Fucking hell.
Another shift at Diablo's Paraiso is agonizingly painful. I don't feel like socializing. Not even with Asiel, but I needed to keep him from losing himself completely. Now, with Asiel's addiction out of the way, I can investigate Officer Griffin's claims. The information left me jaded — as if I smoked about ten blunts. I'm still in a state of disbelief.
He could've been lying to get me to release him. It's not far-fetch. The identity of Mictlan isn't unimaginable, but I couldn't think of the reason why. What was Mictlan's villain origin? Why did Mictlan decide to take down the Mortereros? None of it made fucking sense.
Yawning, I knock on Diablo's door and grab the attention of the stony, bitter face of Tania. "Hey. No Dragon tonight?"
Tania's jaw ticks as she stands with her arms crossed and her gaze on the floor. "Nope." She waves to Diablo and beelines for the door, slamming our shoulders together. "Mika?"
My eyebrows rise. "Yeah?"
She releases a harsh, frustrated breath. "I'll wait for you. Let's talk after you get out."
Confusion washes over me. "Okay?"
Diablo's lips tilts in a half-amused smirk as he scribbles on the paperwork on his desk. I wonder what has her upset. Does she feel neglected by me? Nah. We were strictly friends with benefits, with no chance of feelings surfacing. Maybe it's over her shifts or something work-related.
I sigh and slump down into the chair. "Do I have a bidder tonight?"
"When do you not?" Diablo scoffs.
Touche. It's just depressing having to please a person that isn't my fiancé. With Asiel's recent sobriety, it isn't healthy for him to hang around the clubs with temptations lingering everywhere, but a part of me wishes he was here, bidding on me.
"Who's my client?"
"You're going to love this." Diablo laughs, the dimple on his left cheek poking through. "It's Dragon."
My lips purse as I digest something I never thought I would hear. "Excuse me?"
"Let me say this in words you can understand." Diablo grits his teeth. "Dragon. Is. You. Highest. Bidder."
What the hell? This situation doesn't make sense. Dragon is a seasoned customer. He's been around for years, sleeping his way up the list, but he never went higher than Tania. They had a relationship with intimate feelings involved. For the past three years, Dragon would come weekly to spend time with Tania.
Why did he suddenly do a one-eighty?
My eyebrows furrow. "I-Is that an error or something? Surely not whe-."
Diablo rolls his eyes. "Oh, my fucking god. There wasn't a mistake--he bid for you, twenty million to be exact. I guess you haven't lost your touch. I don't know what you did, but keep it up."
Nothing makes sense. Frustration pumps through my body. "Why? I haven't even talked to the guy. There must be a mistake! Diablo." I gnaw at my lip, leaning my palms on the desk. "I can't be with Dragon. How would Tania feel? I wouldn't want her with As-."
Diablo slams his palms on the table, causing the surface to rumble. "Do you think I fucking care how she feels? This is business, and there are twenty million dollars at stake. He bid for you. So, you will go to your private quarters and satisfy him. Okay?"
"O-Okay," I stutter, lifting from the chair.
Shit. How am I supposed to face Tania? She's heartbroken, furious, and confused-- rightfully so. It's just I'm worried she's going to project the anger onto me. I'm as baffled as she is. My heart aches for her. I wouldn't like Asiel to bid, or for the matter of fact, think of another girl. Possessive is a side-effect of an unstable childhood.
And I would stab a girl with a fork if she glances in Asiel's direction.
Taking a deep breath, I recite some mojo-jumbo that I learned from one of my mediation classes and exit the office. Tania plays with her foot, dragging it back and forth with misery written on his face.
"T-Tania." I reach for her hand, trying to console her, but she swats my hand away. "Tania, please. I-I don't know why he bid on me. I haven't spoken to him since Latin night three years ago. I'm so sorry. I really am."
The most fakest smile curls on her lips. "It's okay... It's not your fault. I'm sorry for being a bitch." Tania exhales as her eyes well up with tears dropping from her eyelashes. "It's just-- fuck, this shut hurts. I thought we had something, but I must've interpreted the signs wrong. Fuck."
Her lips quiver as she rakes her fingers through her collision of curls. "I guess he just got tired of me. It's bound to happen. But why did he have to make me think we could be more? Fuck this. Fuck love. At the end of the day, we're all just fucking whores. Men will never care about us."
