Chapter 25
twenty-five
-Serena-
Surprisingly, Set didn’t follow me. I think he knew I’d had enough for the night.
And I suspect I can keep playing this card for longer, especially since I’m done letting him always have his way.
I’ve done the failed relationship thing before, and it was all because I got off on the wrong foot.
I’ve already stumbled out of the gate with Set too, but I don’t think it’s too late to flip the script.
He said he wanted me stronger. Well, I’m starting with him.
Damn I just called this a relationship again. My body shudders at the thought, but so does my heart. I wish I could stop doing that. But it’s already too late.
I head to the bathroom since I stormed out of the living room without giving Set the chance to check his masterpiece.
I’m surprised he didn’t come after me, but he knows I need some space now, especially now that I’m officially his lifetime prisoner.
I’m starting to think this might be worse than an engagement ring. Maybe worse than even a wedding ring.
I grab some sterile bandages from the bathroom drawer, and head to the full-length mirror back in my room so I can see what’s really there. A vertical bar pierces through my flesh, but it’s nearly invisible now, leaving just the two round diamonds on display.
I gently clean the blood. Surprisingly, there’s a lot less than I expected, and the pain isn’t that unbearable either, but it is a constant reminder that he’s there.
I take another look in the mirror and I kind of like what I see.
It’s like my pussy’s got style now. It’s definitely high value, thanks to the diamonds.
This little bird looks like a work of art.
.. And yeah, I’m probably mentally deranged by now.
I spent the night in my room. I’m not half as mad as I pretend to be. But he doesn’t have to know that yet. At least he knows better than to come knocking. In fact, he seems to be on his best behavior and doesn’t bother me until the next day when we meet in the kitchen.
He made coffee and breakfast—like that’s gonna win me over.
He’s got his work cut out for him, and by the look on his face, he knows it.
But there’s something that wasn’t there before—a large smile is back on his lips.
A real one. And I haven’t seen a genuine one since I got back to Vegas.
Which pisses me off. Not the smile itself, but the timing.
“So you put a piercing between my legs, and all of a sudden you’re smiling again, like it’s fucking Christmas? ”
“Well, that’s definitely something to smile about.
But cut the attitude. It kind of turns me on.
And that’s not what you want right now,” he lets out the most seductive warning, and my mind dives straight into the gutter.
But he’s right, I don’t want this right now.
I don’t think I can handle this right now.
So I try to play a little less bitchy. Hard to manage after yesterday, but some kind of self-preservation instinct kicks in, and I make it through the day unharmed—and, more importantly, unfucked.
I didn’t manage to escape sleeping in his bed that night, though. This, after he thoroughly inspected his handiwork to make sure everything was healing just fine. And of course, fast enough, to “put it to good use.” Those were his words, not mine.
The next day followed the same routine—office, dinner, then a movie. Well, I watched the movie since he was buried in phone calls, trying to get to the bottom of things with Chen.
He was strategizing, talking to his informants, while that concerned look seemed to be creeping back onto his face.
To be honest, I hate seeing him like that—so wound up he didn’t even make it to bed until morning. I’ve gotten used to having him around, even if, right now, I feel that would be dangerous for both my body and my sanity.
I’m the one making coffee this morning, hoping he’d at least sleep in a little. But just as I take my first sip, I see him making his way to me. He probably didn’t sleep at all. I noticed that about him—lately, sleepless nights were becoming his norm.
But strangely, he doesn’t look stressed this morning. If anything, he looks... calm—too calm.
“Did something happen?” I ask since I feel there’s something different today.
He looks at me, weighing whether he should tell me something or not. This is serious. I know it is, even before he begins speaking. “It’s tonight,” he pauses, letting the news sink in. “VIP party at the Black Medusa. Chen’s gonna be there.’’
I inhale, panic creeping in. “You sure you want to go through with this? You said you didn’t want to tip the balance.” Whatever that might mean.
“The balance is already tipped. He brought this on himself. This won’t be war. It’ll be annihilation,” he sounds so serious that I don’t have any doubt he means it.
