"The broken hearts break hearts."
- Atticus
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REVENGE.
It's the only thing I can think about as I look out of the window at a part of the city I've never been to before.
It's what has motivated me to get inside Jace's car, a reckless and impulsive act that if someone had asked me one week ago if I would do it, I would have called them crazy.
Yet, here I am.
I can't get relaxed, I keep taping my foot on the floor and tugging my nails on my palms. I try to look everywhere but the boy driving next to me. It's irrational.
"Cat got your tongue?" I roll my eyes under the dim light to the sarcastic question, thanking that it's dark and he can't watch me clearly. Jace is something else, someone I don't think I'll ever decipher and it terrifies me.
I have no idea where we are going or worse, what he's planning to do with the Stones.
My heart aches.
"I don't know how you can help me, Jace." He laughs, a deep one that reverberates through my entire body but I don't stop, "I just want to make Damien feel the same as I'm feeling now. I want his heart to be broken. Simple as that."
Now it's my turn to laugh, my idea sounds even more insane when saying it out loud. Perhaps, I'm going really insane, that's why.
"Sweetheart, you will be the one helping me. I have a plan, all you need to do is attract him to me." He stops abruptly after saying that, parking the car in front of a strange building and when I finally gather to courage to look at him, I notice his eyes becoming even darker with every word.
I gulp down not run as far as I can as I open the word, imitating his movements.
Jace would shoot me before I could take a step towards the street, it's his way of doing business.
Now, I can't back off. I made a deal with him. But that doesn't mean I have to be the quiet little girl I used to be, I will be myself with Jace Wright.
"Well, if you haven't noticed, he doesn't care about me anymore. You lost that opportunity hours ago," I tell him in front of the car, the wind chilling my skin but I'm lying to myself, "You never had that, to begin with, I was just a toy in his hands."
Gosh, it hurts too much to say that. I feel like crying all over again but I swallow down the pain, posing as the tough girl I am. I need to or else, I will collapse.
Jace has a malicious smile on his face while looking at me and that's all he gives me before taking a blindfold out of his pocket. Wait, what?
"You have got to be kidding me." I'm astonished, looking at the piece of cloth in his hands and I feel my heart thundering in my chest, it won't ever stop.
"It's simple, you are not a part of the gang. I trust no one." Distant, cold, and meticulous. He has a facade put up so well that there isn't any flaw, any breach so you can access and blackmail him.
It's the reason he's the leader.
I gasp, causing him to wink at me, a wave of memories of Damien doing the same thing flushing through my mind and I nod while closing my eyes, anything to make the suffering stop.
I need to ease this throbbing pain.
His calculated footsteps get louder, closer to me, and I hold my breath when he places the cloth around my eyes, his calloused hands brushing my skin, definitely on purpose.
"Too tight?" His choice of words intrigues me, always a game as he changes his voice tone, and with the fear of getting caught in it, I simply shake my head. "Let's go then, we have a lot to do."
Jace take my hand in his, our cold skins combining and I take deep breaths not to panic. I can only follow.
All of this will be worth it.
It's what I keep telling myself.
I'm impatient.
Ever since Jake guided me to this room, taking my blindfold off and telling me he would be back soon, I'm alone.
My cellphone has been ringing nonstop, the reason why I had to mute it and despite the urge to be strong, each time it vibrates I look to see if it's from Damien. It's not. All the calls are from Kayla, Chadwick, and Bella. I have no idea what my childhood best friend can possibly want.
Gosh.
I walk from one place to another, already abandoning the high heels and letting my feet touch the cold concrete.
All there are in here is an old leather sofa, a small window near the ceiling, cameras on each corner, and a huge metal door from where we came. It resembles a waiting room, or worse, a cell, and the walking is the only thing keeping me from hallucinating.
He wouldn't kidnap me, would he?
The answer that pops into my mind terrifies me.
"Fuck." The dress after what happened feels too tight, too revealing and it's only another memory of what I've lived. I want to tear it apart but that's for another moment.
I want to know what's going on first.
The second I decide to do something, the door opens, a sharp sound of the metal ripping the floor reverberating in the entire room, and the person who Jace appears with makes my insides twist.
Scarlett Wright is even more frightening when in a relaxed position. She has a natural dangerous charm around her, our height difference of almost six inches being nothing when her confidence is in the sky.
