Chapter Ten

Xavier

T he dogs come rushing back as soon as Tallulah is dragged away, and they whimper, scratching at the door, trying to get back to her.

"It's okay, boys," I murmur, and Zeus runs up to the cage, licking my fingers. "I'll look after her. I promise."

I'll save her, too. I won't let her parents ruin her life. And I certainly won't let them take our children.

As much as the thought makes me sick, I'll do whatever it takes to save our marriage. Even if it means giving myself up to my brother to die... or worse.

The dogs lie down at the base of the cage and watch me silently.

"You're loyal, aren't you, mutts," I muse, and Hades barks. "You'll help her, too."

Hades whimpers, and Zeus gets to his feet and sits down next to me, watching me with a mournful look in his big, brown eyes.

"Don't worry," I whisper. "I'll get her back. No matter what it takes."

Time passes slowly in the cage. I manage to fall asleep on the floor, and I wake up to Zeus nuzzling me through the bars, and Heath standing above him.

"Morning," he mutters.

"What are you doing here?" I grumble.

"Your wife is driving me crazy," he says. "We need to talk, Uncle. Have you made your decision?"

"Yes," I grit out. "I'll see Xander. By myself."

"By yourself?" My nephew roars with laughter. "You really do have a death wish. You need help, Xavier. And I can help you. But you must pay the price."

"Never," I say. "You're not having our kids. Figure something else out."

"Maybe I have," he says darkly.

"Oh?" I get up and grip the bars, glaring at him. "And what's that?"

"An eye for an eye, Uncle," he laughs.

"I'm listening."

He smirks, pulling out a knife from his pocket and thoughtfully admiring its serrated edge.

"Do you know that the saying an eye for an eye is widely misunderstood?" he asks as the blade glints under the florescent lighting.

"Enlighten me," I growl.

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind," he recites, his voice laced with contempt. "It's a lie. Because an eye for an eye isn't a punishment, it's an incentive."

"What are you getting at?"

"I'll give you time to say goodbye to your wife, but then, Uncle, it's your choice. Go to Xander alone and die alone... Or return to your wife in one piece." He chuckles. "Well. Mostly."

"You're not cutting out my fucking eye," I hiss.

"Maybe. Or maybe not. It depends how much your life is worth."

"Why can't you just accept my choice and be done with it?"

"Because I've heard things about Xander," Heath says slowly. "He's a monster. If you go see him, you'll be dead before dawn. He'll kill you, Xavier. And then he'll come after my child. Tallulah is innocent."

"Not anymore," I remind him. "You made her into a trained killer."

"She's good, isn't she?" Heath laughs. "Did she tell you about all the people she killed? She's an angel of death."

"I'm not going to discuss this with you," I grunt, turning away.

"Suit yourself," he shrugs. "But you know, it's true. I have the footage. I'll send it to you. Just think, Uncle. You can watch your wife kill innocent people. Or you can agree to my terms, and save you both."

I stare at him. "Why are you so intent on punishing me? I gave you everything you wanted."

"Are you fucking kidding, pendejo?" he snarls. "You tortured me. Left me for dead in an underground fighting ring, where I was pumped full of drugs that altered my mind and nearly killed me. Do you have any idea what that did to me? The years of recovery? The nightmares? The pain? No, Uncle, you haven't given me everything I wanted. So, now I'm taking it."

"Heath..."

"Don't try to justify what you did, because you can't," he growls. "So don't."

I turn away, not wanting him to see the pain etched on my face. I remember my nephew as a kid. Soft, pliable. A walking target.

"I had to toughen you up," I say. "It's why I took you."

"You jailed me and you fucked with my mind, and you made me into something I never wanted to be."

"You're just as bad as me," I growl.

"No," Heath spits. "You tried to make me that way. But it didn't work, did it? I haven't grown into the monster you tried to make me, despite your best efforts."

"Yet you're taking a page out of my book now," I say, a hint of pride sneaking into my voice.

"I've learned from the best," he shrugs. "So what will it be, Xavier? Your eye... or your life?"

" T hank you for joining me," my nephew smirks as I'm led into his study in shackles.

"Not that I had much of a choice," I hiss.

"You did," he reminds me. "You chose this."

He beckons me with his finger and I roll my eyes, but Liberato shoves me forward, and I follow, sitting down across from him.

"I'll free you," Heath says. "But only if you do exactly as I say. Agreed?"

"No," I hiss.

