Page 21

Chapter Twenty

Kai

“ T OKYO,” Miko’s voice cuts through the chaos as he pulls her into a hug. His busted lip and bloodied face are hard to miss, and for a fleeting moment, I almost forget about the constant ache in my arm from the arrow that grazed me; however, that ache dulls in comparison to the jealousy burning in my chest as I watch him wrap his arms around her. All this time, he’s been there—loving her, keeping her secrets, keeping her away from me.

I want to rip him away, throw him to the ground, and remind him exactly who she belongs to. But Tokyo wouldn’t like that. Instead, I swallow the bitterness, force myself to stay calm, and move toward her, my hand instinctively brushing against the wound on my arm.

The chaos around us is suffocating. Partygoers look possessed, out of their minds as the crimson substance rains down, thick and clinging to their skin like second flesh. Many dance in manic euphoria, oblivious to the carnage that surrounds them while others run from the cloaked cupids following them with arrows. My eyes land on the abandoned pink drinks scattered across the floor, and it all clicks. They’re being drugged. Those who don’t get high enough to be oblivious to their surroundings become prey.

“This isn’t a fucking rave,” I mutter, my gaze lifting to the DJ booth, then drifting to the arena-like seats high above. Smoke and shadows obscure the details, but I know they’re up there. Watching . Enjoying this.

We’re their entertainment, their sport. My jaw tightens as I think about the kind of people who could orchestrate something this sick. To them, we’re nothing but insects—cockroaches to crush under their boots in Cin City. They feast on our misery, our pain, and then they take even more.

“Kai, let’s get going,” Tokyo’s voice pulls me back. Her hand finds mine, grounding me for a moment. “Miko knows the way out.”

“This way,” Miko says, motioning toward a narrow path that leads deeper into the dome. The place feels endless, an intricate labyrinth designed to trap and disorient. I can only imagine the money it took to build this hellish arena.

I glance over my shoulder, my eyes drawn again to the DJ booth. The pigs. The vultures. My hatred for them churns in my gut.

Eat the rich . Burn them and their golden thrones to the ground.

As we follow Miko, the strobe lights catch the unholy amount of blood smeared across his clothes. Too much blood. My gut tightens. Something doesn’t feel right. Distrust claws its way to the forefront of my mind.

“How do you know how to get out?”

Miko glances back over his shoulder, his face unreadable. “I saw someone come through this hallway. There has to be an exit.”

The explanation makes sense, but something about it feels... off. My grip tightens on Tokyo’s hand, and she winces, casting me a look that asks what’s wrong. I loosen my grip but don’t let go. My gut is screaming now, and I’ve learned to trust it.

We make it to the back, where there’s a line of porta-potties and a small trailer. Fucking rich people—spending money on the most outrageous things. Whoever planned Heartless knew exactly what they were doing. This wasn’t thrown together on a whim; this was deliberate and calculated. Tokyo halts when she realizes that beyond the trailer and porta-potties, there’s nothing else. Instinct takes over. I grab her hand, pulling her behind me, positioning myself between her and Miko.

“Miko.” She whispers.

The trailer door creaks open. A masked figure steps out, his hands clapping slowly, mockingly. “You did well, beautiful.”

The voice rings familiar, but I can’t place it. Tokyo stiffens, her grip on me tightening until it’s almost painful. Miko looks over his shoulder. His hand disappears inside his coat, emerging with a gun. Flicking the safety off, steady as a rock, and points it at us. “Drop the bow.”

Reluctantly, I let it fall to the ground.

Tokyo steps forward, her posture rigid. Not fear—rage, protectiveness. Like a lioness protecting her mate. She places herself between us, standing tall. “Miko.” Her tone is a demand.

Miko tilts his head slightly, a crooked smirk on his face. “Should I fill her in, or do you?”

The masked figure leans against the trailer railing, then removes the mask. Recognition punches me in the gut. The man from the shop—the one looking for a tire.

“Alec.” She breathes his name, her voice barely audible.

Miko remains silent as Alec steps forward, his presence suffocating. “Miko here had one job,” Alec says smoothly, “deliver you both to me.”

Tokyo looks like she’s about to explode. Beneath the rage, though, I can see it—the heartbreak. “Why?”

“I have a job for the both of you.” Alec runs a hand through his blonde hair, pushing back the hood of his cloak. Speaking like this is just another deal, just business.

“Miko, why?”

Miko steps closer, the weight of his resentment written all over his face. He looks at her like she’s both a curse and a gift he can’t bear. I start to move, but Tokyo raises her hand, stopping me. She doesn’t look back. “Why?”

His smile warps, cruel now, as he raises the gun and traces the line of her jaw with the barrel.

“Because I hate you.”

Her eyes widen slightly. “What?”

“I’ve hated you since the moment I saw you on your knees for your brother.”

Behind him, Alec clicks his tongue, shaking his head as laughter bubbles out of him. “But here’s the thing,” Alec says, stepping forward, savoring the moment. “Kai here isn’t your brother, is he, sweetness?”

My heart pounds, echoing in my ears. The ground feels like it’s been ripped from under me.

“You knew about us?” Tokyo’s voice breaks, the words trembling with disbelief.

Miko leans closer to her, his voice dripping with bitterness. “I fell in love with you the moment I walked into the shop. And you played with me. Strung me along for years. Friend zoned me while I carried nothing but love for you.”

