{ZION ARMANI}
Loosening the black tie around my neck, I rushed toward the corridor that led to the office floor. The security basement alarms had gone off approximately three minutes ago, and I was only notified just now. Someone was bound to get fired eventually.
I needed to get to the surveillance system inside the study in order to see if Zhara was the one who had tried something against the cell door. All cells were programmed with triggers linked to the alarm system, causing any unlisted movements to set it off. The only others down in the basements were a few thieves and dealers who were brain dead by now.
"Get everyone to the main office, there's been a break out in the basement," I say into the phone that has Liam on the line, hoping he was awake enough to understand my order. It was barely two in the morning, and everyone but the inner circle was asleep. Xavier was out, probably attempting to bed some chick he met at one of our clubs. Liam was just finishing the unpacking for the armory. I had no clue what Inan was doing...most likely reading or sitting in a dark room somewhere. And Flynn was just heading to his room before I left the central conference hall.
Twisting the knob aggressively in frustration, I shoved my office door open and walked right in. What startled me more than I like to admit was the beautiful, bloodied woman sitting in my chair with her feet up on my desk.
My fists tightened at my sides as I glared at the suspect that caused the alarms. Zhara had a sly grin plastered on her face, and damn if it wasn't the most alluring and infuriating thing I had seen. Her crimson-stained fingertips tapped in patterns on the arm of the chair, making my angered breathing hide under the noise.
She tilted her head back and to the side, letting her lips fall into a pout-like purse.
"What? Not pleased to see me?" she practically purred, stealthily leaning forward like the sly feline she is.
I didn't speak, not due to loss of words, but because of the fact that I knew what she was doing.
Establishing her dominance.
Something that was reserved for me and me only.
"It was very unintelligent for you to lock me in that cell," she said slowly, suddenly masking her humor with anger. She removed her injured bare feet from my desk, and something in me wondered about the levels of pain she could take. She placed her forearms on the chair sides, narrowing her eyes at me as she tilted her chin up.
"But even more unintelligent for you to think I wouldn't be able to break out," Zhara stands, leaving her arms at her side as she sets her jaw and goes still.
She was right, though.
It was something I did on instinct, something stupid and immature. My reaction to how I touched her was childish, and the thoughts I was having at that moment haunted me as I heard her scream for my honor and promises. My word.
In this business, you either keep your word...
or die.
And I was hoping to whatever fate there was that she wouldn't make it her goal to kill me. Because I know she can, and she does, too.
"I've gotten really impatient over the past two weeks, Zion," she slurs my damned name, her tongue dancing behind those lips.
"The way you've decided to take it upon yourself to kill me," she starts, taking a step to her right, "the way your men treat me...pushing me around like I'm nothing...because that's what their Don ordered."
And suddenly, the almighty rank title felt shameful.
"The way they all look at me," she got around the desk, no limp or wince gracing her features, "like I'm worthless...a worthless woman."
"The way you Armani's speak of my family, my brothers."
She stopped in front of my desk, right beside the chair that she sat in not even three days ago.
"But there is one thing I still tolerate," she looked me in the eyes, staring straight through my facade, "the fear I know you all have for me," she smiled so beautifully and evilly at the same time, aware of the tension she cast upon me.
"And that's why you haven't gotten rid of me yet," no...she can't say it, "because you are scared of what will happen when you do."
Dammit.
She said when...she knows she will beat me.
"Imagine if they knew," she sighed, looking up at the ceiling as if she was daydreaming, "Found out that their ruthless, brave Don was terrified of me...supposedly the little girl you stole everything from," she seethed, looking back down at me as she said the words. Something flashed in her eyes, something similar to what I saw years ago.
"What would they say?" she questioned aloud, taking another prideful step toward me.
"What would they do to you if they were aware of the power I hold over everything in your grasp?"
"Who would they believe?" she scoffed, "the fraud who plays King of all kings with his buddies? or someone who knew the truth, and did right with it?"
We were back in the cell where I first broke her, the night in the hotel. Except now, I was the one who was on the path to failure, approaching my own insanity the more she spoke to me. The way she used the same tone I did against her, manipulating and playing with her mind.
"but honestly, Zion, I'm tired."
My mind snapped out of its flashback, quick to be caught off-guard at her words. I didn't show her my surprise, but she could sense it anyway.
Tired?
"And whether or not you like it, I will continue to work with your right-hand men and the rest of my family to take down my father," she contradicts, "because once that is done, I can finally rest."
"Until then," she continued, and the last bit of hope I held inside diminished quickly, "you tell your men to stop pestering me, or I swear I will retrieve all generosity I had when thinking of how to deal with them. I'm done trying to hold back when they come at me with their little insults and flimsy hits. Next time, they'll have wounds that you wouldn't be able to describe."
She snarled, taking another few steps until she was standing just inches away from me.
