Page 5

Ivy's eyes widened, pupils dilating as a surge of fear coursed through her.

She gripped his wrist with both hands, her fingers digging into his flesh, a desperate attempt to create some kind of distance.

The muscles in her arms strained as she tried to pry him off her, but he seemed unmovable, a solid wall of menace.

Her breath hitched in her throat, constricting it.

She forced herself to speak, pushing the words past the lump of fear that threatened to suffocate her.

"Please," she gasped, her voice thin and reedy, betraying her terror. "I need your help." Each word was a monumental effort; a plea wrenched from the depths of her panic.

Vice chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that vibrated through her very bones.

It was not a friendly sound; it was laced with amusement, with a chilling sense of power, as a wicked smile stretched across his face.

"I think you're confused about who I am, little mouse," he said, the amusement now undeniably condescending, a cruel game he was clearly enjoying.

The nickname, "little mouse," felt deliberately demeaning, highlighting her vulnerability and his dominance.

"I know exactly who you are," she said, her muscles straining against his iron grip.

Every fiber of her being fought to break free, but his hold was unyielding.

"And I know what you're capable of. You are the man who runs this city, the only one who can help me," she rasped, her voice a ragged whisper, choked by fear and the pressure against her throat.

Her eyes, wide and pleading, locked onto his.

Vice cocked an eyebrow, as he leaned down, his presence suddenly overwhelming.

His face now inches from hers, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his skin.

His breath, tinged with the scent of expensive whiskey and something else, something predatory, brushed against her cheek.

"You need my help?" he chuckled again, a deep, dark sound.

"Alice," she choked out, her voice trembling, each syllable a fragile plea. "My daughter, Alice. Her father... he's dying." The weight of the words hung in the air, a desperate offering to the devil himself.

A low growl rumbled up from the depths of his throat, a sound more akin to a predator than a man.

“And you think I care?” he scoffed, the words laced with a chilling indifference.

“Sickness and death are the cornerstones of this world, the mortar that holds it together. Why should I interfere with the natural order? Why disrupt the flow of things for one insignificant speck of dust?”

“Because you can,” she pleaded, her voice rising in desperation, each word a fragile thread of hope. “You have the power to change it. You can heal him, I know you can. Please, I will give you anything," she choked, the word sounding like a sob caught in her throat.

The air crackled with a palpable tension, thick and heavy like a gathering storm.

His lips brushed against her cheek, invading her personal space, his presence radiating a raw, untamed power.

“Anything you say,” he said, his voice a silken caress laced with an undercurrent of steel.

A predatory gleam ignited in his eyes, making them burn like embers in the dim light.

A wicked grin, slow and deliberate, spread across his face, transforming his handsome features into something almost monstrous.

“Such dangerous words, Ivy. So easily regretted. Are you truly prepared to pay any price?”

"Please," she begged, hot tears welling in her eyes and tracing paths down her cheeks.

Her body trembled, but she forced herself to meet his gaze, her resolve flickering but not extinguished.

“I will give you my life, in exchange for his life. Take me but save him. Please, just save him.” The words hung in the air; a desperate bargain struck in the face of overwhelming despair.

Vice's smile grew wider, his eyes glinting with a cold, cruel amusement. "Your life, is it?" He narrowed his eyes, he was so close, she could feel his chest press against hers. "How quaint, but what makes you think I would want your life, Ivy?"

She felt a tear slip down her cheek, her voice trembling as she spoke. "Anything," she whispered. "I'll give you anything. Just save him please."

Vice leaned in closer, his breath hot on her face. "Anything?" he echoed, his voice a seductive hiss. "Are you quite sure about that?" Anything can be a steep price to pay, Ivy. And some debts... they can never truly be paid."

The coldness in his gaze was unsettling, a chilling barrier she desperately wanted to break through.

Was there a flicker of warmth, a hint of vulnerability hidden beneath the hardened exterior?

She clung to the desperate hope that there was.

Her heart pounded in her chest; each beat a frantic plea.

"Yes," she whispered, the word barely escaping her lips, a fragile offering thrown into the abyss of his indifference.

She held her breath, waiting for his reaction, the silence stretching taut with anticipation.

Vice's smile grew more sinister, stretching his lips into a predatory curve.

"Very well," he said, his voice a low growl that seemed to vibrate in the very air around them.

"But I must admit, Ivy, your life seems a rather paltry offering for such a trade.

" He tilted his head, the shadows playing across his face, deepening the lines of cruelty etched there.

The movement was almost feline, a predator assessing its prey.

"What makes you think I would accept such a simple trade?

A mere life for... well, you know what I possess, don't you?

It is worth far more than you could comprehend.

More than you could ever offer." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.

"Think of it like this, Ivy. I hold a masterpiece, and you're offering me a doodle on a napkin. "

Ivy’s face dropped, desperation giving way to a spark of defiance.

The blatant devaluing of her existence, the casual cruelty in his tone.

.. it ignited a flicker of anger within her.

“Asshole. Well what do you want then?" she demanded, her voice stronger now, laced with a fragile courage.

"If my life isn't enough, then what is?” She narrowed her eyes, trying to pierce through the theatricality and discern the truth behind his words.

