I Couldn't Trust A Goddamn Soul.

                                        

                                              
CHAPTER: 27

Castle.
After leaving the facility, I told Tomas to just keep driving.
I didn't want to go back to the club, and I didn't want to step foot in the mansion. Every inch of that house reminded me of my father, of what he used to be and what he's become.
And no matter how many times I tried to quieten down the voice in my head, I kept remembering what he had said to me.
"Die."
It was just one word, but it kept echoing in my head like a bomb, over and over again until it was all I could think about.
I leaned my head back against the leather seat and closed my eyes as we drove in silence—no music and no words.
But as the car coasted down the highway, an idea sparked in my mind.
I opened my eyes and said, "Tomas, take us to Fernando's territory."
He glanced at me through the rearview mirror but didn't question it. "Yes, boss."
I stared out of the window as we drove on, the buildings changed from large glass walls to bricks, and the lines of the city started getting darker and dirtier the further we drove. 
I had let them run free. All of them—Rowan, Raymond, Fernando, even Kaito. I gave them power and freedom because I thought I had their loyalty.
But if this week had taught me anything, it was that I couldn't trust a goddamn soul. It was time I started acting like the man they feared, not the one that could easily be manipulated.
As we rolled into Fernando's district, I leaned against the door, watching the people in the street. 
And that's when I saw it. It was parked right in front of a worn-down bar with flickering signage.
A familiar sleek, midnight black Genesis G70 sedan.
And my eyes narrowed.
"Slow down," I said to Tomas as I sat up straighter. The car crept forward slowly and I leaned out slightly, squinting at the license plate.
There was no mistake. It was Angel. I knew his car like I knew the edge of a blade.
"Park the car," I said, my voice cool but tight.
Tomas pulled up a few feet down and we got out. I didn't even need to tell him to follow. He knew.
The moment I stepped into the bar, the heat of cheap liquor and piss slammed into me, but I didn't stop. 
Because he was right there, sitting at the bar with his back turned to the door, and his body relaxed like he had no clue the devil had just walked in behind him.
And I noticed two raven-haired women flanking him. They were pretty. 
Sure.
But they were the type of women who laughed too loud. They wore dresses with low necklines and their eyes were hungry for attention.
I stood rooted to the floor for a second as rage crawled under my skin.
He was mine.
But there he was, laughing with two strangers like he hadn't whispered "Mask" through gritted teeth as I worshipped him a week ago.
I turned away before I did something reckless, and slid into a private booth toward the back, deliberately choosing one with a clear view of the bar.
Tomas followed silently. He was smart enough to know the storm that was brewing behind my eyes.
A waitress approached, all wide smiles, cleavage spilling out of her small uniform as she bent over the table to ask what I wanted to order.
I was repulsed and I rolled my eyes as I flicked a finger in Tomas' direction. If I took out my frustration on this poor waitress, I would blow my cover because it would definitely attract a scene. And I didn't want Angel to notice me.
Tomas ordered two whiskeys and waved her off immediately. I wasn't even able to focus on anything, except the goddamn way one of them just touched Angel's bicep.
The glass was set in front of me a moment later, and I drank it in one pull. My grip tightened around the empty glass as blood roared in my ears.
Then I watched, because I'm a masochist apparently, as Angel stood from his stool without even checking his surroundings. 
His guard was down and I don't know why it annoyed me that he wasn't even conscious of the dangers lurking in this seedy bar.
Both women stood with him, giggling and swaying like bitches in heat as they followed him out through the front door. 
I didn't need a soothsayer to tell me exactly where this was going.
"Fuck," I muttered under my breath, my voice ragged with disbelief.
I should get up and walk away.
But I didn't.
I just sat there, gripping the edge of the table like it was the only thing keeping me grounded while my heart burned out of my chest.
"You want me to check where they're going?" Tomas asked, his voice laced with concern.
I didn't answer right away. I just stared at the door Angel had walked out of, my jaw clenched so tight it ached.
And Tomas waited patiently, like he always did. Finally, the masochist side of me won and I gave a small nod.
I wasn't surprised he knew. Of course he did. 
Tomas saw everything, even when I didn't say a word. That's what made him the most dangerous man in my corner, and the most loyal.
He disappeared and came back five minutes later.
"They're in the alley," he said quietly, like it was just another piece of business.
"What's going on there?" I asked, because of course, I loved torturing myself.
Tomas appeared uneasy for a second before he responded, "One of them is sucking him off while the other is making out with him."
That was all I needed. I stood, slow and deliberate, and handed him my empty glass.
"Wait until he's gone," I said. "Then bring me back a finger each from those dirty whores."
Tomas didn't flinch.
He just nodded and replied with, "Yes, boss."
Because a man like Tomas doesn't need to ask why, and a man like me doesn't need to explain.
I was pissed as I strode out of the club. I glanced at the road that led to the alley and turned, but a voice warned me off.
If I were to go there now, it wouldn't look pretty and I couldn't promise that I wouldn't hurt Angel. 
So I turned and continued to my car. The plan to scope out Fernando's territory had gone down the drain, faster than the way the idea had come. 
I was in no mood to deal with the mob tonight. The last thing I needed was to go into a killing rage just because I couldn't control my emotions around one man. 
I got into my Porsche and drove back to the mansion. I needed to be in my own bed, Adriana be damned. 
And as for Angel, tomorrow, he was going to learn what happens to people when they forget that they belong to the devil.