Thorned (Martinez Mafia Dynasty Book 1)

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Thorned (Martinez Mafia Dynasty Book 1) Page 3

by K. H. Kate


  “I hope you’d be this chatty when I question you but usually, I’m used to disappointments.”

  I jerk my chin toward the sudden voice coming from the doorway. A little too fast as I can feel the blood rush to my head making me momentarily dizzy. Ace steps into the room and suddenly I can't breathe. I want to run, hide, or die...anything but see him looking at me with those dark eyes, devoid of any emotions.

  “Lou, I believe your babysitting hour is done. You can leave.” Lou stands up almost immediately but he doesn’t just leave yet. Only when his gaze sweeps over me with a frown that he finally takes his leave.

  I open my mouth but nothing leaves from my lips. No scream. No crying for help. Only the prey and predator. Ace stares at me. I half expect him to pull out a gun and shoot but his hands are still inside his suit pocket.

  He studies me another minute before he asks. "Have you thought about my questions?"

  Questions? Oh, those questions I had no answer for.

  "What do you know, Barbie?" He asks again. This time he is too close. Too much that one whiff and I can only feel him around me.

  "Barbie?"

  A pitiful whine leaves from my lips. "I don't know."

  He nods like that's what he expects me to say. "Hmm. Your landlady called earlier. I picked up your phone and told her you are not returning to that place anymore. She was furious, asking how you could leave without giving her money."

  No. Please tell me he didn’t hurt her…

  "Interesting thing is, she called again to thank me. Apparently a man paid your rent. Now I didn’t give her a penny, so who did?" He’s talking but I’m still stuck at the mention of a man. I don’t know anyone who would help me with money. Nick’s friends? But they disappeared the same time he did.

  "I don't want to hurt you, Barbie." That's what they say. That's the catch, isn't it? I don't want to hurt you, I won't. Until the skin is marred by scars already. He frowns looking away from me. "But you are forcing me. You are the one who doesn't want to get out. You can't tell me who your brother works for, what he knows, what you know. You think I can’t recognize the look on your eyes?"

  My eyes?

  "You know everything, you know what I can do to you...yet you don't say a thing. What do you want me to do with that?" I want to laugh at him. He can't know what's hidden behind my eyes. Even Nick couldn't.

  "Maybe she lied." The answer makes him laugh. That hallow terrifying laugh. "Someone is setting us up -"

  "Of course." Suddenly his fingers are wrapped around my hair and he's pulling me to him. Panic claws my chest, making me thrash against his hold. He doesn't even move. "How do I know you're not lying now?"

  "You don't know a damn thing." I don't know what I am saying. My lips move but it's like someone else has replaced me. "You don't know me. You don't know Nick. You don't- no, what!"

  My words are cut off harshly by something. Something soft and brutal. But they don't make me scream in pain. Instead, my body burns the more I feel his lips against mine. His hands don't move from their previous place. He doesn't ogle or go farther. His simple touch is punishment enough that a whimper leaves from my lips.

  A moan?

  Or protest?

  I don't know how I look when he finally walks away from me as if I'm a living breathing poison. His eyes show the mistake as he wipes his lips harshly making them red. Almost as if he’d rather forget it happened in the first place.

  I will do anything to just forget those few moments too where I wasn't worried about my brother. Where Nick Taylor and his silly games didn't exist. Maybe Raine Taylor didn't exist either.

  "Get up." This time he doesn't force me to stand. He watches me instead, his eyes unreadable as I somehow manage to stand without falling flat on the ground. My stomach rambles again but I don't even feel any embarrassment.

  "Follow me, Barbie. Looks like we need to visit Xeon after all."

  I should have tried to run then. Or maybe asked for some food to stop this dizziness. But I follow him without a word. I don't think I could have done anything else even if I wanted to. Cause for my brother, I'd walk willingly to go anywhere with him.

  Even if he leads me to hell...

  CHAPTER 6

  ACE

  There was a time when I used to love this club. Xeon was the first thing I ever built without Padre's help. Of fucking course I loved it. I still do. Even if it belongs to my brother now, the people, the respect I got, the name that I earned here.

