Page 38 of Vargan

I drop Willie at the diner despite his protests, making him promise to stay there until I come for him. Helen doesn't ask questions—one look at my face tells her everything she needs to know.

"Be careful," is all she says, her weathered hand squeezing mine. "Remember what I told you."

I nod, thinking of her words in the diner: Better to have it for a day than never at all.

But this isn't about having Vargan, even for a day. It's about giving him a chance at freedom, at life—even if it means I lose everything I've built.

I drive to Victor's mansion on the hill, the old truck rattling beneath me. Vargan fixed it well, but some things can only be patched so many times before they fall apart for good. I wonder if I'm the same.

Victor's estate is obscene in its opulence—ten thousand square feet of limestone and glass perched above a town where children go to bed hungry. I count three security cameras tracking my approach up the winding driveway, and by the time I park, his assistant is waiting at the door.

"Ms. Greene," she says, professional and cold. She used to work at the Tracker Supply before it closed. I wonder what she had to give up for this job. "Mr. Hargrove is expecting you."

“Of course he is.” He's been expecting me for three years.

She leads me through the echoing foyer, past artwork worth more than my diner, my house, and the farm combined. My boots sound too loud on the marble floors, each step a reminder that I don't belong here. At the end of a long hallway, she opens double doors to a study that's larger than my entire first floor.

Victor sits behind a mahogany desk, Royce standing to his right like some cut-rate consigliere. Both look up as I enter, twin smiles spreading across their faces.

"Ms. Greene," Victor says, gesturing to the chair across from him. "Right on time."

I remain standing, unwilling to give him the satisfaction. "You knew I'd come."

"I know a mother will do anything to protect her cubs," he says, smile widening. "And you've been playing mother to this town for far too long."

My hands clench into fists at my sides. "Get to the point, Victor."

He leans back, steepling his fingers. "So direct. Very well. Let's not waste time on pleasantries. You want your... friend released. I can make that happen."

"How?" I demand.

"I have certain influence with Sheriff Dawson," he says with false modesty. "A call from me, and your orc walks out the front door of that joke they call a jail. No paperwork, no record."

The casual way he admits to corrupting local law enforcement should shock me, but nothing about Victor surprises me anymore. He's bought and paid for every authority figure in this town.

"And New York? I assume you’ve called them already."

His eyebrows rise slightly. "Yes, I've made some calls. They're on their way, but that will take hours to fly in. Plenty of time for your friend to... disappear."

My skin crawls at how easily he admits to manipulating law enforcement, to having the power of life and death over Vargan.

"What do you want?" I ask, though I already know.

Victor's smile fades, replaced by the cold, hard expression of a predator that's cornered its prey. "Everything, Savvy. The diner. The farm. The house. And your public acknowledgment that selling was all your idea."

I swallow hard, keeping my face neutral, though my stomach churns. "That's all?"

Victor exchanges a glance with Royce, whose expression has darkened. "My nephew may have additional... requirements," he says smoothly. "But those are between you two."

Royce steps forward, eyes gleaming with malicious intent. "I've waited a long time to finish what we started, Savvy."

Something inside me snaps. "Keep dreaming, Royce. I'd rather die."

"That's not part of the deal," Victor interjects sharply, shooting his nephew a warning look. "My agreement is with Ms. Greene alone. Your personal vendettas are your own business."

Royce's face flushes with anger, but he steps back, sulking.

"So," Victor continues, turning back to me. "Do we have a deal? Your entire holdings and public support, in exchange for your orc's freedom?"

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