He laughs out loud. "So feisty. That's why I like you, Uncle. You're crazy. But not as crazy as I am."

"No," I repeat. "I'm not signing over my life to you."

"Then I guess Tallulah will never be freed."

"Why are you doing this?" I ask. "Is it really all about revenge? Because you think I mistreated you?"

"You did mistreat me," he growls. "You were cruel. Sadistic. You tried to mold me into a killer. And you almost succeeded."

"Almost."

"I have no desire to be a monster like you," he hisses. "But I will allow myself this little indulgence."

He points to a glass jar on his desk, and I follow his gaze to it. Clear liquid fills the glass. I don't need to ask what it's for.

"When's the surgery?" I ask coolly.

"Oh, I changed my mind about that," he smirks. "No surgery."

"How else are you going to remove my fucking eye?" I hiss.

"With this," he says, pointing at a needle.

"I'm not a fucking heroin addict," I snap.

"You're going to want the anesthetic," Heath smirks. "Trust me. You might be tough, Uncle, but even you will want some kind of relief."

"I want to say goodbye," I grunt.

"No," he shakes his head. "You can't see her."

"What?"

"This is what happens when you betray me," he snarls, leaning forward and baring his teeth at me like some mad dog. "Be glad I'm not making Tallulah pry it out herself."

"Then who will?" I demand.

He smiles. "Someone who needs to learn how cruel, dark and unforgiving the cartel world really is."

"No," I hiss.

"Oh, yes," he laughs, pulling a knife out of his pocket and flipping the blade open. "Rain, come in."

The door opens and Rain confidently strides inside, wearing a dark red dress and an even darker smirk. "Hello, Xavier."

I glance at my nephew. "She's not trained for this. She'll kill me."

Heath shrugs. "Too fucking bad."

Rain lays a hand on my shoulder and I shrug her off. She just laughs as I glare at her husband.

"Ready for the anesthetic?" Heath asks.

"No," I growl. "Uncuff me first. Let's get this over with."

"Liberato, uncuff him," Heath orders, and his man does as he's told.

"Take off your shirt, Xavier. Wouldn't want it all bloody, would you?" Rain says, and I rip my shirt off and toss it on the ground, not breaking eye contact with my nephew.

"Sit down," Heath orders, and Rain takes her place beside him.

I sit down in the chair. Heath walks behind me, and suddenly his hand is in my hair and his knife is against my throat.

"Listen to me, pendejo," he growls. "You're mine, now. You're going to do exactly as I say. Got it?"

I smirk. "Give me a knife, Heath."

"Why?" he snarls, blade digging into my skin.

"I'll do it," I hiss. "I'll cut it out."

"Fuck no," he growls, letting go of my hair.

He steps back and the needle is plunged into my neck. Everything starts to swim, and my body goes numb.

"Now, Xavier," Heath whispers, his voice a distant echo. "You're going to stay quiet and still. Because if you don't, the next one goes in your eye."

"Fuck you," I growl, but he just laughs and presses the blade against my throat again.

"Ready?"

"No."

"Too bad," he laughs.

"Don't forget what you're here to do," he orders his wife.

"How could I forget?" she asks, her voice a whisper.

The room spins around me, and my eyelids feel heavy.

"Just one more thing," Heath says. "If you try to escape, I will hunt you down and kill you."

"You can try," I rasp.

I'm becoming dizzier by the second, but I'm still taller, stronger and smarter than my nephew. My hands shake, but I still grab him by the wrist. I squeeze until I hear a pop and Heath snarls, dropping the knife on the desk before me.

I grab it, the handle cold in my sweaty palms.

"I'm not letting your incompetent wife fucking butcher me," I say. "I'll do it myself. Get it over with."

"Fine," Heath says, and the next thing I know, a cloth is shoved in my mouth. Heath smirks at me. "To keep the screams down."

I hold the knife in front of me. I'm about to cut out my own eye. I'd do that and much more for my wife.

I look up at my nephew. "Which one do you want? Left or right?"

"Surprise me," he laughs.

I bring the knife closer to my face and take a deep breath.

"Good luck," Heath smirks.

I dig the tip of the blade into my eyeball, and scream.

Chapter 11

Tallulah

The door opens and Xavier stumbles inside. I cry out, running toward him. He falls into my arms and I sink to the floor, holding him tight.

"Xavier, baby, what happened?"

"Nothing," he grunts.

I pull back and look at his face. His left eye is covered in a bandage.