I Am the Devil of This Hell

Chapter 030

Victoria Vance's soft cry cut through the haze of Kane Adler's desire like a bucket of ice water. The redness in his eyes, a symptom of the Bloodlust awakening within him, receded almost instantly, leaving his gaze clear and sharp.

Kane looked down at Victoria, who was gazing up at him with a pitiful, wide-eyed expression beneath him. He shook his head violently, trying to clear the fog.

What the hell is wrong with me? he thought, panic rising in his chest. Why was I so impulsive? I almost lost control.

Beneath him, Victoria was secretly grinning. Damn, she thought. I only sprayed a tiny bit of that pheromone perfume, but the effect is way stronger than advertised.

Her original plan had been simple: she was afraid Kane would still be that shy, awkward boy who didn't even know how to kiss properly. She wanted to give him a little nudge. But she hadn't expected to turn him into a ravenous wolf.

Tsk, tsk. I almost lost my virginity right there, she mused. I definitely don't want my first time to be a confused, d**g-induced blur. That would be a lifelong regret.

"You big bad wolf!"

Seeing Kane's eyes darting around suspiciously, Victoria quickly switched tactics to distract him. She poked his forehead with a manicured finger, adopting a playful, coquettish tone.

"How come I never noticed you were so naughty before? It's our first date, and you already want to eat me up? Hmph! Bad boy."

Kane scratched his head awkwardly, his face burning. Despite his embarrassment, his eyes involuntarily drifted down to the creamy expanse of her chest again. His right hand twitched, remembering the sensation of softness from just moments ago.

Victoria saw the look and felt a mix of exasperation and pride.

It seems he's addicted to my body already, she thought smugly. Good. I need to keep him hungry. Give him a little taste of sweetness now and then, but never let him have the full meal too easily. Heh.

As the romance novels said: Hard to get is the best way to get. It was all about the mystique.

"Get up, you heavy lump!" She shoved at his chest. "You're crushing me. Don't you feel bad?"

Kane, who had been staring blankly at her semi-n***d form, finally snapped out of it and rolled off the sofa.

But as he stood up, he saw the c*****e on the floor—Victoria's expensive blouse and skirt were torn to shreds. Kane looked at his handiwork and could only offer a foolish, guilty grin. "Heh heh..."

Victoria rolled her eyes at the pile of ruined designer fabric. "Just wait here. I'm going to change."

She disappeared upstairs. A few minutes later, she returned wearing a silk nightgown that was modest yet elegant. In her hand, she held a golden card, waving it like a prize.

She sat next to Kane, curling into his embrace like a kitten finding its favorite spot. "Here. For you."

Kane took the card. It was heavy, metallic, and cold.

"A bank card?" Kane asked, confused. "A Gold Card?"

Victoria nestled deeper into his arms, finding a comfortable position. "I told you, I know you better than Eliza ever did. You just got out of prison. You have no money. You probably can't even afford dinner for your men."

She looked up at him, her eyes sharp with intelligence. "Knowing your personality, and your current mindset, you were planning to do something desperate tonight. You were going to rob a small g**g, weren't you? Hit a low-level syndicate, steal their turf and their cash. That's why you were so hesitant to come here."

Kane’s eyes widened. He stared at Victoria as if seeing her for the first time.

This girl... she's terrifyingly smart.

He had always thought of her as a spoiled rich girl, a beautiful vase to be admired. But tonight, she had shattered that image. She saw right through him.

Victoria bumped her forehead against his chin playfully. "See? Aren't I smart? Are you regretting that you didn't notice how amazing I was sooner? Giggle."

She tapped the card in his hand. "Take it. There's three hundred thousand dollars in there. It's part of my personal savings. Use it. I know that if you rush into a fight without proper preparation, you'll leave a mess behind. Loose ends get people killed. Take this money. If it's not enough, I have more. I'm a sugar mama, you know! Hahaha!"

Kane looked at the laughing girl, a warm current flowing through his frozen heart. He kissed her forehead tenderly.

"I owe you," he whispered.

Victoria felt a burst of sweetness in her chest, but she pouted outwardly. "You owe me for a lifetime. So you have to cherish me. You have to spoil me. Repeat after me."

Kane chuckled, amused by her antics. He held her close, inhaling her scent. "I will spoil Victoria. I will love Victoria. I will be with Victoria for a lifetime. I will protect Victoria forever."

