Chapter 8 The Taste of What You Owe Her

Three days later, Caroline left the hospital before her body had truly healed.

The doctors had warned her that a stomach hemorrhage demanded rest, but rest was a luxury she did not have. Lina had tried to persuade her to stay longer, but Caroline only shook her head. Alexander had told her she was coming to a negotiation, and Alexander never changed his mind because someone was sick.

The car he sent did not take her back to the apartment. Instead, it drove her straight to an upscale styling studio.

Celeste was already there, standing before a mirror, trying on jewelry. When she saw Caroline, her smile was sweet enough to make the air feel dangerous.

"Caroline, you look so much better," she said warmly, walking over to loop her arm through Caroline's. "Alex asked me to help you choose something for tonight. Do not worry--I will make sure you look perfect."

Caroline tried to pull her arm back, but Celeste's grip was unyielding.

She was led to a dressing room, where several stylists descended on her, measuring her frame, debating fabrics, murmuring about hair and makeup. Celeste orchestrated the whole process, and Caroline moved like a puppet, letting strangers decide every detail.

The final choice was a deep blue velvet gown--conservative in style, expertly tailored to hide her frail frame and the marks on her skin. Celeste did her makeup herself, layering heavy foundation to mask the pallor and the bruised shadows under her eyes, painting her lips with a red that forced life into her face.

"Caroline... you are beautiful," Celeste said from behind her, eyes fixed on the reflection in the mirror. Her tone was soft, but something in it scraped against Caroline's nerves. "It is just a shame... no matter how beautiful you are, you are not Edith."

Caroline's fingers tightened on the gown's hem.

By evening, Alexander arrived.

His gaze swept over Caroline for a few seconds, unreadable, before he said simply, "Let us go."

The negotiation was set in an abandoned warehouse outside the city.

As the car cut through the night, Caroline watched the lights streak past the window. She did not know what the meeting was about, but if Alexander had chosen to bring her, it would not be harmless.

"Listen," Alexander said suddenly. "When we are inside, you stay by my side. Do not speak. Do not wander. Your job is to stand there. Understand?"

She nodded.

She understood perfectly--she was only decoration, a prop. Maybe even a hostage, or a shield. In the underworld, bringing a woman to the table was common. It was a show of status... and sometimes a calculated weakness.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the warehouse.

Black-clad guards moved to meet them. Alexander stepped out, and Caroline followed. The wind bit through the thin fabric of her gown, and she shivered.

Alexander glanced at her once, said nothing, and walked toward the warehouse doors.

She hurried to keep up.

Inside, the lighting was dim. A long table stood in the center, flanked by men on either side. At the head sat a bald, heavyset man with a jagged scar carved across his face--John, the head of a rising Eastside family.

The seat opposite him was empty, clearly reserved for Alexander.

When Alexander entered, John's mouth curled into a grin, flashing a gold tooth. "Alexander, you finally made it. Brought a date? What, afraid I would eat you alive?" His gaze slid over Caroline with deliberate insolence.

Alexander took his seat. Caroline stood slightly behind him, aware of the way John and his men's eyes crawled over her like cold-blooded predators. She lowered her gaze to her shoes, willing herself to disappear.

The discussion began.

It was about dividing territory--several blocks of the drug trade. John wanted more. Alexander refused. The words were calm, but the edges were sharp enough that even Caroline could feel the cut.

The tension coiled tighter.

"Alexander, do not push your luck," John said suddenly, his tone turning cold. "Those streets are mine. You will give them up, whether you like it or not."

Alexander's smile was thin. "John, this is not the Eastside. In Grandhaven, I decide."

John's laugh was short and ugly. His eyes shifted to Caroline. "I hear this is your wife. The Neville Family's precious daughter--the one who killed her own sister. Pretty enough, though I wonder... is she as good in bed as her short-lived sister?"

Alexander's gaze iced over.

"Stay on topic," he said flatly.

