Chapter 2 The Devil's Debt

Rory Carter's POV

It's time for us to leave. We have to leave right now.

Back at his safehouse, he fixed me up while I sat on the bed.

I murmured, "This alters everything."

It already does.

Now what do we do?

He raised his gaze. Salvatore dies.

I gasped.

Are you serious?

Years have passed. You were the reason I didn't pull the trigger earlier. But now? He aims to make you a weapon. Not me.

Our army is lacking.

Angelo, eyes blazing, exclaimed, "We don't need an army." We have something superior.

Which?

He grinned.

The secrets he kept.

I scowled. Could you clarify?

He rose, opened a drawer, and took out a flash disk.

All. Laundering money. Negotiates with competing families. Killings. Sufficient to bury him.

Why not make use of it?

I needed the appropriate time. The correct justification.

He moved closer.

Now I possess both.

I gazed at the drive.

Doing this means no turning back.

Well. I'm finished being pleasant.

Then the door flew open.

Firearms. Black-clad guys.

I yelled. Angelo pushed me behind him.

Someone shouted:

Rory Carter, FBI orders say you're under arrest.

Rory, you want to know what it is like to be silenced? Let me show you.

Coming from the last person I ever expected, the remarks hit me hard and rough like a slap. Visconti Angelo Not only chilly, his dark, dangerous gaze drew me in further than I was prepared to go.

I had seen him kill before, but this was different. This was about dominating, not just surviving. His rule.

Even when I stepped back and tried to swallow the lump in my throat, his presence was overpowering. What the hell are you talking about? Though I attempted to sound certain, my voice broke as I spoke.

Rory, you think you control your life, correct? Angelo's lips curled into a dangerous smile. You are not. None of us are.

I hated how easy it was for him to make me feel weak, little; my heart was racing in my chest. I was supposed to be in control, but under the weight of his comments I found myself trembling.

You believe I want to be here, talking to you? I snapped, trying to hold onto whatever little control I still had. Do you believe I enjoy this little game you are playing with my life?

Angelo's smile simply got bigger. Rory, I don't care what you enjoy. I am here since I need something from you.

A shudder raced down my spine. What is it at this time? One more question? Another dirty deed for your uncle?

He mostly inched closer. This is private, no.

I winced, my mind racing. One?

Initially, he dismissed me and merely stared at me as though I were a puzzle he was determined to solve. Then, in one smooth motion, his hand shot out and seized my wrist, his fingers strong and unyielding.

Let me go! I hissed, but even to my own ears, my voice sounded weak.

He persisted. If anything, it got tighter. You are not going anywhere until we speak.

What conversation should I hold? I asked, but I already knew. He desires more. He always wanted more.

He leaned forward and exhaled hot on my ear. Rory, we both know you are deeper than you believe. Can you be the victim? Play the innocent. You aren't. You have performed. Unpleasant items.

I drank and my throat felt dry. I am not a crook.

You need not be one to be complicit in a crime, he whispered gently, his lips brushing my skin. Rory, I know all of your secrets. Every last one.

Panic caused my chest to constrict and I drew away from him. You're not being honest.

Might I be? He didn't appear to be untruthful. His dark, sharp gaze looked to cut straight through me as though he knew every dirty idea I'd ever had. Rory, I've been tracking you for a long time. I know everything you have accomplished. I know your past. I know about the turmoil you have battled so hard to conceal. And I know you're ready to choose whether to make you or destroy you.

I gasped. What choice?

You will have to choose, Rory. From your past... to your future.

The growing weight in my chest like a rhythm alerted me to my racing heart. What the hell do you expect from me?

Nearly chuckling, Angelo breathed out slowly. Rory, all I want is for you to stop lying to yourself. Stop pretending you are some innocent young girl in a world of monsters. You are a monster too. You just don't want to accept it.

The comments hit more sharply than anything else he had said. A familiar shame devoured me, causing my chest to tighten. Still, I would not let it reveal. Not for him. Not to anyone.

You know nothing about me, I muttered, attempting to pass him, but his hand came out to stop me.

"Oh, but I do," he responded gently, almost lovingly. I will disclose it.

His hand fell to mine, fingers grazing the palm of my hand, before I could react. I gasped, seeing his touch's heat surge through me like an electric charge.

What are you doing right now? I stuttered, unable to prevent the chill running down my back.

"Your decision is my choice," he added quietly. Rory, I will help you out. I will assist you in correcting anything you have damaged. You must, nevertheless, believe me. Absolutely.

His words were perilous, like a poison gradually spreading through my veins. I wanted to say no. I felt like running. A dark side of me, however, wished to be around. Wished to regard him as real.

What compels you to assist me? I muttered, my voice shaking slightly.

Angelo waited to react. He simply stared at me; his look was sharp and unrelenting. Having been where you are, he finally added. I have done terrible things. I understand what it's like to struggle for one's soul.

Something real and risky sprang within me. Still, I would not submit. You are not required to assist.

He arched an eyebrow, almost daring me to show him incorrect. You will be. Ultimately. Rory, you can simplify things, even Now hold my hand and I'll guide you through the next storm. You could maybe let things go apart and keep acting as though you were in charge.

I slipped my hand off of his. You are not intended to be here.

What is the cause? Does that scare you? He growled gently. Should you take my offer, you fear what you will become?

I was attempting to calm myself, and my heart was racing in my chest. Not especially. Your deeds make me worry about what you will cause me to do.

Angelo moved forward, once again reducing the distance between us. You are already doing things you never imagined could happen. Rory, in the end, you'll do whatever it takes to survive.

His remarks hurt me more than any physical damage he would have caused. I made myself rise up even if my legs trembled under me. "I'm not a killer," I answered, my voice firm but laced with hidden dread.

Angelo replied, his brows narrowing, "Not yet." You will be, though, should you wish to tolerate this surroundings.

I gulped and my heart raced. What does that indicate? What do you mean by that one?

He stepped back and grinned wickedly at the edges of his mouth. Rory, I'm saying you are nearer to the edge than you believe. There is no turning back once you cross it.

His phone buzzed in his pocket before I could reply. He pulled it out, examined the screen, and then turned back toward me. "This isn't finished," he murmured, his voice turning sharply cold. Please keep it in mind.

He abandoned me there, my head reeling.

Mind racing, I stood in the corridor gazing at the location where Angelo had been only moments before. His comments rang in my ears, always reminding me of the risky path I was on.

Although I didn't want to, he was correct to assert it. I was too far in now to reverse. Returning was not realistic.

The question was... could I live with the decisions I would have to make?

Before I heard footsteps behind me, I had little time to ponder.

I turned, my throat tightening under pressure.

Rory

So it was Salvatore then.

He wasn't by himself.