Making the King: A dark forced marriage romance (The Cruz Kings MC)

Chapter Fourteen

Iyawn, stretching while I try to make myself more comfortable on the couch I’m sitting on with Rose, Sasha, and Alana.

“Ha! I win again,” Rose exclaims, throwing down her cards with a sly smile on her lips.

“What a surprise,” Sasha laughs.

“Okay, you have to be cheating. There’s no way you keep winning by accident,” Alana says with a mock frown.

Both she and Sasha act like they don’t know me and Rose are trading cards so she can keep winning. Hell, both of them have discreetly shuffled the deck, so Rose keeps getting winning hands.

“How long do we have to stay here?” Rose asks.

She doesn’t sound perturbed or like she wants to leave. In fact, she seems to really enjoy the endless supply of soda and peanuts. Or maybe it’s the attention she’s enjoying. All I know is that against all odds, Rose seems fine. More than fine.

“Do I get a knife as well?” she asks so suddenly I choke on my water.

“W-what?” I gasp.

She nods eagerly. “You have one. So do I get one as well?”

Sasha throws her head back and laughs. “Savage little thing, aren’t you?”

My phone lights up with an incoming text, and I bite the inside of my cheek to keep my smile at bay.

Rocco: I don’t know how long this is going to take.

Me: Take your time, mi rey. I’ll be waiting for you.

Rocco: I’m your king?

Me: Well, it’s your last name, isn’t it?

Took him long enough to work that one out. I know he probably used an online translator rather than just ask Cain or any of the others that speak Spanish around here. That’s Rocco, stubborn, proud, and so mine.

Rocco: I want you to say it again while I’m fucking you. Hard.

My breath hitches as I read the message.

Me: Hurry the fuck up then!

“What did Rocco want?” Alana asks with a knowing smirk, and I flip her off.

“None of your business,” I grin as I pick up my cigarettes and get off of the couch. “I’m going out for a cigarette.”

Technically, I can smoke inside if I want to. But I like the fresh air, and I don’t really want to accidentally blow smoke into Rose’s face.

As I lean against the wall outside, I can’t stop thinking about the girl. Rose. She’s the epitome of strength. She isn’t cowering, crying, or anything like that. Instead, she seems to have moved on. I don’t know whether to applaud it or dread it, since I know better than most that trauma isn’t something you can just shirk off.

Now that I’ve seen Rocco in action, I want to be part of what they do. I want to punish the guilty and help the innocent. While it sounds like the slogan of do-gooders united, that’s not what it’s about.

I want to do my part to ensure people like Rose, like Julietta, and, yes, like me, can have a normal childhood—whatever that is. But mostly, I want to feel the rush from yesterday, again. The exhilaration of punishing those men was all-consuming, addictive even.

My phone rings, and I smile as I accept the call without checking the number.

“Rocco,” I breathe. “Are you already done?”

The voice that greets me isn’t who I expected. “Cara Rodríguez?”

I frown and look at the caller ID. Unknown number.

“Yes, that’s me,” I say hesitantly after putting the phone back to my ear.

“Listen up, cunt,” the voice barks, and my back becomes ramrod straight. “You took someone that belongs to us, so we took someone who belongs to you.”

“W-what?”

Without missing a beat, the guy on the other end carries on. “In two minutes, a white van is going to park outside Dirty Diamonds. If you don’t get inside without warning any of your friends, Grayson Black is going to pay the price.”

Before I can ask any questions, the stranger ends the call.

Shit, what the fuck do I do?

After we left the boat yesterday, Gray and Gunner burned it the fuck down. Cain told them both to stay low, and not return to Dirty Diamonds until tonight. So how the hell do I know if he’s really missing, or if the caller is bluffing?

My phone pings with an incoming text, and as though the stranger has a direct line to my thoughts, there’s a picture of Gray bound and gagged. His left eye is swollen, and there’s blood at the corner of his mouth.

Fuck. Okay, so the threat isn’t empty.

My phone beeps again, but this time it isn’t a picture of Gray, it’s of… “Mateo,” I gasp as I look at the picture of my twin, who looks just as bad as Gray.

