Debt to the Devil

SHADOWS AND ACCOMPLICES

Cecelia’s POV

The footsteps faded past my room, leaving me alone with the quiet hum of the mansion, but I knew I couldn’t just sit there waiting for the auction to happen without taking any action. I waited until the middle of the night when the household was completely asleep, slipping out into the dark hallway with bare feet so I wouldn’t make a single sound on the cold floorboards.

My destination was Marcus’s private study on the second floor, because I knew he kept the automated security passkeys in the top drawer of his desk, which would grant me access through the main gates without triggering the perimeter alarms.

I pushed the heavy oak door open, finding the room illuminated only by the faint moonlight streaming through the large windows, and I hurried over to the massive desk while keeping my ears strained for any sound in the corridor.

My fingers found the cold metal handle of the drawer, pulling it open slowly to avoid any squeaking, but just as my hand brushed against the plastic edge of a black passkey, the overhead lights suddenly flickered on.

“You are far out of your bounds tonight, Cecelia,” River said, leaning casually against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest, his amber eyes completely focused on my guilty posture.

I jumped back from the desk, my heart slamming against my ribs as I tried to think of an excuse, but the way he was looking at me told me that he already knew exactly what I was doing.

“River, I was just looking for Marcus, I didn’t mean to pry through his things.”

“Marcus is at the docks inspecting the new cargo shipments, so you won’t find him here, and you certainly don’t need a gate passkey to look for him inside his own house,” River said, walking into the room with slow, deliberate steps, closing the door behind him so our conversation would stay strictly between us.

“You are trying to find a way out of the estate, and I think it has everything to do with what you saw at the casino last night.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about, I just wanted some air,” I muttered, backing away until my thighs hit the edge of the desk, feeling trapped under his sharp gaze.

“Do not play dumb with me, Cecelia, because I know your stepfather is alive, and I know he is currently in Stoneville trying to sell Marcus’s proprietary data to the highest bidder,” River said, stopping just a few feet away from me, his tone shockingly calm for someone who had just caught a thief.

“I have been tracking Richard Moretti for weeks, and I saw the way you looked at him at the poker table, so you don’t have to hide your anger from me.”

“You knew he was alive this whole time, and you didn’t say anything to me while I was running for my life from his debts?” I asked, my voice rising in a mixture of anger and disbelief, my hands clenching into fists at my sides.

“It wasn’t my place to tell you, and frankly, Marcus knows about him too, but he chose to keep you in the dark because he prefers you dependent on his protection,” River replied, leaning down slightly to look directly into my eyes, his voice dropping to a smooth whisper.

“Marcus likes you weak, Cecelia, because as long as you think you have nowhere else to go, you will stay in his bed and play the role of his compliant mistress.”

“That is not true, Marcus is protecting me from the people who want to hurt me,” I said, though a small seed of doubt planted itself in my chest, making my voice sound much less confident than I intended.

“If he wanted to protect you, he would have handed Richard over to you the moment we entered this city, but instead he treats you like a prized possession that he can keep locked up in this beautiful cage,” River argued, reaching into his inner jacket pocket and pulling out a small, folded piece of paper along with a sleek, heavy black pistol. “He is going to let your stepfather attend that auction as a business guest, but I know you want your revenge, and I am the only one in this house who is actually willing to help you get it.”

I looked down at the items in his hands, my breath hitching as I recognized the gold embossed seal of the underworld auction on the folded paper. “What is that?”

“This is a VIP invitation forged with a fake identity, and this weapon has no registration numbers, so it cannot be traced back to you or this mansion if things go wrong,” River explained, pushing the items into my hands, his fingers lingering against mine for a second too long. “I am offering you a chance to face the man who ruined your life, because I believe you are much stronger than Marcus gives you credit for, and you deserve to settle your own scores.”

“Why are you doing this for me, River, because you are Marcus’s right-hand man and this is a complete betrayal of his trust?” I asked, gripping the heavy metal of the gun while looking at him with deep suspicion.

“Because I am tired of watching him break everyone who comes into his circle, and I think a beautiful, resilient woman like you deserves a real ally in a hostile place like this,” River said, stepping back toward the door while giving me a reassuring nod. “Keep the weapon hidden beneath your mattress, and when the night of the auction arrives, I will personally ensure the guards at the eastern gate are looking the other way so you can slip out unnoticed.”

He opened the door and walked out without waiting for a response, leaving me alone in the dim study with the weight of the gun in my hand, and as I stared at the forged invitation, a strange chill ran down my spine because I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had just made a deal with a completely different kind of monster.