Page 18

CHAPTER 18

Raven

This is a terrible idea.

I know it the second I step onto the curb in front of Malakai’s building, my stomach twisting itself into knots. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be anywhere near him.

But I don’t have a fucking choice.

I stand outside his door, fists clenched at my sides, trying to work up the nerve to knock.

This is insane. He’s the last person I should be asking for help. He’s the reason I lost everything.

But he’s also the only person who might be able to fix it.

I squeeze my eyes shut, inhale sharply, then—before I can second-guess myself again—I knock.

The door swings open almost instantly, like he was expecting me.

And of course he’s smirking .

Leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking so fucking pleased with himself that I instantly want to punch him.

"Here to cuss me out again?" His voice is lazy, cocky. "Or did you finally recover enough to beg for round two?"

I scowl. "Go to hell."

He chuckles, stepping back just enough to let me pass. "Already there, sweetheart. You coming in or are you just gonna stand there looking miserable?"

I hesitate. Every instinct I have is telling me to turn around and walk away.

But I can’t .

So I step inside.

Malakai’s apartment is exactly what I should’ve expected—sleek, modern, and somehow both expensive and careless at the same time.

Like he owns all this shit but doesn’t actually care about any of it.

Like it’s just something to pass the time.

Kinda like how he treats people.

He leans against the counter, watching me with that infuriating smirk, waiting for me to say whatever the hell I came here to say .

I swallow hard. My throat feels tight, and I hate that.

"You ruined my life."

His smirk doesn’t even falter . "I tend to do that."

I exhale sharply, hands balling into fists at my sides. "This is a game to you, isn’t it? Just some fucked-up little power trip."

He tilts his head, pretending to think about it. "Yeah, pretty much."

I glare at him. "Fuck you."

"Already did, sweetheart."

I nearly scream.

"Jesus Christ, Malakai, will you shut up for one second?!"

His expression flickers, just for a second. But it’s gone as fast as it came, replaced by that same unbothered, smug amusement that makes me want to throw something at his face.

I force myself to breathe. I didn’t come here to fight. I came here because I have no other choice .

I exhale slowly, running a hand through my hair. "Alex cut me off."

Finally, the smirk fades—just slightly.

I take advantage of the silence. "His family was paying for my mom’s medical care. The church wasn’t just helping us out of kindness . It was Alex. And now? That’s gone. My mom—" My voice cracks, but I push through it . "She needs treatment. She needs that money. And I—I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do."

Malakai watches me, his green eyes sharp, unreadable.

I have no idea what’s going on in that fucked-up head of his.

Then, after a beat, he exhales and shrugs.

"I’ll pay for it."

The room tilts.

I blink. "What?"

He says it so casually, like he’s offering me a fucking coffee instead of a solution to the worst problem of my life.

"I’ll pay for your mom’s expenses." He tilts his head. "But I want something in return."

And just like that, my stomach drops.

I should’ve known it wasn’t going to be that simple.

I stare at him, heart pounding so loud I swear it drowns out the silence in the room.

"You'll... pay for it?" I repeat, like maybe I misheard him.

"Yeah," he says. "I’ll cover the bills. Make sure your mom gets what she needs. No strings attached."

I blink. "No strings attached?"

He smirks. "Well—not entirely."

I exhale sharply, crossing my arms. "What do you want?"

His smirk widens, and that’s when I know it’s bad.

"You’re gonna be my girlfriend."

The words slam into me, knocking the breath from my lungs.

I stare at him, completely thrown.

"What?"

"You heard me, Lamb." He leans against the counter, arms crossed, looking like he planned this from the fucking start. "You pretend to be my girlfriend, I pay your mom’s medical expenses. It’s a win-win."

I let out a sharp laugh, but there’s nothing funny about this.

"You can’t be serious."

His eyes gleam. "Dead serious."

I shake my head, gripping my temples. This is insane. Even for him.

"You hate me," I snap. "Why the hell would you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend?"

He doesn’t answer. Which only makes it worse.

I drop my hands, glaring at him. "This is about Alex, isn’t it?"

The smirk doesn’t waver. "Everything’s about Alex, sweetheart."

I feel sick.

"This is a game," I whisper. "You’re still fucking with him."

Malakai pushes off the counter, stepping toward me—slow, deliberate. "You can think whatever you want, Lamb. But if you want my help, this is the price."

My stomach tightens. I don’t want to do this.

Every part of me is screaming to tell him to fuck off, to figure something else out.

But I can’t.

This isn’t about me. This is about my mom.

And Malakai Vega just backed me into a fucking corner.

I clench my jaw, my hands trembling at my sides.

"Fine," I say, voice barely above a whisper.

His smirk deepens. "Good girl."

I flinch at the words.

I fucking hate him. But I can't deny the other feeling that arises in me the moment he says those words. I can sense a growing heat in my stomach which travels downward... It's exciting, arousing, but at the same time... I hate this.