Scratch that, there’s a cut on his forehead and another on his cheek, so he looks worse. A lot worse.

I shake so hard I drop my phone, but before I can pick it up, the van arrives. I can barely believe it’s only been two minutes, because to me, it feels like a lifetime.

I look between the two doors I have to choose between. One will take me to safety, to backup—to Rocco. The other to uncertainty, but probably pain, and possibly even my death.

A guy with a black mask opens the van door and points at me, making it clear they’re here for me. I swallow, and before I’m aware I’ve decided, my feet carry me to the vehicle.

“Blindfold the cunt,” I guy spits as soon as I reach them.

“And don’t fucking forget to tie her up. I can still feel her fucking kick.”

Someone laughs at that, and scathingly teases him about being soft if he thinks I can hurt them. Though it’s hard, I bite down on my bottom lip to stop myself from retorting.

Another guy, also wearing a mask, hauls me into the back of the van and slams the door closed. The tires screech as we speed away. The guy back here with me, fastens my hands behind my back before he ties my legs together. I sit still through it all. Then he forces a blindfold over my eyes. I don’t know why he bothers when I can’t see their faces, and there aren’t any windows in the back.

I don’t put up a fight, I just sit there as we drive. With each swing or turn in the road, I’m thrown against the van, much to the amusement of the guy watching me. I bare my teeth and hiss at him, not that it does me any good. If anything, it makes him laugh harder.

“Think Tina is going to let me fuck this one once she’s done with her?” one of the guys asks.

My blood runs cold as I realize they’re taking me to my mom.

The words from the call reverberate in my brain. “You took someone that belongs to us.”

Rose… we took Rose and killed the men.

Even though I know it’s horror-movie stupid that I gave myself over to the men, I don’t regret my decision. Gray’s started to turn his life around, and he’s less angry. He deserves another chance at life. And Mateo… fuck. My tortured twin, I can’t turn my back on him either.

The van comes to a crashing halt, which makes one guy grumble about the driver’s abilities. As they get out, I listen intently, trying to pick up on any clues as to where we are. But all I can hear are their muttered voices, and the gravel they walk on.

“Get her inside. Tina said she wants her in the basement.”

I hate the way my heart sinks and my hands tremble at my back at the mention of coming face-to-face with my mom. Fuck, since she showed up on Rocco’s doorstep, I’ve regretted that I didn’t kill her all those years ago.

Back then, I mistakenly thought her to be pathetic, weak even. Now, I’m pretty fucking sure I had everything backwards. I’m not saying my dad was innocent, and I never will. But I am questioning who really pulled the strings behind the scenes.

I startle, letting out a yelp as someone picks me up and throws me over their shoulder.

“Did you hear that?” he chuckles. “The cunt is finally making some noise.” He slaps my ass, hard.

As the sounds of gravel stop, I’m hit in the head with a wall of cold air. I realize we must be inside, a place where the AC is working overtime.

The room, or whatever we’re in, smells dank. And the smells don’t get better as we get further into the building. The air is heavy with the stench of piss, vomit, and… blood.

“Why the fuck does Tina want this one, anyway?” one asks. “She isn’t even that pretty. And I doubt she’s untouched after living with that Diamond Crew fucker.”

I swallow down a whimper as I’m jostled, and the guy’s shoulder digs into my ribcage.

Wait… what did he just say? Well, it wasn’t as much what he said as it was the way. Do these guys not know Martina is my mom?

Their chatter turns to what they want to do to me, so I tune out their vile words, instead preparing myself for a range of scenarios. One being that Gray and Mateo are already dead. Another being that my mom tries to force me to be with Gray, which would be just as wrong as if it was my actual brother.

I already know that whatever she has in store for me won’t be good, and… fuck, I might as well stop guessing. It won’t do me any good. And even if I somehow magically guess her plan, I’m not in any position to stop it.

Doors open and close around us, and I no longer feel the cold air blasting me in my face. As the guy carrying me unceremoniously drops me to the floor, I let out an oomph and pain shoots up my ankle as I land. With my hands and legs still tied, there was no way for me to soften the blow, and now it seems my poor ankle is paying for it.

