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jtargaryen18 · 9 months

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His Inheritance ~ Chapter 31

Part 31: Girl on Fire

Series Masterlist

Words: 6.7k

Pairing: Mobster Steve Rogers x Mobster daughter reader

Warnings: References to mafia, reference to violence and violent acts, references to sexual violence. Strong language, dismemberment, and physical violence. This is a dark fic. Please read responsibly.

Disclaimer: The author of this work claims no ownership of characters aside from the reader, and original secondary characters mentioned. This work is not intended for those under the age of 18 due to explicit sexual content and darker themes. By reading this work or any works on my blog (jtargaryen18), you agree that you are at least 18 years of age. I do not consent to have my work hosted on any third party app or site. If you are seeing this fanfiction anywhere but archiveofourown and tumblr, it has been reposted without my permission.

Summary: For @alexakeyloveloki. Your father is the head of one of the most powerful crime families in Boston but he’s protected you from that life. In your quiet home outside the city, you’ve been cared for and protected. When the desires of a more powerful man with the will to dominate bursts into your life, all your illusions are shattered as he comes to claim what is his.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Bucky’s phone rang, it didn’t surprise him. When he saw Kat’s number… They didn’t have plans tonight. Why the hell was she calling?

“Hello,” Bucky said, pausing the cage match he’d been watching.

“Bucky?” Kat sniffled, tears in her voice.

“Yes?”

“I’m at the hospital,” she said, clearing trying not to sob.

“Have you been hurt?” he asked, pulling the lever to sit up in his recliner. “What happened?”

“I’m fine,” she said. “It’s my sister, Paulina.”

Ah. “What happened?”

“She’s unconscious,” Kat managed. “I don’t know what happened. But neither of us have insurance…”

Neither of them was legal residents of the US either. Bucky sighed.

“I’ll send someone down there,” he told her, ready to get back to his fight. Before his hand reached the lever on his chair, she started sobbing in earnest.

“Please,” Kat begged him. “Will you come down here?”

Kat wasn’t usually so needy. Usually, she stuck to their agreement. Something had her shaken up.

“Give me a few minutes,” he said before hanging up. Shaking his head, he shot a text to his men telling them he needed the car ASAP.

Erik Killmonger was there in less than five minutes. He’d been a soldier for the Barnes family for the last five years. The entire time, he’d handled the tasks that he was given. He never failed, followed orders to a fault, and was always quiet and respectful, Bucky’s three favorite qualities in a soldier.

Erik’s ambition had been obvious from the beginning. It was in the confident way he walked, the efficient way he took care of business. It was there when he asked Bucky if he could serve him personally. Since then, he had Erik reporting directly to Hansen, and he showed the same respect to him.

The two men were comparable in their abilities, evenly matched when it came to killing a man. But where Hansen liked to put on a show and preen around, psychologically breaking down his prey, Erik was silently lethal. Bucky had to wonder if half of the men he’d sent him to kill even saw him coming.

Now that Hansen was wherever the fuck Hansen was, Bucky didn’t believe for a fucking minute the bastard was dead, Erik was his top lieutenant. Maybe he should have been all along.

He’d put the man in charge of finding Hansen. Erik knew him better than he did. Bucky’s only request was that Hansen be brought in alive. Bucky wanted to kill the fucker himself. The betrayal signed his death warrant. The fact that Hansen thought he was going to just make off with the woman Bucky coveted, the bright jewel in the crown he'd soon wear... Bucky was just sorry he could only kill him once.

“Where we off to?” Erik asked, ready to go.

“The hospital,” Bucky said, following him out to the garage. “Kat’s sister is there. I don’t know what happened yet.”

Erik held the door open for Bucky to climb in the back of the huge SUV. Walking around, Erik took a seat in the front next to the driver.

Bucky caught Zemo’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “We’re going to the hospital. St. Agnes," he told him.

When they reached the hospital, pulling up to the door at the ER, Zemo again met his gaze in the mirror. “Should you be going in there, boss?” he asked respectfully.

“He can go wherever he wants,” Erik said, opening his door. “Nothing’s going to happen to him.”

Damn right. Very soon, Bucky would be the goddamn king of Boston.

He waited while Erik inquired about Paulina, speaking to the older woman at the emergency room desk. His man led him past the desk, swiftly through a maze of corridors until they found Paulina’s room. Kat looked grateful when they arrived, her dark eyes still shiny with tears when she opened the door.

Paulina lay in the hospital bed, curled in on her side. Her hair was a wild tangle around her head and her face was streaked with makeup and tears.

“What happened?” Bucky asked, moving to stand at the foot of the hospital bed. Erik closed the door, staying close to it.

“We went shopping,” Kat explained in her tear-filled voice. “Our car dropped her off first at her apartment building. And then… I w-went home.”

“So she was attacked in her apartment?” Bucky asked.

“I didn’t see it happen,” Kat went on. “But she didn’t make it into her apartment. Someone found her in the hallway… One of her neighbors called an a-ambulance.”

Great. More people in his business.

“My number was the emergency contact on her phone,” Kat went on. “They called me.”

“I’m sorry this happened, Kat,” Bucky said, his patience slipping. “But you didn’t need me to come down here to pay the bill.”

“What if this wasn’t random?” Kat asked.

“What else would it be?” he countered.

“Steve,” she said. “I think Steve is behind this.”

Bucky shook his head. “Why would you think Steve had anything to do with this?”’

“Why?” Kat threw her hands up. “Isn’t it obvious? With everything you’ve done to him? With you taking me away from him? He’s hitting back.”

That had Bucky chuckling. Yeah, he’d put Rogers through some things. And it wouldn’t be long until he finished Rogers, put him and his fucking family down and took the lead that should have been his when the old boss died.

“Yeah, he’ll try.” Bucky stared her down. “But what does that have to do with you and your sister? I didn’t take you away from him. You were all over me when he threw you off to get married if I remember correctly.”

Kat looked affronted. “You took me away from him. Paulina? She was seeing his consigliere.”

“Still not seeing a connection,” Bucky told her, ready to end the conversation.

Ready to end things with her period. Pretty soon, he wouldn’t need Kat.

“Banner betrayed him,” she said. “Maybe that’s why they went after Paulina.”

It was plausible. But why hit his family there? As Kat pointed out, Paulina had been Banner’s side piece. Banner was out of the Rogers’ family and no longer any use to the Barnes family. Honestly, Banner was lucky Rogers let him live. But messing with Banner’s mistress after the fact? It didn’t make sense.

It wasn’t Rogers’ style.

That reminded him. Banner had been laying low on Stark’s turf after Rogers ousted him. Then he’d disappeared. Bucky made a mental note to follow up on that.

“Did anyone see who did it?” Erik asked. “Did the neighbor see anything?”

“No,” Kat told them. “They just found her. Beaten… Don’t you understand? She wasn’t robbed or violated or anything else. Just beaten. To hurt her was the point. What else could it be? Am I next?”

Bucky moved closer to Kat, taking her chin in his fingers. She trembled in his grasp, and he knew she was scared. He wanted her to be.

“Pain and death are always the point,” Bucky whispered, gazing into her eyes. “But Steve’s not after you, Katerina. He’s not after you sister.”

Releasing her, he watched indignation and hurt bleed into her expression.

“When Rogers strikes at me,” he explained, “he’ll make it hurt. He’ll make it personal.”

“This is personal,” her voice was rising. “This does hurt.”

“You and your sister maybe,” Bucky told her. “It’s not personal for me. It doesn’t hurt. I’d have to care about you and your sister for this to hurt me and I don’t.”

Tears slid from her eyes now. “You’re wrong.”

Bucky moved closer to the woman on the bed. Her makeup was a mess but on closer inspection, there were no cuts on her face. There could be bruises under the makeup, he supposed. Pulling back a tangled section of her hair revealed her throat. No bruises there or any injuries at all.

Kat said she was beaten. Were they fucking with him?

Grabbing the edge of the blanket covering the woman, he pulled it back to reveal her unconscious form covered by a thin hospital gown with shorter sleeves. He half-expected her arms and the rest of her to be unmarked as well. He was all ready to flip shit on Kat and her sister for wasting his time.

Paulina’s arm? That was a different story. The bruises were red and angry, lacing up from her forearm like macabre artwork. The gown opened at the back, and she lay on her side facing him. Throwing the blanket back, he leaned over to look at the woman’s back. A wild patch of pink and red marks covered most of it. The one contusion right where her kidney was? That had him wincing.

Tomorrow, her skin would be purple, black, and blue and she’d be feeling it. Shaking his head, he pulled the blanket away from the rest of her. More evidence of the beating she’d taken over thighs and upper shins. Nothing close to the ankle…

Kat, still lost in her indignation, glared at him as she grabbed the blanket to cover her sister up again.

“Still think this is random?” she asked, still swiping away tears.

Bucky shrugged as he headed for the door. “I’ll handle the billing,” he said over his shoulder as he walked out.

The entire situation should have left his mind never to return the minute he was back in his car and headed home. Bucky just couldn’t get his mind off it. It was just so off. Why was it done? What did it mean?

Was it a message for him?

***

After finishing his run, Bucky headed for his study to check messages before getting a shower.

“Bucky?”

He jumped at how off-guard she’d caught him. There Kat stood in the door of his study, looking like a deer caught in headlights. Her big dark eyes were on him, a shiny red shopping bag dangling from her manicured fingers.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he asked irritably. He didn’t like her coming by his house uninvited. She knew that.

“I’m sorry.” She looked it.

As he stood watching her, a sweaty mess behind his desk, she meekly approached him. Stopping on the other side of his desk, she carefully placed the bag on the top of his desk between them.

“It’s for you,” she said forlornly. “Thank you for helping Paulina.”

Blowing out an exhale, he looked at the bag. “She out of the hospital yet?”

Kat nodded. “She’s home. Resting. I’m staying with her since we don’t know who did this… or why.”

Bucky hated wasting the manpower but in the off-chance Kat was right… “I’ll send someone to keep an eye on her place for the next couple of days, okay?”

“And mine?” she asked, flashing him a smile.

“You said you were staying with her,” he pointed out. “You stay with her, someone’s looking after you too.”

The smile faded and he couldn’t even feel badly about it. Kat was one of many. He’d had women who were more beautiful, better in bed. She wasn’t unique. She wouldn’t even be memorable.

And she’d served her purpose a long time ago. He took up with her to piss off Steve, to hurt his wife. While Rogers had been pissed and insulted that Bucky brought his former mistress to his wedding, he hadn’t succeeded in his second objective. The new Mrs. Rogers hadn’t been hurt.

No, the daughter of the old boss and the new bride of his enemy had turned out to be a lioness.

Think of that. The girl had been hidden away like Quasimodo in his bell tower, mutilated and not fit for society. That was what he’d always been told about the old boss’s surviving child. His bitch wife, who’d ripped Bucky’s family apart by having an affair with his father, died trying to get out and killed the man’s son. The daughter was never supposed to be anything for Bucky Barnes to be concerned with.

Even so, Bucky hated her. He’d been glad she was disfigured, glad she’d never be out in the world. He’d even toyed around with the idea of paying her a visit once her father died. Taking care of the disfigured little lamb once and for all.

Rogers had executed his plan well. That he was kissing ass to claim the crown, Bucky got that. He had no idea, however, that Rogers planned to marry the boss's daughter who was supposed to be horribly disfigured. Within a week of her father dying, Bucky gets word that she’s engaged to Rogers and the wedding Is being rushed.

When he went to confront Rogers about it, he was surprised to find her alone and barely dressed in the kitchen. She was uncovered enough for him to see there wasn’t likely a scar or blemish on her. She was amazingly beautiful wearing her whore mother’s face with innocent eyes. That first impression of her had him both hard as a rock and ready to commit murder, right there in Rogers’ kitchen.

Rogers knew what he was doing. He didn’t care who she was, that her mother destroyed the Barnes family. Rogers didn’t care about anything but the throne and it was then Bucky decided he’d do whatever it took to take Rogers’ crown, to take him and his bitch wife out.

But he couldn't get her out of his head. Not once he saw her.

Bucky had assumed for most of his life that Mrs. Rogers was his half-sister. The daughter of his father. After meeting her, he looked into it, knowing her father would have had a paternity test done under the circumstances. With a little patience and a lot of money, Bucky had an answer.

Mrs. Rogers was not related to him by blood. The old boss was her father after all.

By the time he figured this out, Bucky had found his attitude toward Mrs. Rogers shifting. Yeah, he could kill her when he destroyed her husband. No one would be surprised or even blame him.

But he’d never met a woman like her. There was a fire, an iron will, buried beneath the persona. Mrs. Rogers was stunning, beautiful. But according to Loguidice, Rogers’ bride wasn’t just a pretty face. There was a beast in her heart. The lioness could handle her husband, win his men’s loyalty, and even fucking shoot Lloyd Hansen which had been hilarious when his lieutenant had to explain it to him.

And she would be Bucky’s at the end of this. It was going to happen.

Glancing at his current mistress, he knew it was past time to end things. But he’d wait until Paulina had mended. Make sure nothing else was heard about that little incident. Then he’d drop the hammer.

“Do you really care so little about me?” Kat asked him, pulling him from his thoughts.

It wasn’t a bad acting job. Bucky smiled.

“Do we really care about each other?” he wanted to know. “Relationships aren’t based solely on love. That’s the movies. Relationships are based on mutual need. You need someone to give you money to maintain your lifestyle and I need sex and occasionally some arm candy. Don’t make this something more than it really is.”

Hooking a finger in the bag, he peeked into it to see a wad of tissue paper.

Kat watched him expectantly.

Grabbing the bag, he pulled out whatever she had wrapped in that tissue paper. It felt odd in his hand, more than one thing. The first thing he encountered was a small jewel box. Setting the rest down, he opened that to see a set of ruby cufflinks winking up at him from the black velvet.

He had to give her credit. She knew his tastes.

“These are nice,” he told her with a grin. “Thank you… What else do we have here?”

Kat’s brow creased as she watched him pick up the wad of tissue still in front of him.

“There was nothing else,” she said, looking confused.

But there was something else. Peeling away the tissue paper, Bucky stared at the fucking fingers – five human fingers – he held in his hands. In disgust, he dropped them onto the desk as Kat covered her mouth with her hand, backing away in horror.

“What the fuck?” he demanded, staring at those digits.

She shook her head. “No,” she said. “I didn’t do that. I didn’t… I feel sick.”

Kat dashed from his study like the devil was chasing her as Bucky muscled his way past the revulsion to study those digits. The fingers of a white man, toughened from work. There was no blood. No rings. No scars or other identifying marks.

Grabbing the bag, Bucky looked to see if there was something else. There was. A business card for a donut shop on Rogers’ turf. He recognized the name of the shop.

Fuck.

Bucky hadn’t ordered a hit on that shop or the girl. No, that was all Hansen who took the girl that worked there. Bucky hadn’t known a thing about it until after Rogers’ faceoff against Hansen who had since disappeared.

Bucky studied the fingers again. Were they Hansen’s? He didn’t think so. Hansen had big hands, he didn’t remember the fingers being slender.

Well, they’d find out.

Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he shot a text to Erik to come right away.

Now he wondered if the attack on Paulina was related. Was it tied to this? Was there more to come?

It would make sense if it was Rogers. But Rogers wasn’t usually so theatrical. He’d hit hard, head on. Anyone who was at odds with him always saw him coming. In his defense, he always hit really fucking hard.

This? It was puzzling. And not Rogers’ style at all.

What game was he unwittingly playing? And with whom?

***

The tap at the door pulled Bucky away from trying to catch up on his investment portfolio, sheets scattered all over his normally immaculate desk. His mind wasn’t on it. He’d been pretending to look at the numbers for damn near an hour.

Erik looked as tired as Bucky felt. He was hoping his lieutenant had some news for him. The episode earlier with Kat and the dead man’s fingers still had him rattled.

“Found out who those fingers belonged to,” Erik got right into it. “Belonged to one of Hansen’s men. One of our guys found the rest of him in a dumpster on your turf. The prints matched.”

Bucky nodded. Hansen likely had the guy pick up the donut shop girl for him. And the ax fell on him because they didn’t get Hansen. Bucky nodded. It was something he’d do.

The donut shop girl. What did she know, if anything, about everything going on? Maybe he should chat with her.

“Hansen’s still alive,” Buck said flatly.

Erik nodded. “There’s no proof he’s not.”

“Anything else?”

His man’s dark-eyed gaze met his. “I sent men looking for Banner, but it looks like he skipped town.”

A wise move on the man’s part.

“You don’t think he targeted Paulina, do you?” Erik asked.

Bucky shook his head. “Not with that temper of his. If Banner decided to do that, she would know it was him. He’d make sure she knew it was him.”

Scrubbing a hand through his hair, Bucky leaned back in his office chair, tried to relax. To think. “Any word on Rogers?”

“You knew Hansen and Frankenstein grabbed Dyson to draw Rogers out,” Erik said.

“Frankenstein?” Bucky asked.

“Neal Logiudice,” Erik explained. “Pop some bolts on his neck and he looks like Frankenstein.”

Bucky snorted. He could see that.

“Then he was supposed to off Dyson and Logiudice,” Erik continued. “Grab Rogers if he could. Hansen changed the plan. He drew Mrs. Rogers out instead of her husband.”

Bucky was still furious about what happened. Dyson would never betray Rogers and Logiudice was collateral damage. The move was meant to break Rogers down. Dyson’s loss on top of Logiudice’s betrayal would demoralize him. Bucky thought it might just finally finish his rival off.

Instead, Mrs. Rogers showed up, playing right into Hansen’s hand. Then her husband showed up and he brought friends. A shootout ensued. Rogers, his wife, and Dyson made it out. So did Hansen and Logiudice, apparently. And Bucky was out several men. Several good men.

“Does anyone know?” Bucky pressed. “Was Rogers shot?”

“Most likely,” Erik told him. “There’s different versions of the story. Some say he got shot. Some say Dyson got shot. Other say Mrs. Rogers was shot to protect Dyson and Rogers got shot trying to shield her.”

Rolling his eyes, Bucky blew out an exhale. Needless to say, whoever did or didn’t get shot in Hansen’s grand fuckup was a moot point. Rogers was fine. He’d apparently had enough of Bucky fucking him and now he was firing back at the Barnes’ family.

There was nothing altruistic about their chosen business. You were either a ruthless bastard or dead. Back when they were both younger and coming up under their fathers’ wings, Steve Rogers had been a cocky, dangerous bastard and Bucky always hated all the attention he got. How Rogers always got away with everything.

Bucky always knew that the minute his father was gone, the minute it was just him calling the shots, that Rogers would fail. Then he’d found another mentor in the former leader of the five families but that didn’t last, and he died too. Bucky just knew that without the mentorship of better men, Rogers wouldn’t make it on his own. He was one hell of a soldier, terrifying if he came after you. But a leader?

Still, something was different. So far Rogers had pulled himself out of the trap Bucky set for him with Hansen, sent him the fingers of one of Hansen’s men in Kat’s little gift bag, and maybe had someone beat the shit out of Paulina, Kat’s sister.

While Kat swore to him she had nothing to do with the fingers, Bucky wasn’t leaving anything to chance. He had her taken to her sister’s place and there she would stay under close watch. He didn’t think either woman had anything to do with whatever the fuck was going on. But he’d keep them under glass for now to make sure.

Rogers?

