Page 42 of Downfall

“Put your hands on the table. Keep them out front.” I order.

He does it quickly. “Please.” He says.

“Is that what they said too?” I ask as I walk around the desk. “Did they beg you to stop?”

“I, it wasn’t like that.” He splutters.

“No?” I murmur picking up the middle picture and waving it in front of him. “Was she asking for it? Is that it?”

“I…” He shakes his head, blinks then forces himself to look at me.

Only he can’t see my face. At least not yet. I’ve got a mask on to conceal it because I want to bide my time, wait to the exact moment in the conversation when he realises how fucked he is and then I’ll reveal it, reveal that he’s made a deal with the devil.

“This is how it’s going to go down.” I say laying out my terms. Instructing him that from now on all his so-called ‘business’ with Ignatio is over. That all dirty deals he has, all the backhands, all of it comes to me.

“There’s a new power in town Darius.” I say.

He lets out a low breath. “Calvin won’t have that.”

“Ah yes.” I say grinning. The real man who’s been pulling the strings, manipulating both the Montagues and the Capulets for generations. I lift the sack up emptying it onto his immaculate leather desk and he shrieks with horror as the head somersaults across it to him and his eyes connect with the dead man.

“Calvin won’t be an issue.” I state.

He stares, wide eyed at the head. “Who the fuck are you?”

As I yank the mask off it’s hard not to grin. “Surely you haven’t forgotten me Darius?”

His jaw drops. He stutters words that make no sense and I let out a laugh.

“I’m in charge now. You do as I say or the entirety of Verona will realise exactly where you’ve been sticking your dick.”

He nods so quickly. I know he’s acting on instinct now, agreeing because at this moment he can’t think of another option, but as I slip out of the room I also know he’ll test me.

Darius isn’t the kind of man to simply roll over and play ball.

No, he’ll try to out manoeuvre me and somehow I know exactly who he’ll chose to do his bidding. Yeah, this couldn’t work out any better because Darius will all but force my hand, and in doing so I’ll not only send a message to Ignatio Capulet too but I’ll finally get a taste of what real revenge feels like.

Rose

I’m nervy. On edge. My head’s looking from one corner to the next waiting for him to show and when he does I feel relief and trepidation all in one.

My parents think I’m at a sleepover. I don’t know where Roman’s dad think he is but somehow we’ve managed to orchestrate a whole night to ourselves. Just us.

And I know what I want to happen. What we’ve both been heading towards.

We’re going to actually fuck for the first time.

My heart jumps as I get in the car and look at him. He’s smiling. No signs of nerves. No signs that this isn’t like every other time we’ve managed to sneak away and have a few stolen moments.

But tonight won’t be stolen moments. It’ll be hours. And though I want it, I want it more than anything it feels like taking this step might be a mistake, that allowing ourselves to cross this final line might just truly damn us.

I bite my lip, willing the butterflies in my stomach to stop churning, willing the incessant thoughts in my head to just shut up.

“You okay?” Roman asks. We haven’t left. We’re just sat here.

I nod. “Fine.”

“Rose?”

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