Page 115 of Devil's Iris
Chills erupt all over my body. I didn’t realize the stakes were this high. My God.
“That made a lot of very dangerous people extremely angry. You have no idea.” He shakes his finger at me, sweat dotting his temple. “SuddenlyIwas the one in debt. Either deliver you and your brother, or pay back their money. Money I’d already spent because you were a sure thing.”
“But why try to kill me then? It wouldn’t have paid your debts back.”
“Except it would have,” he answers easily. “If I couldn’t deliver you because of circumstances beyond my control—like you dying tragically—well, that’s different. Your death would have saved me. But that fucking driver of yours had to play hero.”
My eyes dart to my phone.
Is Romero still listening?
If there was even a microscopic chance he might have honored this psycho’s demands before, it’s gone now. He’ll never let Mikkel walk away after hearing this. Never.
Shit. Which means Ethan and I are in serious danger. Because this guy is too desperate, too cornered to think rationally. “So, you want to use Romero’s twenty million to pay back those debts?”
“Fuck no. I’m going to take the money and get the hell out of this godforsaken city with my son. Start fresh in a new state, maybe a new country entirely.” He runs an agitated hand through his hair. “Now shut your mouth and let me think. I need to figure out what to do with the pair of you in case your husband tries something smart.”
I hesitate briefly, knowing what I have to do next. But mystomach churns when I glance at Ethan beside me, expression churlish, arms crossed over his chest. He’s getting more impatient by the minute, and he might do something stupid soon—if Mikkel doesn’t beat him to it.
So desperate to keep Mikkel talking and distracted, I start, “I didn’t want to say this in front of Ethan, but I think I’ll have to in order to save our hides.”
I swallow hard when he swirls on me with a murderous glare, gun pointed directly at my face.
“I told you to shut up. What the hell are you yapping about now?”
Deep breath. Here goes nothing.
“My marriage with Romero isn’t real.” There. I finally said it out loud. Or at least, it wasn’t real at first. I’m not sure what we are right now.
A heavy silence fills the room. From my peripheral, I see Ethan’s head snap towards me, confusion and horror written all over his face. But I keep my gaze fixed on Mikkel’s. “I married him for money—to pay off Mom and Ethan's debts. A business transaction, nothing more. But to be honest, I don’t really know why he agreed to it.”
I frown, trying to think through this logically for the first time. Romero said a bunch of shit back then, but he never really gave a solid reason for agreeing to marriage the way I did. I was too desperate and grateful to question it at the time, but now I’m wondering.Whydid he marry me? I don’t think he’s gotten any real benefits from our arrangement; not like I have.
“What?” Ethan’s sharp question drags me out of my spiraling thoughts, and I shake my head, reminding myself to focus.
“I’m telling you this so the next thing I say makes sense,” I continue, addressing Mikkel. “I have money I’ve been stashing away in this house for when Romero and I divorce—which we will by the end of the year. I call it my safety fund.” I wait,holding my breath to see if he’ll bite the bait I’m dangling in front of him.
Judging by the way he’s staring at me with hungry interest, I have his full attention now. He gestures with the gun for me to continue.
“In our agreement, he promised to send me fifty thousand every month as an allowance—you know, to buy whatever I might need to keep up appearances as the wife of a wealthy man like him. But he’s actually been sending me a hundred thousand each month for the past two months we’ve been together,” I lie. God, has it really only been two months with Romero? It feels like a lifetime.
“And on our wedding day, he gave me ten million as a wedding gift. His brothers each gave me five million as well. So I have just over twenty-five million in certified cheques hidden in this house.” The lies are getting easier now, flowing like water. “Twenty-five million that could be yours if you let Ethan and me walk out of here unharmed. I’m only bringing this up because you haven’t actually hurt us since you made us sit on these chairs.”
“And because you know Romero doesn’t love you, there’s no real reason for him to give in to my demands,” Mikkel adds, disturbingly perceptive.
My throat tightens at the truth in his words, and I nod jerkily.
His lips curl into a cold smirk. “You’re as smart and strong as your mother. A little warrior.” The compliment is delivered like an insult, which is confusing as hell. “Fine, I agree to your terms. Show me where the checks are.”
I lift my chin, gesturing towards Ethan. “Let my brother go first.”
“No!” Ethan yells. “I’m not leaving you alone with him.”
But Mikkel ignores his outburst entirely, his gaze steady on mine. “What? Don’t you want your freedom too?”
“Of course, I do. But there’s no guarantee you’ll let us both go after you get what you want, is there? Let Ethan go first, and once he’s safely outside, I’ll show you where the money is. Then you can either let me go too, or…” I shrug with false bravado. “But at least my brother will be safe.”
And when he discovers there’s no money, I’ll be the only one left to face his wrath. Hopefully, Romero is still listening and will use the distraction to make his move.