There was an underlying menace to sending Bucky the dead man’s fingers. It wasn’t just the barbarism of the act. It was multifaceted. It was Rogers letting Bucky know that he knew about the donut shop girl and exactly who abducted her. It was knowledge that she’d been taken under Bucky’s command even if it wasn’t his personal decision. It was accusatory and direct.

It left him feeling unsettled. Bucky had been so close to shutting Rogers down, to finally taking everything he wanted.

And now? Well, he sure as fuck couldn’t slow down now. He couldn’t let Rogers even the score.

“My Vinny’s gotten here yet?” Bucky asked. He’d sent out for food from his favorite restaurant. Vinny’s was the best Italian restaurant in all of Boston and the owner's brother was one of Bucky’s best soldiers.

“I’ll go check,” Erik said, heading off to do that.

It was only a few minutes later that Bucky had his takeout, enjoying it in his recliner while he took in an action movie he’d been wanting to watch. His meal didn’t disappoint. The veal was perfect, just what he’d wanted.

After he’d digested a few minutes, he took his dishes to the kitchen, ready for dessert. The tiramisu was in the fridge and Bucky grinned as he pulled it from its foam box to carefully place it on a plate. With a fresh glass of wine, he returned to his recliner and resumed the movie.

Bucky was two bites in when his fork hit something that felt unexpectedly solid in the layered dessert. Frowning, he worked at using his fork to grab the next bite. But something was wrong. Something was in there…

Taking a closer look, he found something solid in there. Plucking it at with his fingers, he found… meat?

He almost lost his meal to realize that something was the tip of a human ear.

“What the fuck?” Bucky said to himself, his heart starting to race in his chest.

Sitting up in the recliner, he kept digging through the dessert to find an earlobe, just as bloodless as the tip.

It was the dark eye staring up at him that from the bottom that had him screaming, fighting nausea as he slung it all away and sent it flying across the room.

“Fuck me! Fuck me!” he was shouting as Erik and Zemo both raced into the room to see who was killing their boss.

Covering his mouth with a hand, Bucky fled to the bathroom…

***

“I am so sorry,” Erik said for the hundredth time. “I looked in there, but I should have looked a lot closer.”

Soldiers were crawling his house, crawling the grounds. Zemo was at Vinny’s, no doubt tearing the restaurant apart. And he’d specifically requested that Zemo take Vinny’s brother with him. If there was a rat in his ranks or at the restaurant, heads would roll.

Bucky shook his head, sitting in his recliner with his elbows on his knees. He felt like shit. More body parts sent to him set his nerves on edge.

Was it Rogers? If so, he didn’t like the fact that his enemy was running up the score. That really pissed him off. His mind was spinning with the theories forming in his head.

“We’ll try to figure out who those…” Erik shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t worry about it?” Bucky asked, rising from the recliner to glare at Erik. “That’s all I’ve been fucking doing the last three days. You know?”

Erik didn’t drop his gaze, didn’t back down. Bucky admired his quiet accountability.

But it wasn’t exclusively Erik’s fault. It was on all of them. Even him. No one had ever been able to get him directly. People around him, yes. But never him. Taking another drink of his Scotch, his mind spun webs with his instincts. He was starting to form a few ideas on his current situation.

“Boss,” Zemo called, walking into his living room.

Bucky spotted his man, standing a few feet away with a white takeout carton in his hands. He wasn’t going to like whatever was in the box, he knew from the way Zemo shifted his weight from one foot to the other nervously.

“What is it?” Bucky asked, trying to be ready for anything.

“We went through Vinny’s, and we found this in Vinny’s office,” Zemo explained carefully. “It’s for you. Vinny swears he didn’t see who left it and he doesn’t know anything about it.”

“You believe him?” It was an honest question.

Zemo nodded.

Bucky motioned him forward, not looking forward to his latest surprise with the dark red stains at its bottom corners. He plucked the card off the top. It simply read, “Hint: It’s not Snow White’s.”

Bucky really shouldn’t have been surprised to find what appeared to be a human heart in that box. He really shouldn’t have. Once he started laughing, it was hard to quit. His laughter was manic, a stress response. Something he hadn’t done in years.

It’s not Snow White’s.

Erik looked concerned. “I’ll get on figuring out who that is,” he offered.

Laughing, Bucky sank back onto his recliner, still laughing as he set the carton on his end table like it didn’t have a human heart in it.

“I think… I might know who this is,” Bucky said when he caught his breath. “It’s not Snow White’s. What did the magic mirror tell the evil queen about the heart the huntsman delivered to her? The mirror said it was the heart of a pig.” Laughter threatened to halt his conversation as pieces of the puzzle started to slide together in his mind. “This is the heart of a pig.”

His men didn’t speak, looked like they had no idea what to say to that.

“This is making a little sense now,” Bucky told them. “Erik, you and Zemo stay. Everyone else, fuck off.”

The soldiers cleaning and checking everything cleared out fast while Erik and Zemo moved closer.

“Who do you think that is?” Erik asked.

“That?” Bucky pointed to the carton. “That’s the heart of a pig. I’ll be really fucking surprised if it’s not Bruce Banner.”

Zemo’s brows shot up. Neither man spoke.

“Kat was right,” Bucky said. “This is Rogers hitting back. But… it isn’t.”

Rising from the chair, Bucky started pacing. Both men watched him in silence.

“Think about each incident,” Bucky told them as he paced. “Paulina was attacked. Then the fingers, eyes and ears, now the heart. All of it’s personal. It’s very, very personal.”

“Personal?” Zemo asked.

That stopped Bucky. “Don’t you see? Paulina was Banner’s side piece. Someone did a number on her.”

“In a way that could be covered up,” Erik muttered.

“Yes!” Bucky pointed to him. “Exactly. Hold that thought… And now, here’s the cheating, deceitful pig’s heart.” He continued pacing. “The tiramisu? I think that must be Logiudice. He was my eyes and ears in the Rogers household.”

Understanding lit up Erik’s face. “What about the fingers? That guy?”

Bucky shook his head. “The guy Hansen sent to kidnap the donut shop girl isn’t the point.”

“What is the point, boss?” Zemo asked.

“Each of these messages were sent on Rogers’ behalf,” Bucky explained. “But I don’t think they are from the man himself. No, this is someone else… All three messages have one thing in common… A woman scorned.”

Erik nodded, listening. He was always quick on the take. Zemo still looked confused.

“Bruce Banner was married to Rogers’ sister, but she didn’t love him,” Bucky told them. “She loved her high school sweetheart, Clint Barton. Banner knew this. That's why he’d beat his wife where it didn’t show. It's why he shot Barton.”

“Then,” Bucky stopped in front of Zemo. “Hansen got away but I was sent the fingers of the man who took the girl from the donut shop by Hansen’s order. Hansen was my right-hand man. A reminder of the wrong done to that woman.”

“Explain Logiudice,” Erik said.

Bucky smirked at him. “Oh, I can. He betrayed Mrs. Rogers herself right before we grabbed Dyson. Her husband had restricted her to their bedroom he was so pissed..” An idea with merit.

“You think a woman gave these orders?” Zemo looked puzzled.

“Maybe,” Bucky muttered, as something occurred to him. “I need to talk to one of these women first.”

“Who?” Erik asked.

“I need you to find the girl from the donut shop,” Bucky told them. “I need to see if she knows anything we don’t before I make any decisions.”

***

Bucky was both surprised and pleased to see the girl waiting for him. The park this time of day was quiet with only one man walking his dog, and she was sitting on the bench by the giant sandbox, just as he instructed her.

When he walked around, she didn’t look up. Hell, she probably had no idea who he even was. He didn’t mind keeping it that way. There was no reason she needed to know anything else about their world. All she had to do was be nice, be cooperative, and he’d help her find her way out of his world.

Carefully, like he was trying not to frighten a doe, he sat a couple of feet away from her on the bench, setting the bookbag he brought with him between his feet.

She didn’t look up until he called her name and then, her eyes were wide in alarm. The lower half of her face was covered by a medical mask, maybe because of the flu going around. She’d made herself small, slouching on the bench with her hands folded on her knees.

He introduced himself just as Bucky, that was all she needed to know. Her cold hand was trembling when she shook his. He knew she was scared, and he didn’t intend to keep her long.

“Thank you for coming,” he said. “I wasn’t sure you would.”

She nodded, her gaze on the floor in front of her.

“I want to apologize to you for what happened,” he said without preamble. “The man who… While he was a soldier of mine, taking you wasn’t an order I gave. I know that doesn’t change a lot for you. But you should know that.”

Again, she just nodded.

“And I do want to help you,” Bucky said slowly, leaning a little closer to her. “I’ve brought you a substantial gift. Enough to help you get back on your feet and back to school somewhere else.”

“What do you want?” she asked quietly.

Bucky grinned. It was a smart question.

“You’re right,” he admitted. “There is something I want. I want to ask you a few questions about your time with him. Will you answer?”

She squeezed her eyes shut at the mention and guilt pricked at him. Hansen was a fucking weirdo, and he could only imagine what he might have done to her. It had him wishing he’d framed the question in a different way. But it was out now so…

“Do you know his name?” Bucky asked her.

“Lloyd,” she said. “Sir.”

Oh, he did not want to know about any of Lloyd’s kinks or hangups.

“He didn’t give you any other names?”

“No,” she said.

“Another man brought you to Lloyd’s house,” Bucky said quietly. “Did you see anyone else. Besides him and Lloyd, in your time there?”

The young woman shook her head.

“Tell me about the day you got out,” Bucky said.

She shrugged nervously. “A man broke down the door and helped me out,” she said. “That’s all.”

Bucky frowned. That didn’t sound right. “You didn’t hear a fight elsewhere in the house? The sound of bullets?”

After a moment, she nodded, still staring hard at the ground before them on the bench. “It was the day before. There was shouting and a fight. Guns…”

So no one found her until the next day. Bucky wasn’t happy about that. None of his men swept the house?

“Where did the other man take you once he got you out?” Bucky asked.

The young woman blew out a long sigh. “To a friend’s,” she said slowly.

He nodded. “I don’t need specifics. I just need to know if you ran into anyone else since you were taken. Did you ever leave his house until the guy got you out?”

She shook her head.

He hated to ask. “Did he let anyone else…”

“No,” she said quickly.

“All right,” Bucky said in a kinder tone. “What can you tell me about the guy who got you out?”

She was still for a moment, before shrugging. “Not much. I wasn’t… trying to look at him.”

“Did you see any women?” Bucky asked. “Any other younger women like yourself, about your size?“ Did she see Mrs. Rogers there?

“No,” she said after a moment. “Why?”

“Why what?” Bucky asked, giving her one last chance to tell him something useful before he handed her the bag of money and told her to get lost.

“Ask about other women?” she asked.

“I was just wondering if you'd seen someone I’m interested in,” Bucky said simply.

“Why are you interested in her?” the young woman asked.

“For many reasons,” Bucky told her as he rose from the bench. “For our purposes here, I’m curious about the part she played in the last few days.”

She sighed again but didn’t move as he stood above her.

Hauling the bookbag off the ground, he held it up for her. It was filled with money, a lot of it, hers for the taking.

“Take this and make a fresh start,” he told her. “But this talk didn't take place. You understand?”

Slowly, she stood, her head ducked making her smaller than him. With a hand, she reached to take the bag from him. She froze. Her hand gripped one of the straps, but she’d stopped moving.

“Oh, God,” she whispered. “I can’t…”

She couldn't take the money?

“I’ve got it,” another female voice came from behind him, with a Russian accent. Before he could turn to see who it was, he felt the blade pierce his clothing, pierce his skin before sliding into his flesh at his side. The fuck?

The pain didn’t subside when the blade was pulled free as he expected. The pain grew in intensity, spreading out from the wound.

Was the blade coated in poison?

The woman in front of him now held the backpack in one hand, pulling the mask from her face with the other. Bucky's pain was breathtaking and had him gasping as he dropped to his knees, gripping his side with his hand and listening to shouts from his men drawing closer.

Bucky stared up in pain and rage at the woman he now recognized as Mrs. Steve Rogers.

“You!” he managed. “You fucking bitch! You’re… You did this?!”

Her eyes were fierce on him. “I did,” she said.

"Evil bitch," he hissed.

"When all of you commit violence, you're protecting your family," she explained angrily. "When I commit violence, I'm an evil bitch."

His gaze darted to the backpack and back.

“And you’re taking the fucking money… too?”

Yelena Belova was there, trying to pull her away.

“I’m giving it to her,” she said as Belova pulled her away. “Just like you wanted.”

Bucky's mind was a mad whirl of thoughts as pain strengthened its grip on him. It was her. Not her husband. Did that mean...?

"Is Steve even alive?" he managed.

She held his gaze. "He is."

"He's not in good shape," Bucky shot back, hating how the pain rendered him unable to wring her neck. "He wouldn't let you... He's bad off if you..."

"We have to go," Belova urged her, grabbing Mrs. Rogers' arm and pulling her behind her in earnest.

“I’m… I'll get you!” Bucky promised, his vision fading to black at the edges. "I'll survive this... and I'll get you!"

"If you survive this," she called back, "Steve will get you."

Then she was gone and his men were there, crowding around him, their shouts fading as he let the darkness claim him.

@valsworldofcreativity @21stcenturywitchcraft @coconutqueen21 @bval-1 @caffiend-queen @sadlittlecountess @candy-and-writing @capsicle-shield @chaoticfiretaconerd @chrisevansgirl @chris-evans-indian-fanfic @coldmuffinbanditshoe @daughterofthenight117 @hv-chw3 @iheartsebstan @imanuglywombat @just-one-ordinary-fangirl @justrae9903 @lokislastlove @mariaenchanted @maxwelllee2020 @nekoannie-chan @nerdwholikesword @notyourtypicalrose @optimistic-dinosaur-nacho @peaceinourtime82 @rainbowkisses31 @rayofdawnworld @richonne4life @rissysthoughts-blog @saiyanprincessswanie @scarletsoldier21-blog @shygirl-00 @supernaturaldean67 @sweater-daddiesdumbdork @team-iron-wannabe-man @titty-teetee @tonib666 @villanellev @vitamingummies @what-is-your-plan-today @what-is-your-wish @xoxabs88xox @rosalynshields @naturalthrone22 @marvelovernfan @gotnofucks @eralen @kawairinrin @bluemusickid @geminievans1 @daughterofthenight117 @sunmoonandbuckyrecs @jesevans @kandis-mom @salvatoreitmeanssaviour @kmc1989

#His Inheritance #Bucky Barnes #Yelena Belova #Erik Killmonger #Zemo #Mafia AU #Mob Boss!Steve Rogers #Steve Rogers x reader #Steve Rogers x you

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nahimjustfeelingit-writes · 1 year

Text

Mirror, Mirror

Kinktober fic fest submission

Summary: Dina Brighton enters a masked sexy party for elites uninvited and has to escape. Dark!Erik x OC

Warnings: Smut, katoptronophilia, size kink, anonymous sex kink, breath play, knife play kink, degradation kink, BDSM, Dirty talk, cult, angst.

part four

Kinkober fic challenge moodboard one moodboard two part one part two part three

Erik stepped off of the crowded elevator and onto the twelfth floor, Saint Laurent black duffle briefcase in his right hand, wool and alpaca Cavallo blazer in his left hand draped over his shoulder, and a fierce look in his eyes. A series of Good Morning’s and hello’s welcomed him as he strolled past offices and cubicles. He didn’t return any of them, nor did he desire to. He was on a mission.

Erik finally arrived at his destination; Dina’s office. His obsidian eyes stared ahead into an empty office with no trace of her. The desk was cleared off, her cushioned swivel chair was neatly tucked in, and her name plaque was removed, leaving behind an empty space with a neat scattering of dust surrounding it.

Erik rested his bottom on the edge of Dina’s desk, retrieving his phone from his pocket again, calling her cell phone for the fifth time that morning. It rang five times before it reached her voicemail again. Erik closed his eyes and listened to her fruity voice. It felt like she was whispering in his ear.

Sorry I can’t come to the phone right now. Leave a message.

“Dina…listen…I’m sorry about what happened on Monday….I…I really want to talk to you in person…apologize properly…I didn’t know what I was thinking. Please, whenever you’re available, just call me back…”

Erik ended his attempted call.

A soft knock caught his attention and there stood Monica; the receptionist. She had a disinterested look on her face, as if even existing was a buzz kill.

“Mr. Stevens, I have a message from Dina. She asked for me to relay it to you. Are you busy?” Monica asked.

“What is it, Monica?” Erik stood up from his desk abruptly, earning a strange look from Monica.

“She quit.” Monica declared.

The corners of Erik’s lips turned down into a frown.

“Quit?” Erik echoed.

“Yes,” Monica sat into her hip, “She said that she finally landed that job she’s been dreaming about and she thanked you for everything. She also wishes you and Vivian a happy relationship…said that you two were made for each other?” Monica said.

Erik cast his eyes out of a window in Dina’s old office.

“Thank you, Monica.” Erik finally answered.

“…would you like for me to reopen the position?”

Erik turned his back on Monica, trying his best to hide his frustration as best as he could. Monica rolled her eyes, unfazed by his momentary breakdown. She’d been here before. Hire a new assistant. Predict how long they will last. Reopen the online application. Repeat.

“Yeah…” Erik finally answered.

He couldn’t accept this.

Sure, he could have declined Vivian’s kiss until Dina had left, but it was his way of showing her that getting romantically involved with him was indeed a big mistake and should never happen again. After successfully getting rid of Cora permanently, he went home that evening, took a cold shower, and laid awake for hours. He stared up at his darkened reflection, flashes of Dina’s smile, her sweet voice, her innocent eyes, that built body, and her troubled past crossing his mind.

He still couldn’t get it out of his mind. She was a parentless child. Her mother’s life was taken away at such a young age. Her father carelessly killed her mother and left Dina behind like she was nothing to him. The thought of knowing that her father got away with this had a fire burning so rageful inside of Erik. If it were Erik, he would have hunted his father down and done the same if not worse. But, that’s not who Dina is. She’d probably forgive her father. She’d probably still want a relationship with the only parent she has left.

Erik left Dina’s office, shutting the door quietly behind him. A familiar door across the hall opened, and Greg appeared in the hallway with an empty coffee mug in his left hand. He spotted Erik and lifted his chin in greeting. Erik returned the gesture, but Greg could tell that he was sulking over something. He followed Erik into his spacious office and shut the doors behind him. Greg watched his childhood friend slowly stroll towards his desk, the silence surrounding them unnerving.

“I’m gonna have to find a new assistant. Miss Brighton quit.” Erik said.

“Really? Did she say why?” Greg questioned.

“A better career. She got her dream job…”

Erik trailed off as if he wanted to say more but instead he opened his work laptop and began typing in his username and password.

“Doesn’t matter. Work still needs to be done, and I want to get as much of this shit done before I leave early today. Are you coming to the estate for an early celebration?”

Greg fixed the disappointment on his face and took a seat at the head of Erik’s sleek desk. His eyes scanned left and right, trying to come up with a response while his thoughts lingered on Dina. He finally looked up at his friend who was too busy on his laptop.

“Yeah, I’ll come up once I get things situated here in the city…gotta pick up my tux and cape for the evening…Dina did look pretty upset on Monday, E.”

Erik’s fingers slowed down from punching aggressively on the keys, he didn’t look up at his friend but Greg knew he was listening.

