Thorned (Martinez Mafia Dynasty Book 1)

by K. H. Kate

  His eyes rake over my form in disappointment. “You want me to trust you? I gave you a chance before, Barbie, and you failed. You hid more things than you delivered.”

  “I will be better.” Even if that means I’ll be killed for betraying him anyway.

  His brow furrows in confusion. “Then, give me proof that I can. Can you do that, mi Barbie? Find a woman?”

  My heart drops. A replacement of mine?

  "Someone is desperate enough to find a woman through you. You get the job done and the friend won't be too far from us."

  Surprisingly I nod. It's the same game and rules after all. My brother betrayed him, he had me to take. The woman must have someone close to her who did the same mistake and now...now she will be another copy of mine.

  Another same story.

  Same fate.

  I just sigh. I can't even pity her enough to save her from Ace. The desperation to run from him finally makes me turn to shove him away from me. But the faint outline of something stops me. No, not something. Someone is outside near the window. A frown comes over my face seeing another faint red light. Wait-

  "Down!"

  Before I can say a word, a heavy body lurches towards me, forcing me to throw myself on the floor. I hear the glass breaking, the shouts, and the roar of the man over me. Everything is in chaos. But for some reason, I don't dare open my eyes and look over.

  I only breathe hard.

  In the end, the scent of wine and smoke is all I inhale before everything stops at once...

  CHAPTER 22

  ACE

  One minute I am entertaining Raine with the thought of trapping Pedro and the next minute, I have no choice but to double over as something blows over my shoulder. For anyone else that might have been termed as intense pain but for me, it's just another reason to piss me off.

  "Boss!"

  I hear shouts over the gunshots coming from the hallway. Someone attacked the manor. There's no other way to explain what just happened as I turn over to see the faint outline of a gun aimed at me again. But this time I don't think. The moment my gun is drawn out, he shoots again.

  He misses, the vase I got last year from Spade, drops on the floor in pieces.

  But I don't miss. As soon as I shoot, I hear a whimper coming from the window. I hear more shouts coming closer until the door opens in a hurry with Dario and Roman running in to help. It's Dario who curses first seeing the slow trail of blood under me. For a second my vision blurs in rage thinking if it's from the woman-

  But it's my shoulder that burns. I inhale and the familiar scent of blood also ends up being mine. I look down but there's no hate, no survival instinct for herself. Most of all concern features her in a strange creature. She should be worried about herself, not me. Never fucking me.

  But I can clearly see the question in her eyes, are you ok, Ace?

  Am I intrigued? Shocked?

  I don't have time to wonder when Roman drops on his knees near us, covering me from any potential attack. "Boss, we have to go."

  Go!

  Everything in me screams, my fist clenches to find the idiot and torture him. But in the end, I just manage to haul myself up, looking over at Dario and Roman with determination. Both look confused when I tug the woman closer only to push her toward Roman rather than Dario.

  "Get her in the safe house. Take Felix with you if you need it. Make sure she's safe and listen-" He stops near the doorway. "Padre shouldn't know a single thing about her, you hear me? Not even Dante."

  "Of course, boss."

  I try to find any lie in his eyes. Any hidden reason for him to let the woman go somewhere else rather than where I want her to go. But I don't find anything other than desperation to leave. Only when both of them are out of my sight that I look at Dario who is already looking at me with a clenched jaw.

  "What? Do you think I'll kill her?"

  I can't stop cracking up. It tickles through my lips as a snarl, like the blood dripping on the floor. One drop, two, and more. "You and I both know what you'd do if I'd let her go with you."

  He shrugs, not countering me. "Maybe you're right. But what do you say we do now?"

  "Now?" I hear myself grunt. "Now we hunt the puto down and kill him."

  ***

  "Tell me, who send you!"

  Another scream echoes through the room as I let the hot poker run over his exposed chest. It sizzles like some cheap grill chicken we used to eat when we were younger. When the only thing to worry about was if the next meal will be better than before.

