|| Elizabeth ||

My hand shivered as I stared at the floor, which was covered with large planks. I had never killed even an animal before, but now, I will have to kill a man. My elder brother and Dad's death wouldn't go unavenged. I lifted my gaze again towards the table, and the weapons were still lying there. My breathing increased, and I struggled to get up.

“I need to clean this mess,” I muttered as I stared at my puddle of vomit.

Cross sighed, “Not to worry, my men will handle it. Come forward”.

I dragged my legs and wobbled towards him. I used the back of my hand to wipe my lips. I couldn't even bring myself to stare at anything. The ground was more of a convenient and comfortable sight for me to behold.

“Look at him,” Cross ordered, his chilly tone cutting through the already tensed air.

I slowly lifted my gaze and stared at the man, who wasn't far from death. My stomach churned again as I stared at the bruises on his face.

“What do I do to him? He betrayed me, betrayed the syndicate just like your father did,” Cross asked.

A sharp pain spread through my heart, and another round of dizziness hit me again. I slowly inched backwards and rested on the wall. Now, I was close to the small table, and I needed a perfect opportunity to grab the knife.

“I deserve to know why you killed my father,” I managed to say.

He chuckled, “He betrayed me!”

“How, what happened? Did my brother betray you, too? Or was it your plan all along to kill my dad and brother, then kidnap me in the name of marriage?” My heart skipped as those words escaped my mouth.

I glanced at him, and his face was just blank. If my words had any effect on him, he didn't show it.

“Little bride, I'm glad we are having this conversation now,” He said and dragged an empty stool. He placed it and lowered his weight on it. “Sit down”.

“I'm okay,” I replied, but I remembered his earlier warning. I slowly pushed the weapons to one side and lowered my ass on the table. My face was still downcast.

The room was silent for a moment except for the groans from the tortured man.

“Hey, man, I'm trying to have a conversation with my wife. Can you do me a favour and keep mute?” Cross spared him a glance.

He shook his head with pleading eyes and bit his lower lip in a bid to conceal his voice. But even his breath was very heavy.

“Just kill him, please,” I whimpered.

Cross chuckled in amazement, “I should kill him?”

I struggled to speak, but there was a dry patch in my throat. I swallowed and took a deep breath, “You will still kill him by the way. So, why torture him? Just show him mercy, please”.

I buried my face in my palms, staying in the room was torture itself. Perhaps, this was the way my elder brother was tortured. I imagined him being strung to the ceiling and pressure being applied to his wounds so he could spill out the truth about the alleged betrayal. The thought of it sent a quick jolt to my heart, and anger seethed through my veins.

There was a knock which distracted my thoughts, and I lifted my gaze to the door. A man walked in, he wore a singlet and a pair of jeans. He was the one who shot Kelvin, and I stared at him with rage.

“I got them,” He said as he walked towards Cross. He handed a small case to him and walked out without saying anything.

“His name is Kane; he is my second in command,” Cross mumbled as he slowly opened the case.

I stole a glance and spotted two shiny gold rings. Cross pulled one out, the gold ring with a devil mask engraved and wore it. He then stared at me and beckoned me to come to him.

“Because of the urgency of our wedding, I couldn't get a ring in time. When your mom signed the wedding contract, I had to call one of my guys to get it done,” He whispered gently.

I got up and approached him, and he signalled to me to stretch my right hand. He then held it and slowly shoved the pink star diamond ring into my third finger.

“You're wearing a ring worth sixty million dollars. Be very careful.” There was a creepy smile on his face.

For a moment, a smile crept on my face. I grew up in wealth, so I knew these vanities as much as I knew my name. The flawless pink shone so bright, drawing me into its aesthetic world. The reality of the moment then crept in, and I stared at the table, which was a few inches from me. My eyes searched his body, and I settled for his neck. Just one deep stab was enough to end this.

“Your father and I were business partners. We used to traffic young boys about the age of thirteen to fifteen to Gaza. When Palestine was smoking Gaza, Gaza was running out of manpower. So, we got into a trade with them.” Cross heaved.

He pulled out a stick of Cuban and searched his pocket. I knew he was searching for his lighter. But I was still processing what he just said. To the best of my knowledge, my Dad was a businessman who was into oil and gas.

“My Dad was a legitimate man; he never got himself involved in dirty deals,” I managed to blurt out.

Cross laughed out laugh, he then groaned and sighed, “Little bride, it is those dirty deals that got your family rich. Be at peace with that”. He tilted forward, “I guess he never told you the full scope of his business”.

“I don't believe you” My voice shook. I turned swiftly and grabbed the knife on the table. His gaze was a bit distant, and I knew I had my chance. The blade was small, and it was easy to bury it in my palms.

Without warning, I lunged forward and buried the blade in Cross’s stomach.

“Bitch” He groaned, and we both fell to the floor.