“…She was crying. We went to lunch and I tried to cheer her up but…she was really torn up about something…and I did see her leaving your office—”

“What do you wanna know, Greg?” Erik cut Greg off.

Greg shrugs, “Does it have anything to do with Vivian?”

Erik smirked.

“Let me guess,” Greg’s eyes narrowed, “Dina let you in, huh?”

Erik exhaled, reclined back in his chair, and stared into Greg’s eyes with a penetrating glare.

“You know…It’s really none of your business, bro.”

Greg chuckled, “You just gotta have what you want? You weren’t even into Dina until I said something that day. It’s like you gotta prove you can bag women and throw it in my face—”

“You wanted her? You wanted her, Greg? When you want something, you go for it, right? You make a move…and did you make a move? The proper move? I never said I wasn’t interested in Dina, not once did I mention that she never crossed my mind. I just chose not to make a move at the time—”

“And when I expressed my interest, you jumped on her. Call it what you want, man, but I know. You had her crying over you. Feels good hurting her feelings, doesn’t it? That’s all you do, bro. You don’t have it in you to love somebody—”

Erik stood up and walked around his desk. Greg raised up, meeting Erik, both of them ready to get physical if need be. Greg enjoyed toying with Erik. He knew what to say to get under his skin. Erik Stevens. He thinks he can get what he wants. Throwing money at everything. Doesn’t have to lift a finger. Erik smiled in Greg’s face menacingly, and Greg’s left eye twitched angrily.

Erik’s voice lowered to an ominous tone, “You know, it looks like you’re still not over the fact that I fucked your sweet, little sister…”

Greg shoved Erik and he stumbled back slightly, correcting his stance before fixing his blazer. Greg walked away to clear his head, exhaling deeply.

“What? You gonna hit me, Greg? Cut the bullshit. Listen, I did get in with Dina, and you know what else? She’s different. I like different. Nothing familiar about her. She looks past all the shit and sees me for me. Yeah, you’re right, I didn’t want to pursue her, but I’ve always had an eye on her…”

Greg looked back at Erik over his shoulder.

“Doesn’t matter now. She doesn’t want anything to do with me. You can put on your cape now and be her shoulder to cry on. Let’s see if she’ll give you some. You think you’re any better than me? We’re cut from the same cloth, G.”

Erik went back to his seat and watched Greg over the top of his laptop. Greg walked back to Erik’s desk to retrieve his mug, before turning to leave Erik’s office. Before he disappeared into the hallway, Greg glanced back at Erik, a mischievous smirk appearing on his handsome face.

“I just might do that.” He said.

The afternoon New York traffic gave Erik some time to reflect. He allowed the sweet melody of one of his favorite vocalists, Carmella Love, to serenade him while he gazed out of his window at the congested sidewalks and many cars practically bumper-to-bumper. He filtered out the road rage and excessive honking to enjoy her distinctive contralto voice. It’s husky, sultry, elegant and sexy. Definitely hypnotic.

He could only imagine how it felt to be in her presence. He’d only heard that she was an alluring woman. People capitalized off of her death, creating books and documentaries. He could remember one occasion in his earlier youth asking his mother what Carmella Love was like. He’d seen many group photos with his parents and Carmella from the late 80s to the early 90s. In every photo, Carmella’s captivating smile and seductive eyes stole the shine while his mother posed with a fake smile. She never stood next to Carmella and although they were just photos and you can’t really tell if they’ve had a friendship, it still felt distant.

Erik’s cell phone buzzed in his hand and when he checked to see who it was, he took a second to prepare himself before answering.

“Ma, good to hear from you,” Erik spoke.

“Son.” Victoria said.

“How are you?”

“…not so good.” Victoria said with a curt tone.

Erik knew where this was headed, but he wasn’t going to give in. He wanted to see if she would address it first.

“Did you need me to send more money?” Erik replied.

“Hm,” Victoria hummed, “I do need something from you…the truth.”

Erik’s lips went tight and he remained silent on his end.

“No? It’s the least you could do. I spoke with Cora’s mother. She’s hysterical.”

“I extend my condolences,” Erik said, “It’s really unfortunate what happened to her…really…I can’t imagine what her mother must be going through right now—”

“STOP IT! JUST STOP IT!” Victoria shouted, “I should have seen right through you when you apologized! You don’t have one remorseful bone in your body! I am disgusted! I had to speak to her mother and lie because of what you did!”

Erik glared, “What I did? How about what she did. You know me so well and yet you didn’t wait for me to leave to plot against my downfall. I heard the two of you talkin’. I did what I had to do…what I won’t hesitate to do to anyone that gets in my way…you of all people should know about that,” Erik spoke darkly.

Victoria remained silent. Erik knew his mother was panicking. Probably pouring herself another glass of wine.

“My own mother…still so bitter that I got everything and she got NOTHING. I can’t believe you. If you weren’t my mother, I’d kill you. My father did everything for you. Gave you everything. And this is what you do? Turn your back on your own child?!”

“I lost you as a child years ago, Erik! I put blood, sweat, and tears into that marriage! Your father treated me like dirt! And you are just like him!—”

“I’m your son—”

“MY SON IS NOTHING BUT A MURDERER WHO DOESN’T LOVE ANYONE BUT HIMSELF!”

“And you’re a drunk, conniving, bitter woman who never loved her son. You did not ONCE show me affection. You don’t think I wanted that?! You were too busy drunk and high out of your fucking mind passed out on the couch to even pay attention to me! Don’t blame me for what you failed to do! Feel however you wanna feel about my father, but at least he loved me. I can’t say the same shit for you—”

“DON’T YOU EVER!!!!!—”

“I’m not fucking finished,” Erik spoke through clenched teeth, “You chose to stay married to him. You chose to put up wit’ it. That ain’t got shit to do wit’ me. I’m not having this conversation anymore wit’ you, but know this…you hurt me. I can accept the fact that you resent me, but this? Plotting my downfall? Just all types of evil–”

Erik’s chauffeur beeping the horn made him remember where he was and that it was best to end this conversation. He had nothing else to say to his mother. And despite what she did, he still loves her. Erik blinked back tears and took a calming breath before speaking again. He wasn’t going to allow himself to cry. He’s tired of wasting tears on his mother.

“I am far from evil. I am disgusted. To see you become your father…it pains me. Cora loved you—”

“Cora ain’t love me. She was out here doing her dirt too, ma. She only wanted to marry me for gain. It was all a game to her. That’s what you fail to see. So concerned with who I should be with, and yet, you don’t know anything about me. You owe me an apology…”

“I will not apologize for planning to stop you! Maybe then, I could have my son back…the way he was before all of this,” Victoria said with a shaky voice.

Erik thumbed away a tear and frowned. He took the phone from his ear and ended the call without even saying goodbye. He couldn’t even trust his own mother. Would she even mourn him? The only biological parent he has left and she treats him as if she wants him to join his father six feet under.

Erik cleared all thoughts of his mother out of his brain and stared straight ahead out of the dashboard window to see what the traffic looked like. The city streets were packed like sardines. Carmella’s voice calmed him and his thoughts drifted to Dina again. Phone in his hand again, he googled the number to the Chanel headquarters in New York to inquire about a new hire. He needed some kind of positivity to overcrowd how enraged he felt.

The phone rang once and after pressing whatever buttons he needed to reach someone, the phone rang twice before a woman with an overly cheerful voice greeted him. She said that her name was Sarah and she confirmed that she’s responsible for hiring candidates. Sarah informed him that there have been over twenty new hires. Of course, she knew who he was and expressed that she would be happy to help him with anything he needed.

“I was wondering if you could tell me if there is a Miss. Dina Brighton among the new hires? last name is B-R-I-G-H-T-O-N. Dina with an I.”

“Sure! Is it alright if I place you on a brief hold?”

“Of course,” Erik rested his head back against the seat.

Elevator music played in his ear as he stared up at the roof of the car. Five minutes later, Sarah was back on the line.

“Mr. Stevens? Are you still there?” Sarah asked

“Yes. So? Any information?”

“Unfortunately, I did not find Dina Brighton hired for the position of Media Specialist. I even did an extensive search, just in case there may have been a different first name, or another position, and I still don’t have any record of us hiring her.”

A crease formed in Erik’s brow, “Not even a refused application?”

“No. We keep a record of everything. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

Erik was lost in a state of confusion that he lagged on a response to Sarah.

“Mr. Stevens—”

“Thank you, Sarah.”

Erik ended the call.

“Hey, change of plans. Head to Miss. Brighton’s apartment.” Erik informed his chauffeur.

Luckily they were closer to her place than his. Maybe, by the time they got back on the street, the traffic would ease up. Twenty more minutes rolled by and the driver parallel parked. Erik hopped out and jogged up the steps to the entrance of the apartment lobby. He located Dina’s apartment number and rang the bell to her apartment. Erik checked the time on his watch, noticing that he was running behind schedule. He rang the bell three more times and even called her again.

“Can I help you?”

A low and hesitant voice caught his attention and Erik turned to find a middle-aged black woman with short, curly black hair sprinkled with gray. She was dressed in a pair of slim-fit jeans, a worn graphic tee, a windbreaker jacket, and black converse on her feet. She had a leash in her right hand connected to the collar around the neck of a Husky.

“Hi. I’m trying to reach a friend of mine…Dina.”

The woman pondered for a moment before shaking her head full of type 4 curls, “I don’t know a Dina. I’ve been living here for some time…what floor?”

Erik checked and then responded, “Third floor. 3A.”

“I’m 3D. I know all of my neighbors,” She tugged on the leash to get her dog to stay still, “And Dina doesn’t ring a bell. Now…there is a young lady who shows up every now and then—wait—what’s her name—Adena—yes…yes. I know Adena. She lives in 3A.”

Erik gave the woman a perplexed look, “has to be the same person…what do you mean you see her every now and then? Is she not around often?”

“Who are you?” The woman questioned.

“My name is Erik.”

The woman studied his face for a while and then recognition crossed over her face.

“Erik Stevens. I knew you looked familiar.” She said with a smile.

Erik returned the smile, “What did you mean by every now and then? See, she works for me—worked for me, and I was worried about her. Hadn’t been able to reach her all day.”

The woman nodded her head in understanding, “Adena is rather quiet when I see her. Pleasant, but withdrawn. I work from home but I do leave my apartment often and I never see much activity from 3A. There’s always deliveries weekly, big packages, and you’d be lucky to catch her. I ran into her coming back from Starbucks one morning last week and she was taking a package to go…like she lived elsewhere. Some of the tenants here rent out their apartments but live elsewhere. I get the feeling that Adena doesn’t occupy that apartment on a regular basis. More of like…a home away from home.”

Erik scrutinized the apartment building, screwing up his face in deep thought. Was Dina a nickname? But then that couldn’t be, because he was certain her name was Dina, not Adena. Had she been lying to him the entire time? First, she never even applied for a position to work with Chanel as a Media Specialist — her dream job — and now, he discovers that Adena could be her real name and she doesn’t even live here.

“If you see her, could you please tell her that I came by to check on her?” Erik said.

“Yes.”

Erik descended the stairs, stopping to pet her dog before getting into his ride and driving off. As much as he wanted an explanation from her, he had bigger plans awaiting him that couldn’t be ignored.

The Stevens Estate was so christened by its first owner, landscape designer Robert Malone, Jr., a son of Italian immigrants who in the early 1920s enlisted the help of preeminent New York architecture firm Delano & Aldrich in designing it. Albany’s lushly forested and rolling landscape, evocative of the English countryside, has long been a place of quiet wealth. Since the early 1900s, members of New York society seeking to avoid the social spotlight of places like Newport, Rhode Island; Southampton, New York; or Lenox, Massachusetts, have gathered there.

Robert Malone, Jr., was born in 1887 to an old New York family. In 1921 he married equally socially prominent Hannah Elias Stevens, nicknamed “The Negro Enchantress” in the tabloids of New York City in the early 1900’s. She was one of the richest black women in the world in the early 1900’s. Although he began his career as a banker, he is best known for his later work as a landscape architect.

Malone designed the landscapes of other distinguished members of New York society, including the Westchester estate of Mr. and Mrs. David Rockefeller. He worked closely with many of the famous architects of the era, and when he decided to build his own country home in 1924, he hired William Adams Delano and Chester Holmes Aldrich.

After the death of Malone in 1950, Hannah continued to evolve the estate with the help of her prestigious family until her death in 1973. It wasn’t until the late 1980s, when the estate was in disrepair, that Joseph Stevens Jr., Hannah’s great nephew, set about restoring and updating the great old period mansion.

Joseph and Victoria Stevens lived about an hour north of Manhattan in a village that is to the suburbs as the navy cashmere blazer is to men's jackets. To call Albany a suburb is somewhat misleading; it is more like Manhasset or Old Westbury in the day of the Paleys and the Phipps. Zoning is generous, houses are hidden, and horses are welcome. It’s a mixture of opulence, luxury, and Hollywood movies.

The paved road gives way to dirt and gravel several miles short of the Stevens estate, which is surrounded by over 250 acres of rolling lawn and woods. Norman in style, stone and slate, it was built in 1919, and there is no reason to think it will look any different a hundred years from now. At 17,000 square feet it is big but not overwhelming; it feels appropriate and comfortable. The only clue to who is in the house is the car in the forecourt, one of a collection of classic sports cars that look as they did the day they were delivered a half century ago. In its later years, it’s been endowed with technology and also bullet-proofed.

As in an English "stately," the entrance hall is not overly decorated. The first of many oil paintings greet you, as does the scent of lilies. Throughout the house there are dense, formal arrangements of romantic white flowers—hydrangeas, imperial lilies, calla lilies—with old-fashioned scarlet-red roses tucked into them. Animal imagery, and the energy it imparts, is everywhere too, in pencil studies of lions and oil paintings of horses and leopards, and especially in the fascination with leather.

Stevens collect leather and African artifacts the way an anthropologist collects bones. It is almost always what you find yourself sitting on or looking at. Old briefcases and schoolbags are used as accessories. Hide, suede, alligator and croc turn up in every possible condition: nicely mellowed, worn to a shine, darkened from a century of fingertips, shaped to the human form, crumbling to dust. This is a museum.

Erik wore a pair of ivory chino pants with a matching polo and tinted aviator shades. He had his staff at the estate carry in his bags while he greeted his male cousins and old friends. All ten of them were standing around, checking out the vintage sports cars and bragging. Erik noticed that Greg hadn’t shown up, and he wasn’t surprised. They group spotted him walking up and all of them shouted his name, walking up to him, dapping him up and giving him a one-armed hug.

All of his cousins and friends do well for themselves. Although Erik was the most sought after, any woman would be lucky to even have a chance with any of them. Erik’s older cousin, the closest cousin to him, Raymond, who is a successful software developer generating millions of dollars, was the last to give him a hug. The last time Erik had seen his cousin, he was a groomsman in his destination wedding in Jamaica. That entire getaway was foggy to him. He spent most of his time drinking, smoking weed, and fucking bitches. He even had to get a taste of the bridesmaid he walked down the aisle with. That was the best time Erik had in a while.

“Look at you little cuz! Looking sharp!” Raymond said, “Ready for a wild night?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be. How’s Fiona?”

“She’s great, you know I got a baby girl on the way. I’m excited about that.”

Erik smirked, “Congrats, Ray. That’s beautiful, man.”

Raymond walked alongside Erik as they followed the rest of the crew up the steps to the entrance of the estate. Erik’s butler, Amadi, an African man whose parents are from Yoruba, oversaw the traffic of staff walking in and out of the mansion. Alongside him is his late father’s personal assistant, Malia. She’s swiping away on her tablet while giving orders to the decorating committee. She’s wearing a gray pantsuit with a satin fuchsia pink top and black heeled sandals. Her long black hair is styled in a top not to complete the look.

“Hopefully it’ll be you someday, E.” Raymond said.

Erik chuckled, “Marriage? Nah, you know that’s not me.”

“Could be.”

Erik saw marriage as misery. Unhappiness. He’d grown up finding the idea of tying the knot laughable. It’s all smoke and mirrors. But isn’t everything in his life that way? embellishing the truth? His father always wanted something new; new car, new ways to make money, and a new woman. He wanted a woman at home to take care of his son while he dabbled. His mother was a train wreck with a temper and substance abuse issues. His father’s ego and his mother’s bitchy ways were always the result of screaming matches and physical fights. As Erik got older, most of the men in his life cheated on their wives. It was the norm. To Erik, none of them were happy. Why should he be?

“Erik, good to see you.” Malia greeted him.

Malia stared deeply into Erik’s eyes.

“Malia. Everything good?”

“Yes, just some final touches for the aerial dancers and we’re good to go. The only thing left to do is make sure the kitchen staff have the preparations for the full course. Amadi is handling that now. As soon as they’re finished, I’ll be on my way.”

“Thanks for the update. Life treating you well?”

“Definitely,” Malia beamed, “I took a trip to Ibiza for a week and that was an experience.”

Erik knows about her trip. She kept sending him pictures of herself. At first, they started out as group photos with her girls, then eventually turned into solo pics and selfies. Erik would sit back and wonder what she would taste like on his tongue, but he couldn’t see himself messing around with Malia because his father did often. If things were different, if Dina never slipped into his life, he would have added Malia to his list of women.

“Glad you had a good time. Listen, I really appreciate you for everything you do around here.” Erik said.

“Not a problem…you know I’m here if you need anything, Erik,” Malia concluded before walking away.

Raymond and the rest of the crew had left him standing there to get themselves settled in. They planned to go yachting for a bit before heading back to enjoy some cigars, liquor, and lunch prepared by the kitchen staff. As he walked through those grand doors and into the magnificent foyer with an imperial staircase and a piano, Erik removed his aviator shades and scanned the room.

He always got the impending nervous jitters before the Halloween Ball. With his father gone, Erik is now the leader of The Court of Aje and it puts a lot of pressure on him. They wouldn’t say it, but he knew that they would be looking at any chance for him to screw things up. Erik’s uncle, Frank Stevens; Raymond’s father, wanted to take over The Court of Aje, but with Erik being Joseph’s son, it automatically went to him. The Court of Aje is an aristocratic secret society that is a century old with immense power and influence embedded into the very architecture and history of New York City.

They worship a deity of prosperity and money known as Aje. In the Yoruba religion, Aje is a traditional goddess of abundance and wealth, often associated with the businesses of the marketplace. She is selective about where she grants prosperity; those who make offerings to her in the form of prayers and good works are often her beneficiaries. However, she is known to simply show up at the market stall of those she deems worthy of bounty and blessings. Aje often slips into the market unannounced and selects the shopkeeper she is ready to bless; once Aje enters your business, you're bound to make a profit.

Aje; supreme god of wealth; benevolent provider of all human needs. The Court of Aje meets up on the eve of Halloween every year to offer a sacrifice to Aje. After drinking the blood of the sacrifice, the rich and powerful men dawned in cloaks intoned mysterious chants before parading off with naked women and having group sex. Women in masks wander in the nude, accompanied by cloaked men in masks. They end up in a formal dining room or room of choice, where everyone is nude and having or watching sex. The celebration ends after 4am and everyone goes back to their lives as if nothing happened.

The first time Erik attended the Halloween Ball, he was fascinated. He’d always had a dark side to him, a side he could only keep private. The act of inflicting pain on others for personal enjoyment, typically of a sexual nature or receiving pain for sexual release. Erik Stevens is too many shades of gray with a sadistic character flaw to sexually possess, control, dominate, and debase women.