  Ace Diablo Martinez.

  I wasn't a bit surprised that people compared me to the devil. Even the devil had tricks under his sleeves, just like I was the trickster no one ever saw coming. I test the weight of the gun in my waistband and smile. Time for the game to start.

  "Let's go."

  My partner is silent from the moment she got into the car. Even now as we walk into the Xeon, she's blankly staring at the men around us. I see someone looking at her with interest but the moment he sees me behind her, he slips into the crowd with fear in his eyes.

  Good for him...

  "Do not talk if not asked, Barbie," I don't know why I force her to take my hand instead. It wouldn't matter anyway. If anyone wants her, it will be Ares's choice to give them the order to do whatever they want with her.

  Fuck! She was never supposed to come between my plans. So, I serve the warning by making her look at the eyes of the lustful men. "Don't forget I'm still your captor. You do one mistake, Barbie. One tiny step wrong and you will be theirs to do whatever with."

  Her breathe hitches and she stops walking. Just like that time when I had her pinned under me. Even then she moaned when she was supposed to be angry at me. She should have tried to run. I would have chased her down and punished her for running.

  She's not getting my rules, not playing my games as I hoped.

  But she will. Something tells me for her brother, she will do anything. Even play a sinister game with a devil.

  "I-I won't say a word." She nods, avoiding my eyes.

  "Buena niña."

  She doesn't say anything after that. The only time her eyes widen over slightly when I open the storage door to get to the main part of the club.

  “Why are we in the storage room? Are you going to leave me here? Y-You are, aren’t you? I can’t stay here. I can’t!”

  Technically, I can fix her misunderstanding but this is the first time for a fleeting moment, I have seen true fear in her eyes. So even if time is running out, I grin, closing the door with a loud thud.

  “Are you afraid?”

  In the dark, it’s hard to see but I can hear her choke on a gasp. Definitely afraid.

  “It’s not funny.” I hear her little retort but for her sake, she can’t even fake the bravery. When I don’t say a thing, sure enough, her voice cracks. “L-Let me out. Now!”

  A smile graces my face but I doubt she noticed that. Appearing beside her, I flip the switch. The room fills with sudden bright light, making her wince. Hiding my own amusement, I run my finger around the wall until I find the hidden latch. Turning the lock, not a second later, I hear the automatic voice which makes her jump in fright.

  “Code.”

  “LaDiabloEme.”

  “Welcome to Xeon.” The voice mutters while opening the door of the elevator. Satisfied, I enter noticing her wry gaze at me. Other than basking in the dumbfounded look on her face, I find myself sighing in irritation.

  “What?”

  She opens and closes her mouth before following me in with shock in her eyes. “This…is an elevator.”

  Casting her a look which clearly shows what I think of her mental health I can’t help but pitch in. “Congratulations, you are not as blind as I thought.”

  A scowl appears in her face but she’s not stupid enough to make herself more in trouble than she already is. Thankfully, we travel to the basement without any mishap until we are near the small office. Only then I notice that the guards are new. It seems like Ares changed everything including s
ecurities. I don't bother knocking. I try to open the door but that fucker has his gun already drawn at me.

  "Señor, keep your hands away from the door handle and I won't shoot. It's a warning." Barbie goes rigid beside me. And me? I'm only laughing. Ares wasn’t kidding about the competition, was he? If his loyal dogs are anything to go by…

  "Do you know who I am?" My eyes narrow when he doesn’t waver. I can break both of his wrists right now for disrespecting me, his boss. Ares won't take it likely, but if it means to mess with his head, I'd gladly-

  "Hermano." Ares interjects right in time to stop me from whatever I was planning to do to his guard. This time though the man drops his hands, waiting for Ares to give an order. Ares doesn’t even disappoint and for the first time, I notice the gritty version of our father mirroring back.

  "Zander, blood in and blood out, remember? That’s your boss you just dared to disrespect. Apologize or I won’t hesitate to make an example out of you."

