Mercy

As the man begged, a younger man was brought in and the man went into a panicked silence as she stared at the younger man in horror.

"Do you see how he begs, Henry?" Keen asked softly, his voice quiet so you had to strain to listen. "He owes a great debt to me. One he swore to pay... on your life."

"Please!" the older man begged. "I swear I will have your money, I just need my people to pay me back! I will have it!"

"How much?" the younger man asked, his face falling.

"Four million," Keen answered softly.

Henry gave a nod. "I have your money. I will cover his debt."

"You have money?" the older man cried, confused.

Henry only glared at the older man, then looked away. "I would ask that I be considered to work for your organization," Henry went on, speaking to Keen. "I have found I am good at getting my hands on money with the right computer skills. Less capable when it comes to laundering it. I need a partner."

Mercy was surprised, then she felt like something was off. Henry and the old man had a similar look to them, but she was pretty sure they weren't related. Like on a TV show when they got someone to play the younger version of someone and they looked right, but were the wrong race and had definite markers that made it impossible.

This was a set up.

Henry was a cop.

If she hadn't been feeling so out of it still, she would have kept her mouth shut and let Keen seal his own fate.

Instead, she blurted out. "Where were you born, Henry?"

"What?" the man asked, confused by her question.

"Where were you born?"

"I... right here. I've been here my whole life!"

The old man grimaced and Keen sat up. "George... did you really try to set me up? Have a police officer pose as your son at his job? How long have you been trying to get him in here to ask to work for me with this too good to be true partnership? He just happens to have all the money to cover your debt and more that he needs cleaned? What a damned shame," Keen chuckled darkly, petting Mercy on the head. "Henry. I don't deal in that sort of business, of course. You'll have to find a way to take care of your issues elsewhere. I will take your fathers payment though, in full. George, you're going to be my guest for a while. Henry... I'm sure we don't have to talk about how this is going to go for you. I'm sure by now you know who you're dealing with and it's not what you initially imagined, yes?"

"Yeah," 'Henry' mumbled, not looking up at Keen.

"Find a way to get me what George owes me," Keen chuckled.

The two men were dragged out, George looking like he knew he wasn't long for this world and Henry looking defeated.

"Clever little thing," Keen purred, leaning over Mercy to tilt her face up to his. "My luck, indeed."

"What does that mean?" Mercy asked him, confused.

"You just remain seated here with me," he smiled, his eyes hooded.

"How did you know?" the man standing nearby asked quietly.

"They looked exactly alike," Isoka spoke up.

"They did, mostly," Mercy agreed. "But Henry was Spanish and George Italian. They have distinct genetic traits that differentiate..."

"Keen," a man called as he came in. "Lindell and Faust are here early, demanding to see you."

Mercy went still, her heart hammering. Derren and Luke.

"Let them wait," Keen growled. "I will not see them before the agreed upon time."

"They said it's urgent."

"Tsk," Keen flipped his wrist. "They will wait! Send in the next!" he called, his fingers toying with Mercy's curls.

The older woman who came in alone asked Keen politely for an extension on her loan, offering paperwork as to why she needed it. Keen waved it away and gave the older woman a nod without ever speaking. The woman sat down among the pillows on the floor, facing Keen. The first to sit. More people came in, most asking for help in some way, or there to make a payment. All of them sat after Keen had the man on his right take payment or he agreed or disagreed to their request.

Mercy did notice that he helped a great deal of his own people without seeming to ask for much in return. They came to him like a benevolent leader and not a mob boss of some sort. He treated them like he WAS a benevolent leader and not a bad man. Yet they all stayed and watched as the night went on and different people came in. Twice Mercy watched as Isoka carried out punishments.

She was beautiful, but warped and bloodthirsty. And fiercely jealous.

When a lovely woman came in to ask for Keens help with an unwanted admirer and flirted heavily, Mercy didn't even see what had happened. It was as if the knife had blossomed in the woman's thigh.

"Isoka!" Keen admonished, but it sounded fond and not angry.

The woman was helped away, Keen never answering whether he would help her get away from the man chasing her.

Finally, the part she was dreading came and Derren and Luke were shown in.

Their eyes went to her at Keen's feet in astonishment.

