Page 59 of Seeds of Sorrow

Hadina and Zellie shared a glance, their expressions serious until they both burst out laughing. Wiping at the corners of her eyes, Hadina shook her head. “Oh, you are ballsy. Your men are temporarily indisposed, but if you threaten me again, I’ll be sure to have their throats slit while you watch. Your threats don’t scare me, Demi, and neither do you.” Reaching under the table to the gun strapped below, she pulled the pistol out and pointed it at Demi. “Now, sit your ass down until we’re finished talking.”

Chapter38

PEYTON

Peyton couldn’t seewhat was happening from behind the door, but a smile spread across her face when she heard bodies drop to the floor. Demi’s voice could be heard thundering from where she and Harris were poised, ready to jump into action if they were needed.

“Now, sit your ass down until we’re finished talking,” Hadina said.

Peyton pushed the door open a tiny creak, just enough to see Demi thump down into her seat. She tucked a strand of her short blonde curls behind her ear, glaring at Hadina as she did so. The venom in the woman’s gaze made Peyton want to run out and tear her eyes out of her head for daring to disrespect Hadina in such a way.

“Careful they don’t see you,” Harris whispered in Peyton’s ear, though he was peering over her shoulder to watch too.

Peyton rolled her eyes. “Adrian, they’re more likely tohearus than see us. So, shut up.”

Harris chuckled, quickly covering his mouth with his fist to muffle the sound. “I liked it better when you were a timid little thing afraid of being killed.”

“And I liked it better when you were a silent assassin with a dry personality and don’t-fuck-with-me expression permanently on your face. But, alas, we’re both changed people.”

They both locked eyes, a second passing before they each smirked. Peyton was grateful that she’d become fast friends with Harris, that she knew he now protected her because he wanted to, rather than out of obligation because of his orders.

“What is it that you want, Hadina?”

“Your operation to cease. I want you to fuck off back to whatever hole you crawled out of and never come back here. You never sell kids ever again, otherwise I’ll hunt you down and make you watch as I kill everyone you love. And then, after you’re nothing but a broken husk, I’ll torture you until your poisonous black heart gives out.”

It was fucked up, but seeing Hadina threaten Demi with such dark intent sent a thrill through Peyton. This woman, fearless and terrifying, washersand she got to see her like nobody else did. Hadina was Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Peyton loved them both equally.

Demi tutted, shaking her head. “Ah, see, this is why your sister should be the one in charge, Hadina dear. Because you don’t do your research. I don’t have anyone I care about, nobody I love enough that I’d be even a fraction upset if you were to kill them.”

Peyton’s heart fell a little at that. While she hated Demi Treyva and everything she stood for, she couldn’t imagine the utter loneliness one would feel if they didn’t have anyone to love. Even during her darkest, most isolated days, Peyton had the love for her sister to keep her going. Melina was dead, yes, but Peyton’s love for her sister was strong enough to survive forever. And now that she had Hadina, her makeshift family, friends… she had people that she loved wholeheartedly. She pitied Demi for the fact that she didn’t have that.

“But my little birdies tell me that’s not the case for you.”

Harris tensed behind Peyton as Zellie’s eyes widened. Hadina kept her face calm and composed, but Peyton noted the way the woman’s grip tightened around her gun, her knuckles turning white.

“I already told you your threats mean nothing to me. I’m not scared of you or anything you claim you can do.”

“You’re not scared of losing that pretty little blonde thing you’ve been parading around?” Demi asked, picking at her acrylic nails absentmindedly. “I bet your mama would be disgustedwith you sullying that oh-so-perfect bloodline, wouldn’t she? I mean, it’s bad enough that you’re fucking a woman, but white trash? Ooooh, I think she’ll be rolling over in her grave.”

“Cierra la puta boca!Don’t you dare talk about her like that!” Hadina leapt from her seat, smacking Demi in the temple with the butt of her gun.

Demi cackled, wiping the blood from her wound on the back of her hand as Zellie pulled Hadina back. “Cálmate, hermana!”

“Vete a la mierda,Zelina! She’s disrespecting our mother as much as—”

“It doesn’t matter! She just wants to rile you up,” Zellie interrupted, motioning to Demi, who was sitting back in her chair with a smug smile on her face.

“I’d listen to your sister, little girl. The first rule of playing with the big fish is making sure nobody can ever have any leverage on you. Didn’t dear old Don teach you that? Pity if something were to happen to him too…”

Peyton gasped as Zellie backhanded Demi hard enough that the woman fell from her chair. “You leave my father out of this,pinche perra puta!”

Harris shoved past Peyton, running into the room with his gun poised at Demi. Peyton pulled her own weapon out and followed him, willing herself to stop shaking. She wasn’t scared; she was furious. She wanted to put a bullet in Demi where she knelt, for threatening Don. Peyton didn’t care that the woman had threatened her too—Hadina had told her that it was always a possibility that they could be used as leverage against each other—but the fact that Demi had spoken ill of the dead? It was too much.

This bitch deserved to die.

“Hahaha, has the cavalry arrived? Finally, a real fight.” Demi pushed herself up and turned around to face Harris, a trickle of blood marring her chin from where Zellie had burst the woman’s lip. Demi saw Peyton storming towards her from the corner of her eye and stopped dead in her tracks, her brows furrowing.

Peyton lifted her gun and pointed it at Demi’s forehead. “You don’t deserve to live for all the heinous things you’ve done.”

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