Chapter 34: Emperor of Wrath: Chapter 34

Raw and vicious energy throbs through my veins as I stalk through the darkened tunnel. A section of the path leading to where Valon is holding Annika actually gets pitch black. But then, after the stairs and the first turn of the tunnels, a dim light ahead begins to guide me.

“VALON!” I roar.

Announcing my presence is deliberate. Obviously, the idea of sneaking up on him occurred to me. But the thought of his surprise ending in Annika getting hurt…or worse…was too much of a risk.

Besides, I want him to know I’m coming. I want him to believe I’m as blinded by rage as he wanted me to be.

Make no mistake, I am filled with rage. Hate. The consuming need to kill him with my bare fucking hands.

But I need to get her away from him before I do that. And what I have in mind—playing off his greed and desperation—is probably my only shot.

“That’s far enough, Kenzo.”

As expected, by the time I storm through the brick archway from the tunnel into the command room, Valon is waiting for me, standing right behind and a little to the side of a gagged, wide-eyed Annika. He’s got a gun aimed right at me.

My gaze locks with hers, unspoken words flickering between our eyes.

“Drop your weapons,” Valon growls, gesturing with his own gun. I nod, slipping my sword out from behind me and laying it down next to Tengan‘s gun.

Valon flinches when his gazes drops to the duffel bag in my hand. Before he can say anything, I chuck it at his feet.

“I’ve come to offer a trade,” I hiss coldly at him. “Take your money back, for starters. I speak for Sota when I say keep it. I know you had a trial deal with him, and I know your intention would be to settle up with him. Your war is with me, not Sota.”

I feed him the bullshit with a silver fucking spoon, looking him right in the eye as I do it.

It’s critical he doesn’t guess that I know what else is in the bag.

“Whatever happens here between you and me,” I continue, “Sota will honor the fact that you and he are even.”

Valon seems intrigued, but he nods at the bag.

“What makes you so sure that Sota won’t want his fifty thousand back?”

“As I said,” I shrug. “I have authority to speak for him. I’ve known the man for half of my life, and I know that settling debts is important to him. I can appreciate that your returning the money was a gesture of goodwill. But services were rendered. Sota will want to have paid for them, whether or not you do business together after today.”

…Thereby planting the idea in his head that he’ll be breathing after today.

Valon smiles smugly.

Yeah, it’s working.

“I can assume since you have this bag that Tengan is…no longer with us?”

I shrug. “You can.”

“Did he tell you before you killed him what else I’d requested of you, besides returning the money to Sota?”

I nod. “He did.”

My eyes lock with Annika’s, my lips pursing before I drag my gaze back to Valon.

“Give me Annika, and I’ll wire you however much you want.”

Valon barks a cold laugh. “Not a fucking chance, Kenzo. That’s not how this works. You think I’m going to hand over your true love, just like that?” He snorts. “On your word that you’ll pay me after⁠—”

“True love?” I bark icily. I sneer, shaking my head. “You’re mistaken, Valon.” I jut my chin at her. “You think I give a shit about this little fucking thief? She’s a fuck toy to me, nothing else. A plaything.”

Something venomous surges in Annika’s eyes, and her nostrils flare. She snarls something through her gag, but I keep my eyes fixed on Valon.

“I’m done with her. I do want her back, of course. That’s why I’m here.” I shrug. “But I can promise you, it’s not for love. It’s so I can kill her myself.”

It takes everything I have to keep my eyes on Valon, and not glance at the woman I love more than I’ve ever loved anything in this world.

But I need to sell this.

I have to.

Valon looks skeptical.

“Bullshit,” he grunts. “You think I’m a fucking idiot?”

I shake my head. “Of course not. But you can ask anyone: this little bitch has been nothing but trouble. She’s been skimming from me ever since that joke of a wedding. She’s been scamming Sota, too, and he knows it.” I frown. “Surely you know how skilled she is at what she does, and what she’s capable of.” I turn to spit on the floor. “Doesn’t matter how much she’s given, either. A thief is still a fucking thief.”

It’s slow, but a change creeps over Valon’s face, and I have to bite back my own smugness.

Yeah, that’s the look of him swallowing this shit whole.

“I never should have gone near her,” I spit. “You know, the first time we ever crossed paths, the bitch stole from me.”

Valon frowns. “Yes… I think I’ve heard this story. A necklace, wasn’t it?”

I shake my head. This time, I do look at Annika.

Right at Annika.

“A wallet,” I grunt. “Bitch stole it right out of my right jacket pocket.”

Of all the miracles I’m hoping to pull out of my ass right now, this one’s the longest shot. The bomb in that bag had a remote detonator. I’ve seen IEDs like that before, and I know the trigger looks something like a bare-bones cellphone.

