THE DARE | BWWM 18+ (editing)

xlii - bittersweet betrayal

M A R I A

____________________

I saw it all.

Iris is a cold-blooded killer and my daughter is calling her mama?

I've hated her since I met her because she's stealing my life. She stole my house, my man, and now she's stealing my daughter.

It's a good thing I was trying to see Bella because I would've never seen Iris' true colors. I can see why Leo likes her, she's just as crazy as he is. But now that I know he likes his women crazy, I'm just gonna have to be crazier.

Instead of going inside the house, I get back in my car and make my way to an old friend of mine. He's always been helpful so he's the perfect person needed to take care of this situation.

I really shouldn't be driving considering my license got suspended and I just snorted way too much of the powdery stuff, but that's never stopped me before and this is very important.

After running a few red lights and hitting a couple of curbs, I arrive at his house and make my way to the front door. Before I can even ring the doorbell, the door swings open and my old friend greets me.

"Maria? I almost didn't recognize you," he says as soon as he sees me. "I honestly never thought that I'd see you again."

"Never say never right?" He opens the door wider and he lets me in. "So I need your help."

"Straight to business huh? I thought you came here for something else. You remember the old days?" I know exactly what he's talking about.

"Of course I do, but I'm not here to talk about how I used to cheat on Leo with you."

"You never told him. Did you?" He asks me as he squints his eyes. He already knows the answer but he wants to hear the answer from me.

"Of course not. It's why I had to get rid of the baby when I first got pregnant. If I kept it, Leo would've known that it wasn't his when I gave birth, and I'd be exposed."

"You really are sneaky. What do you want Maria?"

"Iris James. She's becoming a problem. She stole my life, my man-"

"Wait. This is about you getting Leo back? You got the nerve to pine after him, even though you cheated on him for years?" I make a face and he throws his hands up in defense. "But everyone has their own issues, so carry on."

"I want him back and- wait? Is that a new tattoo?" I look at the devil horns tattooed on his left hand.

"You mean tattoos sweetheart." He takes off his suit to reveal devil horns tattooed all over his body.

I step closer to him and start to trace them with my index finger. "What do they mean?" I ask curiously. They have to be significant for him to have gotten them tattooed that many times.

"Didn't you hear? There's a new devil in town, and you're looking at him." Hot.

"Well, I need you to do your devilish thing and get rid of Iris. Make her disappear. Kill her. Put her in an insane asylum. I don't care. I just want her wiped off the face of the fucking planet."

"Are you jealous of her Maria?" He asks and I scoff.

"Jealous? Of who? Of Iris? She's nothing but a gold-digging little bitch. She's half of what I am, and she doesn't deserve to have what was meant for me. I just want her gone so I can get my life back."

"Yeah, you're definitely jealous. I can't help but wonder if it's because your mama used to pimp you out to make money, and this is how you cope. Or if you're this way because your daddy left before you were even born."