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42| Pack it in, Batman

LILITH

I gasp out, my body trying to rise yet feeling the restraints tug against my skin.
My eyes, although heavy, begin to slowly focus back into reality.

I want to speak, but my throat comes up dry and all i'm left with is the sight of Kace, walking into the small room. His hands are tucked into his trouser pockets as he calmly approaches me.

"Curiosity is a killer." He begins, like the dramatic man he just has to be. "And unfortunately, you have fallen into its trap." He sighs and my brows narrow, uncertain of what this means. Step brother. The memories flood back to me with one big tide.

Carlos. Lyra. Shadow man. Me. Mum. Kace=Stepbrother. Esteban.
"Did you know he wasn't your father? Carlos, I mean." My mouth speaks without consulting my brain. My mind is foggy and unable to focus on a single thing.
"Well, I made the files, didn't I?" He muses. "Speaking of which, I trusted you to be patient." He misdirects my intent. The mention of the files brings back another memory.

I begin flicking through the boxes, desperate to make sure I've ransacked through everything when out of nowhere, a syringe is stuck into my neck.
My hand swings at the perpetrator but by then, the syringe has been emptied into my body and retracted from my skin. My vision goes hazy and I squint to try and focus but can't quite make out the identity of the person, right before I collapse.

"You ambushed me. Again. This is getting a little bit tedious, step brother." He grimaces at my endearment, "Don't say it like that. It makes me sounds evil." He grumbles and I glance down at the restraints around my hands, then back up at him.

"Yeah, I guess that's a little evilly extra. I just need you to not lunge at me for a few minutes." He responds to my current state and I blink.
"Since you clearly have enough time on your hands to knock my men out- men whom I will be firing because that is just disgraceful- and rummage through my personal belongings-" He begins and I manage to cut him off, "Your personal belongings? That's people's lives you've got there. Valuable information that, now that I think about it, isn't even really your problem." It's a stupid remark, given he seems to be on my side when it comes to Carlos, but you can't blame a girl when she's been tied to a chair and drugged so much she can't lift her pinky.

"I'm going to ignore what you just said." He mutters, "Anyhoo, since you have so much time on your hands, I guess it's time you fulfil your duty." He announces like it's supposed to have some sort of meaning. "My duty?" I frown. He was clearly awaiting my question because his eyes glint with a hint of excitement.

"You, my sister dearest, are going to kill your father."

Kill my father.

"Do you know where he is?" I press, trying to ignore the rush of something close to anxiety in my stomach. "I've been watching Carlos for the past year." He admits, so casually, as though the fact that he'd known where my father was, where this monster was, and hadn't done anything about it was perfectly fine. I know he reads my mind, because he lifts a finger to stop me from speaking it.

"Killing Carlos isn't as simple as one may think. We're speaking of the underground King, here. The greatest threat to the industry we've seen yet." He ponders on his words for a moment, "Well, except me." He mutters proudly more to himself than anything. "He's gotten smarter. Stronger. Staying low is the greatest redemption card one can hold." He informs and I can tell he speaks from experience. My mother hid him through all of his childhood. He was practically nonexistent until he'd found me. How much have you learned, Kace? How powerful are you, really?

"That's why I need you to take that drug. I need you to have equal chances here, Lilith. God knows Carlos Alvarez does not play fair. Ever." He pins me with a heavy look, clearly wanting me to say something.