The toxins from my stomach decorate the floor in a nasty puddle of half-eaten food. The acids scorch my esophagus as another wave of vomit spills from my mouth. My heart passionately thumps against my palm as I try to breathe through my nose. Finally, my stomach waves a white flag, and I am done throwing up for the night. My head slams against the crisp, cooled wall, but I'm unphased.

Nothing compares to vomiting an amount to fill an ocean.

Sweat trickles down my chin to the floor. I should volunteer as a tribute in a marathon for the most vomit a person can gag up. My confidence shrinks to the size of a tic-tac as my eyes flutter open, peering at my employee crawling back using his arm. His face is contorted in agony as the blood trails down his fingertips.

Am I being a respectable leader? A righteous boyfriend? Mika is experiencing the truth of this secret floor on her own because of my nerves. I've fallen casualty of hysteria as I struggle to move any of my limbs. I wanted to be with Mika and prove to her I'll always be here. To assert my loyalty, if matters take a dark turn, and our lives are at stake, I'll stand with her.

Tonight is only the first night of our life filled with adventures. My empire is thriving, and I want to share everything with my girlfriend. Help her accomplish all her ambitions and create the world into a place we want to live in. No controlling fathers. No child trafficking associated with us. Only peace and prosperity for everyone.

Mika can take the lead.

It's a no-brainer.

I've always been a doormat, following everyone's orders as if I was under a spell. Even now, any calls I made were in correlation with what my papa wanted. Mateo has lost a bit of my respect after his indecency requirement to comment on my relationship and his contact with my papa. If I'm going to take commands from someone, it should be my goddess of a girlfriend. Her mind is a masterpiece, ready to unravel for the rest of the world.

My eyes widen in concern as a scarred Mika stumbles from the hallway, leaning her body in the doorway. Her attire is fanatic. Her hair is scattered, yank in all directions as her eyes take a long moment to meet mine. Distress is in her aquamarine irises, the quiver of her lip sending an alert to my heart.

My body reacts like a lightning bolt, transferring onto my feet and hurling at Mika. Her arms open instantly, widening to wrap around my form as I cradle her head in my neck. She nips at my back, digging her nails while tremors leave her body. Whatever she witnessed at the edge of the hallway was tormenting her.

"Princesa, I'm here with you," I whisper, tenderly rubbing her head full of hair. "You aren't alone. What did you find? What is Diablo's big secret?"

Mika pulls back, her lips opening only for nothing to come out.

My hands engulf her cheeks, stroking small circles to ease the tension on her body. She clings to my wrist, her hands battered with scratches and dry blood. Fear is emerging through my veins like a new-engineered virus as all the possibilities rake through my brain. How could I be so weak? Mika could've entered the bursting rings of fury hell, and I didn't offer any security.

"Mika, what did you see?"

Mika forces out a breath and says, "People. Caged girls and boys. Diablo's big secret is kidnapping teenagers from the street. They're malnourished and have horrible living conditions. Holy shit."

Images of caged girls and boys ring through my head like a continuous tape. Replaying the same message over and over again. The realization sends a green light to my stomach, and I turn away, barfing on the floor. My stomach throbs as I clutch onto it, shaking my head to hopefully escape the urge to vomit again.

He's such a piece of shit.

Any man that feels like it's necessary to kidnap children, teenagers, and adults for their own wealth deserves to have a bullet through their skull. It's fucking disgusting. How could they live with themselves? They ruined families, childhood, lives, and all for their fucking pockets to be full. Why are the wealthiest people in the world the most corrupt?

A laugh threatens to slip out.

Isn't it hypocritical for a Jefe like me to call out the corrupts in the world when I'm one of the leading familias of the underground? My familia name is tainted with blood from my papa's reign. All the bodies and familias he tore apart for his own enjoyment. Plenty of his actions strengthen the Morterero name, but it weighed on my soul. If Mika and I were going to be the commanders of the underworld, it will be a period for underdogs to take over in harmony.

Mika drags her back down the doorway, slumping onto the floor, burying her face in her palms. "Oh, my fucking God! I can't believe this. Asiel, I'm sorry for ever defending that piece of shit. I-I just never thought he was capable of swooping this low. He promised all the Angeles wanted to work here. I'm a fucking idiot."

