Chapter 9
Arcane
Present Day
An uneasy feeling lingers in me the entire morning after, chilling me to my very core. I shift in my seat as I meet the lethal gaze of Benjamin Valenti across the room, feeling like an insect being scrutinized under a magnifying glass, like being prodded and poked by tools that could kill me.
Alec is to my right, with Antonio beside Benjamin. The tension is thick in the room, with everyone on edge.
For seconds, I’m observed by Mr. Valenti as he merely stares at me with those hardened eyes and lips formed into a straight line. He doesn’t look satisfied at all.
Merely remembering the night before has left me rattled, shaken like a leaf consumed by a strong gale. Throughout the ride, it was as if a weighted stone pressed against my lungs, attempting to steal all my oxygen. Almost as if a hand reached inside my ribcage, grabbing hold of the organs beneath before ripping them out.
Now, it’s like a distant memory, and I can’t even begin to fathom if it was reality or a dream, though the bandage around my shoulder blade hints at the truth—that someone was inside my apartment as I was asleep.
Not someone.
Him.
The biker.
Viper García.
He’s the only one I was supposed to meet. Did he kill the guard, stealing the corpse, only to threaten to reveal it all to the Grimaldis? It’d put the whole heist in danger.
Clearing his throat, Mr. Valenti eventually comes closer to both Alec and me, settling into an office chair among the many lined around the conference table. I’ve always despised being near him, memories from years I’d rather forget washing up in my mind like sand along the shore.
“Get on your knees and kiss my shoes if you want me to show mercy,” Antonio growls, his striking brown eyes narrowing down on me. Running his fingers through his brown hair, now peppered with gray, showing his age, he exchanges a look with Mr. Valenti. They both share the same kind of glance before inching even closer, and I have no other choice but to comply, lowering myself down on the ground.
A surge of bile rises in my throat at the thought of that first year when they exploited my body for what they deemed the greater good. It was all bait to capture my attention and manipulate my desire for my well-deserved revenge. I wonder if Alec even knows what a fucking pervert his father and his second-in-command is.
I lift my gaze, noticing how close Mr. Valenti is—close enough for the scent of his expensive cologne to envelop me.
“We only have a few more preparations to make before we can proceed with the heist, but the time is running out. The other organizations are directing their attention on this matter, assuming we’re building up for war after they’ve seen us—” His eyes flicker to mine. “— You , driving around their lands.”
His words have rage boiling within me, hating that he insinuates something from merely a false observation.
“Do you think you’re capable of executing such a complicated heist, Arcane?”
His words catch me off guard, so cold and uncaring with no hint of emotion to them. It’s as if he doesn’t care whether or not he crushes me from the inside with the words he just spoke. He only wants to hurt me in the same way everyone has always hurt me. Betrayed and ruined me.
Clenching my fists, I tilt my head up in a show of defiance. “Yes, of course.”
I barely even recognize my voice, gritting out the words. He fucking knows that this heist is my chance to finally get the revenge I’ve sought out since I was abandoned by the Grimaldis, left to fend for myself because of him . Because they only wanted Kaiden, and I was the baggage.
How fucking dare he?
Acknowledging the fact that I’ll only make matters worse should I talk back, I opt to sit my ass on the chair while giving him a feigned sweet smile. “I won’t disappoint you.”
Nausea grips me, turning my stomach inside out as the urge to gag rises. Swiftly, I swallow down a mouthful of saliva, desperate to conceal the disgust welling up within me from those words.
“I’ll hold you to your word,” he declares, a glint in his eyes underscoring the implicit threat. “I expect you to work with Viper García and find out everything he knows about this. Or else this entire heist will be ripped out of your hands, much like I’ll rip your heart out if you don’t fall in line, girl. ” With such venom, he spews out the last word, leaving me half expecting a snake’s tongue to lurk within his mouth.
He strides out of the conference room with Antonio in tow, as well as his closest personal guard. I have to restrain myself from going after him and lashing out all of my annoyance against his face, crushing it underneath my already bruised knuckles.
Too fucking bad I have to play the dutiful part of a submissive woman, lowering to her knees for men whenever they tell her to, obeying their every command if only to protect my own life. That is how it works in our world, dominated by men who have all the power the Devil gifted them, leaving us women alone in the shadows, constantly fighting for our time to shine.
