Page 19 of Mex

So, they’re not going to be very welcoming.

Still, it’s my only option.

I can’t make it obvious, though.

If Mex gets ahold of me again, I can’t just cave, give him what he wants and be on my merry way. No, I need to get an in with him, like a real one. I need to get close to him, have him trust me just a smidge, and then I need to find out exactly what it is they’re planning. To do that, I’ll need a little time. If he suspects it’s an act, he’ll have my head and I’ll be done for.

So, I need to be smart.

Exhaling, I push open the door that leads to the dark, gloomy office in the underground fighting ring that my mother operates. She’s usually in here, looking over the ring, twisting the bracelet on her wrist as she stares down at the bloodshed below. This is only one of the operations she has running; she also sells drugs, guns and anything else you can possibly come up with. Alongside of that, she works with Marek in human trafficking, so that’s wonderful.

She’s dangerous, she’s scary, and she’s not the kind of woman you’d double cross.

People have tried, oh, have they tried.

A woman simply cannot be more powerful than a man, and because of that, many have tried to dethrone her, so to speak. They learned very quickly that while she might be a woman, she has the soul of a snake and a heart of stone. She has more blood on her hands than an ancient king. Of that, I’m sure. Not to mention the army of men she has behind her – you don’t get to take her down and walk out alive.

The door creaks as I push it farther open, stepping into the quiet, abandoned office. She isn’t here, and people are starting to get frantic about that. They want to know where she is, they want to keep their business, their deals, and they want their money. I’ve had to step in and take the reins but being away from this place while Mex kept me in his little container will have no doubt unleashed chaos.

I don’t even know where to start.

“Where the fuck is she?”

Turning, I see her second in charge and all-around terrifying partner, Death. I’ve always known him as Death; in fact, I couldn’t tell you his real name. He has been a fixture in my dark and terrifying life since I was a child. I’m certain he and my mother are somewhat of a twisted item. He carries out all the business dealings for her, hence the nickname. He is dangerous, he is horrifying, and he isn’t happy she isn’t here.

“I don’t know,” I say, pushing open the laptop on her desk. “If I knew, I wouldn’t be standing here dealing with all this shit.”

Death steps into the room, his eyes hard and unwavering.

I glance at him.

Once, I would shudder when he stepped into a room. Now I’ve become somewhat numb to it. With his eerie yellow eyes, dark olive skin, and raven-black hair, he has this look that is almost inhuman. His body is large, well built and covered in tattoos. They creep all the way up his neck and some even cover his lower jaw. He has scars on most parts of his body, and he’s always wearing a black coat that I know, for a damned fact, is loaded with weapons.

“Somethin’ is wrong, and I want to know what the fuck it is. She has never gone MIA for this long. She isn’t answerin’ my calls. I need to know whatever the fuck it is you know, Acacia.”

“In case you haven’t fucking noticed,” I growl, “I haven’t been here, Death. I have been locked up in some crazy person’s container because they were looking for her, too. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to try and stop a war from breaking out during her absence.”

“Who?” he growls.

“Don’t go trying to be all fatherly,” I mutter. “It is none of your concern.”

I know Death would have my back if I needed it. He has always been a presence in my life, and there have been times I’ve needed him and he has shown up. I guess you could say he is like a father to me, in some warped reality. I also know that if my mother wanted it, he would end me without a second thought. To him, she is all he lives for. I’ll never understand how he can love such a fucking monster, but here we are.

“Someone has your fucking mother, Acacia, and if they’re layin’ hands on you, too, then it’s serious.”

“Let’s focus on trying to figure out how to stop this place unraveling and then we can work out where the fuck she has gone.”

“I’ve got everything handled; nothin’ is going to unravel. There are a lot of people that want to lay eyes on her, and there is only so long I can hold that off.”

Don’t I know it.

“Have you got any idea where she went?” I question, meeting his gaze.

“Last time I saw her, she was goin’ to do an exchange. Never came back. I’ve gone over it a million fuckin’ times, and there is nothin’ to indicate that she met harm.”

Pursing my lips, I mutter, “People are good at hiding things. I would go back. Bring whoever she did the exchange with in and get some answers.”

“You don’t think I’ve done that?” he snarls, baring his teeth like a wild animal.

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