Zyran decides to stand right next to me crossing his tattooed muscular arms in front of the other, with an amused smirk covering his face, as he looks directly into my eyes. "I'm glad you are back home, I assumed you were dead. Hell we all did. Has Eryx been giving you a hard time".

Zyran manages to whisper so that Eryx cannot make out what he is saying to me, who is preoccupied at the moment as he discreetly talks to someone on the phone. "You have no idea, Zy, how overbearing Eryx has been since he practically kidnapped me. I don't know how the hell Arsenio and he were able to find me".

The mention of Arsenio causes his back to stiffen and his eyes to widen as if something rather peculiar came to his mind, "Arsenio probably more than likely is the reason why you are even standing here. I still can't believe you were able to disappear for five years. That is fucking badass. I'm glad you are my sister-in-law".

Zyran bumps his shoulders against mine before he clears his throat, causing Eryx to glance over in his direction before he removes his phone from his ear, placing it back in the front pocket of his slacks. Zyran and Eryx stare at each other for a moment as if they are having a silent conversation that they are trying to refrain from allowing me to be a part of.

The seconds passed and I was getting more than annoyed with the silence as I stood in the middle between Eryx and Zyran, so interrupted the moment by yelling out.

"Whatever you two of trying to hide from me, I advise you to go ahead and share what it is because as you can see", I then lift Eryx and I's cuffed wrists, "I am not going anywhere". Zyran has a stern look on his face as he looks over at Eryx he looks quite irritated as he glances between me and then Zyran once more.

"Go ahead, you might as well tell me what exactly is going on".

Zyran sighs before he is handed a tablet from one of his armed men who is standing behind him with an AR-15 in their hands.

"Seem as though we have caught ourselves an informant who worked for the Alvarado family".

Hearing that name causes my back to stiffen, Eryx glances down at me with concern in his eyes before I can feel his fingers slowly begin to encase themselves on top of mine, as he begins to massage my palms, something that he used to do quite frequently in the past, whenever I became concerned on stressed about something.

I break eye contact with him, staring off into looking out into the dock with my lips tucked inside of my mouth, watching as several men worked to remove the heavy ports stationed on a docked ship, as well as using steel poles to unlock the ports, removing large wooden boxes from inside. I am curious to know what exactly are in those boxes.

"Seem as though they had people watching us for several months now", Zyran reveals.

As I keep my face neutral trying to not shift the guys' attention to me once more. "Shit", Eryx says, "Where is this informant, please tell me you kept them alive".

Zyran belts out a low chuckle. "Yes, brother. I wouldn't dare take the opportunity to.. allow you to interrogate this person of interest".

The way Zyran just hesitated just now makes me aware that he was going to say something else but censored what he meant to say because I was present, trying to hide the truth of what was going on.

"Take me to this person, now", Eryx suddenly demands as I glance over to see Zyran nodding in agreement before he whispers something to his men and then removes a walkie-talkie from his black army fatigue pants as he quickly strides in front of us. Arlo and Tirian take up the rear as we begin walking passed the dock as we make our way toward the inside of the Arsenal base.

I feel various sets of eyes staring at me as I walk past many men, who are probably not used to seeing me, especially not here. Eryx grips my hand firmly in his, as he glares at many of the men who have now centered their attention back on the tasks at hand, which is opening the wooden boxes and taking out various types of weapons that I am sure they are preparing to send out to crime families who have recently purchased that will be soon shipped to them.

There was even an assembly line of workers who were using a Computed Tomography 3D Imaging Machine, placing each weapon, no matter if it was a gun, knife, or explosives, onto a conveyor belt as it rolled through the machine, as a 3D image was created which determine if each weapon was in good condition or defective.

"Why have you kept this a secret from me for so long", I added as Eryx and I managed to walk past a huge load of weapons lying prostate against the wall.

"Cherie, this not a place for someone like you to be here. It is indeed quite dangerous and there is a reason why this base is so far away from the mainland. It can be considered to be a playground for torture and revenge".

