CHAPTER 2: THE DEVIL'S DEAL  

"You’re marrying him, whether you like it or not!”

My father snapped at me, his voice slurred, and his breath stinking of liquor.

“What do you mean I’m marrying him?” I whispered brokenly, staring at my father like he had finally lost what was left of his sanity.

He sneered, slamming his glass onto the table hard enough to spill whiskey across the paperwork in front of him. “You heard me, Elena. Kanan Maddox said the only way for him to keep us under his protection is if you marry him. He is offering the only deal that keeps us alive.”

 I stood in the parlor, clutching the envelope containing my ticket out of this miserable life of crime I was born into. It was the acceptance letter from my choice university confirming my full scholarship, but it felt worthless now, just paper burning in my hand.

I came in two hours ago to the news that my father had accidentally and carelessly killed someone in a fit of drunken rage after he lost at a poker game. He hadn’t known that the person he’d murdered was the favourite nephew of a top member of the mafia council.

My father was a low-ranking drug lord, and his actions placed a death warrant on our heads. Except we had someone powerful enough that the council is scared of on our side. And it seemed like my father had found one.

Kanan Maddox, the infamous ice king, leader of the Harbingers MC. A feared biker gang known for its highly skilled members and ruthlessness.

“Dad, please,” I pleaded, my voice thin and high with desperation. “I just finally got my acceptance to Columbia. I can’t…”

My mother gasped dramatically, sinking onto a velvet chaise lounge like a tragic heroine. “Do you want us all to die, Elena? Just because you want to go to school? How selfish!”

“And why me?” I snapped, turning back to my father. “Why not Bianca? She would be happier. She loves this world, loves attention…. she actually wants this lifestyle!”

He scoffed. “He asked for you specifically.” He said, waving a dismissive hand. “Though God knows why, because your sister is way prettier.”

Bianca preened. “I know, right? Is he blind?” Then she sneered at me from her perch on the couch. “God, Lena, why are you acting like someone asked you to fuck a troll? Women would kill to marry him.”

A sharp, bitter laugh broke out of me. “So that’s it? You are selling me off to save yourselves because he picked me? What about my dreams? I just—”

“Enough!” Father barked, suddenly sober with rage. “I made a mistake, ok! I shot a boy I shouldn’t have, and now the Council wants me dead. They want all of us dead!” He sighed defeatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Maddox is the only one who can protect us, and this is the only price he asked in return.” He leaned forward, eyes wild. “If you refuse, you kill us all.”

“What exactly is the price?” I asked, my voice a painful whisper.

My father straightened, suddenly looking relieved. “It’s simple. You marry him today, and you give him an heir within one year. But if you don't… he takes the entire Cruz estate, properties, and turf as payment for the protection.”

Jesus. I had just one year to get pregnant, or we would lose everything.

The roar of motorcycles suddenly sounded from outside, shaking the windows.

I hurried to the window, pulling back the curtain to see a polished black Harley-Davidson idling on the gravel, flanked by two identical bikes, each carrying a massive, expressionless man in matching black leathers.

Kanan dismounted with a slow, powerful grace that was terrifying to watch. He moved like a dangerous predator, draped in a black leather jacket that stretched across his broad, muscled shoulders. Dark, intricate tattoos, wrapped around his neck like heavy chains, disappearing beneath his collar. He was devastatingly handsome, with a cold, chiseled face that commanded attention.

He was the devil arriving to claim his due, and yet my stomach fluttered with a nervous tension that was purely sexual. My body was a traitorous thing, reacting to the very man I should have been running from.

When he walked into the parlour,  Bianca immediately glided up to him, smiling like a predator. “Welcome, Mr. Maddox. I'm Bianca Cruz. If my little sister is giving you trouble, I assure you, I’m much more—”

Kanan ignored her; his dark eyes looked directly at me, and Bianca’s voice died in her throat.

“I brought a priest and the notary,” Kanan announced, his voice a low, rough rumble. “Let’s finalize the paperwork, Mr. Cruz. My time is money.”

The marriage was legalized in under ten minutes.

There was no warmth, no vows, just signatures and a cold kiss on my cheek.

I was signed away to the Biker Don like property.

Later, I stood in the entryway of his monolithic, cold mansion, clutching a small duffel bag after my father and sister had departed with humiliating speed after escorting me to my new home.

Kanan stood at the base of the staircase, removing his leather jacket. His back was a map of intricate, dark tattoos through his white T-shirt. “The master suite is upstairs,” he said, gesturing with his head. “Follow me.”

”I froze. “I… I thought you had another wing. I can take a guest room.”

He turned, the full intensity of his dark gaze landing on me. He didn’t look angry, just coldly pragmatic.“You’re my wife, Elena. And you have an obligation to fulfill before the year is up.” He walked closer, his physical presence dominating the space. “The heir won’t make itself. You have to start working for your survival tonight.”

He gestured to the staircase. My heart hammered against my ribs, a trapped bird desperate to escape.

I knew exactly what he meant. This was not a suggestion.

It was the start of my imprisonment.