Serpent's Deceit (Entry 008)

“Shit.”

I hear Dax cursing under his breath before we even turn our heads up. The door is pulled open from the inside. Dax’s living room comes into view over the front entryway. Three people are occupying the space. Seeing them, I realise the reason for Dax’s cursing.

The vibe they are giving off is enough to scare people away from them. One look and anyone can tell that getting involved with them in any way is bad news. 

The one who has opened the door is a middle-aged, tattooed buff guy with robotic features and a buzz cut. He is blankly staring ahead. I think he is not even breathing.

Sprawled over the couch is a younger guy, who looks about my age, with his feet dangling over the armrest and his hands under his head. He is wearing dust-colored pants with a short-sleeved t-shirt. The part of his arms that is not covered in the t-shirt is covered in ink. He winks at me as soon as our eyes meet. I look away.

Lastly, before the couch is a smiling old man. Well, not exactly that old, maybe in his 50s, or even 40s. He has a polished look, with tucked-in button-ups and formal pants. Still, there is something about him that makes him look very rough. I cannot exactly pinpoint what it is. He has what is supposed to be a welcoming smile, I think. It looks more like a threatening dark grin. 

That man and the one on the couch are most likely father and son. The resemblance is impossible to miss. The only difference might be their skin tone.

“Uncle Richard,” Dax says as a way of greeting. The stiffness in his tone and the name he uses tell me everything I need to know. I feel a weight drop in my stomach as soon as I hear the name.

Richard is Dax’s uncle, Dax’s father’s stepbrother and Dax’s current guardian as well. After his parents’ death, Richard eagerly took the responsibility of Dax into his own hands. It was to his own benefit, obviously. He was the one who introduced Dax to the world of darkness, aka the world of drugs and in exchange, he took all the properties Dax’s parents left for him. If I start mentioning all the things he has done to Dax only, I will run out of pages, but not his honourable works. And I am not even considering what he does in general. He is the centre of all drug-dealing chains in the town, and obviously, that is not the only thing he does. Anyone can add two and two together and figure out everything else about him.

“I’m honoured that you remembered me,” he says with a bow, clearly mocking Dax. “But I’m also hurt, dear. You don’t visit me anymore.”

“Cause he got the hoe,” hollers the tattooed guy from the couch, the son. I glance at him to find him giving me a nasty look. Every girl is aware of that look, the kind you get from the perverts of the streets. “Won’t you introduce her to us, brother dearest?” 

He wets his lips when our gazes meet before dragging his eyes down my body. I look away, positioning myself behind Dax, so that the look does not bother me that much. Dax understands it and moves accordingly, shielding me as much as he can. Still, I feel the brat’s gaze as if his hands are touching me in a very inappropriate way. 

If I remember correctly from what Dax has told me, he is the son who has appeared out of nowhere, and Richard has accepted him for some unknown reason. He is not the first or last case, but he is the exception. 

However, I do not understand who the third person is yet. I take a glance at him. He has closed the door and is now standing somewhere between Richard and his son, still as rigid as a robot. 

“I will pay the money by tomorrow,” Dax says, and I finally realise why they are here. I feel my heart beating in my ear. I do not have much experience, but I have heard what drug dealers do when you do not pay the money. And if the head is here, it looks serious, no matter how lightly or sarcastically he is speaking.

Richard lets out a chuckle. Well, it sounds dark enough to send a shiver down my spine. My grip on Dax’s shirt tightens. “Oh dear, don’t be silly. We are of the same blood. Why bring money into this now?” He even makes ‘tsk’ ‘tsk’ sounds. 

“By tomorrow,” Dax repeats in the same monotonous tone. “I promise.” 

“Oh, dear. You are not hearing me again. Between us, the blood—” He makes a gesture with his hand, the chain watch on his wrist makes a clunk sound. He continues, “No money. But if you want to actually repay…”

He trails off, tapping a finger on his chin to make it look like he is actually considering something. A second later, he snaps his finger as if he has got the idea, and his eyes fall on me straight. Well, he cannot exactly see me as I am standing behind Dax, and he is just right before him. So, he cracks his neck to get a better look at me. 

“I will have her. As you can see, my son has developed an interest in the young lady.” I feel the weight in my stomach getting heavier as I cower behind Dax more, gripping onto his shirt tightly as if it can save me from trouble. My ear starts ringing as blood starts rushing up in fear. 

Dax obviously senses it. He puts a hand on me backwards, pressing me to his back as tightly as possible. “She isn't an object of your desire. You will not have her. I'm going to clear the debt by tomorrow.”

“If you can't?” The son chirps from the couch. I take a look in his direction to find him now standing before the couch, nearly as tall as his father, slightly lean. The neck and shoulder area are the same. They clearly are son and dad. 

He takes a step forward and leans closer to Dax. However, his eyes are on me over Dax's shoulder when he states, “I will have her.”

“If I can't,” Dax challenges, tilting his head so that the son's eyes are no longer gawking at me. “You have a problem with me. Not her. She will not be dragged here.”

The son makes a serpentine sound with his tongue. “Oh, please. Anyone who's associated with you can be and will be dragged here.”

I feel Dax stiffening more. He is about to say something, but Richard cuts him off, pulling up both of his hands in a mocking show of stopping them. “Okay, okay, calm down, both of you.” The son stops like an obedient boy. His father turns to Dax, bringing a sympathetic look on his face as he speaks, “Honestly, Dax, I didn't want to bring money into our uncle-niece relationship either. But since you are insisting so much, I'm considering it.” 

His eyes meet mine once over Dax’s shoulder, and I feel the chill in my bones. The look that he gives me is the look of a murderer without any doubt. Though he says the next words normally as if he is speaking about the weather, they are anything but normal, “Pay and keep her. Or give her up.”

He makes a bow and walks towards the door. The robot-like guy follows him. While watching them, I do not see the son coming closer to me. Rather, I feel it when Dax tugs me away sharply. Turning my head, I find the son just inches away from me, bringing his hand to himself, as if he has definitely moved forward to touch me. 

Just the thought of it makes me want to crawl out of my skin. He flashes a nasty grin and makes a gesture with his tongue that is equally sickening. Leaning forward, he speaks in the same serpentine tone, “Can’t wait to drag you into my bed and hear my name chanting in that sultry voice of yours while I ruin you and turn you into my favourite fuck toy.”

I feel myself trembling, a ball forms in the back of my throat, and my eyes start burning. Dax takes a threatening step towards him. “Enough!”

The son jumps back, laughing like a hyena and makes his way to the door. The shutting sound of the door reaches our ears as they leave. A sob escapes my mouth as I fall to the ground. What have I gotten myself into?