Page 34 of Depraved

The words were practically carved into my bones.

But I couldn't do it. Not here, not now. Not with my mother watching, her eyes wide and fearful as she took in the dangerous men surrounding us. I forced my hand to relax, plastering on a brittle smile as I turned to face her.

"Mom, these are... myassociates," I said, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "They're here to help keep us safe."

Claudia nodded hesitantly, her gaze darting between the faces in the room. I could see the questions burning in her eyes, the struggle to reconcile the daughter she remembered with the woman I'd become.

"It's nice to meet you all," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sarah snorted, her golden hair catching the fading sunlight as she tossed her head. "Associates? Please. Let's call a spade a spade, shall we?According to the intel I received thismorning, they're not just your associates anymore. They're your underlings."

The words hung in the air, heavy and charged. I could feel my mother's eyes on me, wide with confusion and a hint of fear. The muscles in my jaw clenched as I fought to keep my expression neutral.

Gage stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the hardwood floor with a sound like nails on a chalkboard. "What?" he demanded, his voice rough with shock. "What happened? Is Raul alright?"

I kept my glare on Sarah, fury bubbling up inside me. How dare she? This wasn't her story to tell, it wasn't her moment to steal. The bruises on her neck seemed to darken under my gaze, a reminder of what happened to those who crossed me.

“You might want to consider how I got there in the first place, little girl. I have no problem taking you out back and putting you down like a dog.”

Sarah blanched at my threat, her hand instinctively moving towards her gun. But before she could respond, Alex let out a low whistle. "Easy there, ladies. As much as I'd love to see a good fight, maybe we should focus on the matter at hand. Layla’s the boss lady now, so we might as well get that established right now."

My mother's hand flew to her mouth. "Layla," she whispered, her voice trembling. "What is he talking about?"

I looked to Gage instead. His shoulders were heaving with every breath, his eyes blazing. “Raul is dead, and he named me as his successor. The family is mine now."

The silence that followed was deafening. Gage looked like he'd been punched in the gut, his face a mask of cold disbelief and something that might have been regret and grief. But again, why the fuck did he care if Raul was dead? He’d spent the last year lying to us all, collecting information and feeding it to thefucking cops. Raul would have slaughtered him with his bare fucking hands.

"Jesus Christ," Gage muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I never thought... How did it happen?"

I met his gaze coldly. "Does it matter? He's dead. I'm in charge now. End of story."

Sarah let out a bitter laugh. "Well isn't that just perfect. The princess becomes queen. I'm sure you're thrilled to inherit daddy's blood money empire."

The sharp crack of the gunshot shattered the tense silence. The acrid scent of cordite filled the air as Sarah's eyes widened in shock. For a split second, she stood frozen, her mouth opening in a silent scream. Then her legs buckled and she crumpled to the floor, clutching at her thigh as blood began to seep between her fingers.

My mother's scream pierced the air. The sound grated against my nerves, but I forced myself to remain still, my gun still trained on Sarah's writhing form. From the corner of my eye, I saw Gage take a single step forward, only to be restrained by River's arm across his chest.

"You fucking psycho!" Sarah snarled through gritted teeth, her face contorted with pain and rage. "You shot me!"

I smiled coldly, cocking my head to the side. "Be grateful it was just your leg. Next time, I won't be so nice."

Claudia stumbled to her feet, her face ashen as she stared at me in horror. "Layla, what have you done?"

I turned to face my mother, my gun still warm in my hand. Her eyes were wide with horror, her face ashen as she stared at me like she was seeing a stranger. In a way, I suppose she was.

"This is who I am now, mom," I said, my voice steady and cold. "I'm not that little girl you lost all those years ago. That Layla died in a shipping container." I gestured around the room with my free hand, taking in the blood-spattered floor, the tensefaces of my men. "This is my world. Violence, power, control. I've crawled my way up from nothing, fought and bled and killed to get where I am. And I'mnotsorry for it."

"Raul saw my potential. He gave me the tools to survive—to thrive in a world that would have chewed me up and spit me out. He made me strong. I know this isn't what you wanted for me. You probably dreamed of a daughter with a normal life—college, a respectable job, maybe a husband and kids. But that was never in the cards for me, and it never, ever will be."

Her eyes darted around the room, taking in the blood-spattered floor, Sarah's writhing form, the tense, dangerous men surrounding us. "I think..." Claudia began, her voice trembling. She paused, swallowing hard as she fought to regain her composure. "I think I need to lie down."

Her legs buckled suddenly, and Sarge was there, his massive frame seeming to materialize beside her in an instant. He caught her gently, supporting her weight with ease. Sarge looked at me questioningly. I nodded, gesturing towards the hallway. "Let her rest."

He carried my unconscious mother from the room, and I turned back to the others. Sarah was still on the floor, her face pale with pain as she clutched at her bleeding thigh. Gage knelt beside her, his jaw clenched as he applied pressure to the wound.

"Get her patched up," I ordered, my voice cold. "And when she's coherent, make sure she understands that the next time she opens her mouth, it'll be the last thing she ever does."

Gage's eyes met mine, narrowing slightly. "Layla this isn't you. I know you're pissed, but?—"

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