"And what is so very important?" Keen demanded as both men gaped.

"Ahh... sir..." Derren fumbled, trying to figure out what he was looking at as Mercy hugged Keen's leg. "Ahhh... there's a man in our office... he... aahhh..."

"Please spit it out," Keen prompted.

"It's her," Luke spoke up, pointing his chin at Mercy. "He's flat in love with your little toy there and he thinks you killed her. He's talking about going to the police."

"Why would he assume her dead?"

"Because Lewis was found dead the same way the old man was, then when he went looking for her, her place was covered in your calling card. He's convinced you either kidnapped her or killed her and he's talking about going to the police."

"How very unfortunate for him," Keen shrugged. "Isoka?"

"I'll take care of it," she promised, jumping up and going to her box of evil torture devices.

"We don't want him dead! We'll talk him down... we... wanted to ask about her. So we could give him some closure or whatever. Talk him off the ledge. He's the man who does all your numbers."

"So what's stopping you?" Keen asked idly.

"Ahh... has she been yours all along?" Derren asked, looking a little sick.

"Why, Lindell? What did you say to my pet?" Keen asked darkly.

"Nothing! Nothing, we all just sort of thought she was just Jeremy's little crush. No one knew she was yours! Ahh... did you have her watching us? Watching Jeremy?"

"Don't worry over it. If you did nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about, do you? If you cannot keep the numbers man in line, I will find someone else to take his place."

"Sir... this is part of it. She... she was the one doing the brunt of the workload on your numbers. Jeremy can't do it alone and he can't bring in someone else, not now. We don't have anyone in training for you anymore, no one to make it seem normal, and putting Lee back on training now, demoting her after everything, it would look suspicious."

Mercy felt like she'd been dealt a blow. Lee was Keen's? Of course she was, she had trained her with all of the accounts and Mercy had never looked twice at how bizarre the numbers were. She wasn't allowed to know clients, attorney client privilege. The numbers could be as off as they needed to be and she would never know. She hadn't even minded that her job varied so much from her title and what she applied for, it was easy and it paid well, math was as easy as breathing to her.

She'd been used.

"Easy enough to fix," Keen shrugged. "She will work from here. Tell him she is mine and to never contact her again unless it is for work. He is the one who texts her relentlessly, yes? Tell him if I have to see to him myself, I will send Isoka for him."

"We will let him know," Luke nodded grimly. "We also have the other information you needed and the numbers you asked for as well."

Most of what they said after that was lost to Mercy, people and places that meant nothing to her, numbers that had no frame of reference. Keen seemed to understand all of it, listening and nodding ever so often as he stroked a single finger up and down Mercy's ear.

When they finished, they were shown out. There was no seat for them amongst all who had stayed that evening and Mercy wondered why that was.

The people brought in after that seemed to be business associates making reports and not the people who were allowed to stay.

The last was a woman brought in and shoved to the ground. "We found her, Keen. She was hiding in an abandoned car in a tow lot."

Keen stood then, stepping down to squat next to the sobbing woman. "Jeane, I told you... I have people everywhere. There is nowhere you could hide that I could not find you. Not ever. What did your six days of freedom gain you? Isoka, I want her to live for six days. Do all you please to her, so long as it does not kill her. Take her," he demanded, standing and sitting back down.

Isoka gleefully left with the now hysterical woman and when she was gone, Keen pulled Mercy up into the seat next to him. Putting an arm around her casually, he looked out at all of the people arrayed in front of him.

"You all know the price of failure and what waits for those who serve faithfully. Go now and remember to always make the right choice," he called softly.

The people all stood, bowing to him slightly before they left.

Mercy felt uncomfortable after the room emptied and Keen still sat there, his fingertips playing over her bare arm idly.

Finally, he turned to the man next to him. "Go and watch Isoka. If she leaves the cells, text Ru immediately. Ru, with me," he called as he stood. Gripping Mercy's wrist, he pulled her along with him as he went up to a huge bedroom.

Mercy felt a little sick as he closed the door and Ru stayed outside.

"Go," he demanded, releasing her arm after moving her towards a door, "Shower quickly and put on the robe on the door."

Mercy fled to the bathroom, hugging herself as she looked around.

