Debt to the Devil

THE PRICE OF OBSESSION

Cecelia’s POV

The glass bottle rolled across the cold concrete floor with a loud clatter, and before I could even take a single step backward toward the stairs, River moved with an impossible speed that didn’t look human at all, his large frame instantly blocking the entrance of the narrow stairwell.

I tried to scramble behind the largest wine crate to hide my face, but the air in the small cellar room shifted completely, and I could tell by the sharp look in his eyes that he already caught my scent because he stopped pacing and turned his head directly toward my dark corner.

“You can stop hiding behind those wooden crates, Cecelia, I could smell your fear the exact second that bottle hit the ground, and we both know there is no point in pretending you are not here,” River said, his voice dropping into a low, terrifyingly calm register as he walked slowly toward my position, his boots making a soft scratching sound against the dust.

I stood up from behind the crates, keeping my back pressed hard against the cold stone wall while holding my hands out in front of me, my heart pounding so fast that I felt completely dizzy as he closed the distance between us until he was standing just inches away.

“I heard everything you said on that phone, River, I heard you admit that you hired the sniper to shoot my stepfather at the docks, and I know you are the one who is actively leaking Marcus’s private security codes to the rival syndicates,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice from cracking though the sheer terror of being cornered by a killer was making my knees shake violently under my clothes.

“You only heard a small piece of the story, Cecelia, because you do not understand the kind of man Marcus really is, and you do not understand that I did all of this to protect you from being used by him,” River said, leaning his heavy frame forward until his hands rested on the stone wall on either side of my head, completely trapping me in the shadows of the basement.

“Richard Moretti was a weak gambler who was going to sell you to the highest bidder to save his own skin, and if I hadn’t ordered that hit, he would have dragged you down into his own grave while trying to compromise Marcus’s network.”

“You did not do it for me, River, because you just said you wanted to dismantle this entire territory so you could take everything Marcus owns, and you lied to my face when you pretended to be my friend at the estate,” I shouted back, pressing my palms against his chest to shove him away, but his body felt like solid iron and he did not move a single inch against my strength.

“I am the only real friend you have in this house, Cecelia, because Marcus does not care about your well-being, he only looks at your face and sees a dead woman named Anya from his past," River sneered, his fingers reaching out to grab my chin, forcing me to look up into his amber eyes which were glowing with a dark, possessive intensity that made me shiver. “He is keeping you locked in that bedroom because he is obsessed with a ghost, but he has absolutely no Idea what you are becoming, and he will destroy you the moment your wolf fully wakes up because he cannot handle anything he cannot completely control.”

“And what about you, River, because you just told your partner on the phone that I belong to you, and you sound just as crazy and controlling as he does right now,” I said, twisting my face out of his grip while glaring at him, though the tight space was making it incredibly difficult for me to catch my breath.

“I know what you are because I am just like you, and I can help you survive the transition without turning you into a prisoner, but you have to make a choice right now because the guards upstairs are going to finish their rotation in less than two minutes,” River murmured, his expression suddenly softening into something desperate as he wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, pulling my body flush against his chest despite my resistance. “Marcus is searching the lower grounds right now because he knows someone helped you leave the house last night, and if I walk you up those stairs right now and tell him you were spying in the cellar, he will put you in chains beneath the main courtyard.”

“Let go of me, River, I do not trust you and I will never help you destroy Marcus’s family,” I whispered harshly, struggling against his embrace while keeping my ears tuned to the ceiling because I could hear distant footsteps echoing from the kitchen above us.

“You do not have to love me right now, Cecelia, but you do need to survive, so I am going to propose a deal that will benefit both of us if you are smart enough to take it,” River whispered close to my ear, his breath warm against my skin while his hands held me so firmly that I couldn’t move an inch. “I will tell the guards that I found the pantry window open and closed it myself, and I will keep your little midnight excursion a complete secret from Marcus so he doesn’t double the watch on your terrace, but in return, you must agree to trust my guidance over his orders from now on.”

“And if I refuse your deal, what are you going to do, are you going to have your sniper shoot me just like you shot my stepfather?” I asked, my voice laced with bitterness even as the reality of my situation forced me to realize that I had absolutely no leverage against him in this dark room.

“I would never hurt you, Cecelia, because you are the entire reason I am accelerating this plan, but if you do not cooperate with me, Marcus will eventually find out that someone inside gave you that auction pass, and he will eliminate everyone who stood near you,” River warned, slowly releasing his tight grip on my waist while stepping back just enough to give me some space, though his eyes remained locked on my face. “The choice is yours, so you can walk up those stairs and tell Marcus the truth about my phone call, or you can go back to your room through the balcony and let me handle the suspicion while we figure out our next move.”

The sound of heavy boots came closer to the pantry door upstairs, meaning the new security detail was already moving into the kitchen area, and the sheer panic of being caught in the basement by Marcus’s enforcers made my mind race as I looked at River’s extended hand. I knew he was a traitor and a liar, but going to Marcus meant admitting that I knew about the security breach, which would instantly make me the prime suspect in Richard’s criminal dealings.

I turned away from River without taking his hand, sprinting quietly up the concrete steps while leaving him alone in the dark cellar, and I managed to slip through the pantry window just as the kitchen door swung open, leaving the choice hanging between us like a loaded weapon.