death grip on my arm, but when we weave through the crowd, I’ll use that against him. When I see a couple of large guys standing a few feet away from us, I pull toward them and pretend to stumble.

  One of them grabs me, and Eli loses his grip, which is exactly what I hoped would happen. Without wasting any time, I twist away from both guys and take off running through the crowd.

  I bump into people left and right, but I keep pushing through. I run into a waitress holding two drinks, making her spill them all over me, but I barely feel the ice-cold liquid soaking my dress. All I can think about is getting away.

  Then I see it, the red exit sign hovering over the crowd, which is finally thinning out. I take off into a dead sprint the last few feet until I burst through the door and onto the sidewalk.

  The bouncers turn and look at me curiously, but I don’t stop. Something tells me they know Enzo and will take me back to him. So, I start running down the sidewalk instead. My bare feet pounding against the asphalt as I run as fast as I can… but it’s not fast enough.

  “You really think it’s that easy?” Eli screams behind me. The sound of him running after me gets closer and closer, and before I know it, I’m tackled to the ground, landing face-first on the sidewalk.

  The fall knocks all the air from my lungs, and a sharp pain erupts along the side of my face. Fuck, that hurts.

  “You shouldn’t have done that,” Eli growls as he gets up. I can’t move. Everything hurts.

  With a groan, my body is lifted into the air and carried away. Closing my eyes, I go limp. I don’t fight anymore. I have nothing left, and in the end, I know what my fate will be. It will be the same as the people in the VIP room.

  Death.

  11

  Enzo

  Did she have a fucking death wish? My body is full of aggression and anger. I rip my suit jacket off, throwing it against the wall. How dare she try and tell me what I can and cannot do!

  You’re more than this, Figlio… my mother’s voice enters my mind. Fuck. I can’t handle this.

  Still, she shouldn’t have defied me. She should have listened. Kept herself quiet and not interfered with my actions. Now I’m forced to teach her a lesson.

  Pulling my slacks and dress shirt off, I slip into a pair of jeans and head down to the basement. My steps are heavy with anger, madness even. I’m not sure if I want to fuck her into submission or kill her.

  I grip the key in my hand tightly, begging for the pain to release some of the anger I have within me.

  Sliding the key into the door, I step inside and scrutinize her. I take in her small form, and the anger starts to fade away. It is still there, but it’s easing away slowly.

  She is lying on the mattress, her eyes are closed, and her hands are folded under her cheek.

  With the fancy dress clinging to her body, her soft curls framing her face, she looks so out of place. She should be lying on silk in a bed made for royalty, not in this dank cell on a metal bed and thin mattress.

  She doesn’t belong here. This place was made to hold my enemies, criminals, men who will die soon. Is she really my enemy?

  I take slow and steady steps toward her. I’m still not sure if I will hurt her or not. Part of me wants to... needs to. I want to shake the hell out of her for making a fool of me in front of my men, in front of other people.

  Closing the distance between us, I kneel next to her. Only then do I see the bruise on the side of her face. It is black and blue, and against her creamy skin, a stark reminder of what I’m capable of doing.

  Did I do that to her? I was so angry in the club, so full of rage, that my mind is hazy. I remember shoving her away… she fell to the ground. Then Eli took her. Did something else happen?

  My stomach sinks as realization sets in. I did this to her. There is no question. Even if I didn’t strike her face or intentionally throw her to the ground, it is still my fault. I’m responsible for her. I took her there. I told Eli to grab her.

  Suddenly, I want to laugh. I have killed women, countless women, ones who were mothers, daughters, aunts, it didn’t matter. I ended their lives, but the mere thought of blemishing Amara’s skin has me sinking to my knees.

  A cut marks her top lip, and I know if I look at other parts of her body, I will see more bruises.

  Gripping my hair, I tear my eyes away from her. I’m feeling conflicted. I have never in my life felt this contradictory. I always know what to do. There is never a doubt in my mind if someone deserves to die if someone deserves pain.

  A whimper leaves her lips, and I turn my attention back to her. Before I can even stop myself, I cup her face in my hand gently. She doesn’t wake but leans into my touch in her sleep. She wouldn’t be doing that if she was awake. She’d be turning away.

  I wonder if she can be the exception to it all. It’s weak of me to think this way, to want to keep her and do things with her that are not like myself. This is fucked up, and I’m fucked up for thinking that I can be different with her.

  For years, I’ve never allowed anyone to get close to me. No one. Not since my mother. Losing her was the nail in my coffin; it closed the door to my heart.

  But she has to pay for what she did. Forcing my gaze from her angelic face, I stand. She will have to pay. She has to obey so she can survive in my world.

  Turning, I walk out, shut the door, and lock it behind me. As I walk back up the stairs, I find Mack waiting for me.

