Mika

Seventy-Nine Mika

It's only Mika.

The Mika that doesn't want to hurt anyone.

There's nothing enjoyable about torturing an innocent human for others. Ignoring my better judgment, I end Maximo's suffering by stabbing his stomach with the knife. Blood oozes on the blade, spreading to my fingertips. My breath hitches-- I hate this. The knife slips from my hand, smearing blood on the pee-strained sheets. Guilt spreads through my chest like wildfire.

How did I find any joy in this?

Now, all I want to do is throw up.

Diablo's lip twitches. "You have to keep going until the job is done."

"No," I say with an edge. "I don't want to."

He groans, raking his fingers through his hair. "You must be joking! Asiel is nothing special, Mika. I can find a hundred men just like him!"

I laugh humorlessly. "This has nothing to do with Asiel. What I want to do is my decision, and I don't want to kill him. So piss the fuck off."

He shakes his head. "Whatever. I'm tired of your crying over a stupid fucking guy. I did this for you, and you didn't appreciate it. Go wait in the living room."

With narrow slits, I extend my hand. "Can I watch videos on your phone?"

Diablo rolls his eyes. "It's in my pocket."

Once I have his phone, I skip down the stairs and collapse onto the fluffy couch. Oh, my god-- it's so smooth against my skin. Laughter slips out of me as I watch a game show on Youtube. No more rom-com for the week. All they do is break my heart into a million freaking pieces as if it wasn't already. What if I starred in a game show? Would America love me? Doubt it! I'll probably be the most hated person.

A notification blocks the answer to the question in the game show. I accidentally press on it when I tried to swipe it away. Irritation comes out in a groan as I try to get off the messages. But one thing catches my eye-- the message sent to Diablo.

I held up my part of the deal. You got her all to yourself.

My small smile falls. I suck in a breath as I scroll all the way to the first text message. Why was he texting Mateo? My stomach plummets to the ocean, spiraling in the waves. Any source of oxygen leaves my body, and I feel lightheaded. Diablo sold me out again. He gave Mateo all the pictures, videotapes, feathers-- every fucking thing.

All because he's a fucking piece of shit.

In perfect timing, Diablo hops down from the second floor with the body bag over his shoulder. "Maybe you will like our next victim. We need something to get you out of this funk."

My hand curls around the phone, angrily clutching the evidence. "How could I've been so stupid? I wondered how Mateo got the visual proof of me, but I didn't realize the answer was directly in front of me. You sold me out. Again!"

The body falls with a thud as he scrambles to me, trying to grab my hands. "Calm down, Mika. We can talk about this."

I swat his hands away. "You gave me the folder to throw my guard off. You fucking played me. You took the one thing that mattered to me."

A slow smile curves on his lips. "I did what I needed to do to reel you back in. Asiel was never going to be enough for you. He doesn't know you like I do." I freeze in place as Diablo stalks closer, gliding his hand over my cheek. "He doesn't know how to touch you. How to fuck you. We were happy without him. We are better without him. Why can't you see that?"

Diablo might've known me for years, but I'm not the same anymore. I used to regard myself in a high manner. I was an Angele, the Mictlantecuhtli-- beautiful, untouchable. All I had to do was flash a flirtatious smile, and I would have men and women on their knees for me. The Mika a year ago evaporated into thin air. My frozen heart thawed every day I spent with Asiel-- he changed me for the better. He gave me the love I never thought I wanted-- needed.