Chapter 223: The Serpent & The Devil [1]

Ares King. The Devil of Midnight. He came from old money, but his family name has left an impact on Midnight City that can’t be erased from history.

Ares earned the Devil nickname because of the deals he made. Guess the saying... Never make a deal with the devil... kinda stuck because of that.

But that was the sickening truth: there was always some desperate individual who was gonna make a deal with the devil, and not many of them could live to tell the tale.

Ares King embodied everything you wished you’d never experienced in your lifetime. CEO of King Corp, who dropped people and projects faster than a bowling ball, and a Don of the underworld.

"Where’s the horns and tail?" I asked as though he was gonna magically sprout one. "Heard you had those, but it’s just a silly rumor, it seems."

"..."

"Not much of a talker, are you?"

"The only reason your wife is still breathing is for two reasons," he said, voice devoid of emotion. "My wife... and daughter."

I grinned. "Is that so?"

"Your actions have grown bold and stupid. Burning my warehouses was one thing, but slaughtering my men like cows is calling hell to your doorstep."

"Is hell at my doorstep? Didn’t notice."

His fingers tapped against the armrest rhythmically, and nearby was a silencer. I could already imagine him grabbing it and putting a bullet through my skull. "I didn’t fly all the way to this godforsaken city for small talk."

"First, keep my city out of your goddamn mouth, and second, talking is the only thing we can afford to do, or..." I sheathed my gun back in my holster and gave an ultimatum. "We both get caught up in this... destruction. Our tombstones would read: Here lie two Dons who shot each other in the skull over a warehouse and a handful of dead men. What a fucking legacy."

A ghostly smile traced Ares’ lips, and as quickly as it appeared, it was gone in the twinkle of an eye.

"I should have known," he murmured. "You were counting on me coming for war. You were prepared to drag me down with you."

"Maybe..."

"I could give you what you want." He reached for the silencer. "I could put you out of your misery. One bullet through your skull and another in your wife’s so that you can both have your happy ending in the afterlife."

"I’ll do you one better..." I quipped.

"I did not come here to negotiate threats, Don Salvero."

"A lovely afternoon, isn’t it? Good sunlight, blinding but good."

He narrowed his eyes as I ranted away.

"But a nice afternoon for shopping, in a lovely mall. Your wife, Catherine, how many months is she now? Oh, and congratulations, by the way... aware of the gender yet? Little Esme could use a brother or two."

Ares uncrossed his legs and pushed himself to his feet. I may have had this attention, but it was at this very moment I earned it.

His eyes could freeze me over as easily as the North Pole.

"You threatened my wife, Don King. It was only fair I threatened yours. I guess we’re even now."

"What do you want?"

"Now you know I’m not entirely geared toward self-destruction. We need to talk."

~☆~

Ares brought the glass to his lips, but he didn’t drink, setting it down on the table.

"Not to your liking?" I asked, amused as I downed the whiskey and set the glass down. "It’s an aged single-malt Scotch."

"I was under the impression you wanted war," Ares said.

"People assume things about me. It happens a lot."

"All that to make me set foot in this city."

"I have my ways. And don’t worry... I’ll cover the cost of the burnt warehouse." I winked. "I had to meet the Devil of Midnight with some dramatic flair."

He exhaled sharply through his nose, and I couldn’t help the laugh that rolled off me.

"I bet you’re curious why I dragged your cold ass out here."

"..."

"What do you know about Julius King? Depending on your answer, we can establish what our future is gonna be like."

"Doesn’t ring a bell."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Does the name King not mean anything?"

"Maybe it does, maybe not. I don’t concern myself with things that aren’t worth my time."

I scoffed. "Are you saying you know him or not?"

There was a pause, a long one, until I was convinced I was speaking with a damn wall.

On the ride here, Ares didn’t utter a fucking word. The way he could just sit there and not say a fucking thing was starting to get on my nerves.

"Julius King..." he murmured as though he had considered it worth his time. "I may have heard that name."

He finally sipped from the whiskey.

"And?" I urged, getting impatient.

"Elias mentioned him once. Julius was a distant cousin of his. Twice removed."

Elias? Isn’t that his father? I’m not about to pretend that Ares calling his father by his first name doesn’t mean something. Even if it does not, my problem. I’m just gonna sum it up as daddy issues.

"What else did Elias say about Julius?"

"As I said, it wasn’t worth my time."

Julius really was a King then. I had first thought he lied only to use that name as an influence for the Syndicate.

"He’s dead, by the way," I mentioned. "He may not be worth your time, but he was still a King."

"Not anymore."

"As cold as the winter." I raised my glass. "Good to know one thing about that rumor was true. I was still hoping for the horns and tail."

"You didn’t call me here just to confirm Julius King, did you?" He threw the question.

I chuckled. "Quick thinking there, or was that easy to read?"

"There’s a word here that you’ve torn your city apart looking for someone called the Benefactor, leader of an ex-group that called themselves the Syndicate."

I froze, the drink halfway to my lips. Did he just verbally reveal that he has been spying on me?

That rare, infamous smile slowly crept across his lips when he discerned I had caught on to the meaning behind those words.

I leaned back in my seat, keeping my stern gaze on him, and in that moment we had switched moods. His smile lingered, and my stony expression could freeze over the whole room.

"Alright then, you made your point, Don King. What else has your rat uncovered for you?"

"The Benefactor. It’s a catchy phrase."

I narrowed my eyes. "Meaning?"

"He was able to slip under your fingers for years, in plain sight, while using people around you. First he used Shane, an ex business partner of yours, who dug his claws into your wife’s head to destroy you."

Damn, he’s good.

Ares knew this much, which meant he had someone spying on me the whole time, like a fucking telescope above my head.

Ares fucking King. I better keep my eye on him so I don’t get caught deeper in his devil claws.

"Next, he uses Gabriel Russo, an old friend of yours, helping him take control of Russo’s Palace. And then Julius King, supposedly Julius Morri, an uncle of your wife."

"Fine..." I clenched my teeth. "I’m intimidated by you. Happy?"

Without breaking eye contact, keeping those fucking icy eyes on me, he sipped from his drink. "I’m just getting started."

"Don’t be an asshole, and get to the point already."

"You are so stuck on finding this Benefactor who has pulled the strings around you that you don’t see the bigger picture."

"What’s the bigger picture? And don’t say he’s someone close to me; I already did my homework and—"

"He’s copying you."

I paused.

"I have done my research on you, Don Salvero, and all these tactics I listed, done by yours truly—the Benefactor—are simply imitating you. You’re called the Serpent not merely because you’re untouchable, but because of your ability to slither your way into your enemies’ lives and take them apart bit by bit. You savor the long game of spreading poison into their veins."

There was a spark of fascination behind that tone of his.

I leaned away from the chair, setting my glass on the table. "Are you saying the Benefactor is using my own method against me?"

"Yes."

I didn’t think that far, but now that Ares mentioned it, it did make sense.

"Now tell me, Don Salvero. Who could you think despises you so much to use your own game against you? When you find the answer to that question, you find your target."

"Why?" I asked sternly.

"..."

I sighed, rephrasing my question. "Why tell me this?"

"Your lowest point reminds me of myself five years ago."

That was it, nothing else, and it was difficult to fathom that this Devil had an atom of feelings.

He was as stiff as a robot trapped in a human body. It was hard to imagine someone like him having a wife and a kid.

"Besides, I’d rather not have someone like you as my enemy. I’m smarter than that," he added.

Getting acknowledged by the devil... that was something I didn’t see coming from a mile away.

"Agreed," I nodded, but then a grin spread across my face. "Friends, then?"

His face went completely stone-cold. "No."