My back stiffened as I tried to pull my hand away from Eryx, but he kept a firm grasp on my hand. "There was a reason why you wanted to come here. You wanted to know what I have been hiding, this is it". Zyran then stands by a gray door, one of the armed men, opens, sticking his head inside of the door, before a hand is waved out, motioning for us to enter.

I immediately took notice of how cold this room was, as I shifted my arm closer to Eryx, darkness covered the room and I was unable to see anything for a moment before I could hear someone turning on a light switch.

Zyran was standing in front of us with his back turned, he was looking down at the floor, I could not make out what exactly he was looking at, being so much taller than me as his broad muscular shoulders, obscured my view. Eryx immediately began to frown as I took notice of his facial features turned abruptly into a face I no longer recognized.

His sienna eyes, darkened almost looking as though they were black, and the muscles in his arms, stiffened to the point, where his fingers twitched against mine in a rapid motion, causing me to wonder what was going on.

"This is the informant", Zyran reveals his face never breaking away from the person in question as Eryx's lips begin to tighten. I then can feel Eryx's hand pulling me forward before my mouth is jarred open seeing a gray-haired Latino man wearing a black suit, who looks as though he has been brutally beaten, there are black and purple marks under his bloodshot red eyes, his cheeks look puffy and have severe cuts plastered against each side of his cheek, as blood drips down his dry, bruised lips.

I glance down and take notice that his shoulder has been dislocated from its socket, as he holds the side of his body, whimpering in pain as he looks directly into my eyes, fear prevalent in his. I watch from my peripheral as Eryx leans forward, "Tell me why the Alvarados sent you and I will let you live", the bruised man shifts his attention from me and then to Eryx.

He looks at Eryx before he begins to laugh, as blood drips down his chin, making contact with the floor.

"They have been watching for so long. You thought you killed them all but there are still many more of them left".

Eryx surprises me when he grips the man by his neck, pulling him off the ground, as the man tries to pull away, but Eryx's grip on his neck tightens.

"I do not care how many of them hide in the shadows like fucking cowards. I will kill them all". The man then makes eye contact with me once more as if I can help him. Eryx takes notice of the man pleading with me with his eyes.

"Cherie, this what you wanted to see right? Right !!!", he yells as the veins of his neck pop out as he stares back at me. I stand in my place beside Eryx as I slowly nod my head, something in the pit of my stomach urges me forward before I place my head against the injured man's face.

Eryx tries to pull me away, "Don't!!!", I yell as my voice echoes off the walls as he keeps the man upright with his hand still pressed against his neck.

"Do you have a wife? Any children", I ask softly looking into the man's eyes. He nods, "Yes, I do. I have three children and 1 grandchild that's on the way".

I nod, and a small smile covers my face, "That is beautiful. Family means everything in this lifestyle, but unfortunately your family will be burying you".

The man looks suddenly startled as I remove my semi-revolver before unloading four rounds of gun bullets in his head, his blood platters against the floor, some getting onto my outfit as I watch him take his last breath. Eryx drops the body to the floor as I place my gun inside my jeans before I make eye contact with him.

"Next time if you are going to kill someone, less talking please".

Eryx looks at me in disbelief as if he cannot believe I just killed a man in front of his eyes. He then pulls me against him, placing his hands against my face as he stares into my eyes, "I knew the look of someone who has killed before, that wasn't your first time doing this, has it, Cherie".

I bite the corners of my lips before I place my hand against his chest feeling his heart begin to race, causing a flow of electricity to flow down my body.

"Some things are meant not to be shared all at once. You will know the truth just like I will know the truth in due time".





Verena is coming into her own as the Queen of the Vallea Mafia. I knew had this end this chapter off with Verena doing something badass, it's only fair being that Eryx feels as though she was incapable of handling the duties of being the wife of a mafia leader. He will soon learn that maybe Verena is not fragile as he assumed her to be.