Chapter 3 #3
"Come into the living room. We need to talk," the man said.
Her throat tightened as she stepped into the room, doing everything she could to suppress the panic clawing at her insides.
Stoker worked for the Kings. And if this was his boss, then her father had gotten in way over his head.
"Get your hands off my sister, asshole!" Her voice cut through the silence, sharp and filled with sudden defiance.
Stoker smirked, his gaze unwavering as he responded with deliberate amusement. "This one's spicy—I like her. The members are going to love trying to tame her—don't you think, Rave?"
He released Cyndi, who wasted no time flying into her sister's arms. The instant she felt Cyndi's trembling body against her relief started to calm her.
Cyndi's now muffled cries filled the room, louder now that she was free from the man's grasp. Her petite frame seemed impossibly fragile against the firmness of Mynx's embrace.
"What the fuck is going on here?" She was furious. They had no right to come into her home. She clutched Cyndi tightly to her chest.
Both men looked at her, stunned by the brazen question.
She asked again, "I know who you are," she pointed at Stoker, but why are you in my house with that piece of shit?
" She pointed at her father, who sat as still as a statue, his teary eyes darting between the men and his daughters in desperation.
"Listen, I understand how you might feel walking into your house in the middle of the night to find two strange men in your living room, but I need you to calm down.
Please take a seat and let me explain before things get too far out of control.
Can you do that?" The man gestured for her to sit on the couch.
Reluctantly, she lowered herself onto the worn cushions, refusing to let go of Cyndi. Mynx glared at the man. Her face was stone as she waited for an explanation. Cyndi broke into another sob, tears raining down her pixie-shaped face.
"Calm her down first. Then we'll talk."
Mynx wasn't sure who he was, but his tone carried authority, the kind that demanded obedience.
She might be brave, but she wasn't stupid.
He crossed the room to sit in the armchair opposite her, his movements calculated yet fluid for the size of his tall frame.
She saw the twin guns holstered at his sides.
This was no game— these men meant business.
She held Cyndi's face, gently guiding it upward so that it met her gaze.
"It's okay. Look, I'm here. Nothing is going to happen to you, I promise.
But I need you to calm down so I can figure this out, okay—?
" Mynx tried to keep her voice soft and steady, serving as a thread of strength for Cyndi to cling to.
She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her sister's ear, watching as Cyndi took a shaky breath and wiped away her tears.
"Good?" Mynx asked. Cyndi nodded in response.
She turned her attention back to the men, her tone shifting from warm to steely. "Start talking. Why the hell are you in my house, touching my sister in the middle of the night? You part of some child trafficking ring or something?"
The man cleared his throat, his jaw tightening. She noticed his fingers flexing against the chair's arms as he struggled to maintain his composure.
"Let's keep this civilized, shall we?" His voice was calm, and his words were enunciated as he responded. She'd gotten under his skin with the remark.
"Good."
"I'm Raven." He gestured toward the burly man beside her father.
"You said you know Stoker. We're here because your father, Thomas, made a deal with my father.
He hasn't held up his end of the bargain after many failed attempts.
So, after long negotiations, the three of us have come up with a plan to get my father back the money in another way. "
She scoffed. "What does that have to do with me?"
Raven leaned forward slightly, his piercing eyes locked onto hers. "Well, Thomas here tells us you're a dancer. Which works out for us all, because I have a club that needs high-quality dancers. I could take the payments your father owes out of your salary—if you agree to work at my club."
She froze, staring at him incredulously. "Why the hell would I do that? If he owes you money, take it from him! That bastard abandoned us months ago. He doesn't care about us, and we sure as hell don't care about him anymore."
Behind his tape gag, her father mumbled frantically, his muffled words unintelligible. His eyes pleaded with her.
Stoker cut him off with a sharp slap across the face, shaking his head in warning.
Raven didn't react to the interruption, his focus locking on her. "Here's the problem," he said, his tone colder now. "My father is the Capo of the Kings. I assume you know who the Kings are and what they do?"
I slept with the son of a drug lord. I have lost my fucking mind. This was why she didn't color outside of the lines, stuck to the rules. Mynx nodded.
"He's not the kind of man who likes being told he can't have his money back.
If I can't find a solution that satisfies him, I'll have no choice but to kill not only you and your sister but your dying mother as well to satisfy him.
Then, I'd have to burn your house down to eliminate any evidence.
Believe me, this isn't my first rodeo, Butterfly.
I can and will do it. Luckily for you, I try my best most days to give people grace and find better solutions than outright murdering them.
Unlike my father. It's why I'm offering you this choice. "
Her breath caught. Butterfly? Oh my God, it was him. The room blurred around her as Raven's words sank in.
What did she even say to that? It wasn't a choice—it was survival.
Live or die. And it's being enforced by the man I haven't stopped thinking about for two weeks.
The heir to an organization that had its hands in every illegal operation imaginable.
She did not doubt that what he said was true.
If she ignored the request, he would do what he said. He'd have no choice. I'm so fucked.
She tightened her grip on Cyndi; she'd never experienced the harshness of the real world. "What will happen to Mom and Cyndi if I agree to work at your club?"
"Nothing will happen to them— their lives will stay the same.
I'll ensure the bills are paid. That they receive the money you usually contribute until you can return to handling things yourself.
Everything else you earn will go to me—and ultimately, my father—until Thomas finds a way to clear the debt. "
Mynx's jaw tightened as she made her decision. "Fine. I'll go. Under one condition. You make that piece of shit— work off the debt too." She jabbed her finger towards her father.
