Page 9 of Save Me
“The Syndicate needs a successor, someone sharp, cunning, and adaptable.” He pauses, clearly choosing his next words with care. “You.”
“Me.”
“You’re not ready yet. But you will be. I’ll see to that.”
I swallow hard, my mind racing. This isn’t just a crossroads; it’s a precipice. Jumping means falling into an abyss from which there’s no climbing back.
“Think of the power you’d wield,” he continues, watching me closely. “The fear you’d command. No one would dare cross you, hurt you. You’d never feel scared or vulnerable again.”
My chest tightens. Power. Protection. They’re seductive promises, ones that whisper to the darkest part of me that has clawed its way through life, fighting for every scrap of success and security.
“Money,” I say because it’s easier to focus on the tangible than the terrifying reality of what he’s proposing. “Control.”
“Exactly. All within your grasp. All you have to do is say yes.”
Yes. It’s such a simple word, but it feels like a pact with the devil himself. Yet, as I stand there, staring into my father’s eyes, I can’t deny the pull of the dark tide.
“Say you’ll consider it,” he presses.
“I’ll think about it. But I need time. This isn’t something you can just spring on me, and I’ll fall into line because you want me to.”
“No, but I think you want it too. You are living here with these men who are as deep in this shit as I am. If you didn’t feel some connection to this, you would’ve run a mile by now.”
I nod, not trusting my voice, because even now, as I grapple with questions of morality and consequence, I know the truth.
I want the power. I want the money. And I never want to feel afraid again.
But at what cost?
“Protection. Power. They come at a price,” I say, trying to steady my voice. “Am I supposed to just accept that?”
“Price implies purchase. This is inheritance. Your birthright.”
My breath hitches. Birthright. The idea of it sits heavy on my chest, a mantle I never asked for but can’t seem to refuse.
“Is this what you really want for me?” I ask. “You seemed so desperate to protect me from it.”
“It’s not about what I want. It’s about what you need to survive, to thrive.”
“Survive,” I repeat. It’s something I’ve been doing all my life. Thriving, though, that’s a new concept. One that’s dangerously appealing. “Give me until tomorrow.”
He nods and rises, making his way to the door. As he leaves, I’m left with a sense of power coursing through me. It’s intoxicating, frightening.
I move to the window, the university brimming with lives I can control, sprawling before me. This is my inheritance, a kingdom of shadows.
With every step I take into this new life, questions swarm me like relentless bees. How deep does the Syndicate’s influence run? How much blood stains the money that paid for my education? Each thought is a thread, pulling me toward a truth I’m not sure I want to unravel.
Dad’s words linger in the air, heavy with unspoken promises and threats. They weave around me, a net that both cradles and confines.
The door opens again, and I spin to see the guys walking in.
“Hey,” I murmur.
“Everything okay?” Callum asks, coming over to me and taking me in his arms.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Do you have anything you want to tell us?” Quentin says, joining us and taking me from his twin to press his lips to mine, thrusting his tongue deeply into my mouth briefly before pulling back.
