Chapter 4 - The Price of a Soul
Ryan’s face turned a sickly shade of grey.
His mouth opened and closed,
but no sound came out.
"Dad?"
he finally gasped,
tripping over his own feet as he backed away.
Marcus stepped into the light of the nursery,
looking like an avenging angel.
"You look like you've seen a ghost,"
Marcus said,
his eyes cold and unwavering.
"I... I thought..."
Ryan stuttered,
glancing at the blood on the floor.
"You thought I was gone,"
"just like you thought Emma would be gone."
"You are a pathetic excuse for a man,"
Marcus spat,
the disgust evident in every word.
"Where is she?"
Ryan demanded,
trying to regain some shred of bravado.
"Where is my wife and my son?"
"They are somewhere you will never be allowed to go,"
Marcus replied.
"They are safe,"
"and they are surrounded by people who actually love them."
Ryan laughed,
a high-pitched,
unstable sound.
"You can't do this!"
"I'll call the police!"
"I'll tell them you broke in!"
Marcus held up a small,
digital recorder.
"I've already called them, Ryan."
"And I’ve given them the footage from the nursery camera."
"The one you forgot I installed when we built this house."
"They saw you walk away while she bled."
"They heard you tell her not to call unless the house was on fire."
"And they've seen the financial records I’ve spent years gathering."
Ryan lunged for the recorder,
but Marcus was faster.
He shoved his son back,
the strength of a man who had survived everything Ryan had thrown at him.
"It's over, Ryan."
"The company is being seized."
"The accounts are frozen."
"And the police are at the end of the driveway."
As if on cue,
blue and red lights began to flash against the nursery walls.
The sirens wailed,
a funeral dirge for Ryan’s ego.
"You ruined me!"
Ryan screamed,
tears of rage streaming down his face.
"No,"
Marcus said,
walking toward the door as the officers entered the house.
May you like
"You ruined yourself."
"You just didn't think anyone was watching."
