CHAPTER 29: DEAL WITH THE DEVIL

Chapter 29

JACE MARINO

The ride to the house felt longer than it was.

I drove too fast, but somehow not fast enough. My phone kept vibrating in the cup holder, one call after another from Mateo, from numbers I didn’t recognize. Probably my father’s men who are loyal to me.

I didn’t answer any of them.

The gates opened before I even slowed down. Cameras tracked me the whole way in. The Marino estate looked the same as always. Too big, too quiet and too clean. It didn’t matter how many times I came back here, it always felt like stepping into a museum I didn’t belong in.

I parked crooked, didn’t care. The front door opened before I reached it.

Aiko stood there. She looked like she hadn’t slept either. Her hair was still perfect, but her eyes were red-rimmed.

What exactly is her deal?

"Jace," she said softly. "You shouldn’t have come here."

"Where is he?"

Her mouth tightened. "Inside. But you need to listen to me first—"

"I don’t need another warning," I cut in, stepping past her. The smell of my father’s cologne hits me from all directions. Sandalwood, leather, and power. Always power.

"Jace, please." She followed me down the hall. "He’s angry. You don’t understand what you’re walking into—"

"I don’t care," I said. "He has my friends."

That made her stop. Her hand hovered near my arm, but she didn’t touch me. "I didn’t tell him everything," she whispered. "Just that... you’ve been distracted. He asked why, and I said it was because of someone. He guessed the rest."

I stopped walking. My jaw tightened. "You told him enough."

Aiko’s eyes went glassy. "I didn’t think he’d do this. I swear."

"Yeah," I said, voice low. "You never think, Aiko. You just do what anyone tells you and call it loyalty."

She flinched like I’d hit her, but I didn’t stop. I pushed open the double doors to my father’s study.

He was waiting for me.

Seated behind that same dark oak desk, a cup of tea in his hand, like this was a meeting, not a trap.

Two men in suits stood against the wall, hands clasped in front of them.

"Jace," my father said, smiling faintly. "You look tired."

"Where are they?"

He sighed. "Straight to business. You never say hello anymore."

I moved closer to the desk. "Where. Are. They."

He didn’t look bothered. "Safe. For now."

I felt my pulse spike. "They’re students. They don’t know anything about us. You had no right—"

"I had every right," he interrupted, calm as ever. "You keep acting like the Marino name is something you can walk away from. You forget that the world doesn’t stop spinning just because you decided to play professor and fall in love with a charity case."

That one burned.

I clenched my fists. "Don’t talk about him like that."

"Then stop acting like a fool," he said, voice sharpening. "You’ve been sloppy, sentimental. That’s not how I raised you. Do you think the world forgives softness, Jace? Do you think love saves people like us?"

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t trust my voice not to break.

He stood up slowly, walking around the desk until he was in front of me. "You were supposed to come home after the auction," he said. "But instead, you stayed with that boy. You ignored orders, ignored appearances, ignored your own blood."

"Because my blood is poison," I snapped.

That made him laugh, quiet and bitter. "No, son. Your blood is power. The only question is whether you’ll use it or let it rot in you."

I swallowed hard. "Let them go."

"Why?"

"Because they’re innocent."

He tilted his head. "No one’s innocent, Jace. Not in this house."

The silence stretched until it felt like something was breaking between us. Then he said, almost lazily, "You want them released? Fine. But you’ll give me something first."

I didn’t move. "What do you want?"

"You come home," he said. "Permanently. No more disappearing. You attend the dinner next week with Aiko. You act like the son I raised, not the one you pretend to be."

My stomach turned. "And if I don’t?"

He gave a small shrug. "Then I can’t promise your friends to make it back to campus or wherever they come from in one piece. Accidents happen. People vanish. You know how the world works."

I stared at him. He was calm, too calm, like he was negotiating a business deal, not threatening two kids.

I hate him.

I loathe him

I despise him

Any other word that is used for not liking someone. That’s what I feel for him.

I’m going to kill him.

"Why?" I asked finally. "Why drag them into this?"

"Because you care about them," he said simply. "And I need to remind you where your loyalties lie."

That was it.

He wasn’t teaching me a lesson. He was reminding me who owned me.

I rubbed a hand over my face. My mind was racing, but my heart just hurt. All I could see was Julian in that hospital bed, pale and trembling.

"You can’t keep controlling everything," I said finally. "One day, you’re going to lose the last bit of respect this family has left."

He smiled faintly. "Respect doesn’t matter. Fear does."

For a long time, I didn’t speak. I just stood there, listening to the sound of my own pulse pounding in my ears. Then I said, "Fine."

His eyebrows lifted slightly. "Fine?"

"I’ll come home. I’ll play the part. But you release them now. Not tonight. Not later. Now."

He studied me, probably trying to figure out if I was bluffing. But he must’ve seen something real in my face, because he nodded toward one of the guards. "Make the call."

The man stepped out of the room.

"There," my father said. "Happy?"

I looked him dead in the eye. "Not even close."

He smiled again, sitting back down. "Good. Anger is useful. It means you still have something worth fighting for."

I turned to leave.

"Jace," he said as I reached the door. "You’ll thank me someday."

I didn’t answer.

Aiko was waiting by the door when I came out. She looked like she wanted to touch me but didn’t dare. "You did the right thing," she whispered.

I stopped. Didn’t look at her. "There’s nothing right about it."

"Your father—"

"My father’s a monster," I said quietly. "And I’m tired of pretending he’s anything else."