The sound of struggles and metal clanking intensifies, and even though I’m still blindfolded, I instinctively swing my head in all directions as I try to hone in on the sound. Wait… it’s coming from two places. That and the… it sounds like muffled cries or shouts.

“Gray,” I gasp. “Mateo… is that you?”

The muffled noises grow louder but not clearer.

Heels sound on the concrete floor, click-clacking their way to me. Then the blindfold is ripped from my face. The luminescent light seems much too bright, and I squint against it.

“Welcome home my dear daughter.” My mom’s words are followed by a cackle. “It’s been so long.”

“Daughter?” one of the men wonders out loud. “Fucking hell. She’s your daughter?”

My mom tilts her head to the side and looks up at the man who spoke. “Got a problem with that?”

He immediately shakes his head, though he can’t hide the disgust on his face.

“Are you sure?” mom asks, and I’m pretty sure she noticed his grimace as well. “Don’t be shy. If you have any problem, all you have to do is say so.”

The guy looks to the others, and if I were to guess, I’d say these are the men from the van. “Nope,” he confirms. “No problem at all.”

Mom nods. “That’s what I thought.”

He may not have anything else to say, but I have plenty. It’s physically hurting me to stop myself from hurling insults and accusations at the woman who birthed me. But I can’t succumb to my fears, hatred, and anger. Not when I don’t see Gray and Mateo.

As soon as I think that, my mom moves the light, so it’s not shining right into my face. I blink a few times, and as soon as my vision clears, I see them. The two men are bound and gagged, but otherwise they look just like they did in the pictures I received.

Thank God they haven’t been harmed further!

“Now, daughter,” my mom taunts as she pats Gray’s cheek. Then she walks over to Mateo, repeating the motion. “You have a choice to make.”

No! She can’t mean…

My blood turns to ice, and my eyes widen as a gasp slips past my lips.

“Oh, yes.” Her laugh is a deranged sound. “The look on your face is priceless. Exactly what I wanted. It’s nice to see you’re not always a disappointment.”

“You can’t be serious.” It’s hard forcing the words out. There’s a lump in my throat, and my eyes burn with unshed tears. “You want me to choose which one you kill?” My voice is barely audible.

“No, no, no,” she laughs coquettishly. “You misunderstand me, dear daughter.”

Her eyes are filled with mirth as she walks over to me, swinging her hips in a way that makes her look more ridiculous than powerful. It’s only now, when it’s too late, that I realize the costume my mom has worn so much it’s basically a part of her.

All my life she’s been acting meek, even asked me not to piss off my dad. I’ve seen the bruises he left on her body in the past. Except… maybe he was never the one to hurt her. Or, if he did, maybe she wanted it. After all, it helped perfect the fa?ade she’s hidden behind.

“It hurts me that you think so little of me,” my mom says with a pout.

“I-I…” There are no words to describe what I want to say, so instead of trying, I simply stop without finishing the sentence.

My eyes trail to Gray, who’s slumping against the guy holding him up. His eyes are open, and I don’t like the look in them. He looks resigned, like he’s given up. Mateo, on the other hand, has a fire in his eyes I recognize from looking in the mirror. He hasn’t given up at all, he’s ready to fight.

Mom snaps her fingers in my face. “Here’s the thing,” she says when I finally look at her. “You deserve to be punished, mija. You’re an insolent, ungrateful, and hateful cunt. It’s like you’ve been raised by a pack of wolves and not a loving family.”

Shock reverberates through me, and my jaw becomes slack as I glare at her. Is she for fucking real? Ungrateful? Loving family? What world is she living in?

“You can’t be serious,” I snap.

Mom makes a tsking sound before she slaps me across the face. Despite the sound following, I know her hit wasn’t meant to hurt, but to silence and belittle me.

“Always with the interruptions,” she says. “Watch your temper, mija. I won’t let you spoil my fun again. Do you know how hard it’s been to establish myself without your dad?”

“You never cared about him, did you? Just like it wasn’t him that wanted this life. It’s always been you, hasn’t it?”

