Page 6 of Vicious Vines

"Damien," I say, my voice steady despite the fury brewing within me. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

He looks up at me, his features schooled into an expression of feigned innocence. But I see the flicker of fear in his eyes, the slight tremble of his hands. He knows he's been caught; he just doesn't know how deep I've delved into his treachery.

"Find out what, Sloane?" His words are smooth, but they can't mask the stink of his deceit.

"Cut the act. I have your communications with the Marinos. You've been leaking information, undermining me."

There's a beat of silence, a taut string ready to snap between us.

"You're no kingpin, Sloane," Damien spits, the veneer of loyalty finally cracking. "You're playing dress-up in Daddy's clothes, trying to fill shoes that will never fit. We need strength, not some...some..."

"Speak carefully," I warn, the edge in my voice sharp enough to slice through his arrogance. "You're already in deep water. Don't make it worse."

"Fine," he concedes with a sneer. "Some woman who lets her emotions lead her, killing those who were loyal to her father because she knows no one will trust her. This family needs a leader, something you'll never understand."

My laugh is dark, a low purr that holds no warmth. "And yet, here you are, cowering before me because I've outplayed you at your own game." I circle him like a predator, close enough for him to feel my presence, my power. "You mistake my methods for weakness because you cannot fathom the strength it takes to rule not through fear, but respect."

"Respect? Is that what you call this... charade?" His retort is weak, his foundation crumbling as I lean in, my breath a hot caress against his ear.

"Charade?" I whisper, letting my lips graze his skin. "No, darling. This is reality, and in my reality, snakes like you get crushed underfoot. I don't need brute force when I have intellect and intuition on my side."

I pull back, relishing the sight of him—a man undone by his own hubris. A man who thought he could outmaneuver me, only to be ensnared in his own trap.

"Tell me, Damien, was it worth it?" I demand, my gaze locked onto his, unyielding and fierce.

"Money talks louder than empty promises," he sneers, attempting to regain his lost ground.

"Empty?" I tilt my head, mocking his misguided perception. "You call protection, guidance, and the promise of prosperity empty? You were one of us, protected by the very name you sought to betray."

"Protection that comes with chains isn't worth the shackles," he retorts, but his confidence flags, the weight of his betrayal bearing down on him.

"Chains? No, Damien. The only chains here are the ones you forged for yourself. And now you'll wear them until the end."

"Is that a threat?"

"Consider it a prophecy," I declare, stepping back, my heart thundering with a blend of righteous anger and a twisted satisfaction. "One of your own making."

"You think you're untouchable? You're nothing without your father's shadow to hide behind!" " His voice is a guttural growl..

The insult slices through the charged air, but I don't flinch. Instead, I close the distance between us, every step measured and deliberate. The anticipation of violence hangs heavy, a perfume that mingles with the stench of his fear.

"Careful," I whisper, a serpent’s hiss. "My father may have built this empire, but it's mine now."

He lunges then, a desperate animal caught in a trap, swinging a meaty fist at me. It's clumsy, fueled by panic rather than precision, and I duck easily, feeling the rush of air as his punch cleaves nothing but space.

I retaliate with the coiled strength of my training; each movement is a stanza of lethal poetry. My fist connects with his jaw, a satisfying crunch echoing off the walls. He staggers back, spitting blood and curses, but I'm already on him.

"Did you really think you'd get away with it?" I snarl, grabbing his shirt and throwing him against the wall. My other hand draws a blade, its gleam catching his eye, a glint of light in the dark room. "You thought you could sell us out and live?"

"Fuck you, Sloane. You'll never control us all," he spits, trying to wriggle free from my grasp.

"Control?" A laugh bubbles up, dark and bitter. "This isn't about control, Damien. This is about survival."

His resistance fuels my rage, and I let it flow through my veins, a wildfire that consumes all in its path. With a swift motion, I drive the blade home in his chest, watching the light in his eyes extinguish as quickly as it flares in fear. He crumples, and I release him, stepping back to avoid the stain of his betrayal on my boots.

I stand over him, breathing hard, the copper tang of blood thick in the air.

"Goodbye, Damien," I murmur, though he's beyond hearing. "May you find more loyalty in death than you did in life."

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