All Chapters of A DEBT PAID IN FLESH AND SECRETS: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

87 Chapters

The Cold Room

Andreas didn't say a single word as the elevator went down. He kept his hand wrapped tight around my arm, his fingers digging into my skin like claws. My leg was screaming. Every time the elevator moved, the pain in my calf flared up, making my vision go blurry around the edges. I wanted to beg him to stop, to tell him I couldn't breathe, but one look at his face told me to stay quiet. He looked like he was made of stone.When the doors opened, the air was instantly colder. This wasn't the main part of the basement where the laundry or the storage was. This was a side of the building I hadn't seen yet. The walls were plain grey concrete, and the lights were dim. He dragged me down a short hallway and pushed open a heavy metal door.He threw me onto a hard plastic chair in the middle of the room. I hit the seat and let out a sharp cry, my injured leg bumping against the floor."Stay there," Andreas barked.He turned around and walked to a sma

The Choice

I don't know how much time passed in that dark room. The cold from the floor seemed to seep into my bones, and my leg wouldn't stop throbbing. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Leo falling. I saw the white shirt turning red. I was shaking so hard the plastic chair rattled against the floor. I couldn't stop crying. It wasn't just the pain; it was the weight of everything. I felt like I was suffocating in the dark.The door groaned as it opened. A streak of yellow light from the hallway cut across the room, hitting my face. I squinted, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. Andreas walked in. He was carrying a tray with a glass of water and a plate of food, but he didn't look like he wanted to feed me. He looked like he was walking to a funeral.He set the tray down on the small table. He didn't look at me. He just stood there, his back to me, his shoulders tight."Eat," he said. His voice was flat, like he had used up all his energy in the hallwa

The Silent Treatment

The metal door stayed shut for a long time. I didn't have a watch, and there were no windows to show me if the sun was up or down. I just sat on that plastic chair until my back ached, and then I moved to the floor. The floor was cold, but it felt more solid than the chair. I leaned my head against the wall and watched the shadows move whenever the light under the door flickered.My leg was hurting in a way that made me feel sick. It wasn't the sharp sting anymore. It was a deep, heavy throb that felt like it was in sync with my heartbeat. I wanted to check the bandage, but I was afraid of what I would see. I was afraid of being alone, but I was also afraid of the door opening. Every time I heard a sound in the hallway, I held my breath, thinking it was Andreas coming back to finish what he started.But he didn't come. Hours went by, and nobody came. I started to wonder if they had forgotten I was down here. I thought about Leo. I thought about how his ey

The Breaking Point

The drive to the house felt like it lasted forever. I sat in the back of the black SUV with Andreas, but he didn't touch me. He sat by the window, staring out at the dark trees as we left the city lights behind. My leg was throbbing, a dull pain that seemed to match the silence between us. I kept my hand in my pocket, my fingers brushing against the small phone Marco had given me. It felt heavy, like a piece of hot lead.When we finally stopped, the house was huge and lonely. It was surrounded by tall trees, and there were no other lights for miles. It wasn't a home; it was a fortress. Andreas got out and opened my door. He didn't offer to help me, but he stood close as I limped out, watching me struggle."Inside," he said. His voice was like a cold wind.The house was freezing. Andreas walked ahead of me, turning on lights that showed empty rooms with white sheets over the furniture. He led me to a small room on the second floor. It had a bed, a chair, and a heavy door."This is wher

The Sound of Silence

The storm outside the house had been going on for hours. Rain lashed against the windows, and the wind made the old trees groan. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the door. It wasn't locked anymore, but I hadn't moved. My leg was stiff and hot, and the silence of the house was starting to feel heavier than the dark basement.I heard footsteps in the hall. They were slow and heavy. The door creaked open, and Andreas stood there. He wasn't wearing his suit jacket. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. He was holding a small bowl of warm water and some fresh cloth."I need to check the bandage," he said. He didn't wait for me to answer. He walked over and sat on the stool by the bed.I didn't pull away this time. I watched him as he carefully unwound the white gauze. His hands weren't shaking anymore, but they weren't rough either. He moved like I was something made of glass that he was afraid to break."It looks better," he whis