  My shoulder burns again, the wrapped gauge doing nothing to lessen the pain. So, I shake my head hard enough to keep the thoughts in the bay. Monsters never look back to see how they become one. They only have to keep a reminder of what they are. Just like that, I feel the rage take over, the need to see this man whimpering in pain.

  "When your friends were left in the swamp, they were still alive, you know? Barely, but they were breathing." For once, I sound sympathetic, though what I feel is a thousand times different than that. Anger keeps me going. "If you want, you can have the same fate.”

  He looks at me horrified when my fingers tighten, the poker slipping between skins, the smell of burning flesh and blood mixing together with his rising screams. I don't have to look ahead to see a smug Dario waiting patiently with other weapons for me to use. I even see Roman somewhere around the room, keeping an eye out for the outsiders.

  After all, this safe house is the first place where I learned how to torture another human. How to make people like this bastard sing like a cannery.

  But, what I don't expect is a couple of footsteps. Too light, too hesitant to be my men’s. Whipping around, I'm surprised to see the woman on the doorsteps. She looks at me, asking my permission to enter? I don't know why I do.

  "Come."

  No one has to say another word. She walks until she’s near me, even if her eyes are on the man. Her brow furrows, seeing the poker still digging into his chest. She doesn't look revolted which is a good thing, which means my Barbie is learning. But something tells me she's not esthetic to watch the show either.

  "Is this the man-"

  "The man who tried to shot us?" I help her finish. She winces, eyes discreetly going over my back to where blood still sips in small drops. "Yes."

  "He's the same man." She whispers just at the same time the bastard lets out a whine.

  "Help me. Fucking help me!"

  There's no humor in them as she starts to chuckle suddenly. A raw, dizzy smile shapes her lips as she takes the end of the poker from my hand. It burns where she touches but I have yet to say something. I want to see what she wants to do. Will she help him? The traitor or me? Who’ll she choose?

  Not to my surprise, she takes the poker out. Sneering, my first reaction is to drag her out of the room. She chose him. That bastard...but in a moment, she digs the poker into his skin again making him cry out. Even deeper than I did before. If I wanted to torture him, it looks like she wants to kill him.

  "Y-You think I will help you?" She wonders aloud with a shake of her head, the red hair that was in a bun falling down farther her shoulder. "You really think-"

  Another tickle of laughter fills the room as she lunges for his neck but this time I'm there for her. Before she can do something worse, like really kill him without getting any ounce of information, I stop her by gripping her arms hard.

  "Relax, Ms. Taylor. Not yet." The whisper goes over her head. I see the way she keeps her eyes on the bastard...hate, regret, and wrath filling those amber eyes. For her to look at me, I've to yank her a few steps away from him.

  "You want to hurt him, si?" She nods so eagerly that I can't help but smile. "Then watch me."

  When I look at the bastard, he has nothing to help him from the pain. Dario gives me the knife with a smirk, the corner of it already bloodied from the previous victim it went through. Flashing the knife, I let it graze over his cheeks.

  "Give me a name, amigo. Before I let her d
o whatever the fuck she wants to do to you."

  Something warm is dribbling down my fingers. Only when I focus on it that I notice it’s my blood. I've managed to cut my own skin while torturing another. Rubbing the blood away I look at her again. I expect her to keep staring at the man, but oddly her eyes swipe over my fingers before she looks away.

  Roman takes a step toward us. "Boss, he's not saying anything. Do we kill him?"

  "No, fuck no! I'm telling you, fuck!" He sounds scared now. Good. I fist the bastard's hair harder to look at me.

  "Hmm, so tell me who send you?"

  "A month ago someone contracted us for a little hit. Not much, just to end the boss and kill as much as we all can." He tosses the words without much of a thought. Not knowing the rage to blow his face with my fists is getting harder to ignore. "H-He gave us some money in advance, the rest will be given after the job is done."

  "And who gave you the order?"