My arms reach around Tania's back, tugging her into a hug as she damps my bare shoulder. "Babes, it's just the men here. They're all scumbags. I'm sorry. You deserve someone better."
Tania pulls away, holding onto her right elbow as she avoids my gaze. "You don't need to say that. Just have fun or whatever. I'm going to head home for the night."
Wanting to bang my head against the wall is a fucking understatement. This can't be a coincidence. Does he have a motive? Is he somehow connected to Mictlan and has to threaten me into secretive? Fucking hell! As if losing my fiance anytime soon ain't bad enough-- I lost my best friend over something I have no control over.
There's a terrible, gut-wrenching darkness gathering in the pit of my stomach as I arrive closer to the door of my private quarters. Even though it's silent in the hallways, I knock on the door to find it empty. Of course, Dragon would have me wait hours for a shrimp-size dick down. Rolling my eyes into another fucking universe, I collapse on the bed, spreading myself like a starfish.
My ears perk at the sound of glass clinking on the marble countertops. "Happy to make my acquaintance, I see," he says, his tone dark, eerily vague.
My body jolts upward. "Hello Dragon... Or do you prefer a different name in your time of need?"
An intricate black and gold mask covers most of Dragon's face, leaving only a glimpse of the left side of his forehead and cheek. Coils of golden flowers trace the outline of his mask while tree barks branch on the white background. His deep, obsidian irises shine in the lights with a hint of fiery passion. He taps his knuckles on the marble counter, the Morterero familia ring on his finger.
Why does he have that?
His eyes crinkle. "There are plenty of names I like to go by, but my favorite must be..." He laughs, sporting a sick smile. "Mictlan."
My blood runs cold as I feel a thousand-pound weight has fallen on my chest. Holy shit. I knew I should've killed that son of a bitch! Whatever. No reason to live with regards. To think he's been under my nose this entire time. Fucking my best friend to keep his cover. God, Tania. You have fallen in the same predicament as Asiel-- she's fallen in love with a monster.
I guess this is the perfect opportunity to see the face hidden behind the mask. Final confirmation of Officer Griffin's words.
"What?" His lips tip to an amused smirk. "Cat got your tongue?"
I bat my eyelashes. "No."
He strides closer, playing with the end of his tie with that fucking familiar smirk. "It's fun to toy with you, Mictlantecuhtli, but I think it's time to cut the chit-chat. I heard you've been looking for me."
My face remains stoic as I glance at my newly painted red nails. "I don't know. I don't waste my time searching for a figure hiding behind a mask."
"Cute..." He draws out, arching a brow. "It's one of the things that drew me to you... you always knew how to control it. Ah, at least before you got yourself a little boyfriend."
My eyes narrow into silts. "I thought you said the chit-chat was over? Are you going to keep being a little bitch or expose yourself?"
His shoulder vibrates as his laugh fills the row. "I'm a bit offended that you haven't recognized me yet. It's okay. I heard love tends to make you blind."
My heart thumps around in my chest like a pinball in a machine. It's like time has gone on a permanent pause as Dragon drags the strings down until it completely unravels. The mask falls to the floor, hitting the ground like a swaying leaf. My heart drops to the pit of my stomach when I see Mictlan for the genuine person he is.
I laugh internally.
Griffin wasn't lying.
It's him.
It would be him.
Mateo fucking Morterero.
Love has truly made me blind because what the actual fuck? How did I not notice the resemblance? The brown curls flop on his head. The beauty mark underneath his eye. His stupid fucking pearly white smile rubbed me the wrong since day one. How could he do this to Asiel? Why would he go after his favorite cousin?
My body feels paralyzed, attached to the floor by metal chains. I almost can't believe it, but everything makes sense. Every single piece falls into the grand puzzle that's been forming. The Mictlan stayed one step ahead by keeping himself as close as possible. Keep your friends closer and enemies closer.
Betrayal chips the exterior of my heart for Asiel. The man who Asiel trusted the most was the one who betrayed him to the fullest. He's the ringleader-- the cause of everything. He toyed with Asiel's heart-- his trust for his own pleasure. I can't fully judge. I'm a part of this equation. Asiel is cursed to be twisted and manipulated by the two most important people in his life.
