Chapter 3 - The Price Of Loyalty In A World Of Vipers
The realization hanging in the air between us wasn't relief; it was a brand-new kind of danger. Victor Romano did not smile, nor did he offer words of gratitude. Men like him did not know how to be soft, and vulnerability was a fatal weakness in the underworld. Instead, he stood up slowly, towering over me in the confined space, his shadow swallowing the small circle of light cast by the overhead bulb. He looked down at my trembling hands, noting the cheap fabric of my uniform vest and the faded sneakers that had walked miles across hotel hallways just to keep a roof over my family's heads.
"You saved my life tonight, Lena," Victor said softly, though there was no warmth in his tone, only cold calculation. "In my world, debts are always paid in full. But debts work both ways. By dragging you into this, you've painted a massive target on your back. Leon and Clara know we have the footage now. They won't wait for a second invitation to eliminate every loose end—starting with you, and anyone connected to you."
Ice water seemed to flood my veins. Daniel and Mama. If Leon Mercer's people realized I was still breathing, my apartment would be their first stop. I stood up abruptly, knocking my chair backward against the concrete floor. "Let me go! I have to get home. My brother is alone with my mother; she needs her medication—"
Dmitri stepped into my path before I could take a single step toward the door, his massive frame blocking every exit. I spun around to face Victor, tears of absolute frustration and terror finally spilling over my lashes. "You can't keep me here! You've got your proof, you know who tried to kill you! Just let me go home to my family!"
Victor stepped closer, stopping mere inches away. I could smell the faint scent of expensive cologne mixed with rain and gunmetal. He reached out, his large calloused fingers surprisingly gentle as he caught my chin, forcing me to look up into his piercing gaze. "If you walk out of these doors right now, you won't make it two blocks before Leon's cleanup crew puts a bullet in your spine to tie up loose ends. Your apartment is already compromised. I had a team pull your family out thirty minutes ago."
May you like
My breath hitched in my throat, a scream of pure panic tearing past my lips. "What did you do to them?! What have you done to my family?!"
"I saved them," Victor stated flatly, his grip tightening just enough to command absolute silence. "While you were playing hero in the ballroom, my men were securing your building. Your mother and your brother are currently at a safe medical facility three miles from here, hooked up to better equipment than your whole neighborhood has ever seen. Now, you have a choice, Lena. You can walk out those doors alone and take your chances with an assassin's bullet, or you can step into my world, play my game, and let me protect the people you love."