  He pauses for a second. I take that as an indication that he won't say a damn word but when he finally says the names I can't reach for his neck fast enough. Cause there's already a thin boney hand doing the job for me.

  "It was Pedro and Nicki."

  It could have been anyone. Dante, My father, Elijah…the Outfits, any fucking one but Pedro? Fury runs through my vein at the thought of such betrayal. My hands even rise, ready to strike-But I don't know why I don't stop her either...

  CHAPTER 23

  RAINE

  There are only a few moments in my life that left me thinking if regret was still an emotion I can afford to feel. Regret for not throwing the invitation card on my mother's face when she had the audacity to invite us to her second wedding. Regret for not stopping our father when he basically walked out on us. Regret for becoming Nick's puppet instead of slapping him hard the first time he started to work from Xeon. Back then, I was afraid that I'd lose him if I didn't play his game. But I lost him anyway.

  I wonder if this moment is going to be added to those few ones. When my hands raised to choke the lies out of the man's throat. To stop himself from saying those words. Nick...my brother, it's not worse enough that girls were being tortured by him, he also has sided with a friend of Ace who seems not a friend anymore.

  Thick tension radiates from the man behind me that I've to clench a little harder to get off the feeling of a glare passed down at me. Numb, behind closed eyes, I hear whimpers coming from the man strapped down on the table. Then someone's hands are on my wrist, pressing down at the point of pain.

  Did I kill him?

  Is it guilt that's pressing me down? My eyes blaze but not in tears. After all, like all of us he was just collateral damage. But my chest still feels too heavy. So, I've to bite my lip until it bleeds to breath. To open my eyes to see what kind of damage just occurred here by my hands. My eyes open but no, it's not guilt. It's worse than that.

  Ace doesn't seem to appreciate my work. All I get is a disappointed sigh before I hear his grunt. "Clean this mess up."

  I can't stop the giggle from running. Out of madness? I don't know.

  "Hurry up!"

  Quickly my other hand raises just to do that but the hold in my wrist tightens.

  "Not you." I hear the warning just as Roman calls for Felix to help. Together, he and Dario drop the body on a sheet where Felix starts to clean the place with a rug. I intend to just watch them clean a mess, but Ace has other ideas.

  Before I can scream, he yanks me away from the new cage. My body sways in every direction but unlike him, I'm too tired to hide the fear growing inside my mind.

  Where is he taking me?

  The question nags me more by the time we reach an underground garage. Without saying a word, he throws open a car door before shoving me into it. When I think he'd call for one of his beloved minions for driving, he proves me wrong by jumping into the driver's seat to take the wheel.

  In silence, my mind reels again.

  It wants to venture off but even that's not possible the moment I notice the wet patches on my fingers. Blood makes an interesting mixture to the faint scar on my wrists. I dig the skin with my nails, maybe it clears off maybe it doesn't. But I can't stop rubbing until a hand has to force me to stop.

  "Cut it out! Nothing’s there."

  He sounds angry. So I'm surprised when his facial expression doesn't match his tone. With narrowed eyes, he looks almost pleading. Like he's about to do something stupid even I wouldn't dare to try. Just when I part my lips to ask what's happening, he takes one hand from the wheel to pick something from his pants. For a second, I wonder if he’s looking for the small metal I've always seen on his waistbands, but I'm more intrigued when rather than a gun, he picks up a phone instead.

  Whoever he calls next, must've not liked the rude awakening as his eyes narrow farther before a snarl leaves from his lips making me gulp. "I know, Vita! You don't have to tell me how to run my own business."

  They talk more. I hear his tone getting more aggressive by the minute. But not for once he shouts. His whispers are deadlier than any form of anger I’ve ever known.

  "Just tell me how to get this girl, I know you have connections. I get the girl, I get Pedro. Just do it for me, per favor. You know I never asked you for anything-" He stops for a moment, gritting his teeth hard. "No! You did that for Ares, not me."

