DEAL WITH THE DEVIL- 2

KING

"ENOUGH!" My voice boomed, cutting through all the chaos, bringing everyone to stand still.

She looked at me, and instead of fear or shock, I saw curiosity in those chocolate brown orbs. We stared at each other for a long minute before I signalled my man. It took every ounce of self-restraint for me to not land a good punch in his gut after watching him nearing her hesitantly.

He was scared of that little girl!

He held the papers and the pen in front of her face.

"Sign them!" I ordered.

I didn't understand why she visibly shivered at my voice.

"I am not signing them!" She told in a calm yet firm voice.

That girl was poking the beast inside of me! "Miss Maxwell. I am not a person with many words and I certainly don't like to waste my time and energy on unprofitable things like talking, unless necessary. So, I will repeat once again and for the last time. Sign. Those. Damn. Papers!" I said, gritting my teeth.

"You know what, I also want to 'repeat once again' and 'for the last time. Take your damn papers and show them up your ass. I don't care so you can Go. To. Hell!"

My men fidgeted in fear around me, and I heard a collective gasp from her kids as they gawked her like she was some superhero! But now I had enough of this nonsense!

I turned my head in her kids' way and called the blue-eyed boy.

"You! Come here."

He visibly shook in fear and didn't make any move to follow my order. So my man grabbed him by the elbow and brought him near me.

"I was informed about only a man, a weak girl and six kids. Then who is he?"

How could they give me the wrong information?!

Cameron cleared his throat "His name is Cody. He works in their café for the last few days. He was not expected to be present here at this time as his shift ends at eight in the night."

He still coughed and gasped for air after surviving her deadly clasp around his throat.

I didn't waste more time and pulled out the gun from the waistband of my pant and put a bullet right in his head. The loud screams of shock and fear didn't bother me.... they never did.

I watched coldly as that boy's body fell to the ground, and a minute later, Miss Maxwell followed the suit.

She looked shaken by what she witnessed. Perhaps it was the first murder she had ever seen in her life.

Well... she is fortunate that it happened from my hands!

"Why?"

What did that mean.?

"Why did you do that?" her voice quivered.

Damn it! This woman was forcing me to do the things I hate the most!

"I don't like to repeat myself, Miss Maxwell. And if you still haven't got the message then..." I deliberately trailed off, letting the threat sink into her mind and imprint in there.

One thing that irked me about this girl was her eyes. They didn't give away what exactly was going on in her mind. As if they knew how to protect her mind, her thoughts. Every time I began to see something in them, they just shut themselves as if sensing my intruding gaze.

She walked on her wobbly legs to where that dead body was. Squatting down beside it, she slowly closed his eyes. A lone tear fell from her eyes, and she clenched them shut. I watched her lips moving slowly without making any sound.

Gabriel stood beside her. "Now you know what can happen to your precious little family, butterfly. I would suggest you quit with your sob drama and sign the fucking papers or else the next target will be your beloved Jack."

My man took the little boy away from the group, and his cry sent irritating vibrations in my head.

"I- I can't sign the papers even if I want to. We- we d-don't have anywhere to.. go. This hou-house and ca-café are all that we have for us. The kids still attend the school and they have their whole future ahead of them. I can't take care of my family with even three jobs at a time. So, if you want my property then pay the price!"

She said, directly looking at me.

I tried to read her carefully despite the wall she had created around her. Though I couldn't get much, one thing I was sure of. She had something cooking up in that pretty brain of hers!

"Bria... what the hell are you doing? Don't do that. It's your father's last memory. You can-" Cameron took care of Benjamin, and the old man went unconscious.

Now we could have a negotiation.

"Don't worry. He is out for some time only. When you finally decided to talk some sense, we don't need anyone to make you reconsider the things, now do we?" She glared at Cameron, but instead of giving him a befitting reply, she again directed her attention to me.

"I am still firm on my decision. If you want something then pay for it!" She crossed her arms under her chest.

One could have never guessed that she was the same woman who was wailing and crying not a minute ago.

Interesting!

But she didn't know King!

'Nobody gets to negotiate with King!'

"Miss Maxwell. I am not a person who is interested in charity. So, NO! I will not pay the price. But I am willing to take responsibility of your... Kids' education until every one of them completes their graduation. And about a shelter for you all and a job for you, I can recommend you to one of my hotels with a good salary. But all of this... After you sign the papers!"

I felt my men watching me with shocked faces. I didn't have any change of heart, nor was I growing sympathetic to her or her kids. I didn't care about them at all!