There were girl things in here, like he shared the bathroom with Isoka.

"Hurry!" he demanded from the other side of the door.

Mercy jumped, then realized she'd been just standing there in the bathroom for several minutes. Turning the water on, she got undressed, then got in, showering quickly.

The robe was large on her, sized for Isoka obviously, but she wrapped up in it and stepped out.

Keen was laying back on the bed, an arm behind his head and no shirt on. His chest and arms were covered in the wrapping dragon tattoo that arched up onto his neck.

The one that had damned her.

"Come," he called softly, watching her from across the room.

Mercy moved closer, but stopped at the edge of the low bed.

"Take it off and lay down," he demanded, his hand patting the bed next to him once.

"Isoka will kill both of us," Mercy whispered, trembling.

He smirked then. "Isoka will do as I bid her."

"That is why you have men watching in case she comes?" Mercy asked sarcastically.

"There is a difference in wanting to see her hurt and knowing she will do as I bid her. Do as I say, I wish to look over the omens again. See them all for myself. Take off the robe and lay so I may see your back."

Mercy went to her knees on the bed and faced away from him before shrugging off the robe and laying on her stomach.

Keen went up to an elbow and traced fingers over a tender, sore spot on her lower back.

"What is it?" Mercy asked softly, recalling the design on her chest.

"A symbol. You are my luck, Mercy. The embodiment and living personification of my luck. It means I must keep you close."

"That's... ridiculous superstition!"

"And yet... had you not spoken earlier, I might have allowed a man into my organization who was trying to infiltrate. My men had vetted him, they KNEW he was George's son. They had observed him at work and going to dinner with his father. They looked alike. It took the keen eye of someone who knew an obscure little thing... and you just happened to see it and speak up. After I told you not to. And ask the one question that I knew the answer to. Henry had been born a full month early while they were in Canada and it had taken some handling to get him his citizenship. Not a widely known thing, but I knew it. Why did you ask that?"

"His nationality was why it came to mind. I wasn't really feeling myself yet."

"We KNEW he was George's son, and we knew he was stealing money in micro increments from hundreds of thousands of bank accounts around the world. I wanted him. I was so blind to what I wanted, I never imagined it was something set up and more than a year in the works. For you to come tonight of all nights and... I have no doubt that Delia has true sight," he finished with a shrug, his hand sliding higher to another sore spot.

"What is that?" Mercy asked, a little more panicked. How many tattoos? 4? For how many omens?

"Nothing you need worry over," he spoke quietly, his fingers tracing.

"What are the others?" she demanded, sounding as nervous as she was.

"You need only worry over the one for now," he told her, then lay back down, his hand behind his head.

Mercy turned and lifted her head, looking at him. "Can I..."

"No. You will stay here until Ru comes to take you to your own room. Turn to your back," he demanded.

Mercy hesitated, looking at him, but she was a little afraid to disobey. Isoka was in a dungeon right now torturing a woman.

Turning to her back, she lay down and stared up at the ceiling as he went up to an elbow again. Her eyes went to his face as he looked her over, but his expression was unreadable. When his fingers went to the ink on her chest, her hands caught his quickly. Tugging away gently, he traced his fingers over the ink, watching his hands as he did.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice too high.

"Quiet your mind, Mercy," he told her gently. "I'm not going to harm you or allow harm to come to you. You are my luck and my continued success depends on your health and happiness. Ease your breathing and lay your hands at your sides."

"If you wish to make me happy, then let me go!"

"Impossible," he told her with a slight shrug. "I must keep you close."

"Then let me have my own room and... stop touching me! You're scaring me!"

"I have a want to touch you, Mercy. My fingers itch to explore your skin. I do not like it, but it is insistent. Do you have a similar need?" he asked curiously.

Does a tongue count?

"No!" she told him, blushing furiously at her own thoughts.

Even as she said it, her eyes went to his sculpted chest and the ink trailing over the curves of his muscles and abs. He had beautiful abs, and nice pecs, his nipples small and hidden among the tattoo. They looked like they needed to be sucked on though.

Sucking her breath in in shock, Mercy jerked when Keen leaned in close to her and nuzzled into her neck, his lips on the curve of her shoulder.

