All Chapters of The Deal With The Devil: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

VeronicaI followed him down the hall to the third door. He opened it, and I stepped inside. My suitcases were already arranged on luggage holders, which were the only modern things in the large room with its king-size bed, draped by curtains hanging from the ceiling with high, intricately carved wooden head and footboards. Blues were the theme here, and the curtains at the picturesque windows matched that of the headboard. The windows stood open, and I realized that for as warm as it was outside, the house itself felt reasonably cool, even if it had a slightly musty smell. Stefan seemed to notice it the same moment I did."The room hasn't been used in a while.""It's beautiful." I turned in a circle, wondering how old the furnishings were."Bathroom is here."I followed him to an adjoining room, not very large but big enough to house a bathtub separate of the shower. White marble veined with gold covered floor, ceiling, and walls, although the fixtures looked quite old. He turned the

Veronica"Sit," he growled."No.""Just fucking sit. Ask me a question. A different one.""Are you going to stop being a jerk?"He gave me a lopsided smile. "I'll try, but no promises. It's my nature."I hesitated."Sit down and talk to me," he said finally.I wasn't sure if it was his tone or his words that made me do it, that made me sit back down and meet his eyes and feel at least a little closer to equal footing for the first time with this man.He nodded in acknowledgment."Is this home for you?" I asked.He inhaled deeply. He took his time to answer, and I thought about what he'd told me earlier, what he'd promised. Truth."Yeah, I guess it is.""Why?""Because it's where things were good. It's where I remember my mother. Where I remember my brothers and me as kids." He paused. "I remember being happy mostly."Hearing him say that last part, it was strange. In a way, it almost hurt me to hear it. I felt the loneliness coming off him, and I realized it was always there, every ti

StefanAfter she ate, I led the way to the large garage. It was built in the same style of the house and had enough space for three cars, but two of those were loaded with old equipment for the vineyard we no longer used. In the third stood the truck I'd been working on, a 1970s Chevy."That's very old. Does it still run?" she asked when we neared."I hope so. I spent last night and two hours this morning working on the thing." I'd been up since half past five."You didn't get much sleep."I shrugged a shoulder.She touched the rust and peeled off a layer of old paint, then opened the door and climbed in as I settled behind the driver's seat."Is it safe?""I wouldn't drive you around in it if it wasn't."She stole a glance when I said it, then fastened her seat belt. The engine hiccupped then roared to life, and we drove off."I hope you don't mind the wind." I had both windows rolled all the way down. "Couldn't quite get the AC working.""No. I like it. How big is the property?""Ab

Veronica The door opened at that moment. There was no knock first. We both turned to find Stefan standing there. His mouth fell open, and he didn't speak for a long time. Finally, I moved, sliding the veil from my head, and facing him."It's bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the wedding," the seamstress said with a wink.Was she oblivious to the tension between us?"This is no ordinary wedding," I muttered.Stefan cleared his throat and dragged his gaze from me. "Do you need anything?" he asked the seamstress."No, I should be fine. I'll have it back within a few days. Not too much to do.""Good." He looked me over again, his expression strange, tight. He then nodded, walked back out, and closed the door. The seamstress helped me undress and carefully placed the gown back in its bag. After gathering her things, she said good-bye and left.Feeling the weight of jet lag, I lay down to close my eyes for a few minutes, but those few minutes turned into two nightmarish hours.

Stefan"Look at me, Veronica."She did, and her pale eyes searched mine. Inside them I saw humiliation. I saw sadness. Uncertainty. I saw vulnerability, and I saw a loneliness, a longing, a hope, that I recognized. One I couldn't ignore. One that threatened to resurrect a part of me I'd buried long ago.One I intended on keeping buried.I knew only one way to shut it down, and I needed to shut it the fuck down. Now.Anger boiled inside me. Rage at my own weakness. My weakness around her."I own you," I said, gripping her jaw harder than I needed to and bringing her face to me."Stop!""When I want to fucking kiss you, I'll fucking kiss you." To prove my point, I mashed my lips over hers. This time, they didn't open. They didn't yield like they had just a few moments ago.Good. That was good. That was the point.I released her, and she tried to scramble away, scraping her thigh on the edge of the pool as she tried to slip out of my grasp but ending up on her back instead, with me on top