Valon’s original plan was to have me deliver the bomb to Sota, then come back here, where he’d get me to wire him money before blowing Sota to hell. If I were Valon, I’d be keeping that detonator very close, most likely on me.

But his left arm is in a sling. His pants pockets are a maybe. But he’s not trying to cram his hand into a pants pocket for a trigger button. That’s why I’m guessing it’s in his jacket pocket.

The gamble is hoping Annika knows me well enough to understand what I’m saying right now.

…That I’m telling her what to do.

“Your wallet?” Valon smirks.

I shake my head angrily. “Yeah. Right out of my right-hand jacket pocket while I was buying her a fucking drink. And not a fucking thing has changed ever since.”

And that’s when I see it.

The fury and the fire in her eyes fades, and comprehension flickers to life.

She understands what I’m saying without saying it.

She does know me.

“Consider that money a down payment,” I grunt, nodding my chin at the duffle bag by his feet. “You and I have had our quarrels. But we’re both businessmen. There’s no need to bring emotions or pettiness into this.”

My words are meant as a distraction. It’s working. I’m looking right at Valon, but at the edge of my vision, I see Annika’s hand slip behind her, toward his right side.

“Let’s do this, Valon,” I growl. “We can both walk away from this with what we want. You get your money, and I get this bitch so I can exact my revenge. Deal?”

Annika’s brows lift and lower twice. My eyes flick to her. Both her hands are now back in front of her.

She got it.

“What’s your price, Valon,” I growl. I pull the phone I took from Tengan out of my pocket and wave it in the air. “Name the amount, send her over, and I’ll wire it to you this second. We don’t need to continue this war.”

Valon’s eyes narrow and his mouth thins, like he’s considering it. Normally, this would be an absurd offer. But it’s clear he’s been down here fighting off infections and trying not to bleed out. He’s hunched over, and clearly in pain. Honestly, I’m amazed he’s even alive, even if it looks like he’s been sustaining himself down here in the tunnels on painkillers and uppers. He looks like he’s being held together with duct tape, for fuck’s sake.

So this might just work. And if it doesn’t, I have every intention of charging him and killing him with my bare hands, even if I do get shot in the process.

“Five million,” he hisses.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

I feign a frown, as if considering. Then I nod. “Agreed. Five million for her, and to consider our score settled like gentlemen.”

Valon’s lips twist.

“Wire it.”

“Her first.”

He doesn’t move. Time stops.

Finally, he shoves her toward me. His gun is leveled at me, his finger on the trigger.

“You try anything, Kenzo…” He shakes his head.

I’m barely aware of him. All I’m focusing on is Annika as she slowly crosses the room toward me, and how hard it is not to grab her and yank her into my arms. Not to rip the gag off and kiss her until her mouth is mine.

When she gets to me, she stops, and our eyes lock as she looks up into my face. Her hand is between us, and when she slowly turns it over, my gaze drops to the little black fob in her palm.

My muscles coil as I take the fob, ready to spring into action.

Fuck, this is going to be tight.

I don’t know how much explosive is in that bag, or how big the blast will be. It might blow this whole place to hell, who knows.

But there’s no other way.

“Get back there, bitch,” I snarl at Annika, forcing myself to look furious. I nod my head at the tunnel behind me. “Walk that way and keep walking until you get to the stairs. Mr. Leka and I need to finish our⁠—”

“Stop right there.”

Valon cocks the gun in his hand and throws me a look.

“The money, Kenzo,” he growls. “Now.”

I nod, lifting Tengan’s phone and pretending to thumb the screen open.

“Give me a sec…”

Quietly, I step forward, gradually moving in front of Annika.

“Okay,” I murmur. “Account number?”

Valon starts to rattle off numbers, and I pretend to type them in. Slowly, I back up, pushing Annika behind me as I guide her into the tunnel.

Valon finishes giving me his bank details.

Here goes nothing.

“Okay,” I nod. “Sent. A pleasure doing business, Mr. Leka. I hope this means we can both walk away⁠—”

“Wait wait wait.” He scoffs. “As if you’re going to walk out of here before I check?”

I finger the fob in my hand, my pulse quickening. My muscles tensing.

The whole world holding its breath before the storm.

Valon drops his good hand to his pants pocket, reaching for his phone. As he does so, his hand brushes the side of his jacket, and he stiffens.

Fuck.

Everything slows, time itself getting sticky and sluggish as his brow furrows and his hand lifts back up and slips into his jacket pocket, feeling for the trigger fob I know he just realized was missing.

Still in slow motion, I whirl, shoving Annika ahead of me down the tunnel as I hear Valon roar with fury.

A gunshot echoes through the stone room. Hot fire explodes in the side of my chest.

I push the button on the fob as I dive forward to shield Annika.

All I see is bright white as heat and thundering fire slam into my back and send me over into the black abyss.