The Devil's Deals

a's

lfway down the hall-my chest tight with pressure. I forced myself to ex

cipated him to be so.coldly calculating. There was something terrifying in the way he spoke,

ant, yes, in a way that made me feel smaller, farther out of place than I was. High ceilings, dark wood panelin

how trapped I was; his silence was what really made the house a prison. I didn't know whether to

y nails clawed at them. I wasn't going to let them see me break. Not Dante, and certa

." The assuredness in his voice, the way he'd said it, sent a shiver down my spine. How c

d would that do? Victor had sold me off like a

d of the hall, Luca finally sp

s deserved-expensively silk-sheeted; a chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting soft, warm light over

est. "And... I'm just supposed to stay here?" I

passive. "You'l

it did. There was nothing safe about being i

e returned, as if that

was going to be joined with a man who regarded me as no more than

asked, my voice tight, as barely contained

ed hard. "I would

il tonight, and I knew enough to understand denial wasn't a

r," he said, backing toward the do

just make it all go away. But what was the point?

oor softly behind him. I stood there, frozen, star

think what to do, wanting to scream or cry or break something-an

ce in my hands. How had this all gone so wrong? How did I end up h

nybody in my life. Yet that didn't change anything; here

sation which overwhelmed me when I did. But I couldn't help it now. It all just hit me at once-what was happening, l

f footsteps outside my door snapped me out of my reverie. Swiftly I rubbed my ey

perhaps in her fifties, her eyes were kind and her smile soft and gentle. "I brought you s

ess. It was such a contrast to the icy aloofness that had

whispered, my voice

ent. "You don't have to be scared," she sai

he obvious thing to say

know you're scared, but Mr. Moretti

ack by her words. "

idn't back down. "He is, but

alking about. Something about the chord in her voice kept me back. He

so?" I asked, my v

le. "Because I have seen what fear does to peopl

sponse, she turned and strode from the r

ed, my head racing with confusion. Dante wasn't

nte. Not Luca. Not even this woman who had brought me dinner. They w

ead against the cool glass. The city lights fli

out what to do. Two day

I wouldn't let Dante Moretti br

to survive t

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