The gun wavers slightly, a fraction, and my body itches to move. My fist clenches, every nerve screaming to take him down. But Tokyo’s fingers flex—a signal. I don’t move.

“If you knew about us, then why pretend?”

Miko turns to Alec. “Your turn, boss.”

Alec claps his hands together, pushing off the railing and descending the steps with deliberate ease. “Ah, it’s simple. I found out where the cops stashed you after your mother decided to off herself,” he says, pointing at Miko. “And then there’s this one—found him with flowers, sitting outside your house, looking like he’d just seen a ghost.” He shakes his head, a mocking grin spreading across his face. “And my, my, what a show you put on for us.”

Tokyo glares at him, her voice steady despite the rage simmering beneath the surface. “What does that have to do with me? Or him?”

Alec shrugs, the movement casual, as though all of this is just a game to him. “Everything. You are mine, Tokyo. Mine. But when I saw you whoring yourself out—“ his tone hardens, venom dripping from his words, “I wanted to kill you. And him. But my brother was dead, and all I wanted was revenge.”

“So all of this is for revenge?”

“Yes,” Alec replies, his voice almost reverent. “And patience makes revenge so much sweeter.” His gaze shifts to Miko, a sly smile creeping across his face. “Don’t you think? Look at your friend here—your so-called hero. But the truth? He wasn’t protecting you. He was your keeper. He kept tabs on you, all while letting his hate for you fester.”

Alec chuckles, the sound low and chilling. “Come on, tell me this isn’t brilliant. That I’m not a genius. Everything, all of it, orchestrated so perfectly. Now, I get my revenge on everyone.”

He points a finger at Tokyo, his blue eyes gleaming with a twisted sense of triumph. “And you, sweetheart—you’ll help me.”

My stomach churns at the memory. I remember seeing a figure in the window, but I was too lost in her to confirm what I was seeing. Regret hits me hard, sharp and unrelenting. But the million-dollar question isn’t for them—it’s for her.

“Trouble?”

They all look at me, their eyes narrowing in anticipation. “What is he talking about? Us not being related?”

She offers me a small, broken smile, even with the gun still pressed to her jaw. “The night Oscar came after me, he confessed. Told me I wasn’t his. That fucking me would be his way of saying ‘fuck you’ to the whore who ruined his life.”

My knees buckle. My stomach churns violently, and my hands feel cold and clammy. “Is that why—“ The words won’t come. My throat is tight, my chest caving in. She dips her chin in a small, affirming nod.

Yes.

The word shatters something inside me. It’s not just the fact that she isn’t my sister. It’s the anger. The betrayal. The sheer weight of knowing she kept this from me. That she knew, and still left me in the dark. Left me drowning in guilt and confusion.

“What a soap opera,” Alec drawls, stepping closer with slow, deliberate movements. His voice is slick with amusement, feeding off our pain. “Don’t stop now, lovebirds. This is just getting good.”

Miko watches him, silent and tense. I see the resignation in Tokyo’s face a second before her head snaps back, connecting with Miko’s nose. The crack is sharp, sickening. He stumbles, and her hand moves fast, seizing the gun. I surge forward to help her, but Alec intercepts me with a cold precision that’s almost surgical.

Pain erupts in my side, blinding and searing. The knife sinks deep, twisting as Alec drives it home.

“Oops,” he mocks, his voice dripping with false innocence. The blade twists again, sending a fresh wave of agony through me. My knees give out, but I don’t care about the blood pouring from my side. All I care about is her.

“Tokyo!” I gasp, the word torn from me like a desperate prayer. Through the haze of pain, I see her standing over Miko. The gun trembles in her grip as Miko clutches his stomach, staggering backward. Her aim steadies, but before she can fire again, Alec yanks the knife free and grabs a fistful of my hair, hauling me upright. The cold press of the blade kisses my neck.

“Such a badass, our girl is,” Alec coos, his breath hot and mocking against my ear. He nicks the skin, drawing a thin line of blood. “I told you to behave. You had your fun. Now toss the gun.”

Her chest heaves as she stares at him, her eyes flickering between me and Alec. I shake my head weakly, silently begging her not to give in. But I see it in her face—she wouldn’t risk me. Couldn’t. Her shoulders slump in defeat, and the gun clatters to the ground.

“Good girl,” Alec purrs, his tone venomously sweet. His grip on my hair tightens as he watches her, triumphant.

More masked Cupids emerge from the shadows, their arrows drawn, closing in like wolves circling their prey. Their porcelain masks glint under the flickering lights, their silence more terrifying than any scream. Alec bends down slightly, his lips brushing against my ear, his voice a chilling whisper.

“Congratulations. You’ve survived Heartless... Too bad you lost your heart.”

Then, with a cruel shove, he throws me to the ground. The impact knocks the air from my lungs, and my vision swims. Blood streams from my side, pooling beneath me, but I barely feel it. The pain is drowned out by the sight of the Cupids grabbing Tokyo, their hands clamping onto her arms, lifting her like a trophy.

“Kai!” Her scream cuts through the pounding bass, raw and desperate.

I stretch out my hand, my fingers trembling, but my body won’t obey. My vision blurs, darkness creeping in from the edges. The last thing I see before it claims me is her face—terrified, defiant, her eyes locking with mine. In that fleeting moment, I see it all. Love. Regret. And then she’s gone, dragged into the shadows.

Alec follows behind her, a smug grin stretching across his face. As he passes, he glances down at me, a final dagger of mockery in his tone.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, by the way.”

And then the darkness swallows me whole.