"Your smell," he breathed, inhaling deeply. "It's so familiar to my soul and yet I have never smelled anything like it."

"Ummm," Mercy hummed, horrified as his hot body pressed to her and she had thoughts of peeling his pants off of him and licking the entire length of his cock.

"If you refuse me again, I will be forced to use unwanted methods," he half snarled, lifting up to look down at her. "I have a want for you, Mercy. A deep want to... give you my children. Do not tell me no again!"

Mercy was shaking now, terror vibrating through her. "Keen..." she whispered, shaking her head. "I don't WANT children! Least of all with some mob boss criminal type who..."

He let out a cry of anger and anguish as he rolled away.

"RU! Take her from my sight!" he demanded as soon as Ru opened the door.

Mercy jumped up and fled with the robe, following Ru to another room. Not the same tiny room from before, but a larger room just two doors down from Keen's. It was much nicer and was full of things like he'd had people gathering up things for her all day. There were even clothes her size in the closet and drawers. Every single dress was the same blue as the original and they all matched the necklace.

Pulling on a nightgown and underwear, Mercy went to the window and looked out, but she was three stories high.

Instead she curled into bed and tried to think of a way out of all of this.

Yuon came in in the morning, smiling and picking out clothes for Mercy as Mercy scowled at the offensive light coming in the window. She'd hardly slept at all, only just falling asleep in the last hour and now she was so tired she was almost nonfunctioning.

"Be quick!" Yuon smiled. "Breakfast is about to be served and you can't be late! He's waiting on you!"

Mercy hesitated, thinking about Keen. How fantastic he'd looked without a shirt.

Yuon led her down to breakfast and Mercy peeked up as she was shown in. There were fewer people at breakfast, but Keen was there looking down at his phone and tapping away. He was in a suit today, looking as scrumptious as he had the first time she laid eyes on him.

Isoka was conspicuously missing.

Keen said nothing as she sat down, he didn't even look up from his phone, ignoring her completely.

Mercy ate the eggs and toast set in front of her, then waited silently and patiently sipping her coffee until Keen finally set his phone down and ate.

As soon as he finished, he stood, then hesitated as he glared down at Mercy. "Come!" he demanded, speaking to her like she were a dog.

Mercy followed quietly as he went to an office and sat at the large desk. Mercy looked over the smaller desk that had been hastily set up in the corner for her and opened her own laptop from her house.

"You will continue your job from here," Keen snarled, not looking at her.

Mercy said nothing, just started looking over her emails. She noted immediately that every email from Jeremy dated this morning was very succinct and professional. He'd been told and he was toeing the line. She wondered how unhappy he was about that and if he might go to the police anyway.

Did she want him to?

It might get him killed... but it also might get her saved.

What would Keen do if she tried to leave?

Not torture her, surely, not if he believed she was his luck. He had to keep her happy.

Testing a theory, she stood with her mug and went to leave the room. Keen said nothing as she slipped out, but when she found her way to the kitchen, made herself more coffee and turned, he was in the doorway watching her with a glower.

"Next time just tell me and I will have Yuon bring it," he snapped.

"I didn't want to trouble anyone," she told him mildly, moving around him to the hall.

His hand settled on the back of her neck as he led her back to the office. Not painfully, but very controlling. He led her all the way to her chair and into her chair, then stood there a moment, his long fingers around her throat.

Mercy sat trembling, trying not to let his touch affect her, but she was going hot in low places as his hand held her that way. Just like it had thrilled her thinking back on how he had grabbed her throat in the elevator and whispered to her with his lips on her skin.

There was something about it that just melted her into jelly.

"You have work to catch up on," he snarled after a long moment of her just sitting there.

"Are you going to stand over the top of me?" she asked breathlessly.

"Why should it matter where I am? You are here to work, do your job."

"You're making me nervous... I can't work with you literally breathing down my neck."

"Are you hiding something?"

"Yes. That's obviously my issue. Not the fact that you could just close your fingers and snap my neck on a whim."

"I told you I will not harm you," he growled.

"And yet here you are, terrifying me and harming me."

"I'm not harming you!"

"You're harming my peace of mind! I'm an emotional wreck and I can't function! That's harming me!"