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“Before he found out,” I mumble.
“He’ll blame all of this on Vinnie.”
“That’s not fair,” I protest.
“Trust me,” she says, her tone containing a clear note of worry. “The Scarlet Vipers are evil, but the Obsidian Shadows…”
I gulp. “Darkness and darkness,” I mumble.
“We’re all villains here,” she says. “Some because we have to be. Some because we choose it. You’re the former or at least you will be.”
“Leo chose it, didn’t he?”
“He’s a mob boss. You don’t reach that kind of power by being nice. If he’s nice, it’s because he wants something from you.”
I gulp. “If I couldn’t help him with my forensic accountant skills, would he have never let me in?”
“I don’t try to wrap my head around what Leo does or why,” she says. “I don’t even worry about why I do things. Just keep your head down. That’s my advice, and right now, until the whole dead husband thing dies down, you might want to keep yourself inside this building at all times.”
She leaves, and I groan.
I’m a prisoner all over again.
fourteen
The delicate dance within the Obsidian Shadows has taken an ominous turn as tensions escalate between Leo and Vinnie, their strained interactions casting shadows over the familial atmosphere. The underlying currents of discord, fueled by the events involving me, become a palpable undercurrent within the clandestine world we inhabit.
I’ve been avoiding both of them, but the communal area, once a haven of shared laughter and camaraderie, has become tinged with an uneasy silence. Conversations stall upon my entrance, and the exchanged glances between Leo and Vinnie reveal the fissures that threaten to fracture the delicate balance within the Obsidian Shadows.
Leo's authoritative presence, usually a beacon of control, now harbors a subtle edge of frustration. Vinnie, a stalwart in his loyalty, wears a mask of simmering tension. The atmosphere becomes charged with unspoken words, as if the shadows themselves bear witness to the conflict that brews beneath the surface.
The other members of the Obsidian Shadows, sensing the strain, navigate the room with caution. The familial atmosphere that once bound us now feels frayed, caught in the crossfire of a conflict that threatens to reshape alliances within the shadows.
I head to Leo’s room but am too scared to knock. I don’t even know if Leo is inside, not until I hear voices.
"Vinnie, we need to address this. The tension between us is affecting the entire dynamic of the Obsidian Shadows."
"Leo, I'm just doing what I believe is right. She's one of us now, and I won't let anything happen to her."
I think I hear a sigh.
"She may be under our protection, but your actions jeopardize the delicate balance we've maintained for years. You're letting personal feelings cloud your judgment."
"This isn't just about feelings, Leo. I won't turn my back on her, no matter what you say."
Fingers tap against something.
"This isn't a matter of turning our backs. It's about preserving the Obsidian Shadows.” Leo’s voice is stern and unyielding. “We operate in the shadows for a reason, and bringing personal matters into our affairs compromises everything we've built."
"I can't just stand by and watch her get caught up in this mess. She killed her husband to protect herself! That's loyalty, Leo."
"Loyalty to her is commendable, but we can't let personal emotions cloud our judgment. The Obsidian Shadows come first, and jeopardizing that puts all of us at risk."
The weight of responsibility presses heavily on me. The realization that my mere presence has disrupted the cohesion of the Obsidian Shadows weighs on my conscience. I become an unwitting catalyst in a conflict that unfolds in the shadows, where loyalty and hierarchy clash with the intricacies of personal dynamics.
As tensions reach a boiling point within the Obsidian Shadows, the dance of shadows becomes a precarious endeavor, and the delicate alliances that once defined our clandestine world now teeter on the precipice of uncertainty. The shadows, ever-watchful, bear witness to the fragility of loyalties in the face of unforeseen challenges.
I can’t handle this any longer. The door creaks open, and I step into Leo's room. The weight of their internal struggles spills into the room, and the shadows seem to tighten around us as I navigate the delicate balance of my newfound safety within the Obsidian Shadows.