"I do what I please, Zion. And maybe one day, you will be able to comprehend that," she smirked, knowing her insult got under my skin just as quickly as mine did to her.
It was only then when I realized how deep we've gotten ourselves, and how far I was from letting her believe any promise she just made.
"You're quite intimidating, aren't you, Little Raven?"
Zhara snapped, taking a step back as if I had burned her. She then smiled, looking back at me after she had shaken her head. There was so much going on inside her head, each time her jaw would tick and she would grit her teeth.
I closed the small distance between us, stepping forward slowly so I looked down at her.
"Not too strong now, huh?" I push my boundaries, shifting my stance so she was flushed against me without choice.
"You know exactly how strong I am," she glares up at me, her voice barely over a whisper. Her eyes flickered to each of mine, searching and digging for something else. Something that she wouldn't find.
"I don't think I do," my hand goes to her waist, watching as her eyebrows raise and her face prickles with heat.
"Why don't you show me just how strong you claim to be?" I smirk as her hands push at my chest, attempting to shove me back.
"Come on, Zhara. Come on," I pushed her farther into her own head, watching as her face contorted in anger and she pushed me harder. She doesn't falter after I finally let her go, she keeps going.
I almost smiled at the reaction she had to my words, but the opening of the door behind us stole the rest of my attention.
"What ha-" Liam's voice was cut off by what I assumed was his revelation of who was in front of me.
Zhara and I both turned to face them, except she was the one who had a gun pointed at her head.
Xavier, who was standing in between Inan and Liam, clicked the safety off of his weapon and glared at Zhara. She was calm, almost too calm in this situation she somehow always gets into and met Xavier's gaze.
Flynn wasn't present, and she noticed.
All five men were still in their usual suited attire, but they all looked equally exhausted. Xavier did not look happy, even though he was a sliver away from solving all of his problems.
I glanced at Zhara, seeing as the knowing look on her face grew prominent. This was exactly what she had been thinking about earlier when she spoke to me. The way they treated her.
She met my gaze, and I swore I saw her eyes fill with disappointment before she rubbed her forehead with her palm in slight frustration.
"How did you get out?" Xavier waved his gun around toward her, looking quite unprofessional because he stood only a few feet away from her. Then she smirked, obviously proud of whatever stunt she pulled.
"Your guards are very gullible," she said, but what she did next was unexpected to all of us.
She grabbed the under-barrel of Xavier's gun, noticing his previous frantic that proved he was under some sort of influence and lifted it to point away from her head before ripping it from his grasp as she landed a flat-palmed hit to his chest. She held the gun toward the floor by its rightful handle and watched Xavier as he coughed and regained balance.
No one moved an inch, not even Liam or Isaiah, who were still armed with multiple weapons.
He gave her a nasty look before charging towards her, and neither of the men beside him was quick enough to grab ahold of his swift figure as it barreled her way.
She blocked his attempt at her face, but let him tackle her. Her back hit the edge of the desk with a sharp thud before a strangled noise came from her throat as she pushed at him. I groaned and shut my eyes tightly in annoyance before walking over to the two.
Zhara had thrown the gun across the room after clicking the safety back on as Xavier continued throwing hits her way. She blocked most of them, but was holding back from doing any damage toward Xavier himself.
And everyone else in this goddamn room knew she could do damage if she wanted.
"Xavier," I called out, obviously notifying him to stop, and motioned for one of the guys to pull him off. Liam smacked Xavier on the back of the head before ripping him off of Zhara by the shoulders.
Xavier leaned against the chair from his position on the floor as Zhara pushed herself up and winced.
Liam's eyes widened when he got a closer look at Zhara's state, and was quick to look back at me. I nodded, showing that I was aware of how beaten she was, and he looked weary as he turned away and helped Xavier up.
"Fuckin' bitch," the roughed-up man grumbles as he pushes Liam's hand away. Zhara laughed as she gripped the edge of the desk to keep herself upright. Her posture was hunched like she was trying to keep her back from stretching, obviously something was paining her to do so.
Inan had picked up the gun that had landed by the bookshelf, making sure it was still safe and usable. He placed it on the desk before grabbing Zhara by the arms and shifting her up so she wouldn't damage the old wound on her back. He looked down at the scarring while she visibly froze at his contact.
Something made me grit my teeth as Inan touched Zhara's back, standing in the awkward position right behind her.
He leaned down close to her ear, whispering something inaudible to everyone else, including me, for a good minute and she looked back at him with wide eyes cautiously before nodding.
She walked towards the open door, passing Ren and Isaiah on her way out, and no one stopped her as she made her way to wherever she was going. My eyes stayed glued to her figure until I couldn't see her past the hallway, then they snapped over in Inan's direction.
"What did you say to her?" I questioned shortly and suspiciously.
Inan leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, looking at me with that usual stupid unimpressed look he does.
"Something you should have told her the minute we made the plan."