Heer
It started with a phone call.
I was sitting in the living room, reading quietly when the sharp, sudden ring of the phone broke the silence.
Carlos had been in and out of the house the past few days, dealing with his "business," as he liked to call it. Each time he came home, he was colder, more distant—like he was carrying a weight that was slowly sinking him into the ground. But he wouldn't talk about it. He wouldn't share.
Not yet.
But I could see the change in him. In his eyes. In the way he held himself.
And, for some reason, it bothered me more than I cared to admit.
When I picked up the phone, I didn't expect to hear Carlos's voice on the other end.
"Get ready," he said, his voice calm but urgent. "I'm taking you somewhere tonight."
"Where?" I asked, my heart quickening.
"You'll find out when you get there," he replied, hanging up before I could ask another question.
I glanced at the clock. It was already getting late.
By the time I finished dressing and heading to the car, I could feel the weight of the evening settle over me, a sense of foreboding that I couldn't shake. I wasn't sure what Carlos was involved in, but the more I saw of his world, the more I realized how deep it went.
I had no idea what I was about to walk into.
The drive was long, and the city lights blurred by the time we arrived. It was a building I didn't recognize—tall, dark, and cold-looking. I stepped out of the car, my hands trembling, but Carlos's steady presence beside me gave me some sense of comfort.
"You should stay here," he said, his tone softer than I'd ever heard it before.
I looked up at him, frowning.
"What do you mean?"
"This place…" he hesitated. "It's not for you."
"I'm not afraid of your world, Carlos," I said firmly. "I know what you do. I've seen enough to know what kind of man you are."
He didn't answer immediately, his eyes searching my face like he was trying to make up his mind about something.
"Don't follow me," he said finally, the words like a warning.
But something in the air told me that this was the moment when everything changed.
"I'm coming," I told him, before he could protest.
He gave me a long look before nodding slightly, as if acknowledging that there was no stopping me now.
We walked through the dark hallways of the building, my heart racing. The sounds of footsteps echoed around us, the hum of low voices just ahead. The walls seemed to close in as we entered a large, open room filled with men—some sitting at tables, others standing, their faces hidden in shadows.
I stayed close to Carlos as we walked past them. They all turned their heads as we passed, eyes sharp and cold, sizing me up. I could feel their gazes piercing through me.
Finally, we reached a small office at the back of the room, where another man sat at a desk, waiting for us. He was older, his hair peppered with grey, and his face was hard, like it had been carved from stone. His eyes, though, were sharp—dangerous.
Carlos motioned for me to sit as he stepped forward.
"We need to talk," he said, his voice steady.
The man didn't say anything at first. He simply stared at Carlos, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk.
"I know you're good for your word," the man finally spoke, his voice low, almost amused. "But loyalty comes at a price."
Carlos didn't flinch, but I saw something flicker in his eyes.
"I'm willing to pay whatever it takes," he replied, his voice tight.
The man nodded slowly, his gaze shifting to me.
"Then your price," he said, "is her."
My breath caught in my throat.
I turned to Carlos, my heart pounding in my chest. He didn't look surprised, but his jaw clenched in frustration.
"This is about me?" I asked, my voice rising.
Carlos's eyes flickered toward me, a brief moment of softness before his mask fell back into place.
"I'm sorry, Heer," he said, almost apologetically. "This is the cost of loyalty. This is the price I have to pay for doing what's expected of me."
I wanted to scream. I wanted to fight back, but my voice caught in my throat.
The man at the desk smiled slowly, his eyes cold and calculating.
"Carlos," he said, his voice like a knife cutting through the tension. "You'll do what's necessary. Your loyalty to us comes first."
Carlos didn't answer. He just stood there, his fists clenched at his sides, like he was holding back an ocean of anger.
I felt the weight of the moment hit me like a physical blow.
I wasn't just a pawn in a game anymore. I was the price.
Carlos
The words hit me like a punch to the gut.
I had known this day would come. I had known that they would ask for a price at some point, but hearing it—hearing it now—felt like a betrayal I couldn't escape.
The moment the man spoke, I felt a shift inside me. The promise I had made to myself to protect Heer was slipping through my fingers, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
This world wasn't kind. It wasn't forgiving. And sometimes, the price of loyalty was far greater than what you could ever prepare for.
But what was I supposed to do?
Heer was in this now. She had been pulled into a world of shadows and blood, and there was no turning back.
But there was one thing I knew for sure.
I wasn't going to let them take her from me.
Not without a fight.
Heer
The silence in the room felt suffocating. My heart raced, my thoughts scattered.
Her.
The price.
For Carlos's loyalty. For the power he wielded. For the blood he had spilled.
And I was supposed to be the price.
I should have been angry. I should have screamed, or maybe even run away. But all I could do was look at him—Carlos. The man who had become both my savior and my tormentor.
"Carlos," I whispered, barely able to keep my voice steady. "What does that mean?"
His gaze locked onto mine, filled with something I couldn't name. But behind it was pain. And regret.
"I will protect you," he said quietly, his voice rough. "Even if it means tearing this entire world apart."