“I am here to ask for mercy on someone,” Hell says, his deep voice echoing through the cavernous space.
The men lean in, whispering to one another until the middle one speaks, “Proceed.”
Hell looks back at me, his gaze steady. “This is the girl who killed Hollow Haze last year.”
“You want mercy for a girl who killed not only a member of the Shadow’s but your family?” The man on the right asks, his dark eyes piercing through me.
Hell meets his gaze. “Yes,” he answers, his voice unwavering.
“Reasons?”
“She was held captive by Kyro...”
“Not from you, Hell, from her.” The man on the right gestures for me to step forward, and I do, my legs feeling like lead as I move to stand beside Hell.
“Name?” The middle man asks.
“Harley Miller.”
Suddenly, the man on the right slowly stands, pushing his chair back with a deliberate motion. He keeps his eyes on mine as he circles the table, and we all watch his movements. He stops in front of me, leaning against the table, his hands clasped in front of him.
“Harley Miller?” he questions, and I give a small nod. “You're supposed to be dead aren’t you?” he says, raising a brow in suspicion, and I straighten up, trying to project confidence.
“I was, but Kyro hid me.”
“And why would he do that?”
I throw a glance at Hell above me and then look back at the man. “My mom was having an affair before she died. He revenge raped me from the age of twelve. I was being conditioned to be sold. Kai was heavily involved too,” I murmur.
The other two men whisper to each other, their expressions unreadable. The man in front of me stares without a flicker of emotion, as if that is all normal to him.
“Your mother was a very dear friend of my wife's,” he admits.
My brows pinch in confusion. “She was?”
He gives a small nod and I start to wonder if my mom knew all about this society; if she was more involved in the underworld than I initially thought.
“You killed Hollow Haze?” His voice is calm, almost too calm, and it sends a shiver down my spine. I nod again, trying to keep my composure.
“Speak,” he demands, his tone turning cold, and I try not to jolt as his powerful voice booms through the room. “Why should we grant you mercy?”
I swallow hard, my mouth dry as I muster the courage to answer. “I had lost my sanity by that point, and I was desperate to escape after everything I had endured.”
His eyes flash to Hell's beside me. “Why the sudden change? You were adamant to take this hit,” he asks sternly.
I side-eye and when Hell speaks, I look at him. “Because I don't believe it's right what my cousin or uncle did. Kyro lured Harley to Oddity when she escaped by using a fucking paedophile to befriend her. He allowed me to have an intimate relationship with Harley when I didn't know who the fuck she was. He did this out of revenge because the affair Harley'smother was having was with my father. I will not kill an innocent woman for Kyro. I have no fucking loyalty toward him.”
I look at the man, and he is eyeing Hell suspiciously. “But your loyalty lies with us, and she did kill a Shadow’s member.”
“She did,” Hell answers truthfully, and I lower my eyes.
The man walks around the table again until he is seated beside the other two, and Hell steps forward until he is beside me. While they whisper into each other's ears, I wait nervously, my pulse hammering in my ears, wondering what is going to happen next.
When they’re done, the middle one speaks, “Mercy will be granted to Harley Miller if Hell is to pull three cards. Since he is the one who is asking, he will need to pay the price.” I glance up at Hell, but without hesitation, he nods in agreement, and my gut twists. Something dreadful settles within me, and I can’t seem to shake it off.
The man on the right starts to shuffle cards before he spreads them across the table in a curve. “Step forward, Hell. Take three cards and lay them face down in front of you.”
I watch his every move as he walks toward them confidently, and without a second thought, he picks out three cards, placing each face down. After gathering the stack of cards, the middle man leans over, flipping the first card, and I see it’s a gold skull, shining against the light.
