Blackmail is a dangerous game.
It's almost like gambling. You take your chances, throw the dice, see if it works out for the better or for the worse.
But blackmailing my sister's secret boyfriend was more than just a dangerous game.
It was purely suicidal.
The callouses of my fingers brushed softly against the hard concrete of Felix's garage wall, the gritty texture grounding me as I stood there, waiting. The garage was dimly lit, with only a few flickering bulbs casting eerie shadows on the scattered tools and car parts. The smell of oil and something faintly sweet-probably leftover weed-hung in the air, making me feel like I was breathing in the grime of this place, the grime of him.
I wasn't nervous, not really. My heart was beating fast, sure, but it was more from the thrill of what I was about to do. I was here for one reason only, and it had nothing to do with Maeve. She was just a pawn, a means to an end.
Their end.
The door creaked open, and my hand instinctively moved to my pocket, where my phone rested, my only lifeline in this hellhole. Felix emerged from the shadows. He leaned against the hood of an old, beat-up car, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked me up and down.
"Well, well, well, look who's here," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Cairo, right? Maeve's little sis? Didn't think you'd have the guts to come here alone."
I didn't flinch under his gaze. I'd expected this reaction, and it only made what I was about to do even more satisfying.
"I know it's you in the video, Felix," I said coldly, my voice steady. "I know what you did to Maeve, and I know how you've been getting away with it. But that stops now."
His smirk widened, and he pushed off the car, taking a few steps closer, towering over me.
"Oh, tough girl now, huh?" He pushed off the car and sauntered closer, his movements slow and deliberate, meant to intimidate. He towered over me, his breath reeking of alcohol and something sour. "You know, I could just toss you out of here and be done with it. Little girls like you... shouldn't be playing in the big leagues."
I met his eyes, unblinking. "I'm not here to play games, Felix. I know what you did to Maeve. She was a fucking minor when you dragged her into your filthy world-when you corrupted her."
Felix raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Corrupted? You make it sound like I held a gun to her head. Your sister's a big girl-she knew exactly what she was getting into."
"She was 16." I shot back, my voice rising. "While you....were 22. I think it's safe to say there's a clear power imbalance here. But don't you worry, I have something.... that'll help you pay for what you did."
He laughed, a low, condescending sound that made my skin crawl. "You think you've got something on me, huh? Let me guess, that little video that went viral? It was cute, I'll give you that. But you're in way over your head if you think a little blackmail is gonna scare me."
I knew how unfazed of things Felix was. Part of the reason my sister even got obsessed in the first place was because of how brave he seemed. Like nothing could stop him, not even the oceans and the seas.
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "I've got friends, Cairo. Friends who could make that video disappear, make you
... disappear. So, I suggest you take whatever little threat you came here with and walk right out that door."
But then again, hell hath no fury than a woman scorned, right?
"Maybe you do." I mimicked his actions. "But I also know that your daddy's money... is the only thing keeping you afloat. Without him, you're nothing. Just another punk dealing drugs in a garage."