“Are you okay?” Alec asks me, his voice laced with concern.
I force a smile, attempting to brush off the annoyance stirred by his despicable father. Alec squeezes my uninjured shoulder.
It appears my only chance for vengeance lies in aligning myself with the one man I’ve avoided like the plague.
“We’re getting the sonar equipment today,” he merely states, shifting my attention from the floor up to his eyes. I nod, hoping everything will go well with that mission.
Before diving into the depths of the main heist, a myriad of preparations needs to be done. We’re halfway there, with the impending doomsday looming so closely—on the third of July. Two weeks stand between us and the robbery that will reshape it all. I steel myself, anchoring my resolve to that knowledge of how little time is left. I can hold on for that long.
I have to.
Only then will I finally let go of this clawing agony shredding me apart with each passing day, reclaiming justice against those who ruined my life and future, who relished in the twisted desire of seeing me fail in this man-made world.
It’s a bitter irony that I can’t get my revenge on him . The very man who obliterated everything I held dear, simultaneously destroying me from the inside out.
——————
Winding along the coastal bends, I’m offered a glimpse of the distant horizon hiding far off in the sea. The visor on my helmet tints the outside world, and the salty breeze of the ocean carries through the air, providing a soothing touch. Navigating carefully around the weathered asphalt patches and cracks, I finally reach the dock.
The closer I come to the roads I recognize, the more I want to retch until nothing is left in my emptied stomach. The familiar lands of the place I once used to visit with my foster father and brother loom before me, the building smaller than what I remember.
Slowing my speed, memories assault me of the time they allowed my curious, naive self to learn the family business. It was a time in my life when I viewed the world with optimism, full of possibilities and dreams that were quickly snuffed out overnight. That day unfolded into a nightmare, and I vividly recall the unsettling touch of an older fisherman’s greasy fingers violating me in the building’s hallway, trapping me with his intrusive hand on my waist. That day ended with my brother sporting a black eye from our father’s wrath. In my room late at night, he told me the bruises were worth it because he’d hurt the fisherman for touching me.
Willing away the memories, I park my bike, needing to survey the area before venturing farther. My priority lies in stealing the sonar equipment, confirmed by Alec to exist here, and to uncover what happened to the submarine’s schematics. It’s a risky mission as the Grimaldis always have been known for their tight security on their biggest platforms—this dock.
Waves crash against the bridge far off in the distance—a sound that has become familiar with the numerous scoping missions I’ve been on. Now, we’re finally one step closer to stealing the car with the USB drive from the incoming submarine.
Moving silently, I remain on high alert as I glance over my shoulder in case anyone’s following. Dusk gradually closes in, orange and pink hues painting the sky in a beautiful view that takes my breath away.
High gates loom before me, leading into the area itself, with barbed wire on top to prevent strangers from entering. The instance I come closer, an ominous feeling settles deep within me. Beckoning me closer, screaming inside my soul that something is wrong. The gates are supposed to be closed, not open.
The Grimaldi syndicate guards their secrets with utmost secrecy, except I’ve mastered the art of outsmarting their intricate safety systems, thanks to the Valenti family. If all had gone according to my plan, the Grimaldis would’ve closed their gates and I would have been the one to silently open them. Yet, here they stand ajar. A surge of suspicion rises deep within me as I approach the gates, every nerve tingling as my muscles lock.
A heavy sense of foreboding settles in my gut, sending warnings to my brain. With caution, I retrieve the gun from my pocket, holding it discreetly, prepared for any threat that may arise. All the while, I maintain an innocent appearance, ensuring I appear unarmed.
The moment I’m about to enter the dock, my phone vibrates. Frowning, and a little annoyed at the thought that it might be Alec disturbing me, I open it. My pulse thuds harshly in my ears as I read the message over again, fear coiling around me like a vise.
UNKNOWN: I left you a little gift.
There’s nothing more than that, only those six words from an unknown sender, making icy fingers roam over me until I’m shuddering.
ARCANE: Who the fuck is this?