This felt like a game, a power play, and she was determined to learn the rules.

Vice chuckled. "You seek a deal with me?" Vice's voice was a low growl, his eyes never leaving hers. "Very well, Ivy, I shall make you an offer." His hand dropped to his side, releasing her throat. "If you wish for this man’s life to be spared, then you must offer me something of equal value."

Vice's smile grew even more sinister, his eyes gleaming with something that was not human. "I require something more personal," he mused, his hand coming up to trace her jaw, his touch cold.

Ivy's mind raced, her thoughts a jumbled mess of fear and determination.

The question hanging in the air felt heavy, pressing down on her chest. "Like what?

" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper, choked by the knot of anxiety tightening in her throat.

The words tumbled out, shaky and uncertain, betraying the panic swirling within her.

His hand coming back up to her neck, his thumb tracing a gentle circle over her pulse point. "Perhaps something that truly represents the depth of your love for James. Something just as irreplaceable as your life."

Ivy's breath hitched, her eyes locked on his, unable to look away. The pressure of his thumb increased a subtle reminder of the power he held over her. "I... I don't understand," she managed to murmur, her voice trembling.

"You see, Ivy, I need something more than just your life. Something that shows you understand what it means to lose everything," His hand moved from her neck to her cheek, his grip tightening. "I want you to feel the pain I felt when I was taken from the world you know."

Ivy felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead, her mind racing with the implications of his words. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice a mere whisper.

Vice leaned in closer; his lips almost pressed to hers.

His thumb pressing harder against her pulse.

"I want you to experience true loss," he said, his voice a velvet promise of pain.

"You see, Ivy, love is a powerful thing.

It can drive one to do the unthinkable. But it's only when you've lost everything that you can truly understand the depths of its power. "

The room grew colder, the darkness closing in around her like a vise. "Give me your hand," he whispered, his breath warm against her skin.

She knew she had no choice but to obey. With trembling fingers, she reached out, placing her hand in his.

His grip tightened, and she winced as she felt a sharp pain as his nails dug into her flesh.

He pulled her away from the wall. "You're a brave one," he said, his voice a dark caress.

"But bravery won't save you from what's to come. "

His eyes searched hers, looking for something she was not sure she had. "What are you going to do to me?" she whispered, the words sticking in her throat like shards of glass.

Vice's smile grew. "I don't want your life, Ivy," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Taking your life would be too easy. You see, I know the kind of pain you are feeling."

The desperation that drives you to seek me out. But I want something more from you. Something that will truly make you understand the cost of what you're asking." He said looking down at her.

Her eyes searched his, the fear in them mirrored in the cold, unyielding darkness of his gaze. "My...freedom?" she whispered, her eyes widening at the realization.

Vice nodded, his smile never faltering. "Yes," he said, his voice a low purr of satisfaction.

"A life without freedom is a fate worse than death.

It's a slow, agonizing descent into madness.

" His grip on her wrist tightened, a reminder of the power he wielded.

"But it's a fate you're willing to accept for him, isn't it? "

Ivy felt the tears streaming down her face, her heart a heavy weight in her chest. She nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "Yes," she managed to say, the word a solemn promise.

Vice's smile grew, a twisted parody of happiness.

"Very well," he said, his grip on her wrist loosening.

"Your freedom is mine. But remember, Ivy, this is a deal you've made with the devil, and I always collect.

" As those words leave his lips a searing pain erupts across her skin, like a red-hot poker.

She cries out, doubling over, her hand flying to the source of the agony.

The room spun around her, the darkness closing in like a curtain of fire.

The pain was unbearable, a branding iron searing her soul as much as her flesh.

Through the haze of agony, she could feel the heat radiating from her wrist. The smell of burnt skin filled the air, a nauseating aroma that taunted her with the permanence of her decision.

When she dared to look down, a V had been burned into her flesh.

It was a reminder of the price she had just agreed to pay.

The pain began to recede, leaving behind a throbbing ache that pulsed with every beat of her racing heart.

Ivy knew she had made a pact with the devil, and now she had the brand to prove it.

The room stilled, the darkness retreating like a wave before a storm. The air grew thick with a power that was almost tangible.

The symbol on her wrist pulsed. The reality of what she had done settled in her stomach like a weight, a cold, hard truth that she could no longer ignore.

Vice stepped back, his smile fading to a cold, calculating look. "Remember our deal," he said, his voice echoing through the room. "You're mine, and I shall come for you when I see fit. Goodbye for now, little mouse.”

Her legs moved of their own accord, propelling her down the stairs, the sound of her own breathing and the pounding of her heart drowning out the echo of Vice's evil laughter. The alley outside was just as dark and foreboding as before, but she didn’t care.

The air was sweet and free, and she gulped it down greedily as she sprinted towards her car, the keys already in her hand.

The engine roared to life, the headlights cutting through the darkness like a knife. She didn’t bother to check the mirrors, and didn’t dare to glance back. The only thought in her mind was to get as far away from that cursed building as she could.

The tires screeched as she peeled out, the car's engine straining as it raced away from the shadows that were reaching for her.