All Chapters of The Deal With The Devil: Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

VeronicaThree weeks went by, and in that time, Stefan healed. I gave Stephen my sister's note and watched him when he took it. I don't know if I made up the fact that his eyes seemed to sadden a little when he looked down at her neat little script.Stephen returned to the seminary but came for dinner each night. Neither of them would tell me what happened that day, and Stefan grew more and more distant than ever. We hadn't made love once, not even as he'd healed. And he'd even told me it was more comfortable for him to sleep on his own and sent me to my room.It was the end of the second week when I overheard Maria sending Eric to fetch Stefan from the chapel for dinner."I can go," I said. "I've been sitting around all day anyway." I knew for sure now that he was avoiding me, so I headed toward the chapel. It was early evening, but the moon was bright. By now, I had a pretty good sense of the lay of the land. I saw a light on in the chapel, and although I wasn't trying to approach i

StefanShe thought she loved me.Moriarty's rage was real. His hatred for me, it was because I was my father's son. He didn't care about the money he felt he was owed. That didn't matter. What he wanted was the decimation of my family. Because that was the only way he could have his revenge. Revenge against my mother for not having chosen him. Revenge against my father for being the one she had loved. The one she had chosen.He wanted the house, the land, to destroy it.I knew now he would stop at nothing. My life, it was forfeit. But hers? I couldn't let him destroy her because of me.I watched Veronica's sweet face, her trusting, innocent, hopeful eyes. She believed she loved me. The thing was, the moment she'd said it, I'd known it too. I'd loved her for a long time now.And that was exactly why I had to let her go.I hardened my face and stood.She remained kneeling at my feet."There's just one problem, Veronica. I don't love you." How my voice carried the power it did, I had no

StefanIt was close to midnight by the time I got home. My attorney had worked overtime, getting the paperwork for the sale of the house in order. I'd been ready to sign, but we'd hit a snag. A document the buyer had to provide, and he hadn't. I guessed the holdup was the fact that it was the weekend, and Italians didn't like working weekends. I'd hoped to get everything signed and finished today. The less I had to think about it, the better. And the faster I could do what I'd told Veronica I'd do—let go of the past.And once I'd signed, I couldn't change my mind.Selling the house was my last resort. I hated to do it. Stephen hated me having to do it. But there was no other way. Moriarty wasn't fucking around. I couldn't take a chance he'd hurt my family over this. It wasn't worth it.As I walked past her room, I tried hard not to think about her at the chapel. Not to see her face when she'd knelt at my feet, looking up at me when I told her I didn't love her. I just needed to rememb

Stefan"Veronica!"I tore my shirt off to cover my mouth and nose and ran to the stairs. Thick smoke made it impossible to see."Veronica, where are you?"Nothing. Not from her.But a bark.I stood at the top of the stairs and looked down the hall at the last door. The one farthest from me. More barking. It was Charlie.The hallway seemed to grow longer as I moved, too slowly even as I charged, battling the nightmare, the demons who kept replaying that reel, over and over and fucking over again."Veronica!"Something crashed behind me, a beam falling, the ceiling opening to the sky. Choking, I went forward, reaching the door. Charlie's barking was continuous now."Veronica. I'm here." I touched the door handle. It burned. Wrapping my T-shirt around it, I turned it.In the nightmare, it was locked. It was always locked, and I had to break the door down. That's what always slowed me down. I could never reach her in the nightmare. Not when it was my mother. Not when it was Veronica. But

VeronicaStefan shifted his gaze from my grandfather to me, but his eyes revealed nothing. My hand rested in his. His thumb drew circles in my palm.The longer he took, the heavier the silence grew, the more tears welled in my eyes.This was it.Stefan and I were finished.My grandfather cleared his throat and rose from his seat. "Five minutes, or the offer expires, and you can take your chances on the payout." He buttoned his jacket. "I'll be outside."We didn't watch him go, and we didn't speak for an eternity after the door closed.Stefan stood and went to one of the two windows. "I thought you were dead," he said, his back to me."What?" I started, swallowing the lump in my throat.He faced me but remained where he was. "I have this nightmare—I've had it for six years now—where I keep seeing the fire at the house, keep running inside to save my mother, and keep finding her too late."A weight heavy as a pile of bricks settled in the room with us."Well, it changed over the last fe