Lykos ✓

Chapter Twenty Nine | Stakes

The death of an enemy always brought about a rush of power through Rafael's veins. There was something that was indescribable about the highs of a sated blood lust. His eyes were golden, his wolf edging to come out and create more havoc. Erai had been on his list since the day he stumbled through Aiko's nightmares. The man had it coming for all the scars he had given, both physically and otherwise. Aiko had watched her worst nightmare fall from grace by the hands of Rafael.

It was wishful thinking for peace.

Micah sighed at the sight of another dead body. He made sure to keep Sandra from venturing out to see the mess. He knew where Rafael's head was. It was always the same. Life was one massive game of 3D chess and a key player just got kicked off the board. Rafael knew the words on the tip of Micah's tongue before he had said them.

"I told you so," Micah relished in the moment. There were not many moments in which Micah could predict the outcome in the Mafia world, since he never paid too much attention to the details, but the lines had been blurred between the worlds and things were only about to get more chaotic.

"I don't know where he is."

"So, you're just paying Tally to play games? We both know that's bullshit. We need him. He's our brother," Micah replied. There would always be an uphill fight when it came to getting Rafael and Theron on the same continent.

"I still won't be able to get him here. You know he will run at the sight of us and fight us at every turn," Rafael reminded Micah. However, Micah had been planning for a long time in case of an emergency.

"Interesting, but you forget we are currently arguing over the dead body of one of our opponents." Rafael's hands were still coated in blood from the moment he tore out the heart of Erai.

Micah sighed again, and muttered, "Let's get this cleaned up. We will talk again soon. Very soon."

Rafael ignored him. He didn't want to debate the topic any longer. Right now, he was on top of the world and Micah was just pestering him, without actually getting through to him. In this moment of time, Rafael considered himself indestructible.

~*~

Talia had heard the commotions from outside the library. She knew better than to investigate. The last thing she want was to be dragged deeper within the web, or simply lose everything by taking a wrong step. Instead she positioned herself to face the door, with a knife in hand. She pulled her hood on. Aiko had left the library a few moments earlier so it could very well involve her. The element of surprise might not be on her side, but she knew would fight, kicking and stabbing before she could get dragged deeper into this dark world.

Waiting was the worst activity to do when the fate of a life was hanging on its balance.

More than once, she wished that the security system included live camera feed in the Lykos Estate, but Rafael had refused. The less evidence to erase the better, he claimed. Talia knew it was for the protection of the illegal projects. Maybe it was easier to get rid of bodies when there weren't cameras watching. It sure made it harder to know what was going on around the corner.

Deals, death and deceit were common occurrences in the Lykos Estate.

The door opened.

It was only Micah. Talia's grip on the knife loosened. She didn't know his intentions just yet.

"I'm sure you're wondering about the noise," Micah said, while he looked over his shoulder, as if he was waiting for someone to appear. She knew better than to ask more questions. It was easier to deny things with a lack of knowledge.

"Not really."

"Ah, ok." The room quickly became awkward. Micah wanted to say something more. Talia wasn't going to make it easy for him. She preferred not to interact with him. He was so close to her boss, that she needed to stay on her best behaviour. That best behaviour didn't include polite small talk.

Micah shook his head and decided to take a seat at the desk that Rafael had been working at. She watched him from the corner of her eye and had resumed fake working. He pulled up some windows on the screen that had code running and acted as if she was absorbed in the machine language. Not too long after Micah had joined her in the library, did Rafael enter. He had changed and his hair was wet.

~*~

"Micah, get out of my chair." Rafael hadn't even glanced in Micah's direction.

"No, I rather like it here. My plan. My seat," Micah replied childishly. The seat thing was just an excuse for Rafael to avoid the real reason Micah was here.

"It's my seat."

"The plan to get Theron is quite simple. We send her in as bait." Micah pointed at Talia. He didn't give Rafael a chance to dive into the seat argument. He was pulling the strings right now and his brother needed to listen.

"No."

"She is the only one to come back alive after so long. There is no one else." The brothers both knew about Talia's little holiday to their family home. The family home was an island. Micah liked to keep tabs on his younger brother, Theron, so when he decided to take a girl home, it was hot news.

"He could always kill her on sight." Rafael didn't budge.

"I have a feeling he won't kill her," Micah lied. He worked on facts, not mystical feelings. His instinct gave nothing away when it came to sending Talia into the wolf's den. Usually, he knew they would be dead but this time not so much.

"How much do you want to bet?" Rafael tried to steer the conversation.

"Oh, you want to bet after losing to me already once today." Micah had learnt a few tricks over the years.

Rafael growled.

"Get his location and send her. I believe we will have a positive outcome." Micah instructed.

"He's wild. Wilder than us. There is no predictable outcome." The truth was in sight. They needed him and the cost was high.

"Just do it. The stakes are high, and you know I'm right." Micah stood up and left the library with those words.

Rafael sat down in his seat and sighed. Talia had heard everything even though she had tried to make herself as invisible as possible. There wasn't much to really discuss. It was up to Rafael and his decision is law in this world.

"Tally, we need you to get someone," Rafael order. He sat up, waiting for her to argue or scream at him. The stakes were high. Her life was on the balance.

"If I go through with this and I survive, our deal will be breached," she calmly replied. Her safety was on the line. The one thing she wanted when she was approached by him.

"I know." Rafael was about to lose an asset in more ways than one, yet Micah was correct and there was no other way.

"I understand."

Talia was going to be their sacrificial lamb and she didn't have any choice. 

~*~

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