The mistreatment and abandonment of his mother made him feel unworthy of love. Being exposed to such a toxic environment, Erik would often experience frequent mood swings and bouts of anger. In his younger years, Erik would take out his aggression by getting into physical fights with students at school or anyone else who seems antagonizing. Victoria suggested therapy for Erik, but Joseph didn’t think his son needed help, that therapy was too judgmental and for those with mental health issues.

Erik’s first encounter with BDSM was at the age of 21 with an older woman named Kelis Smith, a friend of his mother’s and a Neurosurgeon. Erik used to have a no strings attached relationship in high school with her daughter, Sylvia Smith, until Kelis decided to make a move on Erik. Their affair consisted of Erik being her submissive. She confessed to Erik that she’d noticed his anger and thought he should learn to control it in ways that were enjoyable.

He was able to relinquish control, feeling safe, comfortable, and free; helping him channel his emotions in constructive ways. After three years, kelis’ husband found out about their relationship and furious, got into a brawl with Erik that resulted in her husband’s ‘unexpected’ death in a boating accident. Although their arrangement ended, Erik continued his BDSM lifestyle.

He wasn’t going to apologize for his sadistic ways. He decided long ago that it’s who he is. Joseph taught him to never feel sorry for himself. No woman he brought home to his sex dungeon had any complaints. Erik Stevens is presented as a rich, playboy, philanthropist who maintains his body in shape and has a good relationship with others but in secret he is an unstable, cold, calculated, homicidal, vicious and sadistic man.

Yesterday evening:

“Adena!”

Carmella rushed inside of Adena’s room to wake her daughter. Adena woke up while rubbing her sleepy eyes, trying to pay attention to what her mother was saying, but her body was too tired to comprehend.

“I want you to hide!” Carmella whispered frantically, “Don’t come out unless I tell you to. Don’t make any noise, understand? I want you to stay safe!”

“Mommy, what’s happening?” Adena questions with a sleepy voice.

Carmella pointed to a spot behind a mountain of Adena’s stuffed animals. Adena quickly crouched down behind a giant giraffe and laid on her side. Carmella tossed a few teddy bears over her daughter’s body and pressed her finger to her lips.

“Please, stay put right here. There are bad men here and I don’t want them to hurt you. Mommy loves you, baby.”

Carmella kissed her daughter on the lips and stroked her braided hair before rushing out of her room, shutting the door behind her. Adena’s eyes were staring into the darkened corner, heart pounding against her rib cage. She could hear a man’s voice and her mother arguing. Moments later, a shrill cry and tussling. Adena didn’t know how long she’d been lying there, but the bad men her mother told her to hide away from opened her bedroom door.

Light from the hallway danced across her pink wall, two shadows appearing on the wall when the door was fully opened. Adena covered her mouth to muffle her shaky breath. One of the men entered her bedroom, drawing closer towards her. Just when she was about to be discovered, a cold, dark voice stopped the man in his tracks.

“What are you doing? We’re not here for the child, Jonathan.”

“We can’t have any mistakes, Damion. What if the child knows who we are—”

“Stop talking,” Damion argued, “Let’s get out of here.”

Adena shot up in bed, inhaling deeply through her mouth as if gasping for air. She clutched her chest and then her fingers gripped the collar of her black satin slip. Sweat seeped from her pores and onto the sheets creating a large damp spot. Her eyes remained shut as she sat still on the edge of her bed, taking calming breaths to stop her heart from racing out of control.

It’s been sixteen long years since that night. Sixteen years since she’d discovered her mother’s lifeless body sitting in a bloody bath with her wrists slit. Her nightmares have gotten better since then thanks to her therapist, but the fury and obsession to make them all pay for what happened to her mother still remained. It blanketed her like a heavy downpour. When she’d finally opened her eyes, the pain in her chest dulled just a little, giving her enough strength to stand on her own two feet.

Dina was born Adena Brighton. Her mother is singer and actress, Carmella Love Brighton and her father is Damion Jones. Carmella had a secret relationship with Damion while he was married. Carmella also had a close friendship with Damion’s sister, Felicity, which is how she initially met Damion. Their relationship led to Adena’s birth which Carmella kept a secret from Damion. She didn’t want Damion to know about Adena out of fear of what he might do. He killed Carmella because she knew too much about what he was involved in. Although she swore to never say anything about the Stevens or himself, he killed her by staging a suicide. Her wrists were slit and she was left lying in the tub filled with bloody water.

Adena found her mother’s lifeless body and sat with her, confused and waiting for her mother to somehow wake up from a deep slumber. She was only seven. Felicity, her aunt, raised her up until the age of eighteen when Adena found out about her mother’s faked death. Felicity tried for years to keep it from Adena, but soon, she started asking questions that demanded answers, and it took for a heated altercation between Felicity and Adena for her to finally know the truth. She found out that her father, Joseph Stevens, The Mayor, and other corrupt men of power were responsible for her mother’s death. Adena felt betrayed by her aunt for keeping it from her, but she also understood why her aunt hadn’t gone to the police for help. They were all on The Stevens’ family payroll.

Adena became obsessed with wanting to kill her father. She also desires to take down The Stevens’ and the Mayor; Jonathan Montgomery. Adena remembers that name the night her mother was killed. with all the information she needed, Adena plotted what would go down in history as one the most successful take downs. While doing her research on the once Mayor of New York, Adena looked into his family. She knew that her aunt Felicity was a walking target for her father, so she couldn’t risk her life. She had to come up with another way to get into this secret Halloween Party. And what better idea than to befriend the wannabe Princess of New York.

Ruby Gianna Montgomery was born into Manhattan's most elite social circles to Paulina Porizkova, a Swedish-born model, actress, and well-respected New York socialite who is dubbed as a gold digger. Ruby attended Manchester Prep, a prestigious co-educational private school just outside of the city and lived on the Upper East Side with her mother and father who was the corrupt mayor of New York City; Jonathan Montgomery. She has three brothers; two older and one younger. Her first eldest brother; Caleb and younger brother; Patrick, are in politics, following in her father’s footsteps.

Ruby’s second eldest brother, Gregory Montgomery, Jonathan desperately wished his son had interest in the family business. Gregory was sent to Oxford and Harvard and almost never got any visits from his father. All Gregory wanted was to be accepted by his father but he refused to let him in because he had different interests than following in his father’s footsteps. Dina discovered that Gregory and Erik were friends since grade school.

The Montgomery House; the opulent Fifth Avenue town-house mansion, is where Ruby grew up. As Ruby came-of-age, she excelled in many academic fields and became fluent in the French and Vietnamese languages. Ruby also mastered the Piano and became known throughout the school community as a role-model and an inspiration to all parents, even though secretly developing addictions to alcohol and sex with older men. seduction and betrayal among the teenaged idle rich. She is beautiful, yet conniving and manipulative. She shows signs of possessiveness towards men when she doesn’t get her way with them.

After being home schooled since the death of her mother, Adena applied to NYU and majored in Business of the Arts with a minor in Global Arts. There, she befriended Ruby, which wasn’t hard because Adena’s passive personality attracted people like Ruby. It was a way for her to control them, like her minions. Despite the pure hatred for anyone like Ruby, Adena bit her tongue and held up the guise of a friendly, saccharine girl who’s an orphan and student juggling two jobs to afford her rent and car payments. Ruby ate that shit up like a delicious slice of black velvet cake.

Adena easily juggled her double life, hiding in plain sight, gathering scandalous information on the corrupt rich to use against them. She hunted down old classmates and ex-friends of Ruby’s and discovered that Ruby would do whatever it takes to win, even if that means putting someone in the hospital or throwing dirt on their name. She had a knack for creating a narrative about someone and causing others to turn their backs on them. After learning everything she needed to know about that fake bitch, Adena added her name to her hit list.

The view of Manhattan from her penthouse windows is what she loved most. It calmed her. City night. It's alive. The kaleidoscope of shimmering lights flicker in the distance as the starry sky sweeps over the city that never sleeps. It seemed like the clouds had gotten a sudden fascination with the moon and wrapped themselves around it. The moon's faint glow passed through them, coloring them white from gray.

Adena walked across the black vinyl plank floor to sit on her black, ceiling hang chair covered with a magenta pink fur throw with matching pillows and one cheetah-printed throw pillow. With her cell phone in hand, Dina swung back and forth, the magenta-colored LED smart lights in her room creating a peaceful ambiance.

Multiple unread messages and voicemails awaited Adena, but she didn’t plan on returning his calls or texts. Fuck him. Shame on her for even falling for him. That wasn’t part of the plan. At least she got him to feel some sort of remorse for what he did. Sure, Erik Stevens doesn't know how to properly express himself without being a complete asshole, but still, the fact that he kissed Vivian in front of her like that just opened Adena’s eyes again and put her back on track. That smile, those eyes, his voice, the touch of his lips, the stroke of his fingers, his scent, and that dick was a distraction.

No. Adena won’t let him get to her again. He’s persuasive, but she won’t succumb to his seduction. However, he did successfully succumb to hers and she didn’t even try. Yes, Adena isn’t that sweet, innocent, naive girl. That’s just an act. A part of her roleplay fantasy. What she enjoys more than anything is trickery. Dina isn’t her real name. It’s Adena. She doesn’t desire to be a media specialist. She’s a proud Dominatrix. Adena is sent money and lavished with expensive gifts by men who seemingly want next-to-nothing in return - it’s all about submitting to the dominant woman and relinquishing control.

It's this surrendering of power that is arousing. She inherited her mother’s siren abilities to seduce and destroy. Why not use those extraordinary powers to get what she deserves from men? It��s always been believed that it made evolutionary sense that a man be dominant and a woman be passive. Men were to fight off rival suitors and other dangers and to procreate. Women were to contribute to this process by voluntarily subordinating to men. Men tended towards the aggressive and sadistic and women towards the passive and masochistic.

Times have changed as women are now somewhat freer to assert their dominance over men in all phases of life. The Dominatrix is a female archetype associated with a particular dress that depicts her role as a strong, dominant, sexualized woman. Black leather corsets, thigh-high boots with high stiletto heels, fishnet stockings, and a whip are familiar to most people.

Adena is aware of Erik’s secret lifestyle. His Sadist nature. Unbeknownst to many, Erik used to frequent an underground sex club for kinksters — The Siren — A club that Adena owns. She’s Headmistress there and she enjoys watching all the taboo activities from her private VIP behind a two way mirror. Erik would always show up alone and wearing a mask to hide his identity, something that mostly everyone there did to avoid being discovered. Adena found it laughable. She knew every single person that walked through those doors and into a sexually liberating world.

It could be a Pastor who preaches about the ugly in the world, or a Judge who just sentenced a murderer to life behind bars, or your child’s preschool teacher, or a man escaping his wife and kids to fulfill his sexual desires. No one knows who Adena really is, they only know her as Headmistress. There were times where she wanted to reveal herself to Erik, all the times she would watch him in one of the many sexual-themed rooms behind a two-way mirror. Adena grew to desire Erik and the way he dominated women. She wanted to be the one to take control of him.

The scenarios in her mind were not for the faint hearted. There were times where she pictured herself holding a knife to his throat with her 7-inch lace up platform heel pressed against his erection. She pictured him bound to a table with leather restraints around his wrists and ankles while she tortured him. All of those thoughts made her pine for him; yearn for him; wish for just one night to turn the tables on him.

It wasn’t just about the sex if she was being honest with herself. Adena had the pleasure of seeing the hidden layers of Erik Stevens; the happiness and the playfulness and the trauma. She felt as if they shared parts of themselves that not many people know about. Adena never told anyone about what happened to her mother, and yet she felt compelled to share it with him. When he revealed to her how unloving his mother is, she wanted to hug him.

What really struck her was how close her father and Erik are. It angered Adena how much Erik was like his father. Damion and Joseph exposed him to this lifestyle at such a young age that Erik knows nothing else. There were things about Damion and Victoria that Adena discovered. How they have had a secret affair for years. That Damion wanted revenge on the Stevens Family. That would shatter him, and although Adena wants to bring him down right along with her father, she felt that Erik needed to know. He needed to know that Damion was coming for him next.

It’s a big day. Despite the swirling gray clouds in the sky and the chilly wind, New Yorker’s had places to be and people to see. Before Adena left the city for the day, She planned to make a stop at her Midtown West apartment, and that was her first destination. Adena entered the building wearing all black; black turtleneck, black slim-fit jeans, black platform Doc Martens, and a black oversized longline coat.

Adena walked up to her mail box, opening it with her key. She peeked inside and noticed several Cartier gift boxes. Each box varied in size from small to large. Adena assessed her surroundings before retrieving all of the boxes, making her way towards her apartment quickly. With the key in the door, loud barking startled her from across the hall and when she looked up, she noticed the woman living in 3D leaving her apartment wearing active gear. Her light brown eyes spotted Adena and she waved at her.

“Hello, Pamela,” Adena replied.

“How are you, darling?”

Adena placed a firmer grip on her anonymous gifts, “I’m doing alright. You?”

“Oh, you know…just taking it day by day.” Pamela said.

“That’s good to know,” Adena forced a smile, “It was good seeing you—”

“A young man stopped past here earlier today looking for you…a rather famous young man…Erik Stevens. He said that you work for him and that he’s been trying to reach you.”

Adena was halfway into her apartment when Pamela mentioned Erik. She slowly glanced over her shoulder at her neighbor, wary eyes landing on her.

“…He said that he wanted me to let you know that he stopped by to check on you.”

Adena blinked her eyes away and stared down at the Cartier boxes in her hands. Who else would send her gifts to this address besides her aunt Felicity?

“Thanks, Pamela,” Adena replied, “I appreciate it.”

“No problem, Adena.”

Inside her apartment now, Adena walked over to her usual spot on the couch to open her expensive gifts. The first red box with the fancy gold script had a pair of gold hoop earrings in it, the second box had a beautiful trinity white gold and yellow gold bracelet, and lastly, the larger box was an elegant case filled with different Cartier perfumes. A small card with typed words rested on top of the perfumes, and when Adena lifted it to read, she noticed right away that he’d sent her this.

Adena,

Knowing how well I want to treat you, and knowing how I wound up treating you, I am completely ashamed of myself. Please forgive me. I know saying that I am sorry just does not sound good enough, but I really am so sorry. Please forgive me and give me a chance to express to you in person how sorry I am. I know this probably is not the best apology ever, but I just can't think straight knowing I hurt you. I am really so sorry.

Despite everything, Adena couldn’t help but feel smitten with him. It wasn’t the gifts, because Adena owned many Cartier, it was his devotion to winning her back. But, she couldn’t. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this between them. She sniffed the perfumes one by one, taking in the notes and thinking about how he chose these fragrances specifically for her. If only things were different. If only he wasn’t a Stevens.

Adena placed her gifts on her coffee table and stood to retrieve her secret box from her dear friend, Ruby. In order to enter this elite party, Adena needed to bring her invitation and the dagger. Despite her lengthy preparation for this very night, Adena couldn’t deny the nervous jitters. Felicity revealed to Adena everything that goes down at the Halloween Ball, but she’d never experienced it. Getting past the door was her main concern. Would they make her take off her mask? Did she have to show some other kind of proof that she was invited?

Adena strolled through her apartment that’s more kinky than its original purpose. While some people have private rooms in cellars and attics, Adena’s entire apartment is covered in all things BDSM. She needed enough space to use all equipment appropriately and not feel claustrophobic, unless claustrophobia is what does it for you. In her kitchen, there is a hanging contraption from the ceiling, cages and swings decorated her living room and guest bedroom, each bed had built-in bondages and restraints. Sensual lounge chairs and armless chaises in different textures and tufted, upholstered beds was her preference. All kinds of fetish and BDSM gear you could think of, Adena owned.

In her bedroom closet, Adena grabbed everything she needed — dress, shoes, accessories, and secret box— and left her apartment. Outside, Adena popped the trunk to her matte black, premium G–Class SUV, placing all of her things in there before getting into the car. It was going to take her a few hours to get from the City to Albany. Determination set in her features, Adena blended into traffic at the precise moment it began to rain.

The three hours gave Adena time to reflect on everything. She listened to her favorite playlist on repeat and rolled her windows down to allow the scent from the rain to waft her nose. All she could think about was how her childhood trauma molded her into the woman she is today.

We can often undervalue the relevance of our childhood experiences, “Adena’s therapist said, “We can also underestimate the effect childhood experiences have on us when we become adults. Childhood makes up the pillar we build our personality upon. It's our way of understanding the world around us, our relationships, feelings, and thoughts…”

Adena was exposed to a distressing and emotionally painful event. It caused psychological damage that took years for her to cope with. She has difficulty establishing healthy relationships because she constantly has her guard up and she’s unable to trust anyone enough to let them into her personal space. A hyper-vigilance resulting in her constantly mistrusting everyone around her.

She was able to do that with Erik, because he too is healing from trauma. The neglect from his mother in his childhood, the abuse, the constant fighting between his parents, and his mother’s substance abuse helped develop an unhealthy pattern. Adena is driven by her traumatic experience to seek revenge on her father and everyone else responsible. Erik is driven by unresolved anger and resentment. BDSM for both of them is a healing process.

In BDSM, individuals often focus on their breathing while they endure pain and other sensory play. Rhythm and repetition may be introduced through creating consistent rhythms in impact play or by having one of the participants count to a certain number while they do a certain task. It can be introduced in a lot of creative ways. It helps with her depression and anxiety. It gives her the upper hand and control.

After several hours, Adena arrived at The Argus Hotel and Cocktail Lounge, valet taking her keys and the hotel staff graciously loading her things onto a cart to take to her room. She booked a family room for the evening since she didn’t plan on staying the entire weekend. After retrieving her room key, Adena decided to grab a drink at the cocktail lounge. She took a seat at the bar, waving down a bartender. Adena ordered herself a whiskey smash and waited only ten minutes before a radiant, expensive looking woman with voluminous hair swayed into the lounge. She spotted Adena sitting at the bar and joined her. They both embraced each other for a long time. It’s been months since they’d seen each other.

“Aunt Felicity,” Adena said, smiling fondly, “You don’t know how happy I am to see you.”

Felicity pulled Adena into another hug.

“I missed you too, sweetheart…so much,” She looked at Adena with glossy eyes, “Look at you! Just as beautiful as your momma…”

Adena smiled, “You look great too, auntie. London is treating you well I see.”

“It could be treating you well too if you decided to stay with me.”

Felicity ordered what Adena had and they took their drinks to a private booth to sit down and have a chat. Felicity removed her red peacoat revealing a champagne-colored satin blouse and high waisted, wide leg black pants. The low lamp light above them casts a yellow glow against their skin. Felicity removed the cocktail straw from her drink and took a sip from the rim of her glass, leaving a red lip stain behind. Felicity looked at Adena with sad eyes. Adena knew what she wanted to say so she sat waiting patiently.

“Adena, you know you don’t have to go through with this. I’ve told you more than once that it isn’t safe. But, I also know that I can’t change your mind.” Felicity whispered.

“Then you know that this is what I want to do, auntie. They deserve to pay, all of them.” Adena spoke with determination. Her voice went from sweet and silvery to provocative and soothing; her usual voice.

“Even Erik Stevens?” Felicity questioned.