She shakes her head. “That’s the thing with you, Cara. You think you know the truth, but you never care to ask the right questions. So let me give you the answers you really want.”

What the hell does that even mean?

“Your dad bought me. Not as his wife, but as his entertainment for the weekend.”

I unthinkingly look at Mateo, who just nods. I guess this isn’t news to him.

“Do you know how hard it was to convince your dad to keep me around? To see me as anything more than his whore? In time, I succeeded, of course. He made me his wife, and I helped him expand his business.”

The woman in front of me is cold, completely void of all emotions. Her eyes are like an abyss, there’s nothing there.

“Your dad never could see the big picture, but I could. So I used my body to garner favors and influence with the right people. When Julietta was born, her future husband was the first to hold her. And—”

Unable to stop myself, I interrupt her. “And let me guess, it was the same for me?”

I already know that can’t be true. Not only is Rocco only three years older than me, but I also know that the Diamond Crew aren’t the kind of people who play the long game. They intercede as soon as possible, because they don’t want people to suffer unnecessarily.

Besides, I know in my heart that Rocco would never do anything that vile. To hold a baby, claiming it as your future wife, or cum dumpster, is a special kind of evil.

“What about the auction?” I ask, confused as to why there even was an auction for Julietta if she was already sold.

My mom waves her hand in the air. “Julietta’s auction was… necessary.”

“Necessary?” I ask, horrified.

She nods. “Yes, mija. Julietta’s intended died when she was twelve. At the time, it seemed like a stroke of luck really. And I convinced your dad that we should allow people to buy her for the night. It was a good way to have a steady income.”

“Why did she get married then?” I ask, not able to make sense of it at all.

Mom turns and looks at Mateo. “Your brother is soft,” she sneers before turning back to me. “He convinced your dad that it was best to find another husband for Julietta. My darling husband bought your twin’s reasoning, but I knew better. I knew he only came up with the idea to save her from having new men all the time.”

My stomach churns, and acidic bile creeps up the back of my throat.

“Since your sister wasn’t a virgin, we didn’t get much for her. It was laughable, really. At least we got it right with you. Even if your husband turned out to be a soft bastard unworthy of one of my kids, you still earned me a lot of money.”

Anger lances through me. “How the fuck can you even get those words across your lips? What the fuck’s the matter with you?” I scream as I pull against my restraints.

Mom taps a finger against her chin, narrowing her eyes as she studies me like I’m a fucking exotic animal at the zoo. “That husband of yours really doesn’t know how to handle you, does he? The mouth you have on you now shows how weak he is.”

Before I can stop myself, I throw up. I lean to the side, but I still throw up over myself. As I retch, mom barks orders to one guy, who’s quick to get a bucket of water that he throws at me.

“The fuck,” I shout as the ice-cold liquid hits me.

“Get her some clean clothes as well,” my mom snaps. Then she turns her icy-glare on me. “Disgusting.”

My teeth chatter and my entire body shakes as cold seeps through my bones and all the way into my marrow. Chunks of my last meal are stuck in my hair, and the burning smell assaults my nostrils.

“Now, where was I? Oh yeah.” Mom snaps her fingers. “Really, all you need to know is that your dad was weak, and so is your brother. You and Julietta were my best hopes, but you took her from me. I know it was you who killed her. So it’s only fair you work for the both of you.”

My head is spinning with the overload of information. Some of it I knew, or suspected. But mostly, she’s ripped the carpet from under me, and now I’m not sure of anything. Maybe I heard her wrong, or maybe some of the things I’ve been told while growing up were lies.

It doesn’t matter, though. All that matters is that we’re here, and I need to find a way to kill her.

The guy who went to get me some clothes returns, but I don’t get a chance to see what he’s carrying before another comes closer. There’s a black hose in his hand, and I know what’s coming a second before water spurts out. The pressure is cruel, and it hurts as he points it straight at me.

“Make sure she’s clean,” mom says, coldly. “I have plans for her, and I can’t have her smell and look like she’s been living on the street.”

