A Game of Love and Betrayal

Chapter 11

Skylar's viewpoint:

"Ok, just to fill in a bit of my curiosity. What is your relationship to Karma anyway?" I ask Rylee as we walk side by side down the seemingly endless, dark hallways.

"His stepmother," she replies nonchalantly keeping her eyes ahead of us.

"Wow," that's all I manage to say between my surprise, my eyebrows raised, and looking at her carefully, "so, is this gonna be a mother-son loving reunion?"

"Don't think so," she shrugs her shoulders elegantly, "you see, Karma isn't that fond of me. But I worry about him a lot and I just need to talk to him about something."

"Right," I say shortly, putting a lid on my curiosity for the time being. It's so hard to not wonder whose mother she is because of her eyes and hair. They are perfectly identical to someone and I want to save the grand revelation for later.

We stop in our tracks as about 15 men surround us, pointing their guns at us.

"Really, Skylar. You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Dylan stands in front of me looking calm, of course, he is leading this unit.

"I try my best," I give a small smile and gentle shrug of my shoulders, "say, you can't stop me anyway. So, should we just save each other the effort?"

"Honestly, I don't want this to turn ugly. Just hand her over and we are good."

I chuckle at his words and before he can even guess my movements, I pull Rylee by her arm and hold her in front of me, placing a knife on her carotid artery.

"Let's play it the hard way then. I dare you to shoot me, Dylan," I push the knife on her neck a bit, looking at Dylan's eyes with a fearless gaze, "who knows? Maybe if you are fast enough to shoot me in the head, I won't have the chance to kill her?"

Dylan cusses under his breath and calls Zion to ask what his next move should be. When he looks up at me again and parts his lips to speak, I cut him off with a sarcastic tone.

" 'Skylar isn't an idiot so she won't kill Rylee. Do what you have to do to stop her,' that's what Zion said, didn't he?" I smirk at him and the tight clenching of his jaw and that fiery look in his eyes tells me that I'm correct.

"Let's just do this easy, ok? She will be nothing but trouble to you and you can't kill her!"

"I know. But I can do something else," I smile playfully and look at Rylee, "hey, if you really want to see Karma, do as I say. Hold up your left hand."

"What are you thinking, Skylar? It's useless. We will shoot you the moment your hand budges from her neck," Dylan warns me.

"Let's see," I lift my left arm behind her and take her left hand in mine, lacing my fingers over hers. And then in a few seconds, I grab her pointer finger and twist it on the wrong side, breaking it. I don't blink or budge my hand from the knife on her neck as she lets out a shrill scream, echoing through the hallway.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Dylan shouts at me with outbursting rage.

"Relax. It can be healed. I'm just so kind but if you don't want to see a permanent injury, tell Zion to stay out of my way. If I kill her, he will be the one in trouble."

Dylan glares at me and puts his call with Zion on speaker mode for me to listen, which is obviously because of his order.

"You know what, Skylar? Do whatever you want! Let her meet Karma and turn this night into a fucking disaster for all I care! Just be prepared for the consequences," Zion's words were full of anger but I do not doubt that he intends to keep his promise. I'm not digging my own grave without a plan anyway. He should have known me better.

I watch Dylan and his men walk away until they are out of sight. Then I start walking again, Rylee following behind.

"What a bold and cruel girl you are! Aren't you at least going to apologize for breaking my finger?" Rylee speaks in an innocent and sweet tone.

"I only did that for your sake. I even got into trouble with Zion for you. You are the one who should be apologizing to me, no?"

"Indeed," she chuckles, "I like you."

We walk toward the room in which Karma is and I go forward first telling Rylee to wait behind me for a while. I look at another door to the same room on the other side and see Landon standing, watching the show with a smug look. Well, that's gonna change soon. He gazes up at me and waves at me with a smile. I roll my eyes at her and shift my gaze to Karma and Damien.

Right then, Damien holds a gun toward Karma and shoots him in his right palm. A loud groan in pain reverberates throughout the room and hallway. He holds his palm with another hand and Damien walks toward him lowering his guard. Karma takes advantage of the very moment and lunges at him, punches his nose, and grabs his neck smashing it on the ground. Ouch, I sure hope his nose is still intact.

"Enough playtime, Karma," I walk in, and Karma's eyes glints with satisfaction and he smiles as soon as he sees me.

"Took you long enough," he pins Damien's arms behind him and pushes his face harder on the ground, I swear I just heard the sound of a bone cracking, "I kept him alive long enough just to kill him in front of you. He is your comrade, right? Shouldn't you try to save him?"

"Just say what you want me to do," I look back at his amused eyes, he is obviously enjoying this huh?

"How about getting on your knees and begging me to spare him? Sounds easy enough, no?"

"You and your sadistic self," I shake my head, "How delusional of you to think that I would grant you that pleasure. I have a sweet surprise for you and you will love it." I turn back to the door and call out, "You can come in now."

Rylee walks politely, her movements showing hesitation and gaze too nervous to meet Karma. I look at him and his eyes turn cold and aloof the moment he sees her.

"What is she doing here?" his tone is stoic and blank.

"Well, she wanted to meet you so I helped. Ain't I so sweet?" I smile teasingly at him but he ignores me and keeps his cold gaze fixed on Rylee.

"Karma, let's talk things out, ok? I found out why you dislike me so much-"

"Shut up and get out if you value your life," Karma's sharp words cut through the room's atmosphere like daggers.

Rylee gulps a lump down her throat but manages to speak in a nervous voice, "I know you hate me because I look like your late mother but please-"

"I told you to shut the fuck up," Karma clenches his jaw and stands up, leaving Damien alone. He walks toward Rylee and hits her across the face, a sound of slap echoing throughout the room.

"I see you as my own son! We can work this out, Karma, please-" her words come to a halt as Karma grabs her neck choking her until her face turns red. Is he really gonna kill her? His eyes say that he definitely will.

As his grip only tightens around her neck, obstructing her windpipe, Landon marges towards him and punches Karma making him leave his hold on Rylee's neck and step backward. Now, this is getting interesting.

"What the fuck, Landon?" he says wiping the blood off his lips with the back of his thumb.

"Don't touch her," he replies in a serious tone, his burning gaze on Karma.

"Yeah sure. Piss off," Karma walks towards Rylee again reaching out to hit her again but Landon grabs his arm. Karma glares at him and lets out a frustrated groan before punching him in his stomach, making him crouch down and step back.

"I'm not blind, ok? I see that you two," he points a finger between Rylee and Landon, "have the same hair color and eyes. Say, Rylee, are you 2 related?"

"She is my biological mother. So, don't you dare lay a finger on her again," Landon speaks instead of Rylee. Meanwhile, Karma doesn't take his eyes off Rylee whose empty eyes were fixed downward, a dark shadow overcasting her face.