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Debt for Debt.

THIRTEEN YEARS EARLIER

I t’s not every day that you decide you no longer give a fuck about your life or anyone else’s. A year ago, I made a decision that changed my world. It took everything I had left, no matter what little I did have. Everything was taken from me and I was ready to take some power for myself. I was desperate to feel some of the control I thought was stripped from me when my family didn’t want me, and that led me to this moment.

“Where is it?” Erhan leans back into his chair, resting his ankle on his knee as he lights up a cigarette.

“With Dante Della Torre.” I come clean because I have nothing left to hide.

“Hmm.” Smoke rings fill the air as he lets the silence linger and the longer he’s quiet, the more scenarios I make up in my mind of how he’s planning to skin me alive.

“I’m sure we can come to an arrangement,” I barter, knowing he holds all the power over me. If he decided, he could end my life right now and I couldn’t do anything to stop him.

He motions his two men to come forward and they pat me down in search of the item.

“It’s not here, Erhan.”

“Forgive me for not taking your word. Being in this business, we all have some trust issues. I’m sure you can understand.” His curly hair is raked back and a few strands fall onto his face on each side, his piercing blue eyes almost glowing in the dark night.

“I washed up on the shores of Falcon’s Keep by accident. I didn’t plan it.”

“Yes, but you decided to stay. Why?” He looks at me with intrigue, not understanding why I would stay with strangers. Although I didn’t know the Della Torres, they’ve become closer to me than I could have ever imagined. I consider every single one of them my family, regardless of the blood we don’t share.

“I didn’t see a point in spending my life alone.”

The cool breeze of the night brushes past me, sending a shiver down my spine as the low hum of the horn of the ferries in the harbour sounds beneath us. Lights from the Hagia Sophia mosque twinkle in the background as I wonder how I’m going to convince Erhan to keep me alive.

“Why did you tell me to take it?” I ask, wondering what his end game is, but all he does is smile.

“A magician doesn’t tell the crowd how his tricks are done, Rafael.” He takes a drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke into the air. A bead of blood trickles down my face and I let it. At least I know I’m still alive.

“I did what you asked but you weren’t there to receive it. Given I almost gave my life for this thing , I think I deserve some grace.”

He chuckles at my response and stands before me in his perfectly tailored suit, a stark contrast to my outfit.

“Let me make this clear,” he speaks softly, but his voice is so deep that anything he says comes across as a threat. “You’re breathing because I’m allowing it.”

“Just name your price and let’s be done with it.”

You can’t barter with a soul who’s continuously been denied compassion, love, and empathy because when they find it, they’ll never let it go.

“Keep it.”

Shock and disbelief are the first emotions flooding me at his words.

“What?”

“The item will always belong to me, but given the war you’ve incited, I believe you’re going to need my help, and with the trade I’m running through to the Russians, I can’t have all my eggs in one basket.”

I scoff. “You’re trusting me with an asset worth millions of dollars?”

Flickers of embers dance on the ground as he drops his cigarette, stepping over it as he checks his watch.

“Trust is a fickle thing. Let’s call it a debt for a debt.”

“Meaning?”

“One day, you might wake up and realise you have no one in your corner and that day, you might decide to call an old friend.” His blue eyes darken as he extends his hand to me. “And I might just be the only one to take your call.”