My stomach roils.
I wanted to torture Mateo, starting with his soulless black eyes. Gorge them out until he begs for mercy, then proceed with cutting each of his fingers. Mateo roams closer to the bed, extending his hand to caress the side of my face.
My skin crawls from his disgusting touch. "What's got you so scared, Princesa? I wouldn't hurt you."
"Good," I say through gritted teeth as I carefully reach for the knife attached to my thigh. A killer is always ready. Inhaling through my nose, I flick the blade in the air and pounce forward to strike his neck. Before making contact, a cold, firm base grazes my forehead-- a gun.
"Tsk, tsk, Mika. Always so naive," he teases, his tongue gliding over his teeth. "What do you think is faster? A knife or a bullet to the head?"
I freeze, my eyes zoning in on the barrel on my forehead. Tension grips my muscles as we stay in this position for what feels like centuries. The nothingness in Mateo's eyes is jarring. He's gotten used to faking emotions in front of others. Better than I ever was. He's the closest thing to a Devil incarnated. It's freezing, as if the wind follows him around like a cape. He reads me like a textbook.
Mateo knows I wouldn't let myself die.
"Drop the weapon, Mika, and do what I paid you for," he says, clicking back the trigger and digging the barrel into my head.
With a clenched jaw, I lift my hands behind my head, dropping the blade on the bed. "Fuck you."
Mateo doesn't follow suit, leaving the barrel on my forehead. "Quitese la vestido." I laugh, resting my palms on the back of my head. "Do I need to translate? Quitese la vestido!"
(Take off your dress.)
I roll my eyes. "I don't care how much money you paid. I'm not doing anything with you."
His head falls back as his chest rumbles with laughter. "No es equivoque. No es equivoque." The urge to spit in his face grows as he forces my cheeks together and plops the gun in my mouth. "You are not messing with a pussy like Diablo. I'll gladly blast your brain all over the walls. Quitese la vestido!"
(Don't make a mistake.)
My eyes narrow, and despite the churning in my stomach, I force the straps down my shoulders. It irks me to give this motherfucker what he wants, but I selfishly desire to make it through the night.
Mateo smirks, slowly pulling the barrel out from my lips. "Eso. Eso."
(That's it. That's it.)
My perky tits spill from my top as the tight fabric rest on my waist. Mateo's irises shift to excitement as he traces the curve of my breast. I close my eyes, wishing this night could cease to exist. He plays with my nipples, pinching them between his fingertips. I suppress a surprised gasp when he forcefully grips my boobs and gives them a harsh slap.
"And I thought they were nice when you were fourteen." He licks his lips. "You developed into a sexy young woman. It's no wonder why Asiel fell for you. No one can turn down a girl with a body like yours. It's a shame. I should've used you when you were still new."
"Suficiente?" My eyebrow arches as I grind my teeth.
(Enough?)
"No."
"No?" I spat.
"Get on your knees," he orders as if I'm a fucking dog.
A stormy haze takes over my eyes as I comply and fall to my knees. "There."
Mateo gives my cheek a generous slap. The only thought going through my head is how I'm going to have my fun with him--soon for Asiel and Riley. He unzips his trousers, taking his shrimp-size dick out. It almost makes me burst into laughter, but the barrel staring me in the face contains me.
His eyes flick down at his dick. "Do your job. Please me."
It's not like I have much of a choice when he forces his dick through my tight lips by squishing my mouth open. My eyes water as he thrust himself into the back of my throat, causing me to gag. Must have given him confidence since he rinsed and repeat the same movement.
His chest rises and falls, biting on his bottom lip. "Not even a ring can keep you from being what you're born to be-- a dirty whore."
My patience slips away like soap in the bathtub. Fuck this. His rollercoaster ride of pleasure is coming to a quick end. His eyes are half-lid, drowning in euphoric satisfaction-- then disappear like magic. I bite down on his dick hard enough for his eyes to widen and grit his teeth.
"You stupid bitch!" He curses, firing a bullet into the balls of my feet.
My mouth releases the shrimp and wails in pain. I grip my foot, watching as the blood soaks my stockings. With pursed lips, I heave, holding myself together by a thread. One motherfucking thread that's close to breaking!