Cyndi's sobs stopped abruptly, her head snapping up in alarm. "Mynx, you can't mean that, you can't leave us! What will I do alone—with Mom, with school?"
Mynx turned to her sister, taking in her flustered red face, her green eyes widened in shock. "You'll make it— Day by day, just like I will. Because we're strong and we won't let life beat us down. Mom needs you— I need you, Cyndi. You can do this— for us."
Cyndi nodded, her lips pulled into a tight line.
Mynx turned back to Raven. "How much does he owe anyway?"
"Three million dollars."
Her jaw dropped. "Three million? It'll take me a lifetime to pay that off! What kind of man gives someone like him a loan that large?"
Raven avoided the question.
"If you agree to the terms," he said, leaning back in his chair, "I'll give you fifteen minutes to say your goodbyes.
Gather any personal items you'd like to bring but avoid anything foolish.
Your sister will stay with us while you get everything together.
Just keep in mind that if you don't come with us, she will inherit the debt instead.
We'll go over the contract for your services tomorrow. "
"Fine," Mynx spat, her tone bitter. "But what happens to him?" Her grip tightened on Cyndi, who'd begun sobbing anew, her fingers clutching her sister as though trying to anchor herself to safety.
Raven smirked, his expression dark. "Thomas will also be working off his debt—but in a different way. As promised. Stoker here will ensure that the contributions he makes are substantial. Won't you, Stoker?
Raven looked to Stoker for a response. Stoker grabbed Thomas by the shoulder and squeezed. "It will be my pleasure, Raven."
Mynx looked on with no sense of empathy. She doubted he'd ever get what he truly deserved for putting their family in this situation. She let go of Cyndi and stood to go pack. Kiss her mother. Prepare herself mentally for what she was about to have to do.
Cyndi shook her head frantically. "Mynx, no—! Don't leave! I can't do this without you!"
"You can and you will," Mynx insisted, her voice soft, firm. "You're so much stronger than you think. And I'll come back. I promise, okay—? I'll come back."
She pulled Cyndi into her arms, holding her tightly as sobs wracked her little sister's frame. Cyndi clung to her desperately, as though letting go would mean losing her forever. Mynx gently eased back, pressing a soft kiss on her sister's damp hair before stepping away.
She turned quickly to hide her own tears and headed to her bedroom. The familiar space offered little comfort as she flicked on the light. Instead, it seemed to stare back at her, a reminder of everything she was leaving behind and of her failure to keep her family safe.
Damn my father—, damn him for putting me in this position.
She grabbed her backpack from the floor, shaking slightly as she pulled open her dresser drawers. Her hands hovered over the clothing for a moment before withdrawing.
What was the point? Raven said I wouldn't need clothes—everything would be provided for me.
The thought sent a shiver down her spine.
She focused on the things that mattered most. A picture of her mother and Cyndi sat framed on her nightstand, a bittersweet reminder of happier times.
She placed it carefully into the bag, followed by her worn diary—its pages filled with her thoughts.
Her eyes landed on the stack of books by her bed.
She tucked a few of her favorites neatly into the bag.
Finally, her gaze fell on Briar, the plush rabbit her mother had given her as a child.
She hugged the stuffed animal to her chest for a moment before adding it to the bag.
She wished she could live in the past when everything had been simpler, when a stuffed animal could ease her pain.
Her heart felt heavier with each memento she packed, the weight of her situation sinking deeper into her soul. She straightened her shoulders and took a steady breath. She wasn't doing this for herself—she was doing this for them. For her mom. For Cyndi.
She turned out the light then crossed the hall to her mother's room, where the soft hum of the oxygen machine was the only sound breaking the silence.
Her mother lay sleeping, her features peaceful for the first time in days.
The medication was doing its job, numbing the pain that plagued her body.
That eased the pain that cinched Mynx's heart just a little.
Leaning down to the bed, Mynx softly touched her mother's cheek before kissing it lightly. "I'll see you soon, momma," she whispered.
Her mother seemed to stir slightly but didn't wake. Her breathing remained slow and steady. Mynx watched each precious breath, allowing herself one last moment to linger, her heart aching as she straightened and left the room. A thought crossed her mind. What if I never see her again?
She pushed the thought away. She would. Come hell or high water. She would see her mother again.
When she returned to the living room, she found Cyndi waiting by the couch, her face still pale and blotchy from crying. Mynx crossed the room and placed her hands on her sister's shoulders one last time.
"You can do this," she said firmly, locking eyes with her. "I believe in you, Cyndi. Promise me you'll try your best."
Cyndi nodded reluctantly, her bottom lip quivering. "I promise."
Mynx forced a small, encouraging smile and pulled her sister into one last embrace. "I'll come back," she said, more to reassure herself than anyone else.
Raven rose from his seat, his imposing frame casting a long shadow across the room. "Settled then," he said evenly. "Let's go."
Mynx shouldered her backpack and straightened her spine, her expression hardening as she turned to follow him.
"Take care of her," she said to Stoker and Raven, her voice low and dangerous. "If anything happens to either of them, you'll have a bigger problem than my father's debt to deal with."
Stoker raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly at her tone. "Noted, but over time, you will come to find we make better friends than enemies."
Mynx glanced over her shoulder one last time, drinking in the sight of her sister and the home she'd fought so hard to keep. Her throat tightened, but she didn't allow herself to hesitate. Squaring her shoulders, she stepped out into the night, ready to face whatever lay ahead.