Page 80 of Karma

“What are you even doing here?” I ask.

Rogue transfers his magnetic gaze to me. “We’re paying our debts to the Devils. What are you doing here?”

Digging a hole I might never climb out of again.

But that’s not what I say. In fact, I don’t have to say anything, because Cross comes walking to our fire out of the darkness.

He’s flanked by his VP, Tank, several other execs and Ice—the man whose daughter we’re trying to save from Joker. Since being with them, we’ve finally learned the whole terrible story that led to this mess of revenge we find ourselves in.

Apparently, Satan’s Spawn MC—the MC Joker’s and Scorpio’s fathers were pretty high up in—abducted Ice a longtime ago and made him fight in underground MMC fights as their champion for seven years. This happened after the Spawns killed off Ice’s family. Ice’s sister Roxie survived and years later, she hooked up with Cross. She didn’t know Ice was still alive until the Devils saved him and then proceeded to help him kill all the Spawns in revenge. Just a regular day at the office for a mercenary, killers-for-hire club that Devil’s Nightmare MC was back then. No one predicted it would lead to this moment. I guess they’ve racked up some debts of their own to pay but were too arrogant to see it.

“Joker sent word,” Cross says. “He wants to fight tomorrow night and we’re gonna meet that challenge. This is your chance to prove whose side you’re on.”

He’s talking to Karma and me and she swallows hard as she nods. My mouth is suddenly so dry, so full of gritty sand, I can’t even do that much. Let alone nod.

I have the strongest urge to grab a knife and kill Cross right here to end this before it starts. Stupid as that idea is. Almost as stupid as the one where I tried to get the girl away from Joker. Good thing I still don’t have any weapons. Else I might make yet another fatal mistake.

Scorpio will be by Joker’s side in this battle. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. I’d rather be dead than face him across the battlefield.

“We’ll prove ourselves,” Karma assures him.

But Cross has eyes just for me. Black as they are, they still burn.

“He doesn't look so sure,” Cross says. Meaning me.

I nod. “I’m on your side. To the death.”

Telling lies has always come easily and naturally to me. No matter the pressure or the extent of the lie, I can always make sure I’m believed. That gift has saved my ass many, many timesbefore, and it’s saving me now. Cross looks away and issues a few orders.

Maybe my lie was so believable tonight because it wasn’t really a lie. I will die before I hurt Scorpio or any of his friends.

Cross and his guys leave, followed by Rogue and Unholy. Karma is eyeing me like she’s reading my mind, wearing a look on her face that clearly says she doesn’t like what she’s seeing.

“Don’t do anything dumb tomorrow,” she says. “We’ll get through this. We’ll be fine. Scorpio will forgive us once we explain what we were thinking.”

I stand up and brush the dust off my pants. “Words won’t erase our betrayal. Only actions will.”

She stands up too, her face so close I can practically feel the touch of her lips on my skin. But that’s a pleasure I don’t deserve anymore.

“You have a plan?” she asks excitedly.

But I shake my head. “I’m through making plans. We follow yours.”

Then I walk off into the darkness, hoping she believed that lie, hoping it calmed her down.

My one and only mission tomorrow will be to make sure Scorpio doesn’t get killed and that he knows I am the one whose idea it was to betray him. Knows that Karma was against it. That way maybe they can keep their love. Because I will only destroy it in the end. The way I’ve managed to destroy everything I ever cared about until now.

But this won’t be one of those times. This time, I’ll do it right.

43

Scorpio

Time’s been moving funny since I left Justice to come to Roaring Brook. I’ve either been drunk, or asleep, or in that weird state in between where things are just happening around me and I’m letting them pass me by. It’s a good state. It saves me having to think about anything important. Or anything at all if I don’t want to. There are so many things I don’t want to think about. The war with the Devils isn’t even on the top of my list. I try to be angry. At Karma and Grim. At all the rest of the shit I had to survive. At the Devils. But even that just passes me by.

Trouble is, there’s things I never want to forget. Like that first night Karma gave herself to me under the faint light of the cabin. Or dozing off with her in my arms on all those lazy afternoons by the lake. Or the campsite and my first time with Grim. The way he held back not to hurt me. The way he let go when I asked him to. And everything in between. I don’t want to forget any of it.

And that’s a problem. One that all the whiskey in the world can’t seem to erase. I’m kinda hoping death will. But even then, I’m not sure I won’t just be sent back as a ghost, forced to trailthem around with no chance of ever touching them again. With my luck, that’s likely what will happen.

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