I just made a deal with the devil. I'm pretty sure I'm going to regret this big time.

I shouldn’t have said yes. Should’ve walked out. Should’ve found another way.

But I didn’t.

And now Malakai is grinning like he just won a fucking war.

"Good girl," he repeats, like he’s relishing the victory. And he is.

My stomach twists. I glare at him, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my neck. "I’m not doing this because I want to."

"Yeah?" He tilts his head, still way too amused for someone who just blackmailed me into being his girlfriend. "Why are you here, then?"

I exhale sharply, my nails digging into my palms. "You know why."

His smirk stays in place, but there’s something sharper in his eyes now. "Right. Your mom."

A slow beat of silence stretches between us, taut and charged.

Then—just when I think we’re done—he drops the final fucking bombshell.

"Oh, and one more thing," he says casually, like it’s an afterthought.

I narrow my eyes. "What now ?"

His smirk deepens, and that’s when I know I’m fucked.

"You’re moving in with me."

I stare at him, sure I must’ve heard him wrong.

" Excuse me ?"

"If you’re my girlfriend, you live with me." He says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, like I should have just assumed this was part of the deal.

I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "That wasn’t part of the agreement."

"It is now." His voice is smooth, completely unbothered.

I shake my head. "No fucking way."

He just raises an eyebrow, like he’s waiting for me to catch up.

I take a step back, fighting the panic rising in my chest. "Malakai, this is—this is insane."

"Yeah?" He shrugs, completely indifferent. "So is making deals with me, but here we are."

I swallow hard, my mind racing. This is too much. I agreed to pretend. To play along in public. Not to?—

I stare at him, my pulse hammering. "Why are you doing this?" My voice is quieter now, edged with something I don’t want to acknowledge.

His smirk flickers, just for a second.

Then it’s back.

"Like I said," he murmurs, stepping closer. "Not your business."

My hands curl into fists, frustration bubbling up my throat. "You want me to move in with you, but I don’t get to ask why ?"

"Correct."

I hate him.

I hate the way he’s always in control, the way he looks at me like he already knows exactly what I’ll do.

And worse?

I hate that he’s right.

Because no matter how much I want to say no?—

I can’t.

Because this isn’t about me. This is about my mom.

My stomach sinks to the floor.

I stare at Malakai, feeling the last piece of my freedom slip away.

And then, with gritted teeth, I say it.

"Fine."

His smirk widens, and I know .

I just walked into another one of his fucking traps.

I close the door to my dorm room behind me, pressing my back against it and exhaling slowly.

The room feels different.

Or maybe I’m different.

I push off the door and glance around, taking in the tiny space I once considered home. The walls are bare except for a few posters I never took down, my desk cluttered with books and notes I never got around to organizing, and my bed still unmade from this morning when I left, not knowing I’d come back with a fucking deal with Malakai Vega hanging over my head.

I rub my hands over my face, trying to process what the hell I just did.

I agreed to be his girlfriend.

I agreed to move in with him.

It still doesn’t feel real.

My stomach knots as I sink onto the edge of my bed, staring at the floor.

I haven't lived here for a long time, but I've grown attached to the place nonetheless. It’s not much, but it was mine . My space. My safety.

And now?

I’m packing up my life and throwing myself into the lion’s den.

With Malakai.

Jesus.

My fingers grip the sheets as I squeeze my eyes shut.

What’s it even going to be like?

Living with him?

Being his —even if it’s just for show?

I try to picture it, but my brain refuses to cooperate. All I see is him—that arrogant smirk, those sharp green eyes watching me like he already owns me.

I shudder.

Because here’s the thing—I don’t trust him.

I don’t know why he’s doing this. What his endgame is.

But I know one thing for damn sure.

Malakai Vega doesn’t do anything unless it benefits him.

And I just walked straight into his hands.

But the worst thing about this is that part of me likes this, no matter how much I deny it. Part of me wants to be in his apartment—maybe in his bed, too. I can't stop thinking about that night in the abandoned building, about how much I enjoyed it.

That, to me, is more disturbing than everything else, more than whatever hell awaits me.

He’ll be everywhere. Every time I wake up, every time I turn around, every time I try to carve out a single moment of normalcy, he’ll be there .

And worse?

I won’t just be living with him.

I’ll be playing his game .

I’ll have to let people think we’re together.

I’ll have to let Alex think we’re together.

And that thought? It makes my stomach twist. Because I know Alex will see it as another betrayal.

But what choice do I have?

Malakai is my only way out. My only way to keep my mom safe.

And that’s what this is about.

Not him. Not Alex. Not the weird fucking tension that sparked between me and Malakai the second he claimed me at the ritual.

This is survival.

That’s it.

Right?

I shake my head, gripping my temples.

It doesn’t matter.

I already signed my fucking soul away.

Now, I just have to make sure I don’t lose myself completely.