Her curly hair is a beautiful mess, framing her angular face perfectly and her brown skin is a huge contrast to her brothers. Her amber eyes are ignited all the time, shooting daggers at me and I can only blow her a kiss, Jace needing to place a hand in her front so she doesn't attack me.
This will be funny.
"Took long enough." I'm the first to say something, annoyed as hell that I've been waiting here like a pathetic little girl and they both raise their eyebrows at me, an entertaining smile on the boy's lips since I know he likes a challenge.
His sister on the other hand would gladly kill me now.
"Needed to convince my sister to work with you. It wasn't easy but she understands my vision, right Scar?" She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. Someone has to be the difficult one.
"We will act in a few hours, we have until the sunrise to complete the plan." Her voice tone is filled with indignation and disgust but I don't care, not when her words catch me off guard.
"Wait, what, now? But I know nothing, I-" I'm unsteady, feeling my lungs need even more air to compensate for the craziness I got myself into and the brothers can only smile, Scarlett's being more of a cynical smirk. There's also something else going on with her but I can pinpoint what.
"A little history for you, Adelina." The way he says my name makes goosebumps run through my entire spine, "Between gangs, we have an old deal, firmed by the first leaders and that has to be signed by the new ones if they want to be included in the organization scheme, that's called the Succession. No one remembers it, no one gives a damn about it but we do." His stare is deadly.
I don't breathe.
"It says that if the male heir chooses to abdicate his position, and there isn't any younger brother to succeed, the gang has no option but to dissolve and be passed to their rivals. In this case, the Cobras. Do you get it now, sweetheart?"
It feels like a puzzle being finally formed. I have to sit down to absorb all the information, my palms resting on my head as I look down to focus on what I just heard. My heart beats madly inside my chest and I take quick deep breaths.
This stupid pact is the reason why Damien is going crazy. He has no option but to succeed his father or else the Stones, the organization his family dedicated their life to would be extinguished. And worse, be passed down to their enemy.
I curse underneath my breath.
"But Damien would never do that, he would never do anything that could put his father's empire at risk." I'm certain of my words, knowing their plan is stupid, incompetent but when I look up back to them, Jace has a smile from ear to ear.
"You are terribly wrong because he would do it for one person only," I'm frozen in place. "You."
I can only laugh, what's left of heart breaking inside my chest because I also used to think Damien would be capable of anything for me. Jace is being so damn hopeful.
Scarlett leaves the second his brother gets closer to me, her murderous stare being the last thing I see and I can only thank God she does.
Her presence makes me nauseous, it seems like she's thinking about killing me in ten different ways in the spare of seconds and when you can't hit back, it's nerve-wracking.
Now I focus on the boy in front of me and only now do I realize the tattoos that take place all over his neck, escaping the collar of his shirt.
Ten cobras are drawn like it's suffocating him.
Another shiver.
"I know what I'm doing, all you have to do is pretend that I've kidnapped you." There's the twist.
I look up to him, trying to find any sarcasm, anything that could resemble a joke but no, it really is his game plan. My breath will never be regulated again.
"Why didn't you kidnap me then? Wouldn't that be easier?" He crouches to my line of vision, our 4 inches of difference being irrelevant, and he cups my chin, running his thumb in a possessive way. I gasp, unprepared for the sudden touch and he looks at me like I'm something corruptible.
I need to look out for myself.
"Why have such a hard time if you came to me so willingly? Revenge is the fuel of humans, Adelina. It always has been and always will be." He whispers in my ear before standing up and I'm paralyzed, astonished at how sincere he was.
"Scarlett will come in a few minutes to give you some clothes to change and explain to you the rest of the details. Get ready, sweetheart. You are soon to be queen."
When I'm about to ask what he means, he exits the room, leaving me all alone again and I finally let my body collapse against the couch. Exhaustion takes over me and I take a nap, relaxing in the way I can. I don't know how many minutes I have until Scarlett arrives but it's something.
In a few hours, I will get the revenge I want and I need to be prepared for it.
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{A/N: Hey babes! A filler chapter for you, a bit of explanation, and some insights on the Cobras. What did you think? If you liked please vote and comment! We are reaching the finale and if it all goes well, the last chapters will be published tomorrow, just in time for the Wattys.
Is Adelina making the right call? Let's see where this will all end up.
Stay tuned! Be sure to not miss a thing, lots of love, Ally.}