Nausea and a pain I can’t identify wash over me.
My Kratos.
The words are like chains that never left my wrists and ankles.
Amaya’s eyebrows lift. “No, it’s not fear that keeps you from hurting me.”
My reality bends, like watching heat pulse off a parking lot in July.
“I think it’s that you still care too much,” she purrs. “That’s it, isn’t it—”
With a loud snarl, I wrench myself away, taking a step back as I glare pure hate at her.
It’s not fear of repercussions. And it’s not that I give a single fuck about her.
The only thing stopping me from snapping Amaya’s neck with my bare hands is that I’m fairly sure touching her at all will shove me into a hole so deep I’ll never climb back out again.
“Kratos—”
“Why are you fucking here?” I snarl savagely—so much so that she flinches a little. But she recovers again, smirking haughtily at me.
“You’ve been ignoring my calls.”
“And I’ll continue to do so,” I snap. “We have nothing to discuss. Stay the fuck away from me.”
She smiles. “We both know that’s not an option for you. Not when you were such a naughty boy.” She wags her finger at me. “Need I remind you that you sold guns to a United States CIA officer, Kratos? Being naughty like that has its consequences.”
Amaya grins.
“Luckily for you, because of our”…she smirks up at me…“history…”
My head swims again.
Be a good boy for me, Kratos…
We’re not done yet…
You’ll never find anyone like me. No one will love you like me…
My thoughts glitch as I rip myself back into the present.
“I have a way out for you, Kratos.”
I don’t respond. Amaya eyes me steadily.
“It involves your engagement to that silly little mafia ballerina princess.”
Alarm bells whine in my head.
“Tell me, Kratos,” Amaya murmurs quietly. “Does she know what you are? Would you dare show her the darkness I know you’ve still got inside—”
“Careful, witch,” I snarl with a venom that catches even me a little off-guard.
Amaya’s mouth curls.
“I found that bigger fish I was telling you about, Kratos.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your bride-to-be is a direct line to Vito Barone. And through him, all five families of The Commission.”
I bark a cold laugh.
“You’re fucking insane, you miserable cunt,” I snap. “Not in a million years. And as you yourself said…” I snarl into her face. “Your invitation seems to have been lost. So I’d suggest fucking off.”
I turn to leave, but her voice stops me.
“Walk away and this deal expires. Immediately. And you won’t have to worry about marrying that girl you clearly don’t give a shit about, because you’ll be in prison, along with the rest of your family.”
Pure rage consumes me. In a flash, I’m whirling, storming over to Amaya, grabbing her by the high neck of her gown, and slamming her back into the wall.
I relish the flicker of real fear that burns in her eyes as I snarl down into her face with my teeth bared.
“Listen to me very fucking carefully, you miserable piece of shit,” I spit. “I do not take threats against my family lightly.”
“Then perhaps it’s time you take what I’m saying a bit more fucking seriously,” she snaps back. “You’re going to do this for me, Kratos. Use the girl to get to her father, and get me access—a bug, a mole, anything—to the Barone family and The Commission. If you make me happy, maybe I can forget about those pesky gun charges.”
I go cold as her hand wraps around my wrist, her eyes locking with mine.
