Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: The Devil’s Bargain

Lila stood in her Bushwick apartment, staring at the USB drive on her coffee table, its contents a ticking bomb—Eric Kane's name woven through offshore accounts, kickbacks, and a shadow empire that Caspian claimed he was dismantling. The memory of his hands on her, the desk beneath her, still lingered, a heat she couldn't shake as she paced the worn floorboards. Last night had been a collision—lust, trust, a reckless leap into his world—and now she was meeting the man who held the strings. Eric Kane. Vanessa's father, Darius's ghost, Victor's old partner. The real devil, if Caspian was to be believed.Her phone buzzed—Caspian: Car's downstairs. 7 p.m. Dress sharp. She glanced at the clock: 6:45. No time to overthink. She swapped jeans for a black blazer and slacks—professional, edged with defiance—and grabbed her bag, the USB tucked inside. Downstairs, a sleek black sedan idled, driver silent as she slid in. The city blurred past—neon and concrete, a beast she'd never tamed—and her pulse thudded with every block closer to Caspian.He waited outside Thorn Enterprises, leaning against the car in a tailored gray suit, hair tousled by the wind. His eyes found hers as she stepped out, a flicker of something—worry, want—that made her chest tighten. "You sure about this?" he asked, voice low, hand brushing her arm."No," she said, honest. "But I'm doing it."He nodded, jaw tight, and opened the door. "Kane's at his club—private, old money. He'll test you. Don't flinch."The drive was silent, tension thick as they crossed into the Upper East Side, pulling up to a discreet brownstone with no sign, just a brass knocker. Inside, the air was heavy—cigar smoke, leather, the murmur of wealth. A bouncer waved them through, and they descended into a basement lounge: dim lights, velvet booths, a bar gleaming with crystal. Eric Kane sat at a corner table, a king on his throne—silver hair, sharp suit, eyes like a hawk's, cold and calculating. Vanessa lounged beside him, platinum hair catching the light, her smile a blade as she spotted Lila."Well," Eric drawled, voice smooth as aged whiskey, "Caspian's stray. Sit."Lila took the chair across from him, Caspian at her side, his presence a shield she didn't want to need. "Eric Kane," she said, cool, leaning back. "You're the man behind Apex."Eric's laugh was dry, humorless. "Straight to it. I like that." He sipped his drink, ice clinking. "Apex is a tool, Miss Hart. Caspian knows that. Don't you, boy?"Caspian's hand tensed on the table, but his voice was steel. "A tool I'm retiring. You're done, Eric."Vanessa smirked, crossing her legs. "Bold words from a man who's still paying Daddy's debts."Lila's eyes flicked between them, reading the room—old grudges, fresh blood. "Ten million yesterday," she said, locking on Eric. "Brooklyn's demolition. Your cut?"Eric's gaze sharpened, amused. "You've been digging. Good for you. Yes, my cut. Keeps the wheels turning.""Wheels that crush people," she shot back, voice hard. "Like Marcus Reed?"A flicker—Eric's mask slipped, just a second, then smoothed. "Reed was a fool. Talked too much, paid the price."Caspian leaned forward, voice low, lethal. "You paid him off. Then what—silenced him?"Eric shrugged, casual. "Business, Caspian. You'd know, if you weren't so busy playing savior." His eyes slid to Lila. "Or chasing skirts."She bristled, but kept her cool. "And Elena? Another loose end?"The air shifted—Eric froze, Vanessa's smile vanished, and Caspian's hand found hers under the table, a warning squeeze. Eric set his glass down, slow, deliberate. "Careful, girl. You don't know what you're stirring.""I know enough," she said, unflinching. "Darius fed her drugs. You covered it. What else?"Eric stood, towering over the table, voice a hiss. "You want truth? Elena was a liability—wild, reckless. She ran, or she died. I didn't care which, as long as she was gone."Caspian surged up, chair scraping, fury radiating. "You bastard—"Vanessa grabbed his arm, nails digging. "Sit, Caspian. He's not worth it."Lila stood too, heart pounding, staring Eric down. "You're a coward. Hiding behind money and bodies."Eric smiled, cold, stepping closer. "And you're a gnat, buzzing too loud. Keep buzzing, see what happens."Caspian pulled her back, voice tight. "We're done here."They left, the club's weight lifting as they hit the street, but Eric's words clung like damp rot. In the car, Caspian gripped the wheel, knuckles white. "He's lying," he said, more to himself. "Elena didn't just run."Lila touched his arm, tentative. "We'll find out. Together."He looked at her, eyes raw, and nodded. Back at the penthouse, tension snapped—they barely made it through the door before he kissed her, hard, desperate, hands tearing at her blazer. She matched him, shoving him against the wall, buttons popping, skin on skin. It was a release—anger, fear, a need to feel alive. He lifted her, legs wrapping around him, and they stumbled to the bedroom, a tangle of limbs and heat. The sex was fierce, unyielding—her nails in his back, his mouth on her throat, a rhythm that drowned the world. When they collapsed, spent, she stayed, his heartbeat under her cheek a tether in the dark.After, he traced her spine, voice soft. "Eric's dangerous, Lila. More than I thought.""I can handle it," she murmured, half-asleep.He kissed her forehead, a rare tenderness. "I know."Morning came too fast—she slipped out, leaving him asleep, and hit the Daily Pulse. Jamie pounced, eyes wide. "You're alive. Spill.""Eric Kane's the puppet master," Lila said, dumping her bag. "Apex, Brooklyn, Elena—he's dirty, and Caspian's cutting him loose."Jamie scrolled her laptop, frowning. "Wire transfer's source cracked—Kane Industries, direct. He's not hiding it anymore."Lila's gut twisted. "He's taunting us.""Or warning," Jamie said, sharp. "Next move?""Reed's sister, Tara," Lila said, resolute. "She knows more. Then Kane again—I'll break him."By noon, she was in Queens, knocking on Tara's door. The woman looked worse—hollow-eyed, wary. "Marcus warned me," Tara said, voice low, kid napping in the next room. "Kane threatened him—said he'd lose everything if he talked.""Everything like what?" Lila pressed."Family. Me." Tara's voice broke. "He disappeared after that. I think Kane killed him."Lila left, fury simmering, and texted Caspian: Tara—Kane threatened Marcus. Proof? His reply: Office. Now.At Thorn Enterprises, he waited, files spread out—old emails, Marcus's complaints, a payout receipt. "Kane buried him," Caspian said, voice tight. "I didn't know—Victor handled it."She grabbed the files, scanning. "Enough to nail him?""With more," he said, pulling her close. "We'll get it."She kissed him, quick, fierce, a pact sealed. "Then let's hunt."