“We meet Whiro at midnight. My men will be in position by then.”
“We?” I know he told me I’d be coming along, I was just hoping he’d reconsider.
It’s not actually the danger that scares me, it’s the carnage.
And maybe it’s the fact that this feels like one of his lessons.
And his lessons always end in blood—not that I expected anything less. He did say annihilation, after all.
“We,” he repeats, making the word sound like a final verdict. It’s clear, there’s no getting out of this.
“Just don’t mistake this for a date.” I quip, tossing him the kitchen towel in surrender. “I’ll be ready, wearing my Catwoman suit.”
“I warned you about turning me on,” he teases, but somehow I take his joke for granted. I don’t press it, just head to my room and throw on my normal clothes for the day.
I join him at the office, where a few of his men show up to go over the final details of the plan.
It’s pretty smart, actually. His men will create a diversion to clear the club.
Chen will be hustled out by his bodyguards through a service hallway.
That’s where a part of Set’s crew will be waiting, led by Whiro.
Set will be in the back, too, just in case the guards take a detour.
Chen doesn’t stand a chance against them.
And somehow that thrills me. I might rot in hell for this, but the man put a price on my head.
Set spends the rest of the day organizing things, and after a very late dinner, I leave with him to a parking lot near the Black Medusa. We barely get to stop the car when the back door flies open, and someone slides onto the backseat.
I almost scream from the fright and Set certainly doesn’t seem pleased either, especially since our new passenger—Whiro—lights himself a cigarette like he didn’t just scare the shit out of us. We’re on a mission. We’re tense enough as it is. He can’t be pulling this kind of stunt on us.
“If I thought you’d actually die, I’d put a bullet in your head right now,” Set growls at the unexpected visitor.
I don’t exactly get their joke, but clearly these two do.
“I told you we’d meet at midnight,” Whiro says in an all too relaxed tone.
“I was expecting a call, not a heart attack,” Set grunts.
“You can’t get a heart attack so chill the fuck out.
” Whiro takes a drag from his cigarette, and I expect Set to fight back, but then I remember Whiro’s fucking insane—so what’s the point?
“So are you ladies ready to do this or what?” Whiro rubs his hands together in anticipation. “Let’s blow this bitch up.”
I instantly hear an exasperated sigh from Set.
And I get it. Whiro’s the kind of man who drives you crazy—literally.
That’s probably because he is crazy—literally.
And as if to prove it, he gets out of the car and makes this ridiculous little dance under the street light, jumping from foot to foot, spinning in a pirouette, and clapping his hands like a lunatic.
The guy’s so far gone he actually gets off on killing people.
Then, to make the show complete, he pulls out his gun and waves it around like he’s conducting a damn symphony.
“Get the fuck back in the car. We don’t fucking need attention right now. What’s wrong with you?” Set finally snaps.
“Party pooper. No one's gonna see me here. The perimeter’s secured. I was just having some innocent fun. It’s not like I’ve started killing anyone. Just getting warmed up, I get excited when I start thinking about blood, and bullets... and the fine purring of the flesh when it splits open.”
“Oh, now I see how you two are related,” I mutter, shooting them both a look.
“You’ve grown quite the mouth in the last few days. Don’t make me think of ways to put it to good use,” Set growls, pretty much exasperated.
I turn my back on him, looking at Whiro through the window. “So he got the funny genes, huh?” I say, already knowing it’s gonna cost me.
But for now, it only gets me a warning, “Serena,” Set grunts as I see Whiro making another twirl, then coming up to Set's window.
“Come on, what are we waiting for?”
“We’re waiting for me to call my men. If I get a chance, because apparently I need to watch over my brother so he won’t screw everything up.”
“Well, someone’s got a stick up his ass,” Whiro, rolls his eyes. “Fine, I’ll stay put. Make the call and let’s get this over with.”
I glance at them and can’t help but feel amused by how different, and yet so alike, the two of them are. Like a grumpy old couple who bicker twenty-four seven, but somehow still end up happily ever after.