Chapter 5 Dragged into the Mess

The air in the living room was thick with tension. Beads of sweat rolled down the victims’ temples as they shivered, watching the masked predators circle them like vultures.

Kyla lounged comfortably on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, casually caressing the gun in her hand. Her men dragged Juliet and Grandmother Louis closer. Juliet’s face burned with rage, while the older woman sobbed quietly.

“Do you know who I am, Juliet?” Kyla asked, her voice soft but dangerous.

Juliet glared at her. “What do you want from me? The last time I checked, I didn’t owe you anything.”

“You’re right. But someone very dear to you does,” Kyla cooed, leaning forward until their faces were inches apart. “Where is The Mask?”

Juliet let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t tell me you came all the way here just to ask me that—”

Slap!

Kyla’s hand struck hard across Juliet’s face. She grabbed the woman’s jaw, fingers digging painfully into her skin. “Do you think I’m here to joke around? I’ll ask you one last time — where the hell is your husband?”

“I don’t know!” Juliet snapped.

Kyla raised her hand again, but a desperate voice stopped her.

“Stop! Don’t hit her!”

Evans groaned as he forced his head up, glaring at the masked woman. Unlike her men, whose faces were fully covered, Kyla only wore a mask over her nose. Her golden-brown eyes glowed with fury, and her long hair cascaded freely over her shoulders.

She chuckled, rising gracefully to her feet. Her steps were slow and predatory as she approached him. Evans was pinned to the floor, hands tightly bound behind his back.

She crouched in front of him, studying his face. “What did you say?”

“You heard me,” Evans said, trying to sound brave even as fear crept into his voice. “You don’t have to hit her.”

Kyla smirked. “Hmm… sounds like you know something.” She tilted her head. “So tell me, where is The Mask?”

“I… I don’t—”

Her boot slammed into his chest. Evans gasped in pain.

Before he could recover, she punched him hard in the nose, then grabbed his jaw, forcing him to look directly into her eyes.

“You’ve just made my job easier, bastard.” She shoved him back to the floor and stood. “We’re done here.”

She turned to Bruce. “They’re all yours.”

Bruce pulled out a knife and walked toward the two terrified women with a malicious grin.

“And the guy?” Jade asked.

Kyla smirked and struck Evans hard on the head with the butt of her gun. He collapsed instantly.

“We’re taking him with us.”

As Kyla walked out of the mansion, the night air was filled with the dying screams of Juliet and Grandmother Louis as their throats were slit.

Evan’s POV

A sharp beam of sunlight hit my face. I groaned, forcing my eyes open, only to squeeze them shut again. My entire body felt like it had been run over by a truck.

I tried to move, but thick ropes bit into my wrists and chest. I was tied to a wooden chair. The room was dark and damp, with only a small window near the ceiling letting in a sliver of light.

Memories flooded back — masked men storming the mansion, gunshots, the guards dropping dead, and then that woman’s cold eyes before everything went black.

What happened to Juliet and Grandmother? Were they… killed?

I swallowed hard, my throat dry and painful.

“I thought you were never going to wake up,” a deep voice chuckled from the shadows. “Too bad you did.”

A heavily built man stepped into the light. He was muscular, bearded, with a scar on his forehead. He looked like he could break me in half without trying.

“Why am I here?” I croaked, my voice hoarse.

The man smirked and began wrapping a cloth tightly around his knuckles. “You shouldn’t be asking questions. You should be answering them.”

He loved this. I could see it in his eyes.

“You watch movies, right? You know what this is for.” He flexed his wrapped fist. “I enjoy it when people panic… just like you’re doing now.”

Bam!

His fist crashed into my already broken nose. Blood sprayed. Another punch followed, then another. I gasped for air, tasting copper in my mouth.

“Why are you doing this?!” I cried, spitting blood. “I haven’t seen my father in five years! He’s a ghost to me. I don’t know where he is! Please… I just want to go back to school. I have a normal life. Please let me go!”

My pleas only made him laugh harder. Each punch grew heavier. The room started spinning. My head lolled forward as darkness crept in.

Is this how I die?

The last thing I saw was my mother’s face — smiling in that skimpy dress she always wore. Then the world went black.

“Mum…” I whispered, before everything faded.

Bruce knocked on the door of Kyla’s private quarters.

“Who is it?” her voice called.

“It’s Bruce.”

“Come in.”

He stepped inside and froze for a second. Kyla stood in front of her dressing mirror wearing nothing but a sheer, see-through robe that left almost nothing to the imagination. The delicate fabric clung to her curves, revealing the smooth skin of her back and thighs.

Bruce swallowed hard, fighting the obvious reaction in his body. He had seen her naked before, and many other women in the clan, but something about Kyla always hit differently.

She turned around, folding her arms under her breasts, and raised an eyebrow.

“He still hasn’t talked,” Bruce reported, clearing his throat. “He claims he hasn’t seen his father in five years.”

Kyla chuckled softly. “The Mask has always been good at hiding things from his sons.”

Bruce frowned. “This isn’t Donald, Boss.”

“I know,” she said, pulling a file from her drawer. “His name is Evans Marshal. Born out of wedlock. I did my research days ago. I wasn’t expecting to find him there, though. He was supposed to be in Los Angeles.”

She handed Bruce the file. “We’ll keep him here until we get to his father. In the meantime… give him something to keep his nerves active.” A dangerous smile played on her lips. “Make it hard labor.”

Bruce nodded, understanding exactly what she meant.

“As you wish, Boss.”

He turned to leave, but not before stealing one last glance at her barely covered body.