I scream as the hose is pointed at my face. It feels like I’m being attacked with ice, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

The guy lowers the hose and grunts something to another guy. I can’t hear the words, but as he walks right up to me and cuts my clothes from my body, it doesn’t matter. The knife knicks me a few times, and every time he sneers at me to keep still, which is fucking impossible with the way I’m shivering.

Once I’m naked, he cuts the binds from my hands and legs. He wraps his arms around me, holding me tight against him as I’m hosed down once more. I don’t know which is the biggest torture, the icy blast of water, or the erection digging into my back.

I scream and thrash, to no avail. All it does is make my mom laugh scornfully, repeating what a pathetic disappointment I am.

A grunt has me looking up from the floor, and I notice Mateo and Gray now standing next to each other. Both of them try to break free from the person holding them, but they don’t fare any better than I do.

“Stop!” I cry out when the guy holding Gray punches him in the stomach.

Mom rolls her eyes and throws a towel at me. I do my best to cover my body while drying, but it’s a waste, really. Everyone in the room has seen my naked body, so why worry about it now.

Once I’m as dry as I can get, mom hands me a black, see-through babydoll dress. “Here. Put it on,” she commands.

I arch my brow. “No underwear?”

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “You haven’t earned that privilege.”

I swallow down more bile, and hurry to put on the dress that covers absolutely nothing.

“Now, where were we?” mom says, sounding way too eager for my liking. “Yes. I asked you to choose, and you thought I was asking you to pick who I’ll kill. But that’s not exactly right. I won’t be doing the killing, mija. You will.”

“W-what?” I stammer, sure I didn’t hear her correctly.

“That’s right,” she says gleefully. “Who will you kill? Your brother or this Gray guy?”

My eyes fill with tears again as I look between the two men. How can I ever pick between them? Gray is… Gray is my kin—we may not share blood, but that doesn’t matter. I recognize the darkness inside him. Mateo is my relative, and my twin. How the fuck can I pick?

The longer I look between them, the more it feels like I’m choosing between my future and my past. Gray belongs in my future, hopefully. But Mateo can only ever be part of my past. Even if I save him, there’s too much bad blood between us to have any kind of relationship in the future.

I’m barely aware that one of the goons presses a gun into my trembling hands, but it’s there. I feel the steel. He stays at my back, and his hands are hovering just over mine. The message is clear; don’t do anything stupid like aim the firearm at my mom.

Fuck!

“Choose,” my mom sing-songs.

I take a shuddering breath. “N-no.”

She nods like my answer is exactly what she expected. “If you don’t, I will kill them both. This is your chance for one of them to live.”

As I look into Mateo’s gray eyes, I feel like our twin-bond snaps back into place. I feel the pain, anguish, and regret I see in his orbs. It slams into me like a wrecking ball.

Unable to look at him any longer, I meet Gray’s dark gaze. He nods, and I know he’s telling me it’s okay to kill him. There’s understanding in his eyes, and it breaks my heart that this guy is willing to sacrifice himself.

Fuck, I’ve only just gotten to know him, yet he’s in my heart. There’s a bond between us, one I couldn’t shake even if I wanted to.

“Choose, daughter.” My mom’s cold voice rings out again. “Now,” she demands.

I look back at my brother and mouth, ‘I forgive you.’ Then I look at Gray, and mouth, ‘I’m sorry.’

My heart breaks, the shattered pieces are jagged, and I can feel them cutting my insides. Tears make my eyes blurry, and my hand is shaking so hard it’s difficult to hold the gun.

“Please,” I beg, not caring about being strong. “Please don’t make me do this. I’ll do anything you want. Just… not this…” I want to keep begging, but hiccups steal my voice.

Mom laughs, and it’s a hard and cruel sound that hurts my ears. “You’ll do anything I want soon enough, daughter. This was your test. A chance for me to see if you were strong enough to one day be my equal, but you’re not.”

She isn’t wrong. If she views what she’s doing as being strong, I want to be so weak the wind can blow me away. I want no part in this sick game. Apart from… I want to be the one to end it.

While chanting those words over and over in my head, I lift the gun, aim, and pull the trigger.