Twisted Veil of Devotion

Part 23

Silence hung in the room.

Thick. Heavy. Watching me.

Vicente moved first, slow and deliberate, stepping farther into the room. His shoes barely made a sound on the marble floor.

"You look frightened," he said softly. "That is good. Fear keeps people alive."

My throat tightened.

Roberto's eyes swept the room, then landed back on me. "You try to stand, you fall. You scream, no one hears you. You run, you bleed." His voice was calm. Almost bored. "You stay where we place you. That is how you survive."

I gripped the sheets harder.

"Why me?" My voice cracked. "What do you want from me?"

Ismael finally spoke, his tone smooth, controlled. "Zane has grown too powerful. He forgets who built these streets. Who owns these routes. He takes. He expands. He ignores the men who taught him."

Roberto's jaw tightened.

"He steals from us. He ruins alliances. He behaves like a king."

Vicente's stare hardened.

"We do not like kings."

My chest tightened, breath stuttering. I gripped the sheets to keep from shaking.

Vicente leaned forward slightly.

"But you... you are the one thing that makes him bleed."

The words hit me like a punch. My vision blurred at the edges. I felt like the room was tilting.

Do you think he will trade his empire for you?
Do you think you are the woman he refuses to lose?

Their eyes watched me, unblinking, waiting.

I shook my head, panic climbing up my throat.

"No. No, you don't understand. I just escaped him. I told him I didn't love him. I told him I love Ryan. I broke him. He won't come for me. I'm not the best person for this. I'm begging you. Please."

My voice trembled, spilling out too fast.

"I don't want this. Please let me go. I won't tell anyone. I will leave. I'll go back to America. I won't speak about any of you, any of this. Please. I don't want to be part of whatever this is."

Vicente smiled.

Not kind.

Cold.

Cruel.

"That," he said softly, "makes this very interesting."

Terror crawled up my spine.

"I'm begging you," I whispered. "Please. Let me go."

His voice turned hard. Final.

"You are not here to negotiate. You are here to obey."

The words hit like a verdict.

"If Zane refuses us, we make an example of you. Piece by piece. Very slowly. And he will watch."

My breath stalled. The room closed in. I couldn't inhale, couldn't think.

I tried to push back against the bed, but pain shot through my ankle. A sharp cry tore out of me before I could stop it.

Ismael stepped closer, his hand brushing my cheek almost gently.

"You should pray he loves you as much as we believe he does. Because if he does not, your suffering will teach the world who we are. We traffic cities. We bury families. We do not hesitate."