Adena sat in silence staring across the table at her aunt’s accusatory expression.

“You plan to kill him tonight as well? Or do you not have it in your heart anymore?”

“…I plan to end his life as well,” Adena said with the most captivating voice, “Do you doubt me, auntie?”

“No. I don’t doubt you. I know you’re more than capable…I just wish I could be there to protect you.”

“If you step foot in there, they’ll kill you, aunt Felicity. I can’t have that. They already took my mother away from me, I won’t let them take the only real family I have left.” Adena argued.

Felicity released a shaky breath.

“And you think I’ll allow any of them to hurt you? I promised your mother that I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Going in there is like walking into a lion's den. They will not show you mercy, Adena.”

Adena leaned into the table to talk closer, “I will not show them mercy. I’ve waited for this moment. Tonight is the night they pay for all of it. I’m not changing my mind.”

Felicity’s eyes fell to her hands. She blinked back tears quickly before meeting Adena’s eyes again.

“Didn’t you say that there are weapons lining the walls?” Adena asked.

“Yes. Plenty.” Felicity replied.

“Good. This dagger won’t be enough. I need something bigger,” Adena said before a wicked smile graced her lips.

“You better come out alive, Adena. Or so help me God I will run in there after you. I’m serious, Adena—”

“Do you need a reminder of what my father did to you when he thought you tried to give him up for what he did to my mother? He beat you close to death. You were in the hospital for MONTHS after that while I was taken care of by some woman I hardly even knew. Every time I came to visit you, I thought you were going to die. Do you know how hard that was? After what happened to my mom?”

The adrenaline coursing through Adena’s body made her blind from the amount of tears that escaped her brown eyes. Felicity sat very still across from her, her own eyes brimming with tears that she fought to hold back.

“No. You will not come looking for me. I’ve worked hard to get to this point. No man is strong enough to take me down, auntie. I’m built on rage and strength beyond what they’re prepared for. I’m naturally stronger than the average person, and it’s not because of my combat skills. I’m a siren like my momma. That alone will carry me through the night.”

“Hello?!”

Vivian sauntered into The Stevens Estate looking like a tall glass of milk wearing an all-white pantsuit with a white fur coat and Prada shades. Erik’s chauffeur carried in her things for the highly anticipated evening, waiting for someone to show up and take her things. Amadi appeared from a room with his hands behind his back and his chin held high. Vivian removed her designer shades and smiled excitedly at Amadi, but he didn’t return the smile.

“You must be Miss. Wood,” Amadi said, “Welcome to The Stevens Estate. We have been expecting you.”

“Thank you for having me,” Vivian spoke pleasantly.

Amadi grabbed her bags from Erik’s driver and stood before her.

“Follow me this way, Miss. Wood. I will show you to your room for the evening.”

Vivian looked around in wonder at the extraordinary home that belonged to the prestigious Stevens Family. She prided herself in finally snagging an invite from the man himself. She’d worked hard to get here, and to finally walk the halls with polished floors and pricey decor, she couldn’t help but inwardly cheer. Amadi led the way up one of the staircases to the second level. From there, he entered one of many guest rooms that was the size of an apartment. Vivian looked around with astonishment. The master bathroom reminded her of a royal bath house and the bed was fit for a queen.

“This is where you will stay. Mr. Stevens is quite busy at the moment entertaining guests, but there are some things he would like for you to do to prepare for your evening with the Court of Aje.”

Two young and very attractive women who looked like maids sauntered into the room. They both kept their heads bowed, waiting for their command.

“This is Alicia and Lucy. They will help you prepare for the evening.”

Amadi turned to leave and Vivian helped herself to a glass of complimentary champagne sitting on a gold platter.

“Hello, ma’am. We’ve been instructed to give you a preparation bath for the Feast of Feasts.” They both spoke in unison.

“The Feast of Feasts?” Vivian questioned.

“It’s the big dinner before the ball. There is a tremendous spread of food and it’s required for you to be full and hearty. You must dine naked and only wearing your masquerade mask.” Lucy said.

Alicia continued, “And before the dinner, we have to give you a bath infused with essential oils that help with your sexual energy. You also have to release that sexual energy…through multiple orgasms. It helps to get everyone prepared for the night’s festivities.”

Vivian downed the rest of her champagne and placed the empty glass back on the gold platter. Alicia and Lucy — both overwhelmingly gorgeous with their deep melanin skin and braided hair — approached Vivian at a leisurely pace. Vivian looked between the both of them, startled when Lucy began removing her coat while Alicia went to work taking off her clothes. When she was fully naked before them, Alicia and Lucy led Vivian into the bathroom. They instructed her to sit while they prepared the bath.

A jacuzzi tub began filling with bath water and Alicia and Lucy started pouring essential oils into the bath. Lavender, sandalwood, and ylang ylang. They topped it off with white rose petals and burned incense. Vivian stood from her seat and walked over to the bath so that Alicia and Lucy could help her in. The water was hot and the oils against her skin felt therapeutic. Vivian was instructed to lay back while Alicia and Lucy massaged her body. The smell, the touch, and the taste of champagne on her tongue woke up her sexual desires as if they were hibernating.

Vivian was stunned to feel both of their hands between her legs, rubbing along her folds softly. Vivian thrust her chest out and her nipples began to pebble. A pair of lips wrapped around her left nipple and her eyes shot open to find Lucy sucking on her tit. Alicia was busy circling Vivian’s clit with her thumb as she watched Lucy feast on her hard nipple. This isn’t Vivian’s first rodeo; being with a woman. She’d explored many times before. She just didn’t expect this to be a part of the equation. However, she wasn’t complaining.

“What are you both doing?” Vivian asked with a quiver in her voice.

“What we must do, Miss. Wood. You see, it’s our job to help you relax and release. The essential oils are an aphrodisiac when inhaled before and during intimacy. You’ll need to prepare yourself for what’s in store for you this evening.” Alicia said.

Vivian swallowed spit. If this was just a crumb of what she would be getting herself into, she couldn’t wait to see what else was in store for her. She sat in that bath and allowed Lucy and Alicia to taste and touch her body. Vivian held her tongue, but deep down she wanted them to join her. Take off their clothes and climb into the bath so they could explore each other’s bodies.

“Miss. Wood, it’s time to go back to the room where we will finish what we started,” Lucy said with a soft voice.

The water sloshed as Vivian stood up and stepped out of the tub. Still dripping wet, Lucy and Alicia led her over to a leather tantra chair within the room. Vivian was instructed to sit closer towards the edge with her legs spread wide. Vivian did as she was told, curious as to what was going to happen next. Both women dressed as sexy maids got down on their knees between her legs and without hesitation, spread her outer lips. The heat radiating from Vivian’s core caused both women to release audible moans before they inched closer. Their curled tongues dragged slowly over her inner folds.

“Oh, Fuuck!!” Vivian whispered.

They were such good pussy eaters.

“You have to stay still, Miss. Wood. It’s required that you cum from our mouths first before we insert the vibrator.”

“What?—”

Vivian hissed when Lucy began flicking her bud with the tip of her tongue. Alicia pressed her own appendage against Lucy’s and went to work making that clit as stiff as it can get. Vivian’s perfectly implanted breasts propelled forward as she arched her back from the chair. She reached forward and placed her hands on the backs of their heads.

“Yes! Just like that, shit,” Vivian’s toes flexed, “Fuck, yes!”

When her clit was nice and fat, Alicia lunged forward and wrapped her juicy lips around its stiffness before Lucy could. Lucy simply giggled, sitting up on her knees to finish tasting Vivian’s breasts.

“Mr. Stevens informed us that this is a fantasy of yours, Miss. Wood. As beautiful as you are, I couldn't resist the urge to see for myself what Mr. Stevens spoke so highly of.” Lucy revealed.

Alicia popped her clit out her mouth, “It’s true that you have a big clit…and you taste so good, Miss. Wood.”

Vivian remained speechless but the overflow of lubrication from her opening and the hardness of her nipples was enough to let them know that she was enjoying everything. Alicia switched places with Lucy to let her suck on Vivian’s clit but Alicia inserted two fingers into Vivian’s pussy. Vivian’s hips bucked in unison with Alicia’s fingers pumping in and out of her. She looked from Lucy sucking on her pussy to Alicia thrashing her wet tongue on her nipples.

“You both are gonna make me cum!” Vivian shouted with ecstasy.

“Good,” Lucy groaned, “Cum as much as you want, Miss. Wood.”

“Do you hear her pussy, Lucy? It’s soaked,” Alicia spoke with astonishment.

“Let me see,” Lucy dipped her fingers inside, “Mmmm…so warm and wet.”

Alicia giggled with her two fingers in her mouth.

Vivian felt heat creep up her body and her inner thighs quaked with her release. Milky white ejaculate flowed from her opening and down the crack of her ass. It didn’t matter how overstimulated she was, Alicia and Lucy were in awe of her pussy and the taste of it.

Lucy licked her fingers clean and Alicia spread Vivian’s pussy open so she could see everything clearly. The sheen of sweat on Vivian’s tawny skin looked just as tasty as her cum. Alicia stood to retrieve something from a drawer while Lucy tongue-fucked Vivian.

“You can’t get enough of this pussy can you?” Vivian said.

“Neither will the others,” Lucy smiled.

Vivian’s clit jumped at that.

Alicia returned with a bullet vibrator that is remote-controlled. She brought the egg-shaped toy to Vivian’s creamy entrance and began inserting it. Once inside, she tested out which setting would be best and settled for a low rumble that will keep Vivian teetering on the edge of another orgasm.

“With her cum covered lips, Lucy spoke, “Soon, Amadi will be here to retrieve you for a feast before the ball. Me and Alicia will get you prepared after dinner.”

Alicia and Lucy made their exit with the control to the vibrator in their possession. Vivian rested for an hour before being summoned to dinner. Within the dining room, there is a grand dining table filled with savory foods and desserts. Vivian was escorted in by Amadi, a long, pure white sheer robe draped over her visibly naked body.

Erik was seated at the head of the table, plate half eaten. He was wearing a fluffy black robe with matching black slippers and the family name embroidered on it. His locs are side swept and freshly twisted. From the opening in his robe, Vivian can make out a Cuban link gold chain resting against his pecs. Amadi pulled out Vivian’s seat at the other end of the table so she could stare across at Erik.

“Your kitchen staff made enough food to feed an entire army,” Vivian stated.

“How was your bath?” Erik questioned, ignoring Vivian’s previous statement.

“Lovely. And so are your maids…bed warmers I assume?” Vivian spoke with amusement.

“Did you not enjoy what they did for you, Vivian?” Erik questioned.

“I—I did. But—”

The bullet vibrator inside of her began to rumble and Vivian gripped the arms of her chair tightly while her knees buckled. Erik watched her from the other side of the table, chewing on a buttery roll. The fork in Vivian’s hand clattered to the table from the amount of writhing she was doing in her seat.

The vibrations finally stopped but the throbbing of her clit didn’t cease.

“No buts. Lucy and Alicia are great at what they do and they are well taken care of.” Erik said.

“I wasn’t trying to talk bad about them, Erik,” Vivian said breathlessly, “I was just shocked.”

Erik triggered the vibrator again and set it to a pulse setting that had Vivian jumping in her seat.

“Eat, Vivian. And drink your wine, you need to be well nourished for this evening’s events. Now…have you ever been properly slutted out before, Vivian…by multiple people at once?”

Vivian continued to squirm in her chair. She began moaning over her plate of food, unable to answer Erik’s question.

“Nod your head yes or shake your head no. Have you had sex with multiple people at once before. Threesome? Foursome? Orgy?”

Vivian looked up at Erik through flickering lids and an open mouth and shook her head no.

“Hmm,” Erik grabbed his glass of Hennessy, “Well, don’t I have a surprise for you, baby. You see, in order to properly be prepared for the Court of Aje, you have to be sexually liberated…free from social conventions or traditional ideas…”

Vivian whimpered into her glass of wine. Erik lowered the setting on the control and a shaky breath escaped her mouth. He knocked back the rest of his drink and stood from his seat. Erik walked over to Vivian with an empty glass in one hand and the control in the other. Her half-lidded eyes traveled down the length of his body until they fell on the bulge she could see in the front of his robe. She looked up at him again and pleaded for his dick to be in her mouth. Erik stepped away before she could grab him and walked around to settle behind her chair.

“No…tonight, you don’t get to suck me…or fuck me…you will be a sex slave to the Court…you will obey every rule of the Court…understand?”

Vivian rapidly nodded her head and Erik increased the vibrator to the highest setting. Vivian’s head fell back against the chair and Erik looked down at her. He could see her nipples straining against the sheer robe and smell her arousal.

“Words. Do…you…understand?” Erik demanded.

“Yes,” Vivian said.

“Good. Finish your food. Lucy and Alicia will be down to take care of you.”

Erik swept away with the controller in his hand while Vivian tried to enjoy her meal without thinking about what Erik had said.

“Well? What do you think?”

Felicity stood from her seat on Adena’s hotel bed and stared at her niece dressed in her attire for the evening.

“It’s…beautiful. Fitting for your mission,” Felicity’s eyes lingered on the dress, “Very dark.”

Adena turned and stared at her reflection in a body-length wall mirror. The dress is all black and sparkling as if doused in black diamonds. The sweetheart neckline and bodice fit her curves like a glove. A black, sheer, floor-length cloak draped over her shoulders and the hood covered her French twist updo. A silver and black full Venetian masquerade mask covered her face. She looked like she was attending a wedding for the underworld but in a glamorous fashion.

“Ruby will be expecting me to show up tonight wearing red…but black is more my fashion,” Adena said.

“Your mother wore red,” Felicity recalled, “Someone sent her an anonymous red box with a black and red masquerade mask inside of it…just like Ruby did for you.”

Adena recalled the red box that determined her mother’s fate. What is it with red boxes? It couldn’t be that easy…could it?

“…Why didn’t I make this correlation before,” Adena rushed over to the box, opening it frantically, “This can’t be a coincidence—but Ruby doesn’t know anything about me. She doesn’t know that Carmella Brighton is my mother.”

Felicity stood from her seat on the bed, “Well…I think someone does…I thought so for a while now…”

Adena cut her eyes at her aunt, “what do you mean?”

Felicity gave Adena a sorry look, “I was going to wait to tell you after tonight but we made a promise never to keep anything from each other again.”

“Yes, we did,” Adena clarified, “So, what is it?”

Felicity took a minute to gather herself before grabbing Adena’s hands, caressing them with her thumbs, “Victoria Stevens…and your father…had an affair together for years…before your mother came into the picture.”

Adena slowly nodded her head in understanding with a perplexed look on her face, “I remember you told me this…but what does this have to do with the red box?”

Felicity heaved a sigh, “Victoria is a jealous woman. She sabotaged any relationship Damion had, and she didn’t hold her tongue about how much she hated your mother. It was envy. She couldn’t stand the way Damion looked at her. She hated that your father would go back to Carmella again and again…she wanted her dead. Just like how she wanted Damion’s fake wife dead...and she got her wish.”

“Aunt Felicity,” Adena said, “Tell me. No more secrets.”

“…I don’t think Ruby sent this box, baby,” Felicity picked up the elegant box with the satin bow. She smoothed her hands over the top of the box, eyes never blinking, “This is the exact same box from all those years ago…I can tell. As much as Ruby may despise you for what happened with Erik…she doesn’t have the power to pull strings to get an exclusive invitation to one of the most strictly confidential parties.”

Adena’s heart beat rapidly as she stared at the box. She couldn’t understand how Victoria Stevens knew about her. She knew that her aunt Felicity wouldn’t have said anything. Damion would have found her by now if he knew. What was Victoria playing at?

“Wha—how–how does she even know about me?!” Adena said frantically.

“I don’t know, Adena. I don’t think she always knew. She probably hired a private investigator to find out everything about you. Has anything weird happened around you lately? Do you ever feel like someone is watching you?”

Adena pondered with fierce eyes, “No. I didn’t notice anything.”

“She’s trying to get rid of you…because of Carmella,” Felicity clenched her jaw and bared her teeth like she wanted to strangle someone, “She has some fucking nerve! Everyone who truly knows Victoria knows that she couldn’t have children. As soon as she found out your mother was pregnant, she did everything in her power to bring her down! She was so miserable and unloved in her own marriage that she had to go and have somebody else’s—”

“What do you mean she couldn’t have children? She had Erik.”

Felicity tilted her head at Adena and shook her head. Adena took a few steps back, dropping her mask onto the carpet.

“Wait…Erik isn’t her child?”

Felicity hung her head and turned her back to Adena, walking away towards one of the windows with her arms folded. Adena stood there, staring at her aunt's back, waiting for her to laugh or say gotcha! Felicity ran her hands through her voluminous hair and exhaled.

“Victoria had suffered from multiple miscarriages with Joseph. It made her depressed and damn near suicidal. Joseph resented her for it, he was out doing his dirt, sleeping around, and beating Victoria whenever she talked back to him. She wanted a child so badly…and finally found the opportunity…to make Joseph happy.”

Felicity veered back to look at Adena as she spoke, “A young mother put her baby up for adoption…Simone was her name…Simone Merryman. She was a rape victim who had gotten pregnant and she was looking for a well-off family to take her newborn baby in. Victoria jumped on the opportunity and to no surprise, so did Joseph. He wanted a son to carry on the legacy of The Stevens Family. Blood or not, he took Erik in and raised him to be his rightful progeny. The only ones who knew the truth were Damion and me.”

Adena was stunned into silence.

“I shouldn’t be unloading this onto you right now, Adena, but I just…I can’t keep things from you anymore. I’ve been in hiding, and I feel like I haven’t been a very good aunt to you…a guardian. I feel like at times I’ve been so caught up in my guilt that I forgot about my responsibilities. And now look, I’m letting you walk into this party alone.”

Felicity’s voice cracked and she tried to focus on her breathing but she was distracted with the amount of tears blinding her vision. Adena knelt down in front of her aunt while she was seated on the bed and stroked her tear-stained cheek. Felicity hung her head in shame, unable to look her niece in the eye.

“So many secrets...I just feel like I’ve let you down.”

“Auntie…hey…look at me,” Adena said with a soothing voice, “I love you. You are an amazing woman and a great parent. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to raise me after the tragedy that struck my life…so I don’t want to hear you beating yourself up about anything, you hear me?”

Adena rested her cheek against her aunt's lap and Felicity rubbed the tears away from her cheeks.

“No more secrets, no more lies,” Adena said with a trembling voice, “Is there anything else that you want to tell me? Please? I know you feel like you need to protect me, but I can handle it. You know I can. So please,” Adena pressed.

“…okay,” Felicity caved as if released from bondage, “I killed Joseph Stevens.”

Adena shot up from her aunt's lap and gasped so loud the people sleeping next door could probably hear. She pressed her hands against her mouth and took a few steps back from her aunt. Somehow, this news was more shocking than finding out that Erik Stevens is actually adopted.

“I was in town here in Albany…Joseph somehow found out that I was back, probably somebody that I thought had my back told him…anyway…he found me staying at a boathouse that I rented and things got heated,” Felicity balled her fists in her lap, “He tried to kill me, Adena! I–I–it happened so fast! we were in his car and it was raining and I grabbed the steering wheel and he was flooring it—”

Adena rushed over to her aunt and grabbed her hands.