"What is the matter? Struck a nerve?" John's grin widened. "Both sisters in your bed--must be sentimental. But tell me, Alexander... is she worth risking your business for? I will make you a deal. Give me those streets, and I will never mention your little affairs again. How about that?"

Caroline's body locked. Shame burned through her like wildfire.

Alexander's lips curved--not in amusement, but in something sharper. He rose, adjusting his cufflinks with deliberate calm.

"Looks like we are done here," he said. "John, I gave you a chance."

John's smile faltered. He stood, and his men's hands went to their weapons.

"What are you playing at?"

"I am saying..." Alexander's voice was slow, almost bored, "...you will not touch an inch of those streets. And what you just said... it did not sit well with me."

From the shadows high above, several red dots bloomed--laser sights, fixed on John and his key men.

John's face drained of color. "You... you planned this?"

Alexander did not answer. His hand lifted slightly.

"Do it."

The first gunshot cracked through the air.

It was not from the snipers. One of John's men had drawn and fired toward Alexander.

The bullet missed him--but hit Caroline.

Alexander's hand shot out, dragging her toward him in a split second. The round tore through the velvet at her arm, slicing skin, spilling blood.

She cried out, but her voice was swallowed by chaos.

Gunfire erupted everywhere.

John's men returned fire, Alexander's guards answered. The warehouse became a warzone--bullets slicing the air, muzzle flashes sparking in the dark.

Alexander pulled Caroline behind an overturned steel table. Her arm burned, blood running hot down her skin.

Shapes moved in the haze. The air was thick with gunpowder and the metallic tang of blood.

It was too familiar.

The docks. The gunfight. Screams. Edith in a white dress, collapsing in a bloom of red...

"No... no..." Caroline curled in on herself, shaking violently. She clamped her hands over her ears, eyes squeezed shut.

Do not see. Do not hear. Do not remember...

"Look at me," Alexander's voice cut coldly above her.

She shook her head, hard.

His hand tore hers away from her ears, forcing her chin up.

He crouched before her, fingers tangled in her hair, dragging her gaze to the carnage. "Look, Caroline," he hissed. "See how they die. Bullets punching through flesh, blood spraying, life leaking away. Look."

"No!" she screamed, thrashing, but his grip was iron.

She saw a man clutch his chest, stumbling back before collapsing, blood pooling beneath him. She saw one of Alexander's guards take a bullet to the head, dropping instantly. She saw John fire from behind a pillar, then jerk as a sniper's round ripped into his shoulder.

Blood. Everywhere.

"Edith..." Caroline's voice was distant, broken. "Edith was like this... so much blood... she told me to run... she pushed me away..."

In her mind, crimson spread beneath Edith's body, seeping toward her feet. She looked down, and the red was on her shoes.

Alexander's body went rigid.

His eyes flickered--something heavy, unreadable--before hatred surged back, drowning it.

"Yes. She pushed you," he said, tightening his grip. "She took the bullet. She died. You lived. So watch. Remember this. You owe her."

The world was red, burning through her tears.

The gunfire thinned. John's men lay dead or wounded. The survivors knelt, surrendering.

Alexander released her, straightening his suit. "Clean it up," he told his men.

Then he looked at her, still curled on the floor.

"Let us go."

Caroline did not move.

Her legs would not hold her. She felt unmoored, hovering above the wreckage of her body.

Alexander paused at the door, frowning back at her. "Do I need to invite you?"

She forced herself up, using her uninjured arm to brace against the table. It took several tries before she could stumble after him.

In the car, she shrank into the farthest corner.

Her head throbbed. Her stomach churned, nausea clawing at her throat. She pressed a hand to her mouth, but a muffled sound escaped.

"Quiet," Alexander said, irritation curling his voice.

She bit her lip, trying to obey, but the tremors would not stop.

He glanced at her. Under the dim light, her face was ghost-pale, streaked with tears and smeared makeup. Blood had soaked into the gown, leaving dark stains.

He felt nothing but annoyance.

Halfway through the drive, as they passed near Central Green, Alexander spoke. "Stop the car."

The driver pulled over.

Alexander turned to her. "Get out."