Selling Your Soul
Callum
I lean against the wooden frame of the bar, holding a glass in my hand.
Although it’s empty, it’s comforting. It has been almost a week since things went south at The Society with Scarlett.
I haven’t heard from her—I don’t expect to.
While I don’t want to push, I need to see her.
I pull my phone out from my pocket and open our conversation.
Dammit, doesn’t she know what this is doing to me?
I can’t handle being ignored. All I’ve known is selfishness and I can’t control it right now. I can’t wait to teach her a fucking lesson.
Footsteps thud down the hall. I turn around and watch a tall figure walk through the door frame.
By the way he carries himself, I can tell it’s Harrison—with his shoulders held high and his pride beaming, confident with who he is.
He shuffles beside me, reaches for a glass, and pours himself a drink.
“Still no word from Scarlett?” He lifts the glass to his lips and takes a sip.
“No.” My tone is cold.
I push my glass away, sliding it across the counter. I hope it falls off and shatters. It doesn’t.
“Is there anything I can do?” I know that if I ask him to hurt the people who’ve ruined Vanessa’s life, he would, without question. But I can’t ask that of him, not yet. “Do you know who it was?” He mentioned that he was looking into it, but I haven’t got an update and it’s driving me crazy.
“I don’t know who it was, but she’s been spending time with one particular member lately.” He looks down.
“Who?” My eyes stay fixed on him. I’m going to fucking kill them.
“My dad.” He looks up at me, the pain in his eyes goes beyond what we’re taught to conceal.
Unlike my father, who’s always had other women that he spends time with, Harrison’s dad is a family man. I’ve never seen him with another woman other than Amelia, Harrison’s mom. In the public eye, he can’t be seen with anyone else. He wouldn’t just ruin his reputation—he would destroy his family.
“I’m sorry,” is all I can offer.
“I guess it was always bound to happen.” His Adam’s apple bobs as he takes another sip. “In our world, men like us don’t belong to anyone.”
I used to believe that. Now, I don’t just belong to one woman, I’m controlled by her. And I’m determined for her to respond to me.
I push off the bar and grab Harrison by the shoulder.
“I’m sorry… about all of this.” We share a deep-rooted look, one that goes far beyond the surface. We both know that things can’t change.
As I prepare to leave, voices echo into the parlour from the lobby downstairs. Mumbles fill the room. I look to Harrison. He seems calm, like he knew other pledges were coming.
“Expecting anyone?” I ask. My back faces Harrison as I keep a look out for who’s coming.
“Some of the pledges are coming by to discuss a new run in the city.”
A few pledges from different initiation years step into the room. Their attire ranges from khakis and a golf shirt to tailored suits that scream wealth.
Leo Belmont, a Higher with The Society, walks in behind everyone.
Born into this life much like me, Leo is loved by no one and hated by many.
He’s someone who understands that power comes first. As he walks in the room, his chest rises naturally.
He makes his way to the corner chair—a spot that the Highers take to assert their dominance.
A spot that soon, I’ll be asked to fill.
He unbuttons his Louis Vuitton jacket and sits down.
“There’s some tension lately. With final initiations coming up, everyone must be committed. Anyone in question will be eliminated.” The room grows quiet— everyone knows that you don’t make it out of initiation alive. You either sell your soul to The Society, or you die. Those are the only options.
“Which brings me to the next issue.” His voice grows louder.
“A few of you have been sloppy lately. You have come too close to exposure and for that, second chances are not given. When you were chosen, you knew the rules. You don’t tell anyone what we discuss, and you don’t ride the line of getting caught. ”
My eyes scan the room to find Jasper. I know that he is on their hit list after everything that happened with Emily at the beginning of the year.
“I need all of you to be on your A-Game for this run. It could be the beginning of a great relationship with a few dealers in town. That means, I’ll need my best men on it.” He turns to me and Harrison.
Harrison looks up at me, knowing this comes at the worst time.
The silence in the room is broken by a scoff. All eyes fly to Jasper as rage boils over within me. He’s done.
Leo’s eyes shift onto Jasper, then back at me. He nods his head once, enough to summon me. That’s all it takes to be reminded of my role here. I walk toward Jasper, my fists balled at my sides.
“We all know that your head hasn’t been in it lately, Mercer.
” Jasper throws at me. That’s all I let him get out before I make contact.
Without hesitation, my fist lands on Jasper’s face.
Blood pours down his nose. I grab his shirt with my other hand, steadying him.
My knuckles hit him, repeatedly, his blood splattering all over my white Tom Ford button up shirt.
I can’t stop. The sound of his face caving in doesn’t slow me down, it pushes me further.