“We hit a tree and he went flying out of the windshield, Adena,” Felicity’s lower lip trembled and tears streamed from her eyes, “I was stunned. The only thing I could think of doing at that moment was getting out of there. I called the only person I knew would cover this all up…your father.”

Adena closed her eyes and a single tear cascaded down her left cheek. She’d always wondered why her aunt hadn’t spoken to her for a while after that.

“Damion helped out with everything. I had a few cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder. Damion was…happy. He was thrilled to find out that Joseph was finally gone. Happy that he did what my family had always wanted…bring them down one by one. I actually thought he would leave me there to die…I wanted to tell you…I should have told you.”

Adena grabbed her aunts hands, “Forget about that. I’m just glad you’re here with me.”

“I’ll always be here with you.” Felicity spoke gently.

Felicity pulled Adena into a tight hug and watched as her niece walked away to retrieve her masquerade mask from the floor. She followed Adena’s movements to the side table and noticed that she’d checked the time. Adena’s expression hardened and her back stiffened before her eyes fell on her aunt’s.

“It’s time to go, aunt Felicity. Are you ready?”

“Are you?” Felicity asked.

Adena thrust out her chest and squared her shoulders before giving her aunt a firm nod.

Instead of driving up to the frontage like the other guests, Felicity arrived at the Stevens Estate and parked her black sports car down the hill so she wouldn’t be spotted. Adena stepped out of the car with her mask on and a small, black sequin handbag that carried her invitation, dagger, and cellphone. She promised her aunt that she would be back and walked away towards the open gates leading to the mansion on a hill.

Her anticipation and eagerness pushed her up the hill. She wasn’t tired, she was more than energized. Adena was ready to fuck shit up. Show these bourgeoisie people what being a Brighton is all about. Adena’s four inch heels click-clacked against the cobblestone as she made her way past the iron gates, rounding a large, tiered water fountain and stopping at the bottom of the steps leading up to the front entrance of the three story mansion. Two burly guards wearing pitch black cloaks and decorative wood masks colored black and gold stood before the doors as still as statues.

Adena gathered the bottom of her gown and took her time ascending the stairs. As soon as she made it to the top landing, one of the guards stepped forward abruptly, stopping Adena before she could even take another step forward. His calloused, beefy hand stretched out and Adena looked from his open palm to her sequin bag. She unzipped the handbag and stuck her hand inside. With the folded invitation in her hand, she placed it gently into the masked guard’s hand and waited with baited breath.

The guard opened the folded invite and brought it up, examining it through the tiny slits in the mask where his eyes are. Adena tried her best to remain calm but her left brow began to sweat. The guard before her raised his head to peer at her, then turned to look over his shoulder at the other guard. They both nodded their heads before he turned back to face her.

“Password?” He said with a muffled voice.

“Fidelio.”

Both guards stepped aside and Adena stared straight ahead past the double doors and black drapery. Adena hesitated for a moment, a small part of her afraid to walk past the barrier. The thought of entering the place filled with people responsible for what happened to her mother made her ill. But she knew she had to keep going. She knew she had to find Damion…and Erik. As she proceeded forward, a part of her felt sorry for him. That part also didn’t want to kill him, but there is no other way.

Adena’s trembling fingers parted the black velvet drapery, and she crossed over into a room filled with masks, black cloaks, nudity, Aerial dancers, and rumba dancing. Some masks were elaborate and feathered, some were made with intricate craftsmanship as if carved front steel, and others were very freakish and creepy; fitting for Halloween. The room was dimly lit and suspended from the ceiling were aerial dancers twirling on black and gold acrobatic silk that glided through the air creating a beautiful show.

There had to be at least one hundred people in attendance —more men than women — and the men wore black cloaks while the women were either dressed in formal wear to match their masks, or nude. Cigar smoke clouded her vision and there was an abundance of alcohol being passed around for everyone to get a taste of. Each time her mink brown eyes swept the room, a new scene would play before her. There were young women ushering horny men to a spot to play out their exhibitionist fantasies. Couples swapped spit while fondling each other on the dance floor.

What really had her attention was a woman wearing an all white masquerade mask and a matching old Hollywood feathered white robe as pure as snow. She was currently sitting upon an all black throne chair with each of her legs draped over the arms of the long back chair. Two men wearing back slacks, a white button up with the sleeves rolled up, and full face, gold Venetian masks held each of her toned legs back by her slender ankles while her wrists are tied with white silk behind the chair. Another man dressed in a cloak and a plague Doctor Venetian mask was holding a wand vibrator to her pussy that had her moaning loudly.

The spotlight above the woman put her on display for everyone to enjoy. The man between her legs glided the vibrator over her swollen bud one last time before pulling away so a long and heavy stream of squirt could release. Her inner thighs quaked out of control and she didn’t look like she had it in her to cum again. Her head dropped forward but her legs remained open and another man stepped forward carrying a drill with a 12-inch dildo attached to the end of it. Adena was happy her face didn’t show. With the head of the silicone dick inside of her, he started the drill and the dildo spun and whirled around deep in her overworked pussy at an inhuman pace.

“Look at her pussy! Isn’t it beautiful!”

“The sacrifice is perfect!”

“Make her squirt again!”

“I’m fucking her next!”

The woman looked as if she would fall into a coma. There’s no telling how many times she had an orgasm. Adena knew all too well what that felt like. The bow tie arm position with the frog tie leg position was one of many bondage positions she was tied up in when she was apprenticed to a BDSM couple for a summer. Adena could recall many times of almost blacking out from intense rounds of overstimulation during her training with the couple.

Adena didn’t stick around long enough to see the woman in white cum hard and hopefully a final time all over that 12-inch dildo. Instead, she made her way towards an open bar where she ordered a drink and kept her eyes focused on her surroundings. She noticed many Venetian mirrors lining the walls, which wasn’t surprising considering Erik being a Katoptronophiliac; having a kink for mirrors. Adena scanned the room full of people and spotted Ruby chatting it up with Mark and another man. It wasn’t hard to recognize Ruby with her half masquerade mask. She’s wearing a stunning long gown in rose gold set by its V-neckline in thin straps. The curvy and body-lacing fit traced her body contours, showing off her beauty on the surface level. The fitting silhouette flared down the hip, shaping like the mouth of a trumpet.

Mark wore a simple pair of black slacks and a white button down with a black cape tied around his neck that made him look like a 17th century vampire. He completed the look with a white phantom of the opera mask. The mystery man chatting with them wore an all black tux with a silver full masquerade mask on his face. Adena knew exactly who that was. She walked away with her drink in hand, eyes on her like she was the main attraction. She stared openly at the man in the silver mask until he could feel her looking and when he met her eyes Adena turned away.

So far, she hadn’t spotted her father or Erik anywhere. She was impressed that she’d made it this far without being questioned about who she is, but that didn’t take away from the anxiety she felt of being discovered. She noticed people climb the stairs to the second level, curiosity getting the best of her as she climbed the stairs. The attendees occupying the stairs parted for her like the Red Sea, whispering and pointing, wondering who was under that mask.

Finally, Adena arrived on the second-floor landing, and her eyes scanned from left to right. Two long hallways leading to many doors with walls decorated with art and collectibles. She decided to go left, walking at a slow pace, making sure she wasn’t being followed. The music faded as she made her way down the hall, her eyes scanning the walls. She noticed that most of the art and collectibles are African. Pictographs, Petroglyphs, vases, sculptures, and tools made from stone and bone. There was a variety of African weapons including spears, shields, clubs, swords and knives that are placed in protective glass curios.

A male voice suddenly could be heard coming from a room with double doors and brass handles so Adena slipped into an empty room that looked like a guest bedroom and waited to see who was coming. After a minute a male figure wearing a hooded black velvet cape with a long train and loose linen black pants that were tight at the ankles and bare feet. As her eyes ascended his body that she could tell was solid and well-proportioned from his bare chest and v-cut, she noticed various gold chains hanging from his neck and then a flashy all gold masquerade mask with wings that reminded her of the wings of Horus shielding half his face. The braided back locs, thick lips, and gold fangs told her the identity of the man straight away.

Adena froze. This would have been the perfect opportunity to strike, but she couldn’t move. Erik turned around and began talking with another man and the deep baritone of his voice filled her with rage. She peered between the crack in the door, and her eyes fell upon her father. His voice was hushed so Adena couldn’t make out his words. This brought her back to the first time she’d seen her father in person that day at work. Adena is quite the actor with years of preparation to finally face her father. Inside, she was screaming and imagining herself standing over his mangled body.

She thought up so many ways to kill her father. Slow torture, gun-shot to the head, a knife to the throat, poisoning, fire, any and every way to murder him. Now, she just wanted him dead no matter how she got the job done. When they finally walked away, Adena exhaled a breath she hadn’t noticed she’d been holding. Her hands were clenched into a tight fist.

The aerial dancers had gone away and what’s left is the black and gold silk billowing around the room. The ballroom darkened except for the spotlight illuminating the center of the floor. Everyone in attendance formed a circle, silently awaiting the arrival of their cult leader. Adena had snuck back downstairs at some point during the party and blended in with everyone. The sexual activities came to a halt momentarily for what looked like an important transition in tonight’s festivities.

Straight across, two burly, cloaked guards with wooden masks opened two grandiose doors that led to the back of the estate and in walked Erik Stevens, Damion trailing behind him. You could hear a pin drop in the ballroom with how quiet and still it is. The acrobatic silk hanging from the ceiling brushed over Erik’s shoulders as he strolled forward with an intimidating gait. Adena could even feel the presence of him deep within her bone marrow. As soon as he appeared in the center of the lit circle, the woman in white joined him wearing a satin white gown with a train.

Erik stepped aside and allowed the woman to occupy the center of the lit circle while he slowly moved around her, as if sizing her up. The woman nervously locked eyes with him each time he appeared in front of her. Adena felt someone grab her hand, and when she looked over her shoulder, she recognized the mysterious man that was talking to Ruby and Mark earlier. His silver masquerade mask is reflective and she could see her cautious eyes staring up at him. With one gloved hand, he pressed his finger to the mouth of the mask, signaling for her to remain silent.

“You have been chosen by Aje herself for the evening,” Erik stopped in front of the woman, “And tonight…we make an offering to Aje…our goddess of abundance and wealth. She choses who is deserving of good fortune…”

Erik stepped aside, revealing the woman in white to everyone in the room again.

“Now…do you feel you are deserving of good fortune and status?” Erik questioned.

“Yes,” she spoke loudly and proudly, “I have worked hard to get where I am today.”

“Have you?” Erik asked, tilting his head in question, challenging her words.

Unsure, the woman nodded her head, “I believe I am. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been asked to join the court.”

Erik clasped his hands in front of him, “I never said you were a new member of the court…Vivian.”

Gasps and whispers filled the room. Adena looked around her and then back at the woman. When Erik removed her mask, Adena’s eyes squinted with recognition.

Vivian Wood.

“You crave power, money, fame…and yet you aren’t worthy of any of those things, Vivian. You haven’t been for years now.”

Vivian stood embarrassed by Erik’s claims, looking around the room trying to appear poised and confident.

“You’re washed up, Vivian. You look down on others around you as if you’re anything better. You use people for your own financial gain…”

Erik began circling her again, and this time Vivian began to cower beneath his gaze. The black cloak he wore reminded Adena of an imposing shadow and his winged mask made him look even more powerful.

“And don’t you dare lie. It won’t do good to lie…especially when you're the offering to Aje.”

“…offering? What do you mean by offering?—”

“Filled with libations and freed of sexual tension…you are more than ready to join the others before you.”

Vivian stepped back and when she did, the circle grew tighter. Her frightened eyes turned to Erik for an explanation, but he simply stood before her, looking down on her as if she were the scum of the earth.

“You’re the sacrifice, love.” Erik said with a menacing voice.

Vivian backed away and almost tripped on the bottom of her gown.

“A sacrifice! What?! Erik! What is this—what do you mean by sacrifice! How—How could you do something—what kind of people are you?! Is this some sick joke to make me scared?!” Vivian shouted.

Laughter filled the room and Erik raised one hand to silence it. Vivian looked from left to right then back at Erik, trembling with fear.

“A—After everything, you—you want to kill me? Am I really not worthy enough?! Do I really mean nothing to you, Erik?!”

“Vivian…we were never an item. I only got close to you, because it was a part of the plan. I knew that you wanted an invite to the Court of Aje…It was only a matter of time before you finally showed up.” Erik said.

Erik snapped his fingers and the guards that opened the doors for Erik seized Vivian’s arms. With their strength, they lifted her off her feet and carried her to the yard while she was kicking and screaming. The room erupted with sinister cheers and praises to Aje. Adena watched as everyone bounded forward, following behind their leader. The man behind her with the reflective silver masquerade mask gripped her left wrist tightly, halting her in her footsteps.

“What are you doing here, Dina?” He whispered.

“None of your business, Greg,” Adena whispered back through clenched teeth.

“I saw you…at the hotel…”

Adena turned to face Greg.

“Were you following me?” Adena questioned.

Greg didn’t respond as he led the way out of the ballroom and into the yard. Adena could see a raging fire and a large stone edging where the two guards tied Vivian’s ankles and wrists to. She was laid out like a sacrificial lamb, screaming and pleading for help. Beyond that is a hedge maze and a botanical garden. The full moon and swirling clouds made for a spooky evening above them.

“How do you know Felicity?” Greg asked with a hushed voice.

“…how do you know her?” Adena fired back with a question, “And right now isn’t the time to ask questions.”

“She’s Damion’s sister. I’ve known her since I was a child…I saw you talking with her in the lounge…then I saw you and her leaving your room dressed as you are now…”

Adena stood silent but she looked around her to make sure no one was listening.

“I’ve always felt as if I’ve seen you before, Dina…and the truth is…I have.”

Adena went very still.

“You’re friends with my sister, Ruby…I’ve seen you once before some years ago…so there’s clearly more to you than just an assistant to Erik Stevens.”

Ignoring Greg, Adena’s eyes fell upon the man of the hour. Erik walked up to Vivian’s writhing body, his cloak gone now. He’s carrying a gold blade in his right hand, and his guards stood behind him in a straight line as if waiting for their next command. A dreadful feeling formed in her gut. She knew what was going to happen…but was she prepared to see someone slaughtered in front of her. She knew the flames were there to burn Vivian’s body to ash.

Erik stood over Vivian’s body, staring down at her tear-stained face and struggling limbs. He reached out with his hand and lightly stroked her cheek with his knuckles before raising his Kukri blade. The gold blade gleamed like the gold slugs on his teeth as he parted his lips to speak.

“Aje, supreme goddess of wealth. Benevolent provider of all human needs. Owner of 1400 ado. Aje turns the wise man into a fool. And makes a fool of the wise man…”

The praise echoed as everyone else began reciting those exact same words.

Erik spoke again, raising his blade with both hands, “Aje, supreme goddess of wealth. Benevolent provider of all human needs. The only master that calls. To whom all respond. The white man pitching a tent in the bush is an adventurer driven by bad luck.”

Adena tried to repeat the words in tune with everyone else to blend in.

“Aje! Aje! You are the mother in the house. You are the mother at the farm. You are the mother of all the hidden and open places. Aje, supreme goddess of wealth! Benevolent provider of all human needs

You made a servant into a king! Aje! Aje! Aje! Benevolent provider of all human needs. Wife of six hundred husbands!”

Aje! Aje! Aje!

Ritualistic drums sounded off and everyone began prancing around as if overcome by the spirit of Aje. Greg pushed Adena along so it wouldn’t go noticed that she was an outsider. She jumped, waved her arms around, and shouted Aje! Aje! Like everyone else. Erik stretched his arms out and looked towards the sky, giving praise to Aje. Vivian’s cries and shouts landed on deaf ears as the sound of the drums grew louder and louder. Some people dropped to their knees and bowed before the sacrifice. Others continued to dance in a circle. The sound of the drums began to slow down and eventually it grew silent again as everyone took their place surrounding Vivian. Adena was still by Greg’s side waiting to see what would happen next.

“Whatever you do…just go along with it, Dina. You have to trust me if you want to live through this. No one ever does.” Greg whispered.

Adena knew that all too well.

“Why should I trust you? Aren’t you just like the rest of them?” Adena said with a hushed tone. .

“Listen to me, whoever sent you that invitation doesn’t have your best interest at heart, Dina. They want you dead.”

“I don’t plan on dying tonight, Greg.” Adena spoke with confidence.

“Dina—”

Adena turned away from him when Erik began speaking again.

“It is you Aje who commanded me, the son of Aje…command me to give you this offering…as a token of my gratitude. Aje! Aje! supreme goddess of wealth. Benevolent provider of all human needs!

Aje! Aje! Aje!

“Accept this offering from your son!”

Aje! Aje! Aje!

Adena’s eyes grew wide behind her mask.

“Aje! Supreme goddess of wealth!”

Her eyes followed the knife in Erik’s hands rising above Vivian’s body to stroke.

Aje! Aje! Aje!

The attack was swift and sudden. The blade sliced into Vivian’s left side and up towards her heart. Her chest ripped, ribs broke. Erik pulled the blade out with violence. Vivian gasped, her eyes bulging in disbelief. From her open mouth came gurgling, sputtering sounds. She wanted to cry out for help, to scream her agony and fear to the party, but she could get no volume. Without a word, Erik inspected the bloody blade and his equally bloody hand, walking away purposefully, with no appearance of panic. With a spluttering gasp, Vivian lay still, as her life ebbed from her, and her senses faded. It was quiet, not uncommonly quiet, but unsettling so.

“Now, present your daggers,” Erik spoke to everyone, “And come forward to show your loyalty to Aje and thank her for the sacrifice.”

Adena watched as everyone presented their daggers. She opened her bag and carefully retrieved her own, removing the protective covering. Adena’s heart hammered in her chest. She knew what she was walking into, but to see it happening before her eyes made her icy with panic. Greg tapped her side and Adena looked up at him. She could see his eyes so she locked onto them.

“You have to do it, Dina. You can’t show your fear.”

People began to walk forward and Adena’s throat tightened when she watched everyone take turns stabbing Vivian. The closer she got, the more she could tell that Vivian was dead. She didn’t particularly like her, but she did feel sorry for her. Who are they to determine who is worthy?

Adena approached Vivian and blood froze in her veins as she looked down at Vivian’s dead body covered in blood. The crimson fluid permanently stained the stone beneath her and trickled down the sides. She knew what had to be done, and the longer she stood there, the more suspicious people would be. Adena masked her fear and raised her blade above Vivian’s thigh. Her grip tightened on the handle and she striked Vivian’s meaty thigh, adrenaline pumping through her body. She’d never stabbed someone before. As she withdrew the blade, blood oozed from the wound slowly. Anxiety eclipsed her thoughts as she dropped the blade in the grass and walked away. She could feel the stickiness of Vivian’s blood on her fingers. Flashes of her mothers body appeared in her mind.

After everyone finished, Damion walked up to Erik dressed in dark blue with a black, gold and royal blue Bauta Mask. The long pointed chin covered his mouth and muffled his voice while the Mask hid his face. Raw anger shot through her at the sight of her father. Erik turned to face him and Damion began applauding Erik in a successful ritual and how they will begin the scarification ritual the next day to finalize everything. One of the cloaked guards with a wooden mask stepped forward with what looked like an ancient Egyptian wine goblet, passing it over to Damion who took Erik’s gold blade covered in blood and began stirring the wine with it. He passed the cup over to Erik and he brought it to his lips, drinking it all down.