  This Zander immediately apologizes to both of us before taking his stance on the door. If I wasn’t in such a foul mood I may be even impressed. My brother has toughened up in such a short time. I think it shows in my face as his grin widens.

  "I told you I’ll take care of things. Some of the Detroits are already taken-" He stops short seeing the woman with me. "I thought you were coming alone. Decided to change your mind? My offer still stands."

  "No, hermano. She is not for taking. And tell your men to look down every fucking time we will be here, sí?" I don't know why my blood boils at the thought of anyone else playing with her. He shrugs with another grin.

  "If you say so. Now come in."

  We walk into the office and shit, what the hell has he done to this place? The walls are too vibrant with colors when it used to be dark like my office in the manor. I see her looking around zeroing into a picture of us with our father.

  The sentimental fool actually hung a picture of us, Fuck...

  "What business do you have here? Are you willing to help me?" He asks, his grin too big to be ignored. We all take a seat and I turn to him with a grimace. I was hoping that conversation will not be on our plate today. I may pity Ares for his predicament, but I have no interest to marry Vita. Especially since I know that both of us are too alike.

  Together, we will burn the La Eme to the ground.

  Besides, Vita always had eyes for Ares and I can’t let Dante have more power over me than he already has. Even thinking about that fate makes me want to put a bullet in my head.

  Hopelessness washes over Ares the more time passes that I don’t answer. “Well?”

  "Just as I said, brother. I won’t marry Vita to spare you. You’ll just have to figure out another way to stop this engagement. However, I came here for another reason. What do you know about Ceaser's son?"

  "Elijah?" He shakes his head frowning. "He is not a threat to us. At least not yet anyway. Why?"

  A grunt leaves my lips. "Cause he's dodging my offer to meet. He only wants to meet the nameless heir, you know Pedro’s daughter that no one has ever seen? That puto might have a hand in Nicki’s mess."

  "You think Nicki betrayed us for the cartel? Where the hell did you get that from?" He leans over the table watching...her? "And what's she doing here?"

  I also look at Barbie. She looks even worse than when she was taken to the manor. Her stomach rumbles once in a while and shit, maybe I should have given her something to eat before dragging her here.

  "Our allies are afraid, Outfits are attacking our clubs, everything’s falling apart, brother. And, all of this is happening because someone couldn’t stay loyal to their master." She flinches at the reminder, making me grin. "Then, this Barbie here keeps lying to me. So you can see why I can’t exactly come here alone.”

  “So, you are parading her around to spite her brother’s allies?”

  Parading her around? Was that what I was doing? Fucking hell. “I’m not parading her around. She knows him better than any of us.”

  Ares raises an eyebrow. "And on top of that, she lied. No one lives after betraying the La Eme."

  This time a whimper reaches my ears. She's scared. Good. Without looking at her, I answer. "She should be. But what use she will be if she's dead?"

  Her fingers curl around the hem of her dress. The skin looks red, marks marring the place. Old scars. Some new. Did anyone else other than me-or did she do that to herself? The thought makes me more confused and interested to know the Barbie beside me.

  What makes her tick? What makes her scream in fear?

  "Fine, how can I help you then?" Ares sighs, momentarily distracting me from my thoughts.

  "There's a man that frequents the club, he’s hard to miss since his face is marked with burn marks. Heard he has a limp too, probably from a bad knife wound...” I try to remember more but Raine’s landlady hardly told us anything clearly “That’s what I know so far. Anyone comes to your mind, hermano?"

  He clenches his fists. The puto is known to Ares then. "You do know him."

  "Unfortunately, yes. There is a man that is similar to your description. He came to work a few days ago. We scanned his background and all, there was nothing to worry about." I'm almost excited at the thought of practicing my shooting skills on the fucker's head when Ares sighs.

  "But-"

  "But what, brother?"

  He looks away from me. "But the man is dead. Was sent in a body bag just two hours ago with a note."

  "Say what?" My knuckles crack in a warning. “Where’s the note?”

  Ares’s gaze drifts to his desk with something closer to dread. "It’s a cryptic note. No matter how many times I have read it, it just doesn't make any sense."

