Page 122 of Into the Dark, We Go

Robert’s face dropped its mask of friendliness. His eyes turned cold.

"You can’t undo what’s been done," he seethed through gritted teeth. "But you can use it for somethin’ worthwhile."

"At what cost?"

Robert smirked. "You’re young, and to you, it’s always black and white. But life’s a lot of gray. Sometimes you gotta choose between the lesser of two evils. Helpin’ the most folks, even ifit means one person gets hurt. You could save a whole lot more that way."

"Yeah, right," Nick shot back. "That’s greed dressed up as nobility."

"I ain’t doing this for me."

"Then who for?" Nick pushed. "You’ve got clients, don’t you? Politicians? CEOs? Wealthy people clinging to life by their fingernails? You’re just another dealer. You could be selling meth for all its worth. Feeding drug lords and calling it business."

Something flickered in Robert’s eyes—rage, maybe shame—but he didn’t deny it. "What’s your price for the book?"

"Why do you even need it?" Nick countered. "You’ve clearly been running your little operation without it."

"Why don’t we just put you down and take what’s ours?"

"And risk killing her?" Nick threw a glance my way. "You’d lose everything. One of us dies, the book burns. We made sure of that. So stop bluffing and tell me the truth. Why do you need the grimoire?"

Robert’s lips thinned. "We’re doin’ this ‘cause we got no other choice. But maybe there’s a way out. If you’re givin’ it up willingly... maybe we don’t have to keep doin’ it this way."

I listened quietly, knowing Nick was just buying time. I didn’t need to call out Robert’s bullshit—Nick saw through it just fine. But the way he held the grimoire at the motel… made every instinct in me recoil. That book radiated something wrong, something toxic, as if it were slick with venom. I hated touching it.

But Nick—Nick looked at it differently. Yes, he wanted to save me, I knew that. But there was something else in his eyes when he studied its pages. Fascination. Obsession. Not with me. With it.

And now I saw the same look in Robert’s eyes. Whatever power that book held, it had already begun to work on them both. Robert was drunk on its promise, and I was beginning to wonder how far Nick would go before he was, too.

"Say I give you the book," Nick said, subtly adjusting his stance. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Same as you," Robert said. "I’ll hold onto it, keep it from gettin’ into the wrong hands, make sure it don’t cause no trouble."

"Maybe your hands are the wrong ones."

Robert’s response was instant. "My hands are the only ones good enough."

"And what do I get if I give it to you?" Nick asked.

"Anythin’," Robert said. "Everythin’."

Nick didn’t reply, but his silence felt like thunderclouds gathering, dense and electric.

Robert went on, smiling softly, like a father gently scolding his children. "It’s ours. Only we can rightly handle it. It’s always belonged here."

His calmness was far more terrifying than his anger. Behind us, the forest released a cold sigh, like we stood with our backs to a deep well or an open grave. Something was watching—I felt it, though I didn’t dare turn around.

"You’re wastin’ your breath, though," Robert said. "You can’t help her now. The deal’s been made. We’re just here to see it through. But I could show you how to read the book."

He took a slow step back, as if generously giving us space. I could feel Nick coil tighter, his muscles ready to snap.

"We’re not bad people, you know. We work for the greater good," Robert continued, mistaking Nick’s silence for hesitation.

The scent of damp earth rose from the forest floor, sharp and tangy. Something stirred out in the woods. Robert noticed it too; his eyes flicked behind us for a split second before settling backwith practiced calm. He knew something was there. And he was welcoming it.

"A boys’ club working for the greater good? Please. We’ve already had this conversation." Nick’s tone was dry, the sarcasm woven so finely into his words that it almost passed for sincerity.

"We don’t mess around here, Nick Boyd," Robert replied, removing his glasses. "We’re a group of folks who share the same values, workin’ to make this world—and this town—a better place for everyone."