He had his chance, and he blew it when he killed Emily.
Everyone knows that you don’t get two chances, not with The Society.
Jasper loses his balance as I slowly lower him to the ground and hover over top of him, on my knees. Blood and spit fly from his mouth.
“Please…” He faintly pleads.
My swollen fist meets his face one more time. I pick up his head and smash it into the ground. I stare into his lifeless eyes. This is my job—defending The Society. And I don’t have it in me to stop.
My mind goes to her and all the ways that I’ve let her down. This is why she shouldn’t want me. The pain compels me. I grunt loudly and grab his head in my hands.
Just then, I feel a warm touch on my shoulder, and I look to Harrison. He doesn’t have to tell me, I know what I’ve done.
I let go of Jasper and roll off of him, landing on my back. I look up at the crown molding that lines the room— a display of elegance and class in a place full of darkness and horror.
“Thank you, Callum. You never fail to show The Society your loyalty.” I remain on the ground, unable to look his way. “Everyone, clear the room.” Leo stands and does up the button on his jacket. He leans into Harrison as he passes us. “Make sure this gets cleaned up. I’ll deal with the others.”
He stands over me and nods. Everyone leaves the room after Leo—a sign of respect mixed with fear. Fear of what they just saw, and fear of their future.
“She shouldn’t have done this. Doesn’t she know what I am?
” Harrison doesn’t answer, he just listens.
“Doesn’t she know what I do? That I hurt people?
That’s what we always fucking do… for them.
For all of them.” My voice turns hoarse.
I sit up and cradle my hands between bent knees.
I feel Harrison’s eyes on me, watching me combust.
“She doesn’t know because you won’t show her.” His voice breaks the silence. “Do you want her to know this side of you? The one that kills? The one that craves darkness?”
“I don’t want her to see it, but I know if I don’t show her, it will ruin us.” The truth that I’ve been concealing from myself finally slips out.
“If she doesn’t see all the different sides of you, how are you going to let her in?”
She’s already in. She’s crawled her way inside of me, unable to escape even if I try to force her out.
I don’t tell Harrison that. I stand up, fix my shirt, and look at the mess I’ve made— the life I’ve taken.
The fact that I’ve “shown my loyalty” makes it worse.
I did it for them. They know that as long as I have nothing to lose, they can keep using me as their weapon.
And they’ve already hurt the one thing that I want.
The one thing that I need. Her. I see red.
I pick Jasper up by his arm and his leg and throw him over my shoulder. I don’t care about the mess that follows.
“I can help you.” Harrison pleas as he follows, downstairs to the crematory. I don’t answer.
I place Jasper on the big metal table, flick the machine on, and watch it warm up.
Flames scorch my eyes as I watch heat fill the small space inside. The Society won’t take this pleasure from me. I don’t hear Harrison, but I know that he’s sitting at the bottom of the stairs, quietly waiting and plotting. I say the only thing that I know.
“I can fix this.”
“What do you need me to do?” Harrison asks. I need to handle this myself. If something goes wrong, I can’t bring him down with me.
“Clean this up.” I walk past and squeeze his shoulder.
I get to the top of the stairs and find Leo waiting for me.
“What are you going to tell his parents?” I ask.
“His dad knows what’s at risk.” His eyes are as cold as his tone.
He glances at the blood on my shirt. “Your dad will be happy with this. I think he’s been worried about your loyalty after you left the party.
” Why is he telling me this? We aren’t close, and it’s disobedient to give away another Higher—especially my father, their silent leader.
“He should question my morale more than my loyalty.”
Leo smirks. “Comments like that will get you into trouble, Callum. What you do for The Society should never question morale, only strengthen it.”
I stare at him with a flat face. They have created a monster who is afraid of no one, even them.
“I’ve been in trouble my entire life.” The words spit from between my teeth.
I know he’s not threatening me, but it doesn’t help that I’m already on edge.
If Father has noticed, it means that they are paying attention to me.
Suddenly, I feel an urge to protect Scarlett, something that I haven’t felt so strongly since that night four years ago.
“I never question The Society, Sir.” The lie seeps from my mouth like poison, but I’ll do anything to protect her.
“Good man.” He reaches for my shoulder and grips it. It takes everything in me to stay in place. When he finally breaks the contact, I dig my fingers into the palms of my hands, almost cutting my skin.
I walk outside and get into my car. I need to see her. My engine rumbles as I back out of the driveway. From the centre console, I grab my sunglasses and look into the rear-view mirror.
The place that made me who I am and ruined all that I have stares back at me.
This fucking place.