"Did I say move?"
"It's hard to stay still with a bleeding foot," I say through airy tones.
Rigid tension mars Mateo's face as he grips his hardened dick, jerking his hand back and forth. Wow. He gnaws his lips as he chases after his orgasm. It takes about two seconds for his body to shudder with the need to release. He strides to me, getting a hold of my cheeks as he uses his other to thrust.
Mateo positions his dick in front of my face, spurting his seed everywhere. Nose, eyes, mouth, cheeks. He hit every single area. It's sticky, icky, and warm, dripping down my face. I rather have his blood spread on the bedsheets. He jiggles his dick before zipping his pants back up. Carefully, I stand on my good foot and walk to the kitchen for paper towels.
"I'm not done talking with you," Mateo says.
"Well, I'm done listening," I reply, skipping the paper towels and scrubbing my face with dish soap.
"Don't you want to know why I'm doing this?" He asks, going after my slightest bit of interest.
After rubbing three layers of soap on my face, I pat my cheeks with paper towels. Never pull. It makes your skin lose its youthfulness. "Go ahead," I say.
"Nah." He shakes his head. "If I tell you about the whole story, it would take an entire history book and a half. Just some bad blood between siblings, revenge, unfairness, the usual."
"Revenge?" I suck in a sharp breath. "What did Asiel ever do to you?"
"Nothing." He shrugs nonchalantly about the entire thing. "Consider him collateral for the sins of his familia. Don't feel too bad. It's not like he was meant to live this long, anyway. He just so happens to have a guardian angel."
He has had all his hands in everyone's cooking jars.
My lips snarl. "You're fucking sick, you know that? You disgust me."
His lips curl to an eerie smile like those creepy ones in horror movies. "How hypocritical of you. Considering we're one and the same. Right, Miclantecuhtli? Sadist to sadist. Killer to killer. We both had our fair share of fun. It's a waste of lies to deny it."
He's right.
I used to find some fucked up enjoyment in slaughtering people. Listening to their pleas for help and begging for mercy. God, it was as gratifying as an orgasm. I feed off their energy, repeating the cycle over and over again. It wasn't until Asiel came into my life that the guilt spread like wildfire.
What normal person finds enjoyment in the torturing of others?
As much as I hated Mateo and felt disgusted to be in the same perimeter as him-- I'm revolted with myself.
His nose flares. "You know what, Mika. I've had so much fun these past few weeks- giving Luka leverage over you and toying with you at your engagement. Oh, and helping Luka get a chance of killing Asiel. I loved watching people squirm. Unfortunately, all things come to an end. It's the fucking finale."
Bile rises in my throat as he continues pouring his soul into this conversation. "You son of a bitch! You almost fucking got him killed."
He scoffs. "Don't worry. I wasn't going to let anything happen to him that part is reserved for you."
"Fuck you!" I spat with venom lace in my voice. "If you want him dead, then why don't you do it yourself?"
Mateo shudders, expelling maniacal laughter. "It would be anti-climatic if I got rid of him. It's more entertaining to watch the person he loves and would do anything for--do it for me. But I have a proposition for you, Mika."
I stick my middle finger up. "I don't deal with psychopaths."
"Really?" His eyebrow arches in annoyance. "Stop with the hypocrisy. We're more alike than different."
I roll my eyes. "If you say so."
Mateo's jaw clenches and unclenches. "You see, I can't really let you go roaming without a warning. You know that I'm the Mictlan, and I know that you're the Mictlantecuhtli. My proposition is simple-- don't expose me, and I won't expose you. Then you can live out your pathetic life with Asiel. Get him to leave the familia. Wouldn't that be nice? You have him wrapped around your little finger-- surely you can do that."
My mind races with unanswered questions about the hit on Asiel. "B-But the contract? It expires in two weeks."
He cocks his head and grins. "Oh, right-- almost forgot. Enjoy them." He shrugs, laughing. "If you're on your best behavior, maybe I'll even extend it to two months. Spend whatever time you have with him, say your little goodbye, and kill him. He'll always see you in a good light until the last moments. Easy peasy. He will never know your deepest secrets, and you will move on to a new victim."
"I won't kill him," I state in a firm tone.