  “Have the doctor come and check her out in the morning,” I say before he gets a word in.

  “I actually had him come already. That’s what I was going to tell you,” Mack explains. “While you were dealing with the fallout at the club, Eli called me. Amara got away from him. She ran outside, and Eli had to tackle her to the ground. She hit her head and was loopy after. I called the doc to make sure she doesn’t have a concussion.”

  “Thanks…” A word I rarely use, but I do feel gratitude right now.

  “I know you’re angry with her, but I also know you don’t want her to die. The doctor said she is fine, by the way. Just some scratches and bruises, nothing serious. He left some ointment.”

  I nod, glad Mack has my back as always. I slap his shoulder as I pass, heading to the main staircase, slowly dragging my feet up the steps.

  “Make sure she is fed and has clean clothes. Maybe some aspirin too.”

  “I’ll make sure of it.”

  I make my way back to the bedroom and strip out of my clothes. When I fall into my bed, it feels empty without her. I have the urge to go and get her, but I need to go through with her punishment. She has to learn her lesson.

  She has to und
erstand that no matter how much she tries to sway me from evil or tells me that I can’t do something, I’m damned and will be this way forever.

  12

  Amara

  I wake up slowly, and all I can think about is going back to sleep. I don’t want to deal with reality. Don’t want to relive what happened last night or the fact that I’m in a cell now. I might have been a prisoner all along, but it hasn’t been like this.

  The worst part is being so alone and having nothing to distract myself. All I have are my thoughts, and none of them are good. So far, it’s been easy to tell myself I’m okay. That I’m in no danger, and Lorenzo is not so bad.

  Now, there is no such belief. Now, I have to face the truth.

  Squeezing my eyes shut, I force myself to go back to sleep since that’s the only escape I have. I feel like kicking and screaming, but I think staying quiet right now is my best bet. I’m hoping I won’t spend another night in here if I just behave like Lorenzo wants me to.

  I’m just dozing off when I hear approaching footfalls and the rattling of the keys. In a split second, sleep is the furthest thought from my mind.

  Besides the doctor checking me out last night and a maid bringing me a blanket, food, and some painkillers, no one has been here to check on me. Is Enzo finally going to come and face me? If he is, what will he say? Will he be mad at me? Or will he be apologetic?

  My pulse is racing, and my breathing is labored as the door swings open, and Eli’s huge body fills the frame of the door.

  “Wakey, wakey.” He smirks at me. His eyes roam my body like they did yesterday, and a small groan falls from his lips. I suddenly feel naked and exposed, even though I’m fully dressed. Scooting up on the bed, I pull the blanket up to under my chin.

  As he walks in, I notice he is carrying a tray and has a bag stuffed under his arm.

  “I hope you had a pleasant night.” He winks.

  “Splendid,” I say sarcastically.

  “Brought you breakfast, fresh clothes, and some ointment for your face.” He drops the bag next to my bed and sets the tray on the edge of the mattress. “Now get up.”

  “Why?” I’m confused.

  “Get. Up,” he snaps, his tone telling me there is no room for disobedience. His huge body is looming over me, the light bulb behind his head, only making him seem larger and more powerful.

  Hesitantly, I push the blanket off and slowly start to move.

  “Faster, or I’ll make you,” he warns.

  I scurry off the bed and come to a stand next to him. Wrapping my arms around myself, I tilt my head up to look at him and wait for further instruction.

  “Now, take that dress off.” His tongue darts out to lick his lips as his eyes glare at me with expectation.

  “W-what… I mean, why?”

  “Because I said so. I brought you fresh clothes.” He picks up the bag and turns it over, pouring out its contents on the bed. I look at the pile of clothes dumbfounded. He can’t be serious?

  “I’ll change after you leave.”

  “No. You change now.”

  “I don’t think Enzo will be okay with this,” I say boldly. The truth is, I have no idea if he is or not. He said he won’t share, but I won’t take his word for anything.

  “Who do you think sent me down here? Now get undressed before I rip this dress off you and teach you a lesson.”

  With shaking hands, I reach back and fumble with the zipper until it’s open. I let the dress fall off my shoulders and to the ground. I’m wearing a pair of lacy panties, but no bra since the dress had one built-in.

  I cross my arms in front of my boobs as quickly as I can, but I know he’s seen my breasts now.

  Grinning from ear to ear, he pulls out a pair of panties from the pile and holds it in front of my face.

  “Here, change into these now,” he orders.

  Wanting this to be over as quickly as possible, I hastily pull my panties down my legs and snatch the ones he is holding. As I put the fresh pair back on, Eli’s eyes don’t leave my bare pussy, and his glare burns my skin.

  My mind goes back to the time Enzo made me undress in front of him. That time I was scared but also excited. With Eli, I feel disgusted and want to vomit.