Using my sleeve, I wipe the excess from my chin and pull the blazer off my arms, tossing it on the ground. My hands reach in my pocket for a strip of gum, something I always take on occasions like this. When the chances of vomiting are higher than my chances of living.

"You aren't an idiot, Mika," I protest, the rough tone of my voice almost frightening myself. "You're one person in charge of over dozens of Angeles. Your attention can only go so many ways. No one can blame you for this."

My hands stretch to caress her knee, but she swats my touch away. "It's because of you, Asiel. You're distracting me. Diablo is rebelling against me to prove a point. A stupid fucking point. He's using young, naive people. People like me."

Pink blossom coats my cheeks as embarrassment fills me like helium inflates a balloon. "What's the point? What is he trying to say? To prove? And how am I involved? All I have been trying to do is help you, Mika."

Mika scoffs. The air whirls by my ear as the sharp blade soars, piercing the back wall. "That's the problem. Why do you care? This doesn't concern you. It's between two business partners, no bystanders. It's my problem. I'll take care of it on my own."

She gets up to make a beeline for the hallway, but I boost from my butt to my feet and grab her arm, firmly keeping her still. "I care because you're my girlfriend. You're the most important person to me. Mika, we're in a relationship. I'm not sure if you understand how it works, but we share problems like this. We depend on each other, help each other, and care for each other."

"Why? What's the point of all this? To live in an imaginary world where everything is fine? Look what happened. I enjoyed my life for two fucking seconds, and everything turned to shit." Mika says, her eyebrows mar in a frustrated expression.

My heart bleeds for Mika.

For her happiness, her lowest moments, her mind, her body, her entire collection of nerves and cells that make Mika the woman she is. Subconsciously, she discloses clues about her past in her sentences. Meaning to or not. The hardships she faced. The people who took advantage of her distraction to use it against her when the moment came. Venom supplies the blood in my veins, tainting a part of me.

No matter what I do, I'll be compared to the people who burned her in the past.

I don't blame her.

I just wished she had more faith in me.

A deep sigh passes my lips as I gently cup Mika's cheeks, and she reluctantly snuggles into my touch. "Mika." I lick my lips. "Princesa. Because when shit hits the fan, it hurts a little less when someone you care about is by your side. We can't make the world perfect, but we can do our part to help. Let me help you."

She nibbles on her lips, laying her palm over my knuckles. "What do you get out of this? An advantage by appearing like a better man than others? Don't feel so special. Most men I know are garbage. Nobody offers aid without expecting something in return."

My lips curve to a frown, anger glowing in my abdomen. "Mika, why the hell are we fighting? There's a group of terrified individuals in the other room. You want to break up with me? Fine. Just let me help you. No strings attached, okay? I just want to give you peace of mind."  

She groans, pupils dilating into a black hole, swirling with confusion and nuisances. "Peace of mind is asking for too much, Muñeco. I-I don't want to break up. Just everything is too much. I'm letting Diablo win. He wants us to fight. He can't stand I'm spending time with you."

My eyebrows perk. "Why? I thought we were acquaintances, at least. I mean, fuck, I sell drugs to the guy. What does he have against me? What's exactly the nature of your relationship?"

"It's complicated." Her eyelids narrow, the irises within dark like black ink. "Business partners. Friends. Why the fuck does it matter?"

"Because we're the factors in the situation, the chain reaction, if you will," I explain, my tongue snaking over my bottom lip. "It's not our fault, but we're indirectly involved in their kidnapping. D-does... does he have feelings for you?"

I gulp, the silence surfacing as Mika pondered the thought for a moment. Anything is possible when Mika is involved. I wouldn't criticize him for caring about Mika after their long arrangement as employer and employee. Pimps always blur the lines by using the people they have for themselves. However, I cannot accept him entangling innocent individuals to prove a point. He's a piece of shit, nonetheless.

"No." She assertively shakes her head. "Well. Maybe. But that wouldn't be his sole purpose of backstabbing me. Diablo isn't emotionally charged. It might be a part of it, but this whole thing is calculated."

"How are we going to get him to stop?"

Mika throws her hair into a ponytail, flicking her acrylic nail back and forth. "I'm not sure. I talked to him before, but I need leverage. Something that will refrain from him going against me again."

