THE BITTER TRAIL
1343 Words
Cecelia’s POV
My hands were shaking so badly that I had to fist them into the fabric of my dress, the anger inside me was a hot, heavy weight that made it hard to draw a proper breath. I took one last look across the noisy casino floor at the man who had ruined my life, watching him take another long swallow of his drink while laughing with the people around him, then I turned away before he could look up and see me standing there.
I forced my legs to move back through the dense crowd, pushing past wealthy couples and high rollers who didn't even glance my way, my heart was beating so loudly in my ears that it almost drowned out the constant spinning of roulette wheels and the clinking of glasses. Marcus was exactly where I left him, standing near the edge of the high-stakes poker area with his hands casually tucked into his pockets, his posture was completely relaxed but his silver eyes were scanning the room like a hawk.
The moment I stepped up beside him, his gaze snapped directly to my face, and I tried my best to smooth out my expression but the sudden tightening of his jaw told me that I wasn't doing a very good job of hiding my panic. He leaned down slightly so his voice wouldn't carry over the noise of the slot machines, and he gripped my elbow with just enough pressure to keep me grounded.
"You look like you've seen a ghost, Cecelia, and your scent is spiking so hard that I can smell your distress from across the floor," Marcus said, his voice low and dangerous as he looked around the immediate area to see if anyone had approached me.
"What happened when you went to the bar, and who were you looking at?"
"Nothing happened, Marcus, I just got dizzy from all the flashing lights and the smoke in here," I lied, forcing a small smile that felt completely tight and unnatural on my face, though I kept my eyes focused on his chest because I knew he would see right through me if I looked into his silver eyes.
"It's just really crowded, and I think I need to go back to the mansion because my head is starting to throb."
Marcus didn't release his grip on my elbow, instead he stepped closer until his chest was almost brushing against my shoulder, his dark brows furrowing in deep suspicion as he leaned in to catch my scent again.
"You are a terrible liar, Cecelia, your heart is practically pounding out of your chest right now, and you didn't look dizzy when you were staring at the poker tables across the room."
"I am not lying to you, I promise," I said, my voice cracking slightly as I looked up at him, trying to sound as exhausted and fragile as possible so he would drop the questioning.
"It was just a man who looked like someone from my old town, someone who used to trouble me before I ran away, but it turned out to be a mistake he was just a stranger who happened to have the same build."
Marcus studied my face for a long moment, his expression completely unreadable and cold, and for a second I thought he was going to march over to the tables himself to find out exactly who I was looking at.
"If anyone in this room is bothering you, you need to tell me right now, I said it before that you are mine and I do not tolerate people messing with what belongs to me."
"Nobody bothered me, I swear, and I just want to leave this place before I actually get sick," I pleaded, placing my free hand on his arm to pull him toward the exit, and after another tense silence, he finally sighed and signaled for his guards to clear a path through the entrance.
The car ride back to Stoneville was completely silent, I stared out the window at the passing streetlights while trying to process the fact that my stepfather was alive and spending money like a king while I was forced to sell myself to a mafia Don just to stay alive. By the time we reached the mansion, the anger had settled into a cold, hard knot in my stomach, I immediately walked up to my room without saying a word to Marcus or River, who was waiting by the front doors.
I couldn't sleep at all that night, and as the house grew completely quiet in the early hours of the morning, I decided to step out into the hallway to get some water because my throat felt incredibly dry from all the stress. As I approached the grand staircase, my enhanced ears picked up the sound of low voices coming from the security station near the front entrance, and the details were so incredibly clear that it felt like the men were standing right next to me.
"The Don wants extra security details assigned to the private docks later this week, because the guest list for the Stoneville underworld auction just got finalized and there are too many high-profile targets coming into our territory," one of the house guards said, his voice muffled by the thick walls but perfectly audible to my new senses.
"Who else is on the VIP list besides the usual syndicates?" another guard asked, and I heard the distinct sound of paper rustling as he flipped through a clipboard.
"A bunch of corrupt politicians, some offshore buyers, and that old gambler Richard Moretti managed to buy his way into a seat by offering up some exclusive shipping data he stole from his old partners," the first guard replied, laughing quietly as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
"The guy is a parasite, but he has deep pockets suddenly, so the Don is letting him attend as long as he stays in his lane and doesn't cause trouble at the venue."
My heart stopped completely when I heard his name, and a wave of nausea hit me so hard that I had to grip the wooden railing of the staircase to keep myself from tumbling down the steps. He wasn't just alive and hiding, but he was actively doing business right here in Stoneville, using the money he stole from my life to buy his way into Marcus's exclusive underworld circles.
I crept back to my bedroom as quietly as possible, my mind spinning with a dangerous plan that I knew would get me killed if Marcus ever found out about it. I couldn't tell Marcus the truth because he would just handle Richard himself to protect his own assets, and I needed to look my stepfather in the eye and make him pay for every single night I spent running in the cold.
The auction was happening in three days at the private docks, and I knew the mansion security would be tighter than usual, which meant I had to find a way to get out of the estate and secure a disguise without alerting River or the other guards who watched my every move. I paced the floor of my bedroom until the sun began to rise over the trees, feeling the strange, wild energy of my wolf stirring under my skin as if it was agreeing with my need for vengeance.
I was done being the weak, fragile girl that everyone in this syndicate mocked during breakfast, and if I had to walk straight into a den of criminals to get my closure, I would do it without hesitation. I checked the small drawer where I kept a few personal items, looking for anything I could use to slip past the front gates when the time came, but the sound of heavy footsteps approaching my bedroom door suddenly made me freeze in place.
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