Chapter 50
Malec
"Ierased all the footage and cleared the room," Roran says as she climbs into the car, shutting the door behind her. She tosses the USB onto the passenger seat, to me.
I catch it with ease.
"Tatiana’s doing amazing. He got so upset in there, I think it won't take long now."
She smiles. Really smiles.
And goddamn, I don’t know why I even wish that smile was for me. But I know better—it's because she's finally going to get what she came here for—her sister.
At least I kept my promise to her. Somehow.
"Here." I stretch my arm behind me, handing her my phone. The screen is already open on my messages with Matteo.
She glances between me and the phone. "Huh?”
"You said you promised Tatiana a better payment if she pulled it off. Type the amount and her contact—he’ll make sure to bring her the cash."
Her brow lifts, playful. "Any amount?"
"Yes." I clear my throat when my eyes flick to that bra again.
Merhell.
"Pedro, don't drive yet. Wait."
I swing the door open and jog to the trunk. I pull out a white shirt from the emergency bag I keep stocked in case... tail accidents happen.
Opening her door, I meet her confused stare. She’s still holding my phone like it’s the only thing keeping her grounded. Like it’s hers now.
This woman’s going to drive me insane. I’m sure of it.
"Lean in." I breathe out the words, not trusting myself to say more.
I tug the shirt over her head and press the collar down until her blue eyes peek out, messy hair sticking to her face.
My pulse is racing, and I inhale deeply. "Hands."
She slips them in, then fixes her hair and face.
A small smile blooms on her face. "You know I'm not a child, right? I can dress myself."
The cunning tone in her voice? Dangerous. She knows what she’s doing.
"And where’s the fun in that?" I arch a brow.
Pedro clears his throat from the driver’s seat. "We need to go. Stop dry-fucking each other and move."
Roran’s face flames red, and I have to fight the grin trying to crawl up my lips. That dangerous little thing is at least easy to rattle.
"You’ll get used to it," I say, tossing her my bag now. "There are tissues in there. Wet one with the water bottle and clean your smeared makeup."
I shut the door before she can respond and slide back into my seat. "Let’s go."
Pedro pulls out. The sun's starting to rise, casting soft light over the street.
"Thirty thousand."
Roran's voice cuts through the silence.
I tilt my head toward the rearview mirror—she’s staring right at me. "I asked Matteo to send Tatiana thirty grand. I need to make it worth it. She risked her life," she explains.
I smirk. She's nervous about that amount?
"Then make it forty."
"A-ah... okay." She types quickly. "Thank you."
Her soul is quieter now. The voices feel distant. Could the blood be fading from her system?
If that’s true, she’ll need another dose soon.
"What do we do?" I ask Myko.
"I'm not sure... she's human. Anything we try could do more harm than good. Exactly why we’re careful with your human grandma, too."
I sigh, watching Roran wipe away her makeup in the window’s reflection.
"Maybe Grandma Lora would know. Maybe she can brew a potion..." I don’t know why I even care this much. She didn’t ask for this, but she’s carrying blood meant to be sacred—blood from abused royalty. Underwater, that’s a death sentence.
"The last time we played with a potion, your uncle ended up with a permanent tail and powers, and your mom’s been trying to fix your grandma for years. It’s not that easy."
I know.
But I can’t just sit and watch her fall apart. "What about my black blood?"
"Now you’re just tempting fate. Her body barely handles regular merfolk blood, and you want to give her that?"
He’s right. My blood is nothing but a curse.
But if anyone can figure it out, it’s my mother and grandma. Eventually.
Looks like I’m helping with her experiments now. I have to.
Pedro turns into the alley Roran pointed out. No pedestrians, no cameras—French-controlled turf. That’s why she said Fedor’s men won’t check here, and no one would snitch to them. He drives in deeper down the road, then we spot my dad’s SUV and a few of his men’s cars waiting ahead.
He thought tonight would blow up and came prepared. I can’t blame him.
If not for Roran’s backup plan, we’d have left empty-handed. Or worse.
"You’re quiet," I tell Pedro as he shuts off the engine.
"I had to drag four bodies you knocked out to keep you off the radar. I’m tired. And annoyed we’re here babysitting a ticking bomb."
I raise a brow. "Ticking bomb?"
I glance at Roran, then back at him.
"Not her. Onyx. Bay’s got a guardian-complex about protecting her, and I’m about to snap. Even Myko agrees." He says, clearly not happy.
"Myko?" Roran echoes. We both whip our heads toward her.
"One of my dad’s men," I lie smoothly. She wasn’t afraid of my marks, but if she finds out about a giant water dragon? She might actually lose her mind.
"You wish," Myko grumbles, but I ignore him.
"That bastard," Pedro mutters, staring at his phone. "He’s still in the room? Why hasn’t he left yet?"
"That’s Tatiana. That’s why she takes VIPs—they never want to leave." Roran shrugs.
I turn fully to look at her. My shirt swallows her, and I think I just found my new favorite shirt—her favorite shirt.
The faint scars on her legs are barely visible under those skin-like tights, and suddenly, I’m jealous of cheap polyester.
Pedro glares at me with judgment. "At least she did her job and stuck to the plan."
I roll my eyes.
"Let’s go." He slams his door after he leaves the car, leaving only the two of us.
I glance back at Roran—she’s still holding my phone. When she leans forward to set it on my lap, I jerk back.
No contact. Not now. She messes with my control too much.
The scent of me on her body tightens something in my chest.
"Don’t worry," she says softly, "I grew up surrounded by secrets and violence. I already promised I won’t interfere with what you..." she gestures at me vaguely, "...do. I won’t ask questions."
I never even asked her to keep quiet. I usually erase the people who see too much.
But Roran’s staying. This probably won’t be the last time she sees me like this.
I just nod.
We step out and head toward my father’s car. He’s leaning against the door, talking to Pedro and Mariano.
Bay, Chris, Kayla, and Onyx stand nearby—Onyx clinging to Bay like a terrified shadow.
She hates the surface. Hates noise, cars, people. She’s scanning the alley like it’s a battlefield. And yet she bonded with Morvakar—a chaos-born beast who follows no god. Guess they really do bond with their opposites.
Makes me wonder what my aunt was like before bonding with Myko. They’re too alike now to separate them.
The other men stay inside their cars ahead, waiting for instructions.
"I feel like your dad wants to choke me dead," Roran mutters, stepping close, whispering in my ear. "He brought all these people here because of me."
I step away instantly, pulse jumping. Few marks on my hand start glowing again, so I shove it into my pocket.
"Oh shit. Sorry. I won’t get close again," she stammers, stepping back.
And in that moment, I’ve never hated who—and what—I am more than I do now. My fingers twitch around the pendant of Sur-El in my pocket.
"He’s not mad at you. He’s mad at me. I barged into the VIP room after he warned me not to." And here I find myself explaining again.
"Oh," she says, looking everywhere but at me.
Yeah. Oh.
That about sums it up. “Now we wait.”