  This Ares has the miracle to bring emotions to the man beside me. His eyes show the worry he has for this person, more than my brother can ever show me. More than anyone has ever shown me. Sighing at the thoughts, I go to shake my head at the ridiculous attempt to forget what's coming for me but I break off once I notice someone's heavy gaze on me.

  "You killed a man." He sounds almost surprised where I'm startled by the statement. I killed a man. A murderer. I'm counting on him to go on a rampage for it when once again, he startles me with another question. "Would you do it again?"

  "Do what?" I ask, chasing the distant sound of my brother mocking me in my head, can you kill like me, Raine?

  Be a murderer?

  Zenna Martinez definitely thought so. But when I actually killed someone...can I do it again? This time Ace being the person-I try not to think about that now. Not when he can smell my betrayal from miles.

  "You know what." Even driving, he's taking a careful swipe on my face. Do I look scared? Offended? Or just lying? "Would you kill again on order?"

  "Why?" It's dangerous to play this game with him. Dodging his questions with another. But he seems relentless to keep going.

  "Why? Isn’t that what you always wanted?" It sounds all kind of wrong as he chokes a little to finish his sentence. "For me to accept you?"

  "And why would I want you to accept me?" I dare to say aloud. He's just trying to rile me up. Maybe he's testing me if I will try to kill him next. The thought makes my hands shake in fear. But what I don't expect for him to start chuckling. The sound more horrifying than my mind can conjure.

  "Then what are you doing here?"

  I don't know what to make of his words until I've stopped breathing at his next ones. "I was shot, Barbie. Roman was the only one with you and from what I saw earlier with that bastard, it was no brainer that if you wanted...you could've easily escaped. But you didn't."

  You didn't escape, Raine. You fucking didn't.

  Only now I feel my stupidity laughing at me. I can’t even use Nick as an excuse anymore. He's safe wherever he is right now. So what made me stop?

  "Even now you are coming with me without any question. You crave the curiosity, you crave the violence that comes with me. You crave me, Barbie." No, no, no...He can't be right. He's delusional. But he doesn't sound happy about it. He's freaking angry at his own thoughts. His words are as smug as the first trail of tears I can feel. I want to scoff but he doesn't let me with his last words.

  "We’re fucked, Raine. And now, it’s too late."

  CHAPTER 24

  ACE

  Realization can be almost fucked up just as being ignorant. Though I'd rather realize
things first hand other than being an ignorant fool, only now...it's so much harder to pretend that the realization nearly didn't have me crash the car into oblivion.

  That I'd rather be ignorant than see the hope finally shatter from her eyes.

  "Y-You're wrong, you know." She insists, though there's not much force in them. Liar, always a fucking liar. "I was just taunting you when I said that you can’t let me go-"

  “Everything you said that day, you were right."

  Her body stiffens immediately to the point that the rubbing starts again. Those nails dig harder as the silence fills the closed compartment. Ironically my body stiffens for a totally different reason, forcing me to stop the car in urgency.

  This time, her words have nothing to do with it. Shoving the car door open, my hands are already reaching for the gun when a voice stops me. That familiar tone in them doing nothing but bringing annoyance and wariness.

  "Amigo! No need to bring out the big guns yet. We can talk like adults, si?"

  Some people are better forgotten. And Dante is...well, Dante. If I was to describe him, he would be the first person everyone would like to forget voluntarily. Maybe that's the reason I cross the road faster before the stubborn woman with me can get out of the car to unclench her curiosity.

  "What are you doing here?" I called for Vita, but of course, nowadays I can’t seem to trust anyone. Not even family.

  His eyes light up the more irritation sips into my words. "I was just doing my own business when I got a call from my niece-" My warning groan goes totally unnoticed as he continues. "Speaking of that, she told me how you were hiding a girl in your manor. Told me about Pedro too, you believe it?"

  "She told you about her." Despite I warned them all. For a second, I'm afraid that my voice has reached all the way to the car, but when I see no woman showing up near us that I can release the pent up breath. "Look, Dante, if you are here, just tell me if you know where to find Pedro’s girl. If not then…"