“Praise Aje for the blood of the sacrifice…” Damion said.

Erik opened his eyes slowly and licked his lips.

“Thank you, Aje.” Erik said.

The clock struck midnight.

The party continued as if Vivian’s burning body was an afterthought. It was a celebration of Aje’s acceptance of the offering and everyone continued to fill up on wine, food, and sex. Adena didn’t participate in any of the wild fun, she simply stayed far away from everyone, waiting and watching to determine when was the best moment to strike. Damion was a hard man to keep up with. Each time she drew closer to him, he would disappear. Erik had joined the party soon after dressed in a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up and the first few buttons undone and black slacks with black dress shoes. He still wore his gold chains and gold winged mask. He was partying with a group of guys and carrying a bottle of 1942 in his hand.

Adena kept her eye on Ruby as well. While Mark tried to keep her attention, Ruby was too busy focusing on what Erik was doing, watching his every move like a hawk. Adena felt her handbag vibrate against her hip so she opened it to check her phone and noticed a text message from her aunt Felicity. Adena opened the text and sighed before locking her phone.

Auntie: Adena, time is running out. I’m getting worried sitting out here. If you take too much longer, I’m coming in.

That’s the last thing Adena wanted. She agreed to let her aunt wait for her in the car, but she couldn’t risk losing the only real family she had left. Adena cased the room for any sign of Damion and still, no sign of him. She looked towards the stairs and was ready to go searching for him when a hand wrapped around hers pulling her in the opposite direction. Adena turned around and looked at Greg’s masked face. He wasn’t going to stop so Adena followed him up the stairs and they made a right down the hall and into a room. Greg cracked the door and made sure the room was empty before he removed his mask. Adena placed her bag on the table and Greg sat his mask down before he walked over to Adena.

“What are you doing here?” Greg grumbled.

“Like I said, it’s none of your business. Why are you so concerned?” Adena snapped.

“Because this is not a place for you to be,” Greg looked towards the door before stepping closer to Adena, “Who sent you the invite, Dina?”

“…Your sister,” Adena revealed, “Maybe you should ask her all the questions.”

“Ruby wouldn’t have invited you. She doesn’t have the leverage to secure another invite. No…it was someone else…”

Adena remained silent, turning away. Greg’s face contorted with frustration.

“How do you know Felicity? I hadn’t seen her in years. When I saw you sitting at the bar alone, I was going to join you but then…Felicity walked in and…I saw you two hugging…talking closely…it just doesn’t make sense…”

Adena’s expression hardened beneath her mask.

“You can tell me, Dina. You can trust me.”

“…how can I trust you when you’re a member of The Court of Aje, and your father is a dirty politician who enjoys killing people and covering up murders?”

Adena was face to face with Greg now, looking up at him through her mask.

“For all I know, you just want to get information out of me to try and get me killed. And like I said, your sister invited me. Again, you should ask her all the questions—”

“And you should get out of here, Dina. Whether you want my help or not.” Greg fired back.

“Why are you helping me anyway? Wouldn’t you be risking yourself as well?” Adena scolded.

Greg’s expression closed up and his mouth set in a hard line.

“I know all too well what happens to someone when they get involved with the Court of Aje,” Adena reeled around, her back facing Greg, “And that’s why…I need you to get out of my way.”

Greg drew nearer to Adena, “Dina…did Erik do something to you? Did he hurt you? I know you don’t know me—”

“Then you should know that I have nothing else to say.”

“What happened to that sweet girl?” Greg asked.

“I’m far from sweet, Greg,” Adena admitted.

Greg gaped at Adena. She slowly turned to face him, walking up to him with a switch of her hips.

“I may look naive, but I’m a monster…and I don’t play fair…I won’t hesitate to hurt you if you get in my way.”

Greg’s eyes bugged out at her words and he stood rooted to the spot as Adena walked away. She opened the door to leave but stopped suddenly when Ruby walked in, her hands on her hips and an evil smirk on her lips. Adena took two steps back, her eyes boring into Ruby before she looked over at Greg.

“Well…well…well,” Ruby glared at Greg, “what do we have here? My brother helping an outsider?”

Greg charged forward, blocking Adena, “Why don’t you go back to the party, Ruby. This doesn’t concern you.”

Ruby laughed, “It does. Especially when she’s my dear old friend…Dina…I thought I told you that this party was for the highest members of society? What makes you worthy to step foot into this place and mingle amongst the rich and famous? Hmm?”

Adena didn’t respond to Ruby’s insult. She was seeing red and ready to knock Ruby down a couple feet.

“My brother isn’t the only one who has had eyes on you since the moment you walked through those doors. The woman in black who caught everyone’s attention. And don’t think it didn’t go unnoticed how out of place you acted during the ritual for Aje.”

“What’s your point with all of this, Ruby? She’s your friend!” Greg raged.

“Please, Gregory!” Ruby snapped, “Wait until dad finds out about this. He’ll be even more disappointed in you than he already is. Now,” Ruby turned her attention back to Adena, “What makes you think you belong here, Dina?”

Adena tilted her head at Ruby, still not giving her the satisfaction she desired.

“Nothing? Let me guess, my pathetic little bro decided to invite you?” Ruby hissed.

“Don’t play stupid, Ruby,” Greg argued back in his defense, “You sent her an invitation.”

Ruby’s eyes sparked with rage at her brother.

“I didn’t send her an invite! Why would I risk myself for her—”

“We all know you want Erik and would do anything to get him,” Adena said, “Even if that means getting me killed. I know all about you, Ruby Montgomery. Daughter of Jonathan Montgomery. The mean girl who would do whatever it takes to get what she wants. Even if that means getting blood on her hands.”

Adena was face to face with Ruby now, daring her to do something. Ruby looked Adena up and down with amusement, clearly not taking Adena seriously.

“I let you have your five seconds of fame and glory, but now it’s my turn,” Adena raged, “You don’t get to walk in here with your fake ass and tell someone who’s worthy of what. Bitch, you’re the one that’s not worthy! Never have been. Can’t stand when someone else takes the shine, your non-existent man, your delusions of a life so deserving that you’ll never have because you’re nothing!” Adena shouted angrily, “Every person who has ever crossed your path has nothing but bad things to say about you. Standing right here, right now, I can’t even stand to look at you. I want to ram my first so far into your face that no one would be able to recognize you!!”

A slow and sinister smile spread across Ruby’s lips and she laughed boisterously in Adena’s face, “So, not only are you broke and pathetic, you’re a stalker as well? Wow, Dina. Poor Dina…so envious of what I have that you think your little words are gonna hurt me? Try again,” Ruby sassed, “Try harder. You wanna know why I befriended you? Because I saw that you were broken. You needed me to feel good about yourself, and what better person than me? Why would anyone want you? You’re a foster child, no mommy or daddy,” Ruby faked a whiny voice and pouted in Adena’s face.

Adena fired back, “See…that’s where you’re wrong. You thought you knew everything about me, but you don’t. You never have. Pathetic? You’re still chasing after a man who wouldn’t even breathe in the same air as you if it was up to him. You think everyone is checking for you. NEWS FLASH BITCH! If it wasn’t for your daddy, no one would even notice you! I actually feel sorry for you. Its actually embarrassing to watch you act a fool over a man who would NEVER FUCK YOU AGAIN!”

Ruby gawked at Adena.

“That’s right, I know all about you and Erik. And I know he fucked you and tossed you aside. I know you can’t stand when another woman gets to have a chance with him. And I know exactly what you’re going to do right now…tell everyone that I don’t belong here…guess what? Do it. I dare you. You’re so tough? Walk out.”

Ruby leaned in closer to Adena, “I will. Let’s see how far you make it before each and every one of your limbs are cut from your body—”

It happened so fast. Adena clipped Ruby in the jaw and watched her stumble back against a table, knocking the chair to the floor. Ruby rolled onto her stomach clutching her lip, staring down with distraught eyes at her blood-stained fingers. Adena pushed the hood of her sheer black cloak from her head and ran up to Ruby, grabbing her by her neck, punching her square in the nose. Greg was paralyzed with shock to even stop them from fighting.

Ruby kneed Adena in her stomach which gave her enough room to stand. Blood dripped from her nose and onto her dress profusely. She swayed on her feet, noticing her left heel had snapped and now she was limping. Ruby screamed, baring her teeth as she charged at Adena. Adena took a swift side step and Ruby lost her footing again, knocking into the wall.

“You bitch! Look what you did to my face!” Ruby shrieked.

She picked up a vase and flung it at Adena, missing her by a centimeter as it crashed to the floor, shattering into many pieces. Ruby swung at Adena who dodge it expertly, putting her arms in front of her face to block her weak attempts at punching. She ducked under another punch and used the force of Ruby’s attack, pulling Ruby towards her and down to the ground with a combination of a trip and a push. Ruby’s back thumped loudly against the floor and one of her hands came up to snatch Adena’s mask off, the mask revealed yet another one underneath; a metallic steel gray, glittery half masquerade mask. Adena’s eyes were cold with fury, nothing like the innocent eyes she Ruby was used to. It was a completely different person above her. Adena placed both of her hands around Ruby’s neck and squeezed with a strength that Ruby couldn’t get out of. Ruby gurgled, trying her best to stop Adena. Her face began to turn colors and she felt her consciousness drifting away.

“Dina! Stop!”

Greg yanked Adena off of Ruby who began gasping for air and coughing. Adena growled, and swiftly struck Greg in the face with a direct frontal snap kick that targeted his chin, knocking him back on his heels. Ruby had already dashed for the door, but with Greg no longer holding Adena back, she lunged for Ruby again, ripping the bottom of her dress when she grabbed her.

“Dina!” Greg shouted after her, holding his bruised chin.

He ran into the hall and watched as Ruby grabbed a Zulu African knob from one of the weapons curios, swinging it at Adena. What Adena did next stunned Greg and Ruby. Dodging the blow from the stick, Adena did a cartwheel without hands. One of her legs jumped up, while the other kicked hard to the side, causing her body to rotate over itself. She landed on her feet away from Ruby and did a front flip, her leg coming down and snapping the Zulu knob in two.

Shocked, Ruby looked from the broken stick in her hands, to Adena and then dropped the sticks, running away as fast as she could. Adena looked over her shoulder at Greg, challenging him with her eyes. He didn’t want to mess with her so he didn’t try to stop her when she picked up a black Zulu spear and ran off after Ruby.

Ruby rushed down one of the staircases with one heel on her foot and a bashed-in face. She yelled to get everyone’s attention, but Adena had caught up with her, kicking her the rest of the way down the stairs. The music stopped playing and the crowd of drunken people half naked and clothed watched as Ruby landed on her shoulder, screaming from the pain. Everyone began drawing closer to Ruby, a couple of men crouching down to help her up. All eyes were on Adena who descended the stairs with vengeance.

Four cloaked guards barged forward, taking in Ruby’s battered face and dislocated shoulder. Their masks weren’t enough to veil the shock at who was responsible, and Adena didn’t back down either. She proudly walked forward with a sway in her hips, ready to kick anybody’s ass that dared step to her. She kept a firm grip on the Zulu spear in her right hand and was ready to kill Ruby on sight where she stood but the masked guards all pulled out pistols, pointing them directly at her.

“Drop the spear!” One guard ordered.

“Do it now!”

“What the fuck is going on?”

Erik pushed through the crowd of people and stopped suddenly as his eyes fell upon Adena; the woman in black. Her hair was undone from the neat French twist and cascading down her back. The black cloak she wore was removed, revealing a form-fitting dress that molded into her generous curves. The glittery black masquerade mask shielded the top half of her face, but her lips were glossy with brown liner, making them appear plumper. He knew those lips from anywhere. He recognized those big brown eyes.

Dina Brighton.

How did she get here? Why was she wielding a weapon? Why was Ruby Montgomery bloodied and beaten? So many questions raced through Erik’s mind. This wasn’t the Dina he knew. Why would the Dina he knew want to hurt anybody? The blood on her knuckles sang a different tune.

“She’s an outsider!” Ruby shouted, “She tried to kill me! You have to stop her!”

“What would you like for us to do, Mr. Stevens?” One of the guards asked.

“Easy...we kill her.”

Heads followed the direction of that deep and eerie voice. Damion walked forward from the crowd with his hands behind his back, taking his place next to Erik.

“We have zero tolerance for unwanted guests. Grab her and dispose of her now.” Damion ordered the guards.

Erik cut his eyes at Damion, “Nah, I’ll handle it myself—”

“If one of you comes any closer, I’ll kill you,” Adena pointed the spear at Erik, “I don’t think you want to make that mistake.

Damion laughed, “It’s one of you, and many of us, silly girl. I’m afraid you’re outnumbered. Now…be a good girl and put the spear down. Then maybe…we’ll go easy on you.”

Adena gave Damion a sly smirk, “I’ll take my chances.”

Erik stepped forward and Adena pointed the tip of the spear at him. He side stepped her and knocked the spear out of her hand, lunging for Adena but she was faster. She opened the high split of her black gown, revealing a thigh holster and grabbed her Glock with a chrome finish, pointing it at Erik’s head. Startled, his hands went up and he looked her in the eyes confused.

“Back away…slowly…that’s it…good, boy,” Adena walked around Erik, gun aimed for his face, “Or I’ll shoot a hole in that pretty face of yours, Mr. Stevens,” Adena said with a breathy voice.

“GRAB HER!” Damion shouted.

The guards ran forward after Adena. She raised her glock to the ceiling and made a precise shot that detached the chandelier. It came down fast, crashing onto the ballroom floor, blocking the guards from following her out into the yard. People began panicking, rushing out of the mansion to avoid being exposed or worse…killed. Adena made a beeline for the hedge maze. She could hear footsteps stomping after her. Adena didn’t look back as she ran forward, turning every which way. After some time, she stopped and pressed her back into the hedging, trying to calm her breathing. The bottom of her dress was dragging in the dirt and she could feel tiny twigs scraping across her exposed skin.

Distant voices had her on alert with her finger on the trigger. She couldn’t get the look in Erik’s eyes out of her mind. He couldn’t believe she was there or that she was pointing a gun at his face. It’s unfortunate that this is how they had to reunite. She could only hope that she make it out of this situation alive.

The sound of leaves crunching to her left, Adena whirled around and pointed her gun at one of the masked guards. She aimed and pulled the trigger, shooting the guard in his throat. He dropped to his knees and fell face-first into the grass. The sound of the gunshot echoed, and Adena’s fingers trembled. This was the first time she’d ever killed someone. She stepped over his dead body, no time to look back or think about what she did. There were going to be more casualties that evening so it was best for her to get used to it.

Adena turned left, right, then left again, running head on into another guard who slapped the gun out of her hand and backhand slapped her in the face. Adena’s head flew back from the impact but she quickly recovered. He grabbed Adena by her upper arms and lifted her off of the ground, thinking he’d won, but Adena was ready. With her thumbs, Adena jammed them into the guards eyes. He shouted with agony, releasing Adena and she fell at his feet to the ground. Adena scrambled for her gun, and when she found it, she shot the guard in his groin. Running as fast as she could, Adena tried to find a way out of the hedge maze. She slowed down again when she felt no one was nearby.

“Dina…”

Adena went still, pressing her body into the hedging.

“Dina…”

Taking a deep breath, Adena jumped out and pointed her gun. The gun fired off and the person in front of her fell to the ground clutching their stomach. Adena crouched down to get a good look at whoever it was, relieved when it wasn’t Erik.

“Looking for me?”

Adena shot up from the ground but two powerful arms wrapped around her, lifting her from the ground. Everything turned foggy and dark. She pushed back against him, but his hold on her tightened.

“You got some explaining to do, girl…I hadn’t heard from you in days and this is how we meet up?!” Erik growled in her ear, “you murdering people now? What the fuck has gotten into you, Dina?!”

Adena stomped on Erik’s left foot hard and brought her elbow to shoulder height, pivoting her opposite foot and made contact with the side of his face with the back of her elbow. Erik’s hands fell from her waist and he backed away from her, Adena getting into a fight stance with her fists raised. Erik’s forehead creased and his eyes looked beyond her, alerting Adena that someone had shown up.

“Erik! You found her…”

Adena picked up her gun from the ground and aimed it at a black man in his mid-seventies dressed in a navy blue suit with a long trench coat. Behind him stood two bullocky men ready to attack on his command. Adena recognized that man and his voice. She lowered her gun and stared the man directly in the eyes.

“Jonathan,” Erik cautioned, “I got it from here.”

“She hurt my daughter…could have killed her. I want to watch her burn…”

“Dad…”

Gregory caught up with his father and stopped in his tracks when his eyes fell on Adena and Erik.

Agitated, Jonathan circled around to face his son, “Why are you here and not by your sister's side?! If it wasn’t for you, none of this would have happened! You should thank me for saving your ass, son. Otherwise, Mr. Stevens here would have killed you. Consider this a final warning!”

Hurt by his father’s words, Greg backed away and ran back towards the mansion. Jonathan chuckled, seemingly embarrassed by Greg’s actions.

“Thank you for sparing him, Erik. I know he’s your friend, but he was wrong. He protected this girl after what she did to his sister—”

“How about after what you did to my mother?” Adena chimes in.

Jonathan raised his chin, looking down at Adena.

“I don’t know who your mother is, but trust…whatever it was I’m sure was deserving,” Jonathan shoved his hands in his pockets.

Adena cocked her head to the side and her eyes became slits. Angry tears welled in her eyes, fury vibrating her being. Her grip tightened on her piece as she pointed it straight at his chest, right at his heart.

“Did I strike a nerve? Are those tears in your eyes,” Jonathan laughed menacingly, “Put that down, little one. No need to act so tough…you’re as good as dead.”

Adena felt Erik’s hand on her waist as he approached her from behind. She looked back at him over her shoulder, trembling with rage. He held her gaze, wordlessly telling her to drop the gun. There were four of them. She wasn’t going to die here. That wasn’t an option. No, she was going to survive this.

“Erik? What are you waiting on? Take her gun!” Jonathan shouted angrily.

Erik snatched Adena’s gun away and placed it in his back pocket. Adena was simmering as she stared daggers at Erik, wanting nothing more but to kill him where he stood.

“See? Your little adventure has run its course.” Jonathan provoked.

The two men walked around Jonathan and flexed their muscles as if that would intimidate her.

“I got it from here, Jonathan. I’ll take full responsibility for her getting in,” Erik spoke up, “I’ll make sure to get rid of her.”

“I trust your judgment, Erik, but I want to watch. That’s what I did all those years ago when Joseph and Damion tortured and killed that pretty woman.”

Adena jerked her arm away from Erik and faced Jonathan.

“Drag her by her neck if you have to,” Jonathan said with his eyes still on Adena, “Is there something you want to say, sweetheart?”

“Yes…as a matter of fact it is…”

Adena hooked Erik’s front leg and with a fast execution, she pushed him with the palm of her hand and he fell to his knees, giving her the opportunity to grab her gun. Working fast, Adena raised her glock at Jonathan and before his henchmen could retrieve their weapons, she put a bullet in his head and then two more bullets in each of the men, watching them fall to the ground.

“That woman was my mother…asshole.” Adena said.

Erik stood up and Adena pressed her gun into his chest. Erik raised his hands in surrender, locking eyes with her.

“Your mother? My father had something to do with it?”

