Page 3 of Bound to the Crime Lord

One side of his lips tilted upward into a devilish smirk. “It seems you’ve heard about us.”

“Nothing good,” I gulped. I tried to conceal the obvious fear that poured into my system. I was in the presence of an apex predator, and one thing those nature shows Ethan made me watch had taught me, was to never show fear when confronted with a killer. They fed off it.

What cocaine was to an addict, fear was to a killer like him.

He kicked off the wall and stalked toward me. I didn’t dare move, though my brain screamed at me to run.

Hold your ground, Juliette. Hold your ground.

I tried to talk myself into bravery. But was it truly bravery when you placed yourself in the path of a devil like him?

“Tell me,chica, how do you know of our Brotherhood?”

Their name ran deep through the streets of Chicago. Everyone knew of them, and no one ever wanted to encounter them. Depending on who you spoke to, they were either heroesor villains. Most referred to them as the devil knights. They were responsible for half the gunshots and stabbings I saw in ER at Grace Memorial.

“I repair the bodies you carve.” I jutted my chin up feigning the bravery I needed to take him on. “I make a habit of finding diseases, and your group is the virus that has contaminated this city.”

I had expected to see anger flare in his liquid gaze. But instead, I saw a spark of intrigue.

“A virus?”

I gave a curt nod. “Or a cancer. And as a doctor, I tend to cut those out, eradicate them from the body.”

Oh my God, I had a death wish.

His lips quirked into that smirk of his. My entire body buzzed with fear as he took another step closer, leaving us to only but a few centimeters apart.

He was so close to me that I could smell the woody scent of his cologne. A delicate chain hung on his neck and glistened against the lights.

The man oozed power and wealth. I wondered how much blood painted his palms. How many lives had been taken from the very hands that were twitching at his sides.

“Is that what you want to do?” He leered down at me with vicious intimidation. “You want to eradicate me from Chicago?”

“If I could manage it without consequence, I would do so in a heartbeat.” The strength in my voice dwindled toward the end of my sentence. My false bravado was weaning, and my mask slipping.

“You know, stronger men than you have tried. And died.”

“I guess they weren’t woman enough.” I dared to hold his stare. “You know what they say, never send a man to do a woman’s job.”

He huffed, his smile fully coming to his lips. “You intrigue me, Juliette.”

My back stiffened. “How…”

How did he know my name?

He pulled back. “I have a feeling I will be seeing you around, doc. Take care of the boy, will you? It would be a shame if we allowed a measly bullet to take his life.”

He turned on his heels and made his way out of the empty room, leaving me there, standing alone. It wasn’t until the door locked behind him that I let go of the heavy breath that had been trapped in my throat.

I pressed my hand over my chest and doubled over, trying to collect myself.

I had watched patients meet death a dozen times over, and many times I had pulled them from its porch. But today, I had been the one to face death, and his name was Manuel Gomez. The Mexican Drug Lord of Chicago.

Chapter Two

Manuel POV

Idrew in a large breath taking in the toxic vapor from my cigarette. I tilted my head back and blew out a puff of smoke.

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