The Devil's Debt

Greetings

Kyzer's POV:

We arrive at my mother's house and when I walk in, my sister, Kenna, runs up to me and hugs me, as I pick her up, kissing her head and hugging her tight. "Hey, kiddo." I say, smiling at her.

"Ky!" she says, hugging me tight.

"No kiss?" I say, smiling at her. She laughs and kisses my cheek, then I try to put her down, but she holds onto me and refuses to get down. "Alright, I guess I'll carry you." I say, kissing her cheek. "Mama!" I yell, looking up the staircase.

Instead she comes from the the kitchen, smiling. "Kyzer! You're here!" she says, hugging me tight. Then she suddenly gasps. "Is this Isabella?" she asks, looking over my shoulder.

I turn around and I place my hand I have my keys in on her back, grinning. "Yeah. This is Isabella Bancroft. Isabella, meet my mother and sister, Lisa and M'Kenna Caruso. Well, Caruso-Daintly now." I say reluctantly.

"It's nice to meet you guys." Isabella says, Mom going in to hug her. M'Kenna looks at her confused and she suddenly smiles at her.

"I like your name." she says hiding behind my shoulder and blushing.

"I like yours too." Isabella says, smiling back.

"Are you my brother's girlfriend?" she asks innocently, and I turn to look at Isabella who's lost for words, so I take over.

"Well, she's my friend. We're friends." I say, rubbing her little leg that dangles over my arm.

"Oh. I like your friend, bubba." M'Kenna says.

"Thanks, Kenna. Isn't it past your bedtime?" I say, tickling her and laughing.

"She wanted to stay up so she could see you and Isabella. I'm sure she's tired right about now." Mom says, trying to grab M'Kenna.

She starts to fuss and wrap her arms around my neck. "I want Ky to tuck me in!" she say, pouting.

"Alright, stop pouting. I'll tuck you in, amor {love}." I say back, kissing her head.

"What's all this fuss about?" I hear a loud voice come.

Victor. Isabella straightens up in alert and stands behind me.

"Kyzer just got in." Mom says, smiling.

"I can see that." he says, sounding annoyed.

"Victor. It's been a while." I say, nodding to him.

"Indeed. You do know that it's almost two in the morning, right?" he says.

"I do. I wasn't gonna walk in unannounced though. I'm sure my mother let you know that I'd be in late. Besides, your daughter stayed up way past her bedtime to see her brother and I'm not the type to let her down, especially her of all people." I say, rubbing her back softly as she dozes off on my shoulder.

"Lisa." he says, giving her a mean glare.

Isabella looks around at what's going on and looks off, not wanting to interfere.

"Victor, there's no need to be hostile. I simply came to visit a few days, but if my presence is unwanted, I can leave first thing in the morning." I say, narrowing my eyes at him, trying to be as respectful as I can.

"No." Mother interjects. "Victor, cut it out. He's my son for God's sake. Don't do this in front of our daughter and Ky's company, please. We talked about this." she says, rubbing my arm.

He scoffs and heads back upstairs. I sigh and I kiss Mom's head. "We're gonna go up to bed." I say. "I'll come back for our bags." I add.

"I've got them." says Mom.

"Mom, please. Go to bed, alright? You must be tired. I'll put M'Kenna down, she's already asleep." I say.

She sighs and grabs my face to kiss my forehead. "I love you, son. It was nice meeting you, Isabella." she says, shaking her hand.

"You too, Lisa." she replies with a polite smile.

She heads upstairs and I sigh. "I'll be back, I'm gonna put her down. I won't be long." I say to Isabella. She nods, so I head upstairs and I put Kenna in bed and I kiss her head before turning on her nightlight and cracking her door. I head back downstairs and I grab all our bags, and I walk in front of Isabella, leading her to the room.

"This is our room." I say, sitting the bags down.

"Our room?" she asks.

"If you don't want to share-"

"No, it's fine." she says, smiling nervously.

I'm starting to notice that I have an effect on her.

I nod my head and I begin unpacking our bags.

"You're not tired?" Isabella asks as I sort out our clothes.

"No, not really. You get some rest though. You're gonna need it. I can already tell M'Kenna loves you." I say with a smile.

"Really?" she says back, a smile clear in her voice.

"Yeah. She doesn't really take to anyone. Usually. I'm actually shocked she spoke to you so quickly." I say, hanging things up and putting things in drawers.

"So.... I know this is kinda personal, and you don't have to answer, but who is Victor to you? You didn't have to answer if you don't want to." she asks, sitting in bed.

I continue sorting out clothes and putting them up where they need to be put up, and I talk with her.

"My mom's husband." I say.

"So why did you only call him M'Kenna's dad?"

"Because that's what he is. He's not a stepdad, nor a father to me." I say, trying not to seem angry.

"Oh... she remarried." she says in realization.

"After my father died. Do you remember what we talked about at dinner?"

"Yeah... it was him, wasn't it?" she asks sympathetically.

"It was. I was M'Kenna's age. Someone from the Reign mafia had gone behind my father's back and they had taken my mother and did some... unspeakable things to her. She came back a mess. There was blood everywhere. My father was livid. He wanted nothing more but to kill the bastard that did it to her. And so he tried. And he tried hard." I start.

"Then what?" she asks.

"They retaliated, and my father.. he wasn't one to back down from a challenge. So he made a comeback. And it went on for three months before the Reign's exposed us to the public. They did it so well though, that their tracks were covered. The bloody scene fit right in with the accusations and before I knew it, my father was arrested. They tried finding a body, and they couldn't, yet they kept him incarcerated because of his involvement in the mafia. He had hidden us in another home, me and my mother, and to this day, that moment is still engraved in the back of my mind." I explain, remembering the adrenaline and fear from when I was a kid.

"That's horrible. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Anyway, get some rest. We've got a long day tomorrow." I say, continuing to put up clothes.