  "Give me the note." If I thought he will ask for something in return, I'm mistaken. He eagerly hands me the small piece of paper. Opening the note, I read aloud and the only thing I hear is her. She's...she's giggling with tears in her eyes. They fall over her chin just as I finish reading. A riddle.

  And the beginning of my patience snapping.

  You ripped the flower away from the Garden of sins, thinking it will be dead without its roots but beware, even flowers have deadly thorns...

  CHAPTER 7

  RAINE

  I have been called many things in my entire life.

  Pretty thing, poor sister, cheater's daughter. But never a flower. Especially those who have thorns.

  “See? I told you, she’s still here. He didn’t go through it.” The man who took me here spits out the moment Ace drags me inside his manor. There’s another man with him who looks just as surprised when he notices the state I am in. The whole car ride, I have tried not to lose hope. To let the voices inside my head win but here, right at this moment, I can’t deny the fact that whoever sent that note has nailed me to an early grave.

  “Boss, I thought you were sending her to-”

  “Not now, Felix.” His voice feels like thunder. And once it hits me with force, there’s nothing I can do to stop the panic. The scorn in them and what it can do to me…

  A wrenched scream bubbles to the surface. Let me go, let me go, let me go!

  “Let you go?” Ace laughs, tugging me upstairs. Only then I realize that I have been saying those words aloud all along. “Now why would I do that?”

  The two men follow us silently until Ace rips open the door of the room that I was staying earlier. My breath catches on the danger of getting locked up again when that man, Felix, pushes aside us to face Ace.

  “Boss, Dante called. That’s important than…” Felix glances at me once before shaking his head with a scoff. “You can deal with this one later. It’s Dante I’m worried about. He is planning something.”

  For a second I doubt if my eyes are playing tricks with me when Ace looks hesitant. Will he leave me now? But I’m not graced with his mercy, instead, destruction gazes back at me in the form of Ace Martinez and I’ve never been this terrified.

  “Felix, I’m sure Dante will be delighted to hear my voice b
ut this one is much more important than playing the same old games with him.” His eyes move until he notices the other man in the room. “And, Dario, since you’re here already, you handle Dante. He is a dear friend of yours, isn’t he?”

  And, I will handle the poor Raine who doesn’t know when to run for her life. God, I can almost hear the mocking tone, because in truth that’s what I have been.

  A chess piece caught between monsters to tug and pull whenever they want.

  “Fine.” Dario sighs, catching my eyes with something akin to disgust. Something tells me he doesn’t like me very much. “But for all our sake, let’s hope you get rid of this bitch soon.”

  “Por favor! Not now, Dario, you had too much to drink. Forgive him, boss.” Muttering a curse, Felix shoves Dario toward the door. Once they both leave, closing the door behind them that Ace slowly turns to me. I’m not stupid enough to hope that he’s truly relaxed and I’m proven right when he closes the distance between us with a snarl.

  "What the fuck was that!? ¡Dime! What did Nick tell you?" I almost lose my balance with the force he uses to sake my shoulder. You’re a coward, Raine. I can hear the imaginary Nick in my head cooing. So bloody coward that for once you haven’t try to escape. You haven’t even thought of me…

  Cringing, I bring my hands to my ears, to stop the voices from turning into shouts. But it’s not my brother that’s enforcing them, it’s Ace. And what a beautiful destroyer he is when the room is left with broken glasses and shattered hopes. Where even the blood dripping from his knuckles isn’t what makes my heart drop, it’s the calm set of lines around his face.

  "Someone threaten me today because of you, Barbie. Someone close to you."

  There's no one close to me, my mind screams but I can't open my lips. I don't want to see his eyes. So deep, filled with hatred. Yet I have no choice but to look only at him. I didn't forget the gun he had with him earlier. He wouldn't think twice about aiming it at me if I even let my eyes sway for once.

  "You are staring at me." His grip is not tight enough to crush my windpipe but I wouldn't be surprised if he does end up doing so. "What do you know?"

 

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