Mafia King's Contract Breeder
Chapter 9 I Am The Law

Chapter 9: 9 I Am The Law

Emmanuel POV

There it was again; the complication.

The moment they learned who I was, it all became much more complicated. The acts. The scheming. Or, at the very least, the price went up again. I always had to end up reminding them, even if I do not usually kill women, I could still make their life very difficult if they tried to play me.

I had done the background check before I approached her with the contract, of course.

Clean enough.

21 years old, East Windlem born and bred, no affiliations with any other criminal organisations. Unlikely to have even breathed the same air as my biological father and half-brother.

In fact, Lara’s father had briefly worked for me before he went down in the last major police infiltration.

Mrs Brinson had been paid a handsome price for her husband’s services to my organisation.

The Brinsons were well taken care of, just like all those who were loyal to me.

Like mother like daughter, it seemed that greed ran in the family.

I liked greed.

I liked all sins. When people wanted something, they came to me, and I would grant it to them as long as they could pay the price.

I could give Lara Brinson what she wanted.

But my patience had limits.

She had already doubled the price once; I was not going to pay more than that.

Time for a little reminder of who she is dealing with.

Lara’s POV

Behind the desk, Emmanuel Sagres slowly rose to his feet, as though he had all the time in the world. He closed the distance in the tiny basement office to loom over me where I was pressed against the door.

"What are you doing, Lara?"

"This was a mistake. I’m not the right girl for you, you should find someone else," the words tore out of me in a desperate jumble.

I glanced longingly at the contract on the table, ink freshly drying. Wished that I could tear it into pieces and time travel back just five minutes, to a time before I signed my name on it.

He stopped an arm’s length away.

Close enough that I could make out the faint stubble shadowing his jaw.

Close enough that I could see exactly how blue his eyes were.

"You think you can back out after you have learned my name and how I look?" he said silkily. "That would be...inconvenient, Lara."

Aha. There was the catch.

Why on earth did I think anything good could ever happen to me?

People who crossed the mafia king didn’t live to see the next morning. From the moment he had signed his name on that contract, this was not a negotiation any more.

There was no one I loathed more than Emmanuel Sagres. But hating him would do no good at all if I was dead.

"Are you threatening me?" I said flatly.

"Threats? I don’t like to be so crass," said Emmanuel. He shook his head. "I am a man of my word. And I expect the same courtesy."

He held up the black bank card between two fingers. My gaze caught on it.

"Here is my end of the deal."

The deal...I asked him for money upfront. Life changing money.

I couldn’t expect a contract to hold the mafia king accountable to me. But I could get Chloe and mom out of here.

Whatever happened to me, something good could still come out of the Devil’s bargain, if I was careful enough.

I reached for the card.

It didn’t move.

His eyes narrowed condescendingly.

"And your end of the deal, Lara?"

Heat rushed into my face.

"Yes," I said through gritted teeth. "I signed the fucking contract, didn’t I?"

"And I am sure you read the clause that explains the contract may not be terminated once it enters force."

Look at him, quoting contract terms like some kind of fine, law-abiding citizen.

"I don’t think a contract can enter legal force when I didn’t even know who I was signing it with," I said bitterly.

Once upon a time, naive child that I was, I wanted to study law. Become a police officer. Protect the weak. Fat chance of that now, with my father doing life in prison for drug dealing.

Emmanuel arched a brow.

"The law is ’in force’ in so far as it is enforceable."

The tone was so dry and academic that for a moment I could almost picture him standing behind a university podium instead of running half the organized crime in the city.

"And you are the law around here." I nodded like a good student.

Emmanuel smiled slightly, as though local tyranny was an achievement he was rather proud of.

"Yes," he agreed. "I am."

"So what was the point of your little game with the contract if you are the law and you’ve decided what you want?"

A hand closed around my throat. Holding my neck without pressing down.

"Would you rather meet me when I am not abiding by the law, Lara?"

I swallowed heavily.

"No," I said.

"You were much more polite before you knew my name," he said thoughtfully. "I think that for the amount I spent, I should get a better attitude than that."

"Sorry, sir." I dragged the words out of me with the patience that I had learned from serving countless clients.

None of them ran the risk of putting a gun to my head if I didn’t please them well enough.

"I’ll be good for you," I promised.

"Good girl."

His hand left my throat. He pressed the black card into my hand. The weight of it felt absurdly light compared to everything it represented.

"You may go and settle your affairs at home. I will send a car for you tomorrow morning."

"You know where I live?"

"Of course I do."

I shuddered.

"Remember, I expect you to keep this confidential. For the sake of your family members, they had better not learn of our...agreement."

Or what? I thought, panic rising until I could physically feel it as a lump in my throat.

"Fine," I agreed. I tightened my grip on the card.

"They don’t need to know. I won’t tell them anything. But you have to let them leave unharmed."

"What do you take me for, Lara?" Emmanuel shook his head as though disappointed. "I am not a thug. Your family are free to go wherever they like as long as they do not carry my secrets. And you– you will be equally free to leave, as soon as we have completed our agreement."

"Right," I said, trying not to let my skepticism bleed into my tone. "How very generous of you, sir."

Emmanuel’s eyes narrowed slightly, as though he could hear every ounce of skepticism beneath the politeness.

Neither of us spoke.

The silence stretched.

Then he reached around my waist and turned the key in the lock.

The key in the–?

The key was in the fucking door.

Emmanuel Sagres smiled at me, lifting the corners of his lips in a perfect, unsettling curve. Like an alien who was practicing human behaviour.

"See you tomorrow, Lara."