"Hee hee, that's better. I won't keep you. Kiss me, then go take care of your men. Use the carrot and the stick—that's Grandpa's favorite strategy."

Kane shook his head slowly, overwhelmed. "I don't know what to say. It seems earning your love is the greatest blessing of my second life."

Victoria kissed him quickly on the lips. "As long as you know. Now go."

Kane hugged her tightly one last time. "Even though you don't need it, I still have to say thank you. With this money, I can do a lot. I can save us a lot of trouble. But... starting tomorrow, I might be gone for a while. I can't be with you."

"I know a bit about your mission," Victoria said softly. "I know your timeline is tight. I won't be a burden. Don't worry about me. Just... promise me you'll be safe?"

Kane smoothed her long, silky hair. "I promise. Trust me. No one can defeat me."

Leaving Victoria’s villa, Kane didn't hesitate. He hailed a cab and headed straight for the Abandoned Paper Mill in the southern suburbs.

As soon as he pushed open the rusted metal doors, a wave of alcohol fumes hit him in the face. It smelled like a distillery had exploded.

Kane, who had barely touched alcohol in his life, frowned instinctively. But behind him, Marcus Grady, Ghost, and Dante’s eyes lit up. They had barely tasted the expensive wine at Seabreeze Tower before getting kicked out, and the little bit they had was mostly spat on Ghost’s shirt.

Seeing Kane’s frown, Jackson Hayes quickly stepped forward, rubbing his nose sheepishly.

"Boss! Don't worry. We aren't hungry, so we spent the thousand bucks on booze. But don't worry! We're pacing ourselves. No one is drunk. We're ready for the op tonight. Also, I scouted the area. There's a g**g nearby—about sixty men—that fits our criteria perfectly."

Kane waved his hand, cutting him off. "Assemble. I have an announcement."

Gulp.

Eighty men swallowed their last mouthfuls of cheap liquor and snapped to attention, forming neat rows in front of Kane.

Kane looked at Rex (Caleb Rourke) and the others, smelling the booze on them, and glanced at the pile of empty bottles on the floor. He shook his head internally.

These guys have been locked up for years. This is their first taste of freedom. Of course they want to drink.

"Tonight's operation is canceled!" Kane announced.

"Canceled?" Rex and Ethan Skyler exchanged confused glances. "Boss, why? Did something happen?"

"I have money," Kane said, holding up the gold card. "Three hundred thousand dollars."

Three hundred thousand?

The eyes of every man in the room locked onto the small piece of plastic.

From the back, Dante whispered loudly, "It's a gift from the future Boss's Wife, Miss Victoria."

"Ohhhhh..."

A low, knowing murmur rippled through the eighty men. Rex grinned, showing his teeth. "Boss has some serious charm. Living off a woman? Nice."

Kane ignored the teasing. "Alright, listen up. We have money now, which means we don't need to expose ourselves prematurely by robbing a small-time g**g for scraps. Tonight's op is off. We need to plan for the long game."

Nathan Black saw Kane looking at him and trembled with excitement. "Kane... Boss... do we leave tomorrow?"

"Yes," Kane nodded. "We are racing against time. There are thirty-five other factions in this game, all competing for the same territory. We cannot delay. We must use every advantage we have. Nathan's d**g den is our first major target.

"So, right now, everyone write down your weapon of choice. Elias, you and The Execution Unit will go out tomorrow and acquire the gear."

Nathan Black rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Boss, I designed that d**g den myself. To outsiders, it looks like a fortress with a hundred guards. But I know the weak points. I can get you inside. We can take it with minimal casualties. It'll be a slaughter."

"Good. We'll finalize the plan for tomorrow." Kane nodded, then turned back to Jackson.

"Jackson, after everyone writes down their weapon orders, calculate the budget. Go buy them immediately. Also..."

Kane paused, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Go to the store. Buy a hundred bottles of good liquor. And get some real food. A feast. I want it lavish!"

The men froze for a second. Then, a roar of approval shook the dust from the rafters.

"YEAH!"

Rex laughed the loudest. "Boss knows how to treat us! Jackson, you hear that? Lavish! Good booze!"

"Hahaha!"

Kane laughed with them. "Liquor? Yes! Food? Yes! But we don't eat or drink until the planning is done!"

"Done! No problem! Hahaha!"