In the world of dirty skimpy pimps, only two things ever matter to them. Income and investment, ultimately money. It always comes down to money with people like him. Diablo might have fucked-up way of showing his affections for Mika, but money trumps all. To get a man like Diablo to bend against our will, we have to take away the thing that matter most.

His establishment.

Diablo's Paraiso.

"What?" Mika lightly prods my shoulder with her hand.

My lips tilt to a satisfying smirk as my chest swells in glory. "Do you know where Diablo keeps his paperwork for Diablo's Paraiso?"

Her dark eyebrows furrow, a small crease between them. "Yeah. Why?" Like an abrupt bullet shot, her eyes glow with captivation. "Wow, Asiel. Maybe you were made to be the superior heir of the Morterero cartel. I just have to hire a lawyer to construct a new contract with everything going to me."

"I'll take care of that," I reply, setting up an alarm for later tonight when I have service again. "I'll set you up with Damian Monroe. He's the best lawyer in the state. We have our lawyers on our payroll."

Heat fires to my ballsack as Mika places the quickest kiss on my cheek, sporting a shy grin as she spins around. "Maybe we do make the perfect pair, Muñeco."

God, I hope so.

She strides down the hallway, her stilettos clicking with every passionate step. Confident radiates off her like her own personal fragrance in its strawberry mist glory. Her eruption earlier clings to my mind, a topic we needed to discuss as a couple going forward. It's possible our relationship could be too much for the both of us with how packed our plates are. But if it's something we both want, we can make it work.

I know for a fact I am complete with Mika by my side.

But is it reciprocated?

Does it have to be for me to be happy?

Can I be content with having Mika but worlds apart from her soul?

Following like a lovesick puppy, I pick up my pace and catch up to Mika, observing her stepping over the dead body. A blood puddle is underneath their head, growing an inch with every second as his eyes are round in pure shock. Nausea boils in my stomach, fighting to make an appearance, but I swallow it back down. If I want to be useful, I'm going to have to learn how to retain my toxins.

"What's the plan exactly?" I ask to distract myself as I step over the body, blocking the doorway. "How are we going to support all these people?"

Mika halts. "I can maybe house around a hundred of them in my two apartments. More than that will feel just like how they're now."

My fingers fidget with the purity ring on my ring finger. "Um, I could make some calls. Ask members of my familia to house a few and give money for the leftover to seek shelter."

She lets out a small laugh, looking at me like I presented a senseless idea. "Are the members of your familia trustworthy? I don't want to subject them to any more trauma than they have already gone through."

I cross my arms. "I'm not going to ask family members like Gato if that's what you're concerned about. But if you don't trust my judgment, I'll give them all money. It doesn't matter to me. I'm just spit-balling."

Her eyes glisten with amusement as she descends into the caged environment. One step in and my ears ring with the people pleading for freedom, howling at the top of their lungs. They're filthy, packed in with each other like sardines. Their clothes are raggy. Their skins sliced open from the constant effort of breaking out. The air is muggy and hard to breathe.

I hate to know how long they've been suffering in these conditions.

"I trust your judgment," Mika confesses, aiming the gun at the lock and ordering them to back away.

The cartridge wrecks the lock, and it falls to the floor with a -clang-. Mika sticks the gun into her waistline and kicks the door open. Hundreds of individuals stamped out, praising Mika as they make room for the others confined in the cage. More than half of them give Mika a personal handshake with tearful, swelling eyes.

I would too.

Because whether or not Mika knows it, she's an inspiration.

My inspiration.

My muse.

My Mona Lisa masterpiece.

Damn... how sad that it ended lol... Guys, I'm so sorry for the long wait for long in depth smut, but I promise it's coming reall soon... hopefully the plot is entertaining you so far because you haven't seen anything yet...

😉😝

Diablo almost got what he wanted by making our precious coupe fight! Thank god they freaking snapped out of it. Where do you guys think Diablo is hiding Isabela or what do you think is his plan for her?

He's not going to know what hit him when Mika comes storming through his door! I can't wait! I hope you guys can't wait! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I can't wait to upload again!!

Thank you for every comment and vote, means the freaking world to me!

Love ya! ❤️❤️