Page 53 of Debt of My Soul

“Liam, what are you doing here?” His words are slow, mimicking his blinks as he looks from me to Darrin. His eyes widen with realization. “You need to leave.”

He continues to mumble those words as I place a hand over his shoulder. The slightly less meatiness of his shoulder makes me curious about how long he’s been here. Have they kept him here the whole time, or did they move him?

I stand to offer a hand to my brother. “We’re leaving,” I spit out, making sure my voice is loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room.

Adam visibly flinches and the man named Blitz lets out a disgusting laugh.

“Unfortunately for your brother, he cannot. Owes me two hundred thousand dollars with interest.” Darrin shuffles farther into the room and I step closer to my brother. Irritation at his predicament doesn’t lessen the responsibility I feel toward him.

“Two hundred thousand dollars?” I ask, seething down at Adam. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“Doesn’t even include the inheritance from your grandparents he’s set to get. Although, being the local champion of small businesses that I am, I’ve decided to hold off on collecting my portion right now.”

It takes everything for me not to stagger back or place a hand on the wall. My grandparents built their business from theground up. And they did it with their grandchildren in mind, having willed the business and the entire property it sits on to all three of us.

My brother gambled away his portion of it? How could he be so flippant about something like that?

Gritting my teeth, I stare down Darrin and his goons. The idea I could have the law here in seconds fizzles as soon as it bobs into my thoughts. Sheriff Easton was sitting next to the mayor. No doubt Darrin has many of the locals covering for him.

“He’ll pay you back. Get up, Adam, we’re leaving.” I reach down and yank Adam up by the elbow, unwilling to be gentle. I’m pissed.

“He can’t leave until he pays back the money or decides to come work for me,” Darrin spits, his tone becoming more agitated with each attempt I make to walk my brother out of here.

Adam blanches as if he wasn’t aware Darrin was trying to proposition him. He opens his mouth, and the dried blood from his nose cracks across his top lip.

“Let me play. I can win it back,” Adam pleads.

Furious, I wrench his elbow out and he lets out a whine. Play? He wants to try to gamble his way out of the very mess he dug himself into.

“No,” Darrin and I say at the same time. Darrin smiles at me, the corner of his mouth twitching while he studies me again. It’s creeping me out, particularly with his different-colored eyes.

“H-how long do I need to work for you? I don’t have the money to pay you back,” Adam asks.

“Six years.”

Darrin lets his words hang there in the silence of the room. Even the tree limbs scraping the office windows outside seem to stop their ministrations.

Adam cowers behind me, and my protective instinct roars.

“Six years? That’s insane. Give me a couple of months and I can come up with the money,” I say, glaring at the smug look on Darrin’s face. But he shakes his head with almost a knowing glint in his eye. What’s this guy after?

“I can’t do that. You see, those who don’t pay their debts to me either have to work it off for the determined amount of time or pay. You won’t be leaving here until you do. And any attempt to rush my men …” He glances at the two guys wrapped in leather jackets at the door, who both swipe the bottom corner of their coats aside to reveal two large pistols.

“You, however, may leave whenever you’d like. You owe me nothing.”

I look at my little brother. The thought of leaving him here is not an option, and something tells me Darrin knows it. Is he a fool for gambling away his money to the point he borrowed from Darrin? Yes. Do I want to beat him to a pulp with my own hands for putting our family through all this worry? Yes. That doesn’t make me want to leave him, though. He’s my family. I’d do anything for him.

“I’ll pay the debt,” I say. Darrin’s eyes widen only a little before he smiles. Adam’s arms go slack in my grip, and he turns to stare at me.

“You have two hundred thousand dollars?” Adam asks, gaze searching my face. I don’t miss the slight inhalation and rush of joy that emanates from him before it disappears, replaced by worry.

I fidget, looking over the room. The walls are wallpapered with an ugly striped pattern, and a metal desk is pushed into the corner. Other than several stacks of papers and two chairs, the room is empty, save for the full weight of my decision.

Darrin lets out atskand my eyes snap to his. He raises his chin in acknowledgment. “No,” he says, “he does not.”

“But then how—” Adam starts.

“Six years. You owe me your life and loyalty for six years. After that, the debt will be paid.”

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