A Will Written In Blood

THE DEVIL'S BARGAIN

CHAPTER 5

THE DEVIL'S BARGAIN

Morning arrived with rain. Mara found Valerio in the kitchen, sleeves rolled to his forearms, silver rings catching the pale light as he poured coffee. “You're staring,” he said. “I was looking at the coffee.” “There isn't any coffee there.” Mara glanced down. There wasn't. She hated the amusement in his eyes. “You're irritating.” “I've been called worse.” He poured her a cup anyway.

Their fingers brushed when she took it. Neither moved for a second. Mara pulled away first. “Don't read too much into that.” “I wasn't.” “You were.” His smile deepened. “You're very defensive.” “You're very arrogant.” “Both can be true.”

The moment was broken by Valerio's phone. Someone had accessed one of his private offices. They returned to the study and found a file marked **PROJECT VOSS**. Inside were photographs, transfers and names. Mara stared at a photograph of her father. Under it was a list of payments connecting the Voss family to someone inside the Santoro organization.

“They've been using us,” Mara whispered. Valerio's expression hardened. “Possibly.” “My whole life?” “I don't know.” She looked at him. “You said you wanted the truth.” “Yes.” “Then help me find it.” He held her gaze. “That is exactly what I'm offering.”

He made the terms clear. She would work with him until they discovered who had engineered the old betrayal. He would give her access to the Santoro records. She would give him what she knew about the people who trained her. Neither would control the other. Neither would lie about the investigation. And when it was over, they would walk away.

Mara agreed. Their hands met across the desk. His grip was warm and steady. She looked at their joined hands, then up at him. For a moment neither released. His eyes held hers with a quiet intensity that made her pulse quicken. She withdrew first. “We have a deal.”

Valerio watched her turn toward the door. “Mara.” She looked back. “If you betray me…” “I know.” “No.” His voice softened. “I don't think you do.” She waited. “I don't want to have to choose between killing you and believing you.” Her expression changed. “Then don't.”

She walked away before he could see how much the words had affected her. Valerio remained alone, staring at the closed door. For the first time in years, he had made an agreement with someone he could not predict. That frightened him more than any enemy ever had.

That evening, the two of them sat across from each other over dinner. There were no files on the table. No weapons in sight. Just rain against the windows and the strange quiet that had begun to form between them. Valerio looked at her for too long. “What?” she asked. “Nothing.” “You're looking at me.” “So are you.”

Mara looked away. “You're difficult to understand.” “You keep trying.” “Maybe I like difficult things.” His expression changed. “Careful.” She smiled faintly. “Why?” He leaned back. “Because you might eventually get what you're asking for.”

The attraction was there now, unmistakable but still unspoken. Neither crossed the line. Instead, they returned to the investigation, both pretending the other had not become a distraction.

Later that night, Mara stood alone on the balcony. Valerio joined her without speaking. The city lights from the distant mainland shimmered across the water. “Do you ever regret anything?” she asked. He considered it. “Every day.” “That's not the answer I expected.” “What did you expect?” “Something colder.” He looked at her. “You keep expecting me to be colder than I am.”

Mara's expression softened. “Maybe because I know what people like us become when we stop feeling.” Valerio was quiet for a moment. “And what do you think we are?” She looked toward the water. “People who haven't decided whether they deserve something better.”

Neither of them said the word love. It was far too early, and neither trusted it. But when Valerio walked away, Mara watched him go, and when she finally returned to her room, she realized she was thinking about him instead of the investigation.

They spent the next morning in the villa's private library. Mara sat on one side of the desk while Valerio stood opposite her, reading through old reports. Their shoulders occasionally brushed when they reached for the same file. Neither mentioned it. At one point, Mara looked up and found him already watching her. “What?” she asked. “Nothing.” “You keep saying that.” “Maybe I'm trying to convince myself.” She held his gaze for a moment, then returned to the file before her heartbeat could betray her.

Later, Valerio found Mara on the terrace practicing with a small blade. He watched in silence until she noticed him. “Do you always watch people without announcing yourself?” “Only when they're interesting.” She lowered the blade. “And am I interesting?” His expression changed. “More than you should be.” The words were quiet, but they stayed with her long after he walked away.