I offered that generosity because now this matter was not only about the property anymore. It was now about my prestige, my ego!

And now I wanted it at any cost! By hook or by crook!!

I could see the wheels running in her mind as she stared at the ground with a frown on her face. And I also knew that I had hit the bull's eye!

"Do you think I am that naïve to trust the words of a fucking gangster? Do-"

"Mafia"

"What?"

My face hardened, not liking how she underestimated me by calling me a gangster. "Mafia. I am Mafia!"

The colour drained from her face as she gulped her spit nervously. Yet she retorted, feigning confidence.

"Yeah, whatever. It doesn't change the fact that you are a dickhead!"

A growl erupted from my chest at the insult she threw at my face, but that stubborn girl ignored it and continued,

"I am not an idiot to not know that the moment I signed those papers I also sign my death warrant. So, NO! You will follow my conditions and when I get satisfied THEN I will sign the papers."

"You worthless shi-" Cameron growled at her, but she cut him mid-sentence.

"Complete that and you will face the recap of what happened earlier to you, worthless shit." She sneered.

"You are walking on thin waters, Miss Maxwell. I am the one with guns and men here." I said calmly.

" I am not a kind of person who changes my stand for other people, Mister... Whatever! And I think we have established the fact that I am strong enough that you felt the need to bring men and guns to deal with A SMALL GIRL. After three failed attempts, may I add!"

My jaw clenched, and the vein on my forehead popped up, indicating my mood. Within a blink of an eye, I had my gun pointed right between her eyes, taking her by surprise.

But that surprise soon vanished, and she matched my gaze with her determined one. She straightened her back and stood there glaring at me when her kids cried in the background.

I wanted to pull the trigger, my brain told me to do so. But there was something very peculiar about that brown-eyed girl. Something that was intriguing, yet disgusting. It repulsed me, yet I couldn't help but get curious about it.

When she didn't back down, I slowly pulled the gun away from her and brought my hand to rest at my side.

"Talk", I ordered,

"Ok. Here is my proposal. I will sign the papers, but I have some conditions.

Condition 1- It will be your responsibility to protect my kids. You will not let anything or anyone including you and your dogs hurt even a strand of their hair.

Condition 2- All the kids will attend a good private school and college of their choice until all of them complete their graduation. And you will take care of the fees and all their expenses.

Condition 3- You will provide my family with another house with all the good facilities.

Condition 4- Benji will be the guardian of the kids and after him Juan.

Condition 5- You will provide Benji with a decent job so he can take care of other expenses.

And condition no.6-the most important one- I will give you three months to fulfil all the five conditions and when I get satisfied, then I will sign those papers."

The smug look on her face got wiped off as I punched the glass of the nearby car.

She almost jumped in fright, and I saw her looking at my bloodied knuckles, horrified. So it took me a drop of my blood to get that look on her face!

How dare she proposed a deal to King? Did she really think that I would let her go after this foolishness of hers?

Then I realised what she was trying to do. She was trying to buy the time. She was trying to ensure her family's safety first, and then she was planning to get help from the authorities.

Once I figured out her whole plan, I was left amazed. No one had ever dared to put me in that place.

Well played, Miss Maxwell! Well played!!

'Unfortuanately you have underestimated King. If you can put your conditions then now is my turn!'

"Who do you think you are? Do you even hear yourself? You are stretching it too far butterfly. It will need only one bullet to blow that tiny brain of yours." Gabriel made her turn by pulling her elbow and glaring at her.

He was trying to save her life even though it was hard to believe because he knew the consequences of crossing the line with me.

But the girl was too thick-headed to understand.

"You could have killed me at the very first chance you got. But no. You didn't! You know damn well that if I die then you will never get this property as it will directly go to the government-run charity trust. And mafia or not, no one would want to waste their time, money and energy dealing with government and hiding a murder for a mere piece of land." She huffed.

That smart brain of hers!

Between the bickering between her, Gabriel and Cameron, I said, "I accept your proposal, Miss Maxwell."

Within a fraction of a second, her face lit up brightly but little did she know that there was more to come her way.

"BUT... there is one rule. And it will not change no matter what."

Her smile faltered, and she asked unsurely. "What rule?"

"For these three months, you will be my guest, at my place, away from your family."

She looked like the sky had fallen on her head, and the reaction from the kids was no different. The one who caught my most attention was a tall boy. But he was taken care of by Cameron.

"Deal?"

She released a long shaky breath as fear crippled her heart.

"Deal!"