His villainous chuckle strikes another chord in me. "Even if you won't, there are plenty of other assassins out there." He sinks onto the mattress, tapping the spot next to him. "Come here."
With a water bottle, I leisurely stroll to the opposite side of the bed and sit. If I have to obey all his fucking rules, then I'm going to do them halfway.
He sighs, ruffling fingers through his hair as he takes the empty spot beside me. "You have choices. One, bring me down, and I'll make sure I bring you down with me. Think about it-- Asiel will never forgive you. He loved his brother." I swallow as unease stirs in the air.
"You, yourself, know that. The fact that he loves and trusts you the most would make the pain even grander, richer. Two, spend whatever time is left with him and wait until he dies. You don't even have to kill him yourself. No one will know anything. Just do nothing and sit on your pretty little ass and wait. Or three," he laughs, trailing the pad of his thumb across his lower lip.
"My personal favorite-- help me bring him and my familia down. If you choose this for you, Mika, I'll let him go." His eyes flit across my flush face. "I'll just make him suffer. Help me destroy his empire and make it mine. Once I'm done with him, and Asiel thinks all life is lost, you come swooping in like his guardian angel. He doesn't have to know the truth, and I'll guarantee that he'll fall for you beyond imaginable."
My heart leaps off the walls like a bouncy ball.
"It's a perfect ending. You will be his savior. Your past disappears into oblivion, and you can go on living with Asiel. Hmm?" He asks, squeezing the apple of my cheeks. "What do you say?"
A tsunami breaks down the house of stability in my head. For my own selfish desires, the third option seemed the best. But it's like I'm repeating the never-ending cycle. Can I live with myself if I betray him again? Should I leave him in ignorance to suffer, so we can live in bliss when everything is over? Join forces with the enemy?
No.
I can't.
My heart and head are battling against one another. They both want two different things. It's so tempting to take the deal. My heart wants me to take the deal, to spend the remaining of my life with him, but my head disagrees. I can't do this to him. Not again.
I ignore the temptation like Adam and reply, "I can't betray Asiel. Never again."
Mateo purses his lips and drapes his arm over my shoulders. "Now, now, Mika. Don't go making such a rash decision. What's the matter? Why can't you betray him? What's so different about this time? Haven't you lived your entire life destroying men's lives? Pathetic. I thought you were the one, Mika."
"Good. I don't want to be anything like you," I say sternly, boring my eyes into his heartless, stone-cold irises.
Mateo's low, rumbling voice penetrates my thoughts. "Yeah, you're worse than me. I've never actually dirtied my hands with innocent people. There are always people like you. A sleazy pawn in a complicated chess game that I used to get to where I want to be. You're on another pedestal. Do you realize the sheer fear in people's eyes when they hear your name? Your kill count that's higher than your body count. It shakes any sane man to the core. Do they haunt you, Mika?"
Every night.
They pull at my strings, spiral me into bundles of angered souls.
He pushes my hair off my shoulders. "That's why I've always admired you, because of your sheer mental strength. The trust guise of an assassin. I thought nothing could torch your light. Mictlantecuhtli, you've always been so bright, but love has dimmed you. You were the definition of perfection. Why did you fall? Was it worth it? Love has dulled your light, vision, and senses."
Mateo leans closer, his breathing fanning my ear. "And lastly, your beauty. It's sad to watch your destiny slip away from you. Anyway, think about it. I'll give you three days. Yours and Asiel's future is entirely in your hands. The end is near, sweetheart. Just make sure it's one you won't regret."
🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥me after I drop this chapter 😂😂... Yup the Mictlan is Mateo... his reasoning— is still unclear for you guys 😝🤭😂
He's been under Mika's and technically Asiel's nose for the entire time... damn, I feel bad for Tania. Do you feel bad? Gosh, I wanted to punch Mateo in the face throughout the whole chapter!!!!
He's so disgusting
Which option do you think Mika should do? Should she harbor her secret and let Asiel's familia fall to pieces? Should she spend all her time left with Asiel until someone kills him? Or bring Mateo down along with herself? What would you pick?
Now, time to start our hate Mateo club— comment here if you wanna join!!
Thank you for all your comments and votes and just reading! I appreciate it so much! I love you guys 💜❤️💜❤️