After a minute, there’s still no reply, which leaves me staring at my phone with simmering hatred, as if it has committed the worst crime. Each passing second makes me feel more dumbfounded as I merely stand and wait for a reply that likely won’t come.
A prickling feeling at the nape of my neck distracts me from the phone, and I’m suddenly aware that I’m no longer alone. Despite the instinctive urge to tense, I force myself to relax, refusing to show any sign of awareness of the presence nearby.
I enter the dock’s perimeters, gazing at the darkening sky providing little illumination to the path ahead. Lampposts are stationed outside the massive building, casting an eerie glow on my surroundings, making this all the more menacing.
All my steps are deliberate, the churning in my stomach intensifying tenfold. A haunting tune of the wind in the distance carries me further. But, when I’m just about to turn left around the corner of a container positioned inside the gates, I feel something wet beneath my foot.
It’s slippery, adhering to my sneakers and transforming the asphalt into an odd substance. With a mix of horror and fascination, I stare down at the ground, half convinced I’ve stepped into pee or some shit like that.
What I never expected was to see a crimson hue coloring the underside of my shoe, the light from the lamppost faintly illuminating the liquid splattered across the asphalt. Yet, it’s not splattered; it’s gathered in a pool as if someone has bled out here. I swallow harshly, feeling the molten lava traveling down my throat in an attempt to scorch me alive.
My hand is steadily placed inside my pocket, gripping for the gun there, as my ears are perked to hear the slightest sound that could reveal whatever is around me.
This is too easy . It shouldn’t be this easy to enter their dock and scope it out, and yet it’s as if I have free rein to the entire area.
Where is everyone?
With another cautious step forward, the slickness of the asphalt becomes unmistakable, and I lower my gaze in bewilderment. What I witness next sends my heart racing faster than a speeding car on the road, harder than thunder rumbling through the skies. It’s dull, painful, and sucks the oxygen from my lungs despite my attempts to maintain a calm, steady breathing.
Only inches away lies a gruesome discovery. A hand soaked in blood that has long since dried into the skin. The lamp’s feeble light casts shadows, revealing not only the hand but the arm also. I barely dare look further, feeling utterly vulnerable in the dock of the family that once betrayed me.
Returning my gaze to the gory sight, I notice that the horror doesn’t end with the severed limb. Bile rises in my throat, leaving a sour aftertaste as I see the rest of the body, chest torn apart as if slashed and ripped open with the sharpest blade. I’ve witnessed plenty of blood in my life, yet this ghastly moment triggers nausea threatening to empty my stomach.
This is more than some mere murder; it’s personal.
The unsettling feeling of being watched heightens, as if a phantom could materialize and reach out to touch me. I look up at the surrounding area, sure that the other guards must be close by, which only means they will connect the dots and believe I killed this person. Who fucking knows what the Grimaldis will do to me when they realize their lost disgusting daughter stole the life of one of their guards. If they even would care. There’s not much those people care about.
I nearly stumble back but will myself to stand my ground as I come face to face with more bodies.
It’s a massive bloodbath.
Five guards lie lifeless on the asphalt, their blood seeping through clothes and skin.
Someone massacred all their guards, tearing the flesh from their chests with a knife, leaving behind a mess of terror in its wake.
I gulp the moment I see a piece of paper lying inside one guard’s uniform, all drenched in blood and placed near the wound as if to taunt me. I know I should turn away, fucking run as far away from here as possible, and take my bike to the Valenti manor. Alec and Mr. Valenti could help me with this shit, knowing what the fuck to do when the Grimaldi syndicate’s guards have been utterly slaughtered. But curiosity gets the better of me, a physical calling that drags and pushes me closer to the note, making me unable to resist it.
With silent, careful steps, I make my way to the guard with trepidation. My stomach ties into knots when the metallic smell of blood worsens, filling my nostrils with the most disgusting smell as I’m forced to lean forward to grab the note. The fucker who left it for me did this on purpose, wanting me to get the guard’s blood on my hands.
I grab the note, attempting to avoid the blood, but it’s too much. I close my eyes, lips curling in disgust as I see the flesh wound up close. It’s enough to make me lose my appetite for days on end.
With bated breath, I bring the note closer, reading the scrawly words written in a now familiar handwriting.
Beautiful, bloodied angel.