Adena fought back tears as she pressed the barrel of the gun hard against Erik’s chest. Erik smacked the gun away and grabbed Adena by her throat, his eyes wide and jaw tight.

“Start talking. Now!”

“I don’t owe you a fucking explanation! How dare you?! I was stupid enough to let you in. That won’t happen again. I’m tired of the way you make me feel! Let go of me!!!”

Adena shoved Erik hard in his chest. His forehead furrowed and he sized her up with a glint in his eyes.

“You’ve been lying to me this entire time, haven’t you? About everything?” Erik gave her a once-over, “Is Dina even your real name?”

Adena could hear someone else coming so she broke off into a run. Erik ran after her, his legs heavy as if sinking into quicksand. He was shocked by her strength, her skills in combat, the way she handled her own, and how she killed those men so easily like she could do it with her eyes closed. He needed to find her before Damion did. Erik spotted her opening a side door to the mansion and Erik noticed that she was entering the mirror maze. A sick addition to the house that was Erik’s idea. He enjoyed primal sex play in the mirror maze, playing hide and go seek.

Erik slipped inside of the mirror maze, the red light acting as night vision. He proceeded forward, the mirrors giving the illusion of infinite hallways in multiple directions. He could see infinite reflections of himself because of the angles of the mirrors in relation to each other. They reflect the truth. They reflect what is. Like a labyrinth, Erik was guided deeper, his eyes scanning left and right. When his eyes flickered left again, he could see Adena’s dress flowing behind her as she ran. He used his fine motor skills and visual skills to find her.

“Dina? You know I’ll be able to find you,” Erik said with a gravely, calm voice, “I won’t hurt you. I want to help you…but I need to understand why you’re doing all of this…”

Erik turned and he could see her one minute, and then the next she vanished. He ran towards where he’d seen her last and found her mask lying on the floor. Erik picked it up, stroking it with his thumb.

“Who are you?” Erik whispered.

He continued in that same direction, using not only his eyes but his keen sense of hearing to find her.

“This isn’t how I pictured us seeing each other again…I’m sorry you had to see all of that tonight…I guess…I guess we should start being honest with each other, yeah?”

Erik could hear footsteps behind him so he turned back in that direction, widening his strides. He sucked his teeth when he’d lost her again.

“…My family started the Court of Aje in the early 1900s. Some of New York's oldest and wealthiest black families used murder and money to wield power over politics, culture, society, and even the criminal underworld…that way…those truly in power stay in power. It was the only way they could protect themselves…”

Erik walked the stretch of a long hallway, looking around in a circle. She can’t be too far, the maze isn’t but so big.

“…we make a sacrifice to Aje, our goddess of wealth and power…on the eve of Halloween. The Orisha is what kept us afloat. Without her, we wouldn’t be where we are today…”

Erik stopped within a circle of mirrors. He gazed around and around, waiting patiently.

“…After my father died, I was given the mantle as leader of the court. Damion is there to guide me through it all. There are times when I feel like it’s too much to take on…being responsible for something so secretive. It’s not something I could just bring up in conversation…that I’ve murdered people—”

The cocking of a gun had Erik frozen. He kept his back turned, but he could see through the many mirrors Adena standing behind him with her gun pointed at the back of his head.

“Are you really going to kill me, love?” Erik asked.

“…Why did you kill Cora?” Adena questioned.

Erik’s nostrils flared and his upper lip curled.

“Because she was conspiring to bring me down, to expose me!” Erik barked out, “I couldn’t have that.”

“You Stevens are nothing but trouble. You’ll do anything to save your asses,” Adena argued, “And you’re just like your father…what you did to Cora—”

Adena’s voice became hoarse as she fought back tears. Erik could see her struggling to keep it together, wanting to know desperately why Cora’s death was so triggering for her and what his father has to do with what happened to her mother.

“It reminded me of what happened to my mother,” Adena said with a tremble in her voice, “Your father…and my father…murdered my mother and covered it up as a suicide! I saw my mother’s dead body in a bloody bath with her wrists slit! I was just seven years old!”

Erik shut his eyes. He couldn’t bear hearing the grief in Adena’s voice. It struck him like a car at high speed. He never wanted to see her like that. Deeply saddened and broken. He was wrong. She didn’t have it all together. She was a complete wreck. Hearing her say that his father played a hand in her mother’s death angered him but didn’t surprise him. His father was a deeply deranged man. He’d witnessed his mother near death many times because of his father’s rage. Erik locked eyes with Adena in one of the mirrors. He wanted to hold her close, but from the look on her face, she didn’t want anything to do with him. That cut deep.

“I let myself get close to you when I shouldn’t have. I fell for you hard when I should hate you. I still have feelings for you, Erik! I can’t erase you from my mind! No matter how hard I fucking try!” Adena cried out.

“I have feelings for you too, Dina. I know that nothing I have to say will change what my father did…but I’m not my father—”

“Yes! you are!” Adena yelled.

Erik turned around to face her, “I’m different because of you,” Erik said, “The moment you entered my life—”

“Please,” Adena said, “It’s too late for all of that. On your fucking knees,” Adena pointed to the floor with her gun, “Right Fuckin’ now.”

Erik lowered to his knees, his eyes locked on Adena. She walked up to him and pressed the barrel of the gun against his forehead.

“I've been waiting for this moment…” Adena released a shaky breath, “It feels good to see you on your knees for once…at my command…my life in your hands…you want the truth about me, huh?”

Erik looked up through his long lashes at Adena. Despite his compromising situation, he could feel his dick throb. Staring up at her from that angle— her hair wild, eyes staring down at him, all fiery, plump lips parted— he was irrevocably in love with this woman. And she wasn’t as naive and timid as he thought she was. Or unsure of herself and what she’s capable of. She knew who she was. It radiated from her like a heat wave. It consumed him. Put him in a trance.

“Keep wondering.”

Adena shot down the mirrors surrounding them, the glass flying everywhere. Erik ducked his head and shielded his face after he felt a shard of glass slice his left cheek. When he finally looked up, Adena was gone.

He wasn’t going to let her slip away again.

Adena dusted tiny pieces of glass from her dress carefully as she walked back into the mansion. It was eerily silent, too quiet to be trustworthy. She needed to find Damion. Adena made the conscious decision to spare Erik’s life. He wasn’t the real enemy here, and truthfully, he was unaware of what his father had done. Killing him would only hurt Adena. She pressed forward, climbing the stairs again. Instinct kicking in, Adena raised her gun and fired a couple of rounds into a masked guard that attempted to overtake her. His body fell over the banister and landed hard on the polished floor below. Adena checked her rounds and when she noticed only three left, she pushed the clip back in and rushed forward.

“Come here!”

Adena was grabbed by her hair from behind and she lost her gun in the process. She grabbed her attacker by the hand and twisted his wrist so hard she heard a pop. She turned and jabbed them in the throat before Roundhouse kicking them down the stairs. Adena sprinted down the hallway, spotting three men charging towards her. She kicked the curio glass in and grabbed a blade. With proper upper body strength and endurance, Adena swung the long blade with both hands, slashing one man in the abdomen and one in the throat with a twirl.

“Gotcha you little bitch!”

Adena was sliced on her upper arm with a knife. She winced before turning around, kicking the pocket knife from their hand and ramming her blade into the side of their neck. When she withdrew the blade, a spray of blood stained the wall. They dropped to their knees before her and Adena stepped away in time before they landed on her feet. She couldn’t feel the cut on her left bicep, but she knew she would feel it after the adrenaline wore off.

“Adena!!!!”

Adena looked up to see her aunt Felicity running towards her. She pulled Adena into a tight hug, pulling away to examine her.

“Jesus,” Felicity looked at the cut on her arm, “it took me a while to get in here undetected. I saw everyone running to their cars. I’m so happy you’re alive!”

“Auntie, you can’t be in here!” Adena argued, “it’s not safe—”

Adena was flung away from her aunt from the force of being knocked aside. She landed hard on her back against a door that was ajar, her head hitting the hard floor. Adena picked herself up, whimpering from the pain in her head, and at her full height, she looked into the eyes of her treacherous father.

“Damion! Don’t touch her!” Felicity shouted like a mad woman.

“Shut up!” Damion raised his hand and slapped Felicity so hard she knocked into the wall, “I’ll deal with you after I deal with her!” Damion roared.

He turned around to face Adena again, cracking his knuckles. Adena lunged forward but Damion grabbed her by the neck, lifting her off of the ground. Adena clawed at his hand, gasping for air. Damion didn’t flinch.

“Fight all you want, little girl. I’ll make sure you’re dead by my hand. I’m assuming you killed Erik…pity…I wanted to do that myself.”

“GET OFF OF HER!!!!”

Felicity hit Damion in the back of the head with a chair and he released Adena, dropping her to the floor. She took in a sharp breath while rubbing her neck. Felicity rushed over to Adena to help her up from the floor when Damion was up on his feet again.

“What is your affiliation with this girl, Felicity?! Why are you protecting her?!”

Damion inched closer while Felicity shielded Adena from Damion.

“You are a disgrace to our family. I should've gotten rid of you when I had the chance. I should have left you to die in that car…”

Adena stepped around her aunt and ignored her attempts to try and keep her back. As Damion stared at Adena, his face slowly morphed into that of recognition.

“You’re Erik’s assistant…Dina, right?”

Adena’s eyes flickered with fury.

“Who are you really?” Damion questioned.

“…I’m your daughter.”

The smile on Damion’s face morphed into a frown.

“Adena…” Felicity pleaded.

Damion looked at Felicity and the tears in her eyes made Adena’s words all too real. Damion studied Adena’s face with disbelief.

“Carmella…” Damion said with a sigh of irritation, “All this time…”

A single tear rolled down Adena’s cheek.

“And you took care of her?” Damion questioned Felicity with narrow eyes, “you kept this from me all this time—”

“LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN IN MY LIFE!” Adena shouted, “I PROBABLY WOULDN’T BE HERE IF YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN!”

Damion smirked, “You’re right. The only mistake I made was sparing your life that night…both of you.”

Damion reached behind him and Felicity jumped in front of Adena before she could even stop her.

Pow!

“Aunt Felicity!!!”

Adena was at her side on the floor, cradling her head while trying to apply pressure to the wound in her aunt's stomach. She stared down at her aunt’s face and screamed with rage. Felicity—weakened and clinging onto life as the blood from her wound stained the carpet—reached up to caress Adena’s cheek.

“I told you not to come here!” Adena yelled.

Felicity parted her lips to speak but no words escaped her mouth.

“Don’t die on me! Please!” Adena pleaded with a shrill cry.

Damion watched the scene before him with a sinister smile. Adena looked up at him boiling with anger and hatred towards him.

“What a daddy-daughter reunion this is. Get up.” Damion ordered.

Adena carefully placed her aunt's head onto the floor and stood before her father.

“Don’t worry, you’re joining her,” Damion chuckled darkly, “And your whore of a mother. If you weren’t so screwed up, maybe I would have taken you in.”

“You’re a joke,” Adena snarled, “You’d kill your own sister…your own daughter…the mother of your child…you haven’t won.”

“Oh, I have,” Damion gestured to the gun in his hand, “Always have. Come harder than that, Princess.”

Adena looked over Damion’s shoulder and spotted Erik standing in the doorway, a long cut on his left cheek. His eyes fell to the floor and noticed Felicity struggling to stay alive. His eyes traveled to the gun in Damion’s hand and then he looked back at Adena. He brought a finger to his mouth to silence her.

“I’ll have to thank whoever invited you here tonight,” Damion said smugly.

“Victoria Stevens,” Adena revealed, “The same person who invited my mother all those years ago. You still fucking her?”

Erik looked at Damion in a new light, eyes squinting and jaw clenching. He locked eyes with Adena again when Damion began to laugh.

“Victoria is something else…she never liked your mother. Carmella was my weakness…and Victoria hated that she had such an effect on me. She was even happy when that fake marriage I had was all a hoax to prepare her for a sacrifice to Aje. She must have suspected all these years that you were my daughter…and took matters into her own hands to get rid of you.”

Adena tilted her head, “Like you wanted to do with Erik?”

Erik’s eyes became stormy with rage.

“The Stevens Family couldn’t live with the idea that my family…the King Family…were making a rise to power with our new money. A member of the Stevens Family accused a family member of mine of sexual assault. It was a fabricated lie to get rid of us. After everything we did for that family…they turned their backs on us for more power. My family was forced to change our name to Jones in order to blend in. I’ve been working hard all these years to bring that family down…to get revenge for what they did. Felicity unwillingly killed Joseph when he tried to end her life, and that left Erik. The other Stevens Family would be easy to take down once I got the money for myself thanks to Victoria.”

Erik’s eyes were glossy with tears listening to Damion’s confession. He looked away to try and wipe his eyes, but Adena had already seen it. She watched him take in deep breaths, his clenched fists shaking with fury.

“But none of that matters now,” Damion lifted his gun at Adena, “Any last words?”

Adenda exhaled, “Yeah…turn around.”

Confused, Damion’s head turned and Erik slammed his fist into Damion’s jaw so hard that Adena could have sworn she heard it break. Erik snatched the gun out of Damion’s hand and puffed out his chest, pointing the gun at Damion’s head. Damion was dismayed, convinced that Erik was dead. Adena looked between them, her rage mirroring Erik’s.

“Erik..put the gun down,” Damion said carefully, “You don’t want to do this—”

“I don’t?! I heard everything you said! You killed her mother! And you’ve been working against me?! Sleeping with my mother?!” Erik barked out.

“You’re pointing that gun at the wrong person, son.”

“Son?! Don’t call me that! You ain’t no godfather of mine. You’re a traitor…and a dead man—”

“After everything I did for you! I helped you get where you are today! This girl is trying to break your legacy—”

“NAH… nah, that’s you. How could you kill her mother? How could you stand here and shoot your own sister? Turn a gun on your own child? That’s some shit I would never do, bruh!” Erik shouted, “My father was many things—”

“Tell him the truth, Damion,” Adena said.

Damion glared at her over his shoulder, “What did Felicity tell you?”

Adena could hear her aunt panting on the floor. She finally found the words to speak.

“T–T–Tell him,” Felicity said.

“Tell me what?” Erik said with anger.

“You were adopted, Erik.” Adena revealed.

Erik cocked his head back in disbelief, looking from side to side confused out of his mind. He struggled against his anger, eyes searching Damion’s face for the truth. He didn’t want to believe it. He didn’t want to accept that his life was a lie. Damion looked at him with an unblinking stare, not once opening his mouth to speak. Erik frowned and a fresh swell of tears clouded his vision. Adena watched him cave right before her eyes, unable to hold back her own tears. Fury tore through Erik and he sniffled back his tears as best as he could, gun raised at Damion again.

Damion tried to tackle Erik and Erik’s back collided with the wall. He punched Damion in the ribs, dropping the gun in the process. Locs in his eyes, lips drawn back in a snarl, Erik body slammed Damion to the ground, climbing over him and started beating his face in with bone-crushing blows. His shirt had ripped in the process and the blood from Damion’s nose splattered over his naked chest. Adena rushed forward to pick up the gun and when she did, Damion grabbed her ankle, knocking her down to the ground.

Erik reached out to help her and Damion took that moment to hit Erik upside the head with a lamp that had fallen from the side table in the room. Damion pushed himself up on his feet and dashed towards the door but Adena climbed onto his back, putting him in a headlock. Damion growled, Stumbling backwards to try and get Adena off of him. He reached behind him and grabbed a fist full of her hair, yanking her from his neck. Adena kicked him in the jaw and Damion lost his footing, crashing to the floor. Erik rushed over to Adena to help her up and then followed Damion to the balcony.

“Nowhere else to go, Damion!” Erik yelled after his retreating body.

Damion braced himself on the balcony railing, peering over and down at solid concrete. He abruptly turned around to face Erik who was more than ready to kill him. Erik swung and hit Damion so hard in his ribs that he curled. He uppercut him and his arms flailed. Damion’s knees buckled, and he looked up at Erik through swollen eyes while blood dripped from his mouth.

Adena walked out onto the balcony with Damion’s gun in her hand, standing next to Erik. Erik looked down at her and then back at Damion, stepping aside to allow her to do what needed to be done. Adena walked up to her father with slow strides, chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. Damion struggled to get onto his feet, and when he did, he looked his daughter in the eye and smiled.

“You’re ruthless just like me.”

Adena pulled the trigger and like a bullseye, the silver bullet lodged between his eyes, killing Damion instantly and sending him over the balcony.

Adena lowered the gun and collapsed to her knees. She broke down crying, bending forward. She wailed and beat her first onto the ground and trembled. Erik couldn’t imagine how she must feel. He reached out to touch her but Adena raised her head. She stood up on her feet and rushed back into the room, dropping down beside her aunt. Felicity was still alive, but she lost so much blood. Adena stroked her cheek and cried hard, tears dropping onto her aunt's cheek.

“I did it,” Adena said with a quiver in her lip, “I killed him.”

“I know, b–baby,” Felicity smiled weakly, her eyes so low they looked like they were closed, “I’m so proud of you. You fought hard to–to get here.”

Adena hiccuped from all the crying she did, staring at her aunt's belly.

“We need to get you to a hospital,” Adena stressed with a shaky voice.

“I’ll get there…where’s–where’s Erik?”

“I’m here…”

Adena’s eyes fell upon Erik’s. They stared at each other for a moment before Adena broke her gaze away to examine her aunt.

“We can get her to a doctor friend of mine who has a private practice,” Erik stood up quickly, “She can get here fast and take care of her.”

Erik picked up Felicity and tried to calm her when she began to cry out in pain. He rested her on the guest head and dug in his pocket, pulling out his cellphone. Adena sat next to her aunt and watched Erik speak on the phone with his friend. He ended the call five minutes later, joining them on the bed.

“She’s on her way with help.”

“Thank you,” Adena said with a small smile.

Erik’s eyes scanned her face fondly.

“You’re welcome.”

His eyes dropped to Felicity’s face.

“I’m sorry about what my father tried to do.” He said.

Felicity cleared her throat before speaking, “It wasn’t your fault, Erik…I know how much he meant to you.”

Erik twisted his mouth, eyes blinking away tears.

“Nah…he wasn’t my father…”

Adena wiped a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand. Erik exhaled and straightened up, staring across at Adena again. His eyes scanned her beautiful face. He saw her so differently now. She was such a strong, capable woman. Watching her hold her own weight made him respect her even more. He’d never seen a woman so bold and powerful. He could only imagine that her mother was exactly the same. Carmella Love. He was still stunned by that reveal. He wanted to know everything about her, but he knew right now wasn’t the right time. Felicity’s health mattered the most.

“Adena, huh? Pretty,” Erik smirked.

“Thank you,” She smiled weakly.

Ten minutes later, footsteps stopped in front of the door and an Indian woman with long, shiny black hair, big dark brown eyes, full lips, and a petite frame ran into the room followed by two men in teal scrubs.

“I’m Padma,” she said to Adena, “what happened?”

Erik and Adena filled her in on everything while the two men carried Felicity out of the room.

“That explains all the bodies in the hallway…you two should come with me, you may need medical attention as well.”

Erik and Adena both agreed as they rose from the bed. Erik reached out for Adena’s hand, checking her face to see if it was alright. just a few abrasions. Erik secured her fingers tightly around his firm grip as they walked hand in hand, out of the room.

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