"...And you’re sure about this?" Monica asked from the couch in the living room, looking up at Amaya, who stood a few feet away.
Amaya nodded. "I’m sure. This isn’t the first ti I’ve heard his na—either from the maids or even from Kieran."
Monica gave a slow nod. Jimmy, who had been listening in for a while, suddenly stood. He paced the room like a caged animal before turning on his mother.
"So what are we supposed to do now? Takeshi’s dead. We’ve got no ally against Knight. That psycho could co for us any second. And that little bitch we thought was his leash? She’s feral now! Do you really think she’d stop Knight from coming at us?" His voice climbed with every word, booming with frustration.
"Yes, I know," Monica shot back, her tone tight. "But didn’t you hear what Amaya just said? There’s another enemy of Knight—soone we’ve overlooked. I suspected there was another player in this, and this person..."
"Mom!" Jimmy snapped, his voice sharp enough to make Monica flinch.
Mark—who had been glued to his phone all day, grinning at it like an idiot—finally looked up. His smile dropped at the sight of Jimmy’s bulging eyes and the veins crawling across his forehead.
"And how’s so new bastard supposed to help us?" Jimmy growled. "He’ll just get killed by Knight too."
Monica held his gaze. "I need you to relax...."
"No!" Jimmy roared. "Weren’t you there? You heard what Genesis said. She shouted at us, at and said if I laid a hand on her, she’d bury so deep in jail no one would even rember my na!"
"Damn," Mark muttered, leaning forward. "Genesis talks like that now?"
Jimmy gave a sharp nod. "Yeah."
Mark set his phone down between his legs. "Look, we practically raised that girl. She’s not going to..."
"No, no," Jimmy cut him off, stalking closer. He leaned down, so close Mark instinctively pulled back.
"You don’t get it. She ans it. I saw it in her eyes. That wasn’t the sa little wench who used to piss herself when we ca near. This was soone who wants to hurt us. Taking our company, our casinos, that was just the beginning. She’s hungrier than her husband, hungrier than Knight himself. That’s why he took her from us. She’s... she’s..." Jimmy straightened abruptly, running both hands through his hair. He started pacing again, muttering under his breath.
Amaya watched him, realization dawning. This was exactly what Knight wanted. It was why he hadn’t killed them yet. He wanted them to unravel piece by piece, eaten alive by fear. And then, then he’d let Genesis finish them off.
Jimmy’s pacing turned manic, his muttering louder, veins throbbing at his temples like they might burst.
"You don’t see it—none of you do!" he shouted, throwing his arms wide. "Knight’s not even moving, and we’re already tearing ourselves apart. He’s letting her do it. He’s letting Genesis break us."
"Jimmy..." Monica started, but her words were drowned out by the sharp buzz of Amaya’s phone.
The sudden sound froze the room. All eyes snapped to her. Amaya fumbled it out of her pocket, her thumb hovering nervously over the screen. The mont she read it, her eyes went wide, and she staggered back a step.
Monica caught it instantly. "What is it?"
Amaya swallowed hard. "I... I have to go. It’s—it’s from my father."
Jimmy’s head whipped toward her, predator-fast. His eyes glimred with sothing wild, sothing unhinged.
"Your father?" His voice ca out jagged. "Why now? Why all of a sudden?" He advanced quickly. "Who was that text really from?"
"It was from my father," Amaya repeated, her voice trembling.
"Show ." His hand shot out.
Amaya recoiled, clutching the phone tight to her chest. "No." Her wide eyes darted to Monica for support, but Monica just blinked, clearly torn.
"What are you doing, Jim?" Monica demanded, her voice sharp.
Jimmy snarled, his teeth bared. "Don’t you see? We can’t trust her! She’s been here feeding him everything! She works for Knight—she’s probably been his eyes the whole damn ti, pretending to spy for us while she’s really spying for him!"
"Jimmy, calm down," Mark barked, rising to his feet.
But Jimmy wasn’t listening. He lunged, seizing Amaya’s arm with a crushing grip. She gasped, struggling, her phone slipping in his grasp as his other hand locked around her torso.
"Stop—Jimmy, stop! You’re hurting !" Amaya cried out, her voice cracking with panic.
"Give the phone!" he roared, shaking her like a ragdoll. "I’ll smash it open myself—let’s see what secrets you’ve been hiding for him!"
"Jimmy!" Monica shrieked, rushing forward, trying to pry him off, but he shoved her back roughly.
Amaya twisted, tears spilling down her cheeks, but before she could break free, Jimmy’s hand whipped across her face with a loud crack. She hit the floor, her phone clattering away, her cheek already red and stinging.
"You little snake!" Jimmy bellowed, veins bulging in his neck. "You thought you could play both sides? Thought you could sell us out while smiling in our faces? I’ll gut you before I let you hand us over to him!"
"Enough!" Mark thundered, grabbing Jimmy from behind and wrenching him away. Jimmy thrashed violently, spitting curses, his eyes wild.
"Let go! She’s lying! She’s feeding him everything, don’t you see?! Don’t you—" His voice broke into hysterical laughter, jagged and manic.
"Take him away!" Monica cried, rushing to Amaya, who was curled on the floor, trembling. "Now, Mark—before he does sothing worse!"
Mark gritted his teeth, hauling his brother toward the hallway while Jimmy scread obscenities, his voice echoing like that of a madman being dragged into an asylum.
Monica gently helped Amaya sit up, her eyes full of regret and sha. "I’m so sorry, querida... I’m so, so sorry," she whispered, brushing Amaya’s hair from her tear-streaked face. "This... this isn’t how it should be."
Amaya’s chest heaved, her heart pounding, but as she clutched her phone tightly in her shaking hands, she realized sothing terrifying: Knight didn’t even have to touch them, he was already winning.
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