  Snatching a shirt and a pair of leggings from the bed, I pull those on too, covering up everything I don’t want him to see.

  “Good girl. I’ll be back…” And with that, he turns around and leaves my cell. The door falls shut, and the sound of the lock clicking fills the small space.

  I suck in a deep breath and wrap my arms around myself. Sinking back down to the mattress, I curl up into myself and hope Eli won’t come back today. I want Enzo to come down here and get me. Even after what he did, I don’t think he would be okay with this. Would he?

  I’m so confused. Unsure what to believe or how to feel. Is this how Enzo wants it? Was this his plan all along? I can’t fathom him sending Eli here to watch me get changed, but what do I really know.

  Maybe that’s how he’s wanted me this whole time—confused, broken, and lost with no purpose here.

  The next time the door opens, I’m immediately on high alert. Expecting Eli to return, I stand up from the bed. I know it’s not much, but I feel a little safer like this than lying in the bed.

  I breathe a sigh of relief when I see a maid enter carrying a tray. She leaves the door open as she steps inside, Mack is standing on the other side. With his arms crossed over his chest, he shakes his head and gives me a stern look that all but says, ‘don’t even think about it.’

  The maid gives me a sad smile as she hands me my lunch before picking up my half-eaten breakfast tray. She turns to leave, and all I want to do is beg her to stay. I hate being alone. I wish I had some company or something to do. I know she can’t stay, though.

  “Can you please tell Lorenzo I want to talk to him?” I ask Mack. “Or could you bring me to him?” I know it’s a long shot, but I’ll try anything.

  “He’ll talk to you when he wants to, and not when you request it. Now, be a good prisoner, eat your food, and stay quiet, or I’ll have to gag you,” Mack growls and slams the door in my face.

  Anger surges up inside of me. I’m done being a good little prisoner. I’ve tried that, and it’s not working in my favor.

  Time to change plans.

  13

  Enzo

  It has been almost twenty-four hours since I checked on Amara. I force myself to stay busy with business, but it does me no good. I barely slept last night, fighting with myself not to go downstairs and get her. I wanted her to sleep in my bed… where she belongs.

  “She’s demanding that we release her,” Mack explains, entering my office. I don’t look up from my computer.

  “Nothing new.” For the past few hours, she has done nothing but demand to be released, which lets me know she hasn’t learned anything yet. I’m not sure if she thought she would get away with what she did, but this will teach her otherwise.

  “She screams and cries every time I go down there.” There is a sappiness to his words, and when I finally look up, he looks kind of heartbroken.

  “When did you grow a heart?” I joke. This is not like him. Mack has been one of the most ruthless of my family friends. That’s why he is still here, and no one else is. In this business, you can’t bless someone with mercy because if you do, they will take it and run. Plus, if you do it for one person, you have to do it for everyone.

  “I didn’t grow a heart. I’m just not immune to a beautiful woman’s cries.” The smile he shoots at me sends a rage deep within me to the surface. Does he want her too? She is mine, and I won’t have any problem putting him in his place.

  “Are you attracted to my debt?” I demand an answer. We won’t be leaving this office until I’ve got one.

  “No, I didn’t mean–”

  “Good. Leave her be. I will go down there in a few and take care of her.” Along with dealing with her and obtaining payment for debts owed, I have to contact Luccio an
d ask him if he has found anything out about my mother.

  I slam the laptop closed and pull myself from the office. I can hear her yell as I draw closer to the basement. If she doesn’t want to be punished, why the hell does she act out in ways that she knows will get her punished?

  I push the key in the lock and throw the door open. She has hit a nerve. My eyes land on hers, and her shouting stops immediately.

  “I heard your cries, and my cock came to fulfill them,” I announce, smirking at her. I take a step closer and watch her drag herself to the cell’s far wall as if she is repulsed by my presence. She is afraid of me, as she should be.

  “You’re a sick asshole…” Her words are flung at me with such intensity, I can practically feel her anger against my skin.

  “I already know all those things. You’re not the first to say it and won’t be the last.” I’m being a cocky bastard because her pissed off and angry demeanor make me want to fuck her into oblivion. Crossing the cell, I kneel in front of her.

  “Don’t. Touch. Me,” she snarls. There is a fire in her eyes, something I have never seen before. If I were a betting man, which I am, I would bet she is slightly turned on.

  “You tell me not to touch you, but your body says differently. Your body says, fuck me. Long. Hard.”

  I didn’t come down here to fuck her, but if the situation is right…

  “I want nothing to do with you. Nothing. What you did to me…to those people…” Her eyes glaze over as if she is reliving the whole scene. I’m sorry for hurting her the way I did, but I’m not sorry I did my job. People had to die.