Changes

CHAPTER 9

-KNIFE IN THE BACK-

DEVA MARKOVA'S POV

The moment Raya jumps to my rescue, I can't help myself and side-smirk.

'Told you so.' I say in my head, intending the delivery of the message to reach my annoying cousin. He sends me a quick glance, almost unnoticeable for even me to see and impossible to detect by the girls, who are distracted, saying their goodbyes to each other.

It's no surprise that Raya is the first to step forward, even before Eva. She's new and has more to prove, eager to demonstrate her loyalty to me. Yet you can build loyalty your whole life and shatter it in seconds. My ass of a cousin is the living proof of that.

But acting so recklessly for someone she barely knew.

That I'd call stupid on any accord. Her lack of maturity reflects upon her impulsive and stupid decisions. A mere eighteen-year-old at that, who's just starting their life in the crime world. The crime world we dragged her in...

Something itches inside of me and I'm afraid that might be the surface of guilt trying to poke my guts in protests. I push it aside, not baring it any more thought and watch the rest commence.

Raya drops in Eva's arms, while Eva's watch sprays the surplus notes of the sparks from the taser hidden inside of it.

Now, Eva can make stupid impulsive decisions. She's been equipped to such virtues and has successfully done so in the past.

You learn these skills during your first year in the academy, which targets one's resistance of betrayal.

It is the hardest year to pass, which prevents many newcomers from joining our legacy, leaving the strongest amongst the sharks.

And for that you need to leave your humanity aside otherwise you'd be killed once eliminated from the program.

The coldest killers are born and no failure leaves alive to tell the story.

One more reason I was reluctant in signing up Raya to the first year's trials so soon, but what she's done tonight, just got her a ticket to the hell house she begged me so much in joining.

I get up from the stool, once Raya has completely passed out, walking closer to the girls. My cousin follows suit like my puppy to the side.

"I'm signing up Raya to the trials." I let Eva know, and squat down, checking Raya's slow but steady pulse with the tip of my fingers, against her inner wrist.

"Was your charade necessary to prove such point?" Eva tries to prevent a grumble, disguising it with a gentle note of care-ingness.

I can read right through her and how emotionally invested she's gotten with our newcomer. It's best to separate the two before they begin to get sloppy with their tasks.

"What would you have done differently?" I amuse her question, inevitably trapping her in a dead-end street.

"I would've done the same." She gives in to the only card she could play in this game of poker.

"If I hadn't electrocuted Raya—Would you have gone as far as killing her?"

Would I have reached the point to actually kill Raya?

I'm not ashamed to admit, I'd throw all my girls under the lion to keep the legacy safe.

"Whatever is necessary to keep the don and legacy alive could never be regretted nor questioned."