Her breath hitched. "I didn’t mean for this to happen."

"I know," I said. "But you helped it anyway."

She didn’t follow me after that.

Outside, the air was cold and sharp.

It felt like punishment. Like the kind of cold that gets under your skin and stays there, gnawing at your bones.

I stood on the steps for a moment, trying to remember how to breathe.

I just gave in to my devil of a father, without a plan.

The house loomed behind me. Massive and hollow as ever. I hated that place. I hated how quiet it was. How even the wind seemed afraid to touch it.

I pulled my phone out, checked the time. Too long. Every second I stayed here felt like losing something.

Two guards stood near the entrance, straight-backed and stone-faced, watching me like I was still a threat. Maybe I was.

"Where are they?" I asked.

One of them blinked, like every word cost him effort. "Mr. Marino said to release them. They’re out front."

I nodded once and started walking. Gravel crunched under my shoes, and for a second I thought about just driving until the world ran out. But I couldn’t. Not while Julian was still lying in that hospital bed. Not while my father was still pulling strings with a smile on his face.

When I reached the gate, I saw them — Rico and Luka — standing awkwardly near the fountain, shoulders tight, eyes darting toward the house like it might swallow them up again.

Poor kids.

Rico was pacing, muttering something under his breath. Luka just looked... hollow. Like he’d spent the whole morning holding his breath.

"Let’s go," I said, unlocking the car.

Neither of them moved at first. Rico’s voice came out rough. "You gonna tell us what the hell that was?"

"Later," I said. "Just get in."

Rico frowned but obeyed, sliding into the front seat. Luka climbed in the back, still quiet.

I’ve never seen him this quiet. He’s always loud.

The gates opened and I drove out. The silence was thick enough to choke on. I didn’t bother turning on the radio.

For a while, the only sounds were the tires against the road and Rico’s restless sighs.

Then he said, "So... you just gonna sit there pretending none of that happened?"

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. "What do you want me to say?"

"I dunno, maybe start with an explanation?" Rico shot back. "Like why a bunch of men in suits dragged us into a damn mansion at sunrise and made us sit there like we were about to get whacked?"

Luka let out a nervous laugh, rubbing his hands together. "Yeah, man. They said your father wanted to have tea. I thought we were dead. Who does that?"

I exhaled through my nose, trying not to let my temper show. "I’m sorry," I said finally.

They both looked at me, waiting for more.

"I didn’t know he’d pull you into this," I said, voice low. "He found out about Julian. About me being at the hospital. That was enough for him."

Rico frowned, eyes narrowing. "What’s his deal with us, though? We don’t even know the guy."

"You were leverage," I said flatly. "That’s all."

Luka blinked. "Leverage for what?"

I hesitated, jaw tight. "To bring me home."

The car went quiet again. Rico turned toward the window, muttering something under his breath. Luka leaned forward. "And... you agreed to it?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

I didn’t answer right away. The road stretched long and gray in front of us. My father’s words were still echoing in my head.

Because you care about them. Because I need to remind you where your loyalties lie.

"I didn’t have a choice," I said finally. "But I’ll make it right."

Rico snorted. "And how the hell you plan to do that?"

"By fixing everything," I said. "Putting things back where they belong. Then take what’s mine."

But I don’t have a plan for that yet.

Rico looked over. "What’s yours?"

"Julian."

That shut them up. Even Rico didn’t have a comeback for that.

I saw Luka’s reflection in the rearview mirror. Soft eyes, worry in the corners. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t.

The phone buzzed in the cup holder. Mateo’s name lit up the screen.

I answered.

"Are they okay?" He asked immediately.

"Yes"

"Jace—what the hell did you agree to?"

"Doesn’t matter."

"You can’t keep doing this, man," he said. "He’ll bleed you dry."

"Maybe," I said softly. "But not today."

I hung up without saying anything.

I’m tired, I’m exhausted. Physically and emotionally. But I will get through it, I always do.

When we pulled into the hospital parking lot, I finally felt like I could breathe again. The air was still cold, but at least it was clean.

Rico got out first, slamming the door harder than necessary. Luka followed, stretching his legs,he was still quiet.

I want to tell them how deeply sorry I am. But I don’t know how to.

"Hey," Rico said, turning toward me. "For what it’s worth... whatever that was, we’re cool. But your dad’s creepy as hell."

"Yeah," I said. "Tell me something I don’t know."

We walked inside.

The lights are too bright. They are stabbing through my headache, the smell of sanitizer burning my nose. I’ve spent too many hours here already.

The air isn’t clean inside, just outside.

We walked down the hall toward Julian’s new room. Every step felt heavier. I could feel the exhaustion settling in behind my eyes, the kind that doesn’t come from lack of sleep but from being pulled apart too many times.

When we got close, I stopped. Muffled voices came from inside the room, not quite clear enough to make out.

Rico and Luka exchanged a look.

I stayed where I was. "You guys go first," I said quietly. "He probably doesn’t want to see me right now."

Rico gave me a look like he wanted to argue, but Luka put a hand on his shoulder. They both turned toward the door.

The moment it opened, they froze.

Luka’s voice came out first. "Oh shit."

Rico’s hand went to his forehead. "Man, one problem after another."

My chest tightened. "What is it?"

Neither of them answered. They just stood there, blocking the doorway like whatever was inside had short-circuited their brains.

I took a few steps forward until I could see past them.

And when I did, the words just slipped out.

"Oh, I’ll be damned."