Page 14 of Volatile Obsessions

“Her? Right, funny.” I chuckled, only to fall abruptly silent at his stoic expression.

“I’m serious,” he deadpanned.

What the fuck?

“Your big, bad drug lord is a bird?” Amusement and partial intrigue practically dripped off my query.

Alright, fuck, full-on intrigue.

Vic hummed in satisfaction and dropped back on his desk, that eerie, despicable smirk curling his lips. He knew he had me, again. “Yep—Queen of Miami if you wanna get into specifics. Beautiful bitch...but lethal as hell. And before you ask,” he cocked his head to one side, “no, you can’t fuck her. You don’t even stand a chance. Trust me when I say you don’t want to either. She’s psychotic; pure evil to the absolute core. Chew you up and spit you out kind of broad.”

I huffed knowingly, moving toward the decanter of whiskey sitting on his bookshelf. Fucker hadn’t even offered me a drink when I arrived. “Sure you’re not embellishing to keep her for yourself, Kane?” I questioned, flipping over one of the sparkling glasses.

We’d been here before hence my asking.

“Hell no. Way too fucking crazy for my liking.”

“That’s what you said about Nadia,” I reminded him.

A nonchalant hitch of his shoulders was my response, his eyes steady on the fact I was helping myself to his alcohol. He didn’t seem pleased and I didn’t give a fuck. “You don’t have to take my word for it, Rome, I’m just trying to spare you from the chaos that is Lux Mercier. She’ll rot what's left of your soul from the inside out, without an ounce of remorse.”

I almost rolled my eyes. Was he for real?Did he not realize he sounded like a ginormous pussy?

“So, am I supposed to be afraid of her or some shit?” I laughed, swiveling toward him with glass in hand, my palm flush to the polished wood. “How bad can she be? She’s a female for fucks sake.”

“A female with a lot of man power. Really, just power in general. Lux is not an easy broad to subdue and she doesn’t scare easily. She’s smart, too, always five steps ahead. Bringing her to her knees is going to take an impenetrable plan and precise tactics.”

Precise tactics my dick. He’s scared of her.

Pathetic.

“Wanna know what I think?” I asked, pushing off toward him. “I think you have this girl on some non-existent, deranged pedestal. She’s a female, Kane—a fe-male. Take what’s yours and be done with it. What’s the worst she could do?”

Vic chuckled, his shoulders bobbing around as if I were the one talking crazy.

“This bitch could start the motherfucking apocalypse. Trust me, Rome. She’s not someone you wanna pick a fight with.”

“Ohhhh, she sounds so scawyyy,” I joked.

It really was a joke though. The relentless and ruthless Vic Kane was afraid of a chick. Quite priceless, if you asked me.

Maybe a little ironic, too.

“You see, this,” he motioned toward me, as appeased as ever. “This, is exactly why I need you. My warning means absolutely nothing to you. If anything, it’s luring you right into my plan. Now that you know who she is, you’re interested as hell to find out more about her, am I right?”

Yes…

But I wasn’t going to admit that. I’d fallen deep enough into his clutches as it is. While he regarded me curiously, awaiting my answer, I dropped down into the nearest seat and took another sip of my drink, my mind racing in a dozen different directions.

Who was this infamous Lux Mercier and what kind of damage had she done on Vic? He could bullshit me all wanted but I knew his motives weren’t just strictly business; they were personal above all else. I could feel it, smell it oozing off him.

But he didn’t need to know of my sixth sense. I’d keep that little morsel of intel to myself. Could come in handy later on down the line should this entire scheme crumble to the ground.

“Exactly,” he concluded, clapping his hands together. “So now my question is, are you in…or out?”

A smile slithered across his face as I contemplated my answer. Running the tips of my fingers along my stubble-dusted jaw, I watched him sharply, noting the nefarious glimmer in his eyes. What looked like hope with a hint of coercion, too. The man was hanging by a thread, pleading with satan himself that’d I’d firmly agree this time around so he could lock me in and throw away the key.

Did I really want to do this?

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