My stomach jumped to my mouth. All of its contents covered the floor. I turned to see my bile running into the pool of blood. I watched as the bile and blood swirled together in a dance only this room has seen. Lucifer laughed in the corner, "You act like you've never seen a dead body before." My eyes immediately darted to Lucifer's cousin on the floor. "Well, it's not every day we decide to kill our relatives. What the hell did he do?"
"Lina, does it matter. You'll get your money. That's why you here right."
I walked up to his cousin. Miguel's eyes were blank and the look on his face was pure shock. His eyes reflected nothing but the bile and blood mixture on the floor. His fingers snapped and his ankles broken. His flesh ripped from parts of his body. I traced the bullet hole in his forehead and his lingering scent of ginger barely remained on from his being.
I sighed.
Lucifer didn't respect or trust people, but one of the three people he depended on was on the floor dead. "I love the money. Just make sure its cash. And I'll send my cleaner to wipe the evidence from the room."
Lucifer shook his head. "You know I have the best cleaners on the planet. We will get this shit right."
I laughed, "Lucifer, I think you forgot that I don't trust your ass. My cleaners will be here at 4AM. Have my money by then." I looked at his face and watched the amusement play in his eyes. "I'll send Czar to collect my money."
Lucifer rolled his eyes, "Why the hell are you sending that fool? I hate that motherfucker he's fu…"
"He's the only person you won't screw over. Plus, I like that he wants to kill you and looks for an excuse every time you two meet. Makes the interactions more amusing for me." I smiled.
Lucifer sucked his teeth then left the room. His anger evident in his stride.
I looked back down at Miguel, "Fuck. What did you do to deserve this?" Staring at his broken body gave me a feeling of unease. Something wasn't right.
After leaving The Bubos Towers, I took a deep breath. The stench of ammonia still lingered on my body, but the fresh air was nice. Thinking of Miguel's natural ginger scent was refreshing. His death bothered me. Lucifer killed relentlessly and without thinking, but never would he kill Miguel without a reason, and judging by Miguel's mangled body he was also tortured.
The people on the street would never know that Lucifer was a psychotic, business man, whose businesses ranged from owning hotels to selling body parts from the recently deceased. They saw him as a powerful man with commercials telling them how great his products were and how much he cared for the community. All bullshit.
I am his equal, no relationship required. We were doing the same sort of business and decided to work together as opposed to being rivals. I found his existence to be an intriguing one. He seemed to plan nothing and act purely on impulse. I wanted to work closely with him, to try and understand his world. Lucifer agreed to be partners because Czar and I were really…convincing.
Czar was waiting by the car for me. I took in his tall frame. Broad shoulders, smooth skin, muscular body, and piercing icy blue eyes. His eyes were lively and reflected his heritage. "Hey, Czar I need you get my money from Lucifer, kill him if he doesn't pay."
Czar nodded. He was my guardian and the only being on this planet that I could trust. "How much do I have to get?"
"$45,001, and I want all of it at once. Cash only."
He nodded again and moved to the driver seat. "Are we laying low after this? Maybe spend some time with Kitarya. We need to start prepping her for your mother's arrival."
I sighed and shook my head. "My mother is in no way a threat at this moment. I want Kitarya to have a normal life for as long as possible. I am keeping tabs on mother, we should be fine for a few more decades. My sisters on the other hand…" I shook my head. My family issues, outside of Kit and Czar, were not my own. I would not live in fear of them interfering. "We have a meeting with James and Kitten. We have some business to discuss."