ly

sound echoing through the holl

st. The chandelier flickered above me, casting crawling s

ale whiskey hit

ling amber liquid like it was something sacred. Wrinkle

alms. Heat surged under my skin, bubbl

sol

rom my throat, s

cing his glass down wi

said, like it was nothi

en. Bitter. It scraped m

e anything. You sold me to Marco Bi

No guilt. Just that same dead-

king his wrist like

the decay soaked into every inch of this house. Dust clung

ere?" His smirk sliced clean th

"This house? This l

final. "And you? You're nothing here. A

loded in

ad no

to every word. Tears stung behind my

allowed the lump in my throat. "I

bored with me. "The

ring there. "The men I owe don't take 'no'

oked on the word

dramatic,"

king another lazy sip. "You

k. That smug, con

n I ever gave you. Maybe

ttered someth

ashtray from the table and hurled it. It exploded ag

't even

n broken bursts.

ined my

lass again, com

ly. I sa

air thick with

o find a

toward

. A shadow behind

fr

outside. Tall.

twisted i

s glass. "You thought-" He took a

t he left

still here" R

echoed through the sile

ng in me

like this was a show

owt

oor o

stepped

o Bi

e didn't just wear power-he was power.

ir sh

ound, didn't assess

s eyes

dless. C

just look.

my spine. My breath

un. But my le

oth. Detached. Like this was a me

rds stumbled out.

ounded sma

looked at me like he alrea

't have

in his tone h

d drained his gla

think I'll just go? Li

be jokin

knowing. A predator with

" he said. "I know, an

iled around

pped c

Patient.

ld my breath. My fing

t show weakness.

on't o

barely a whi

narrowe

yet,

d across my s

e, tangled with

e

ate

ught

in my chest, thic

ed to

to s

to b

raised

a th

omm

fingers. Ca

whiskey pouring again. R

ng. A debt erase

e didn't move.

were

nt. Blockin

ngs b

r felt

es had v

aze never

need to

eady h

breath. S

stepped

h. Then

gh th

t h

render. Like something

night swallow

I heard h

. Ce

with a loud slam, sendin

na