The Date

The peace of the morning didn't last long. By noon, Andreas was gone, called away by a phone call he took in the hallway with a voice so low I couldn't hear a word. The house felt like a tomb again. I spent the hours limping from room to room, my leg feeling stiff and heavy. Everything here felt stuffy—the heavy curtains, the thick rugs, the smell of old dust. It felt like the air was too thick to breathe.I sat by the window in the library, staring at the trees. My head was thumping. I felt weak, like my body was finally giving up after all the running and the fear. I reached into my pocket and felt the burner phone."Finding this is so hard," I whispered to myself.I was tired. Tired of the lies, tired of the hiding, and tired of the fact that everyone seemed to be ten steps ahead of me. My enemies weren't just outside the gates; they were in my head. I sighed, leaning my forehead against the cold glass. I just wanted one thing to be simple. Just one.The door behind me creaked. I d

The Bloodied Date

I stood in front of the small mirror in my room, trying to fix the collar of my shirt. My hands were shaking, and it wasn't just from the cold. I looked at my reflection and let out a long, frustrated sigh."What are you doing, Arthur?" I whispered to myself.I hated the way I was acting. I was supposed to be a ghost. I was supposed to be the person gathering secrets, finding the ledger, and looking for a way to save my brother. But here I was, picking out a nice shirt and checking my hair because Andreas asked me to dinner. I felt like I was on a honeymoon, and it made me feel sick with guilt. Every time I smiled at him, I felt like I was betraying Leo. Every time I let him hold me, I was moving further away from the truth.I grabbed the burner phone from under my pillow and stared at it. I should call Marco. I should tell him the safe house was empty. But instead, I hid the phone back in its spot and walked out the door. I was playing a dangerous game, and I was starting to lose mys

Home Training

The doctor’s needle went in and out of my skin like a hot wire. I didn't flinch. I just sat there on the edge of the leather table in the back room of the club, watching the smoke from my cigarette curl up toward the ceiling. The room was quiet except for the sound of the doctor’s breathing and the distant thumping of the rain outside."I can give you something for the pain, Boss," the doctor whispered. He was a small man who had been sewing up Lionel wounds for twenty years. He knew better than to look me in the eye tonight."No," I said. My voice sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a well. "I want to feel it. I want to remember why I’m going to kill every single person involved in this."The pain was a good thing. It kept me sharp. Every time the thread pulled through my shoulder, I thought about Raine. I thought about the way he looked in that restaurant, his face pale and his eyes wide with terror. I thought about the blood on his hands—my blood. He was safe upstairs now

The Name on the Wall

The top floor of the club was too quiet. Usually, I could hear the muffled thump of the bass from the speakers downstairs, but since the city had pulled the license, the building felt like it was holding its breath. I sat on the edge of the large bed, my hands locked between my knees. I kept looking at the blood on my shirt. It wasn't mine. It was the blood that had poured out of Andreas while he was trying to save my life.My mind was a mess. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the windows shattering and Andreas lunging across the table. He hadn't even thought about it. He had just used his own body as a shield. I felt sick thinking about him out there right now, wounded and angry, looking for the people who did it. I was worried that his rage would make him sloppy. I was worried that I wouldn't see him walk back through that door.I stood up and paced the room, my leg giving a sharp throb with every step. I needed to wash the blood off, but I couldn't br

The Ghost Signal

After Val left, I couldn’t stay still. Every shadow in the corner of the room looked like him. My heart was still hammering against my ribs, making it hard to take a full breath. He knew my name. He knew who my father was. The secret I had been guarding like a shield had been shattered in a few minutes of conversation.I looked at the door. I knew there were guards in the hallway, but I also knew they were distracted. The whole club was in chaos because of the shooting. Andreas was out there somewhere, painting the city red, and the men left behind were busy on their phones and radios.I had to move. If Val was going to tell Andreas, I didn't have much time left to find Asher.I pulled a dark hoodie over my head and stepped out into the hall. The guard at the end of the corridor was talking into a walkie-talkie, his back to me. I moved in the opposite direction, toward the service stairs. My leg hurt with every step, a sharp reminder of the b

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