The Devil's Vow

Chapter 8 - The Man Who Should Be Dead

Sofia couldn't breathe.

The face on the screen belonged to a man she had never met, yet something about him felt horribly familiar.

The eyes.

The shape of his mouth.

The slight tilt of his head.

There was something of her father in him.

And Alessandro had called him Gabriel.

Her uncle.

The man everyone had told her was dead.

Gabriel smiled from the screen.

"Hello, Sofia."

Her fingers went cold.

Alessandro stepped directly in front of her.

"How are you transmitting this?"

Gabriel laughed softly.

"You always were more interested in the mechanism than the message."

"Answer me."

"I've been waiting eleven years to speak to her. You're not going to ruin that."

Sofia stepped around Alessandro.

"Who are you?"

Gabriel's eyes moved toward her.

"Your uncle."

"My uncle is dead."

"So you've been told."

"Why?"

"Because your father needed you to believe it."

Sofia's chest tightened.

"Why did everyone lie to me?"

Gabriel's smile faded.

"Because your father was afraid."

"Of you?"

"Of what I knew."

Alessandro's voice was cold.

"Enough."

Gabriel looked at him.

"You still sound like your father."

"And you still sound like a coward."

A dangerous silence followed.

Gabriel smiled again.

"There he is."

Sofia looked between them.

"You know each other."

"Unfortunately," Alessandro said.

Gabriel leaned closer to the camera.

"I knew him before he became the man standing in front of you."

Sofia's eyes narrowed.

"What does that mean?"

"It means your father didn't choose Alessandro because he trusted the De Lucas."

Gabriel paused.

"He chose him because he knew Alessandro would eventually become more powerful than his father."

Sofia looked at Alessandro.

He didn't deny it.

Gabriel continued.

"Your father knew the De Luca family would eventually turn on itself."

Sofia's voice trembled.

"Why?"

"Because power doesn't create loyalty."

His eyes hardened.

"It exposes the lack of it."

The screen flickered.

Sofia stepped forward.

"What happened to my father?"

Gabriel's expression changed.

For the first time, he looked almost human.

"Your father tried to save you."

"From what?"

"From me."

Sofia froze.

Gabriel continued.

"He made one mistake."

"What?"

"He trusted the wrong person."

His gaze shifted to Alessandro.

"Just like you're doing now."

Alessandro's jaw tightened.

"Don't."

Gabriel smiled.

"You think you're protecting her."

"I am."

"No."

Gabriel's voice became colder.

"You're protecting a promise."

Sofia looked at Alessandro.

Something about those words hurt.

"Is that true?"

He didn't answer immediately.

Gabriel noticed.

"Ask him."

Sofia swallowed.

"Alessandro?"

His eyes met hers.

"I made a promise to your father."

"That's not what I asked."

"I know."

"Do you protect me because you promised?"

A long silence.

Gabriel watched from the screen.

Alessandro finally said, "That was how it started."

Sofia's heart tightened.

"And now?"

He looked at her.

The intensity in his eyes made the rest of the room disappear.

"Now it's more complicated."

Gabriel laughed.

"How touching."

Alessandro turned toward the screen.

"Release the door."

"No."

"Gabriel."

"You know what I want."

"The ledger."

"Among other things."

Sofia stepped closer.

"What else?"

Gabriel's smile returned.

"You."

Her blood ran cold.

"Why?"

"Because you're the last piece of your father's inheritance."

"What inheritance?"

Gabriel's eyes darkened.

"The truth."

The screen went black.

The vault fell silent.

Sofia stared at the empty screen.

"What does he mean?"

Alessandro didn't answer.

She turned toward him.

"Tell me."

"We need to leave."

"Not until you explain."

"Sofia."

"No."

She stepped closer.

"You told me my father left a debt. You told me there was a ledger. You told me my uncle was dead. Now he's alive and apparently wants me."

Alessandro's expression hardened.

"I know."

"And you still expect me to trust you?"

He looked at her.

"No."

The answer stopped her.

"I expect you to survive long enough to decide whether you can."

He turned toward the door.

"How are we getting out?"

Sofia followed.

"You said you could open it."

"I can."

He examined the control panel.

Then stopped.

"What?"

He looked at the small screen.

A red light was blinking.

"What does that mean?"

"It means the vault has been remotely locked."

"And?"

"And someone has activated the security system."

A mechanical sound echoed above them.

Then another.

Sofia looked at him.

"What happens now?"

Alessandro's face became grim.

"We have approximately three minutes."

"Until what?"

"The room seals."

Her eyes widened.

"Seals?"

"Yes."

"Meaning?"

"No one gets in."

She swallowed.

"And no one gets out."

Alessandro removed his jacket.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for another exit."

He handed her the jacket.

"Put this on."

"I'm not cold."

"It's not for warmth."

"Then what?"

He looked at her.

"It's bulletproof."

Sofia stared at him.

"You carry a bulletproof jacket?"

"Yes."

"Of course you do."

He almost smiled.

"Put it on."

She did.

The jacket was heavy and carried his scent.

She tried not to notice.

Failed.

Alessandro crouched beside the wall.

His fingers moved over the stone.

"There."

He pressed against a section of masonry.

Nothing happened.

He tried again.

A hidden mechanism clicked.

A narrow opening appeared.

Sofia stared.

"Another secret passage."

"Your family had good architects."

"My family had paranoid architects."

"Same thing."

He stepped inside.

Sofia followed.

The passage was narrow.

Very narrow.

Their shoulders brushed as they moved.

Neither spoke.

After several steps, Sofia stumbled.

Alessandro caught her.

His hand settled around her waist.

"Careful."

"I'm fine."

"I know."

But he didn't let go immediately.

Their faces were close.

Again.

Too close.

Sofia looked into his eyes.

He looked at her mouth.

The tension between them was unmistakable.

"Alessandro."

"Yes?"

She didn't know what she was going to say.

Instead, she whispered, "You're doing it again."

His brow furrowed.

"What?"

"Looking at me like that."

His eyes didn't leave hers.

"Like what?"

She swallowed.

"Like you want to kiss me."

A slow silence followed.

Then Alessandro leaned closer.

His lips brushed hers.

This kiss wasn't like the first.

It wasn't accidental.

It wasn't quite deliberate either.

It was hesitant.

A question.

Sofia answered by closing the distance.

Their lips met properly.

Softly.

Briefly.

But long enough for something inside her to shift.

When they separated, Alessandro rested his forehead against hers.

Neither spoke.

Then he whispered,

"This is a bad idea."

Sofia's heart was still racing.

"Probably."

"We shouldn't."

"I know."

Neither moved.

Then a distant alarm sounded.

Alessandro closed his eyes briefly.

"We have to go."

Sofia nodded.

He released her.

They continued through the passage.

But neither mentioned the kiss.

Neither needed to.

They both knew it had changed something.

Minutes later, they emerged behind the estate.

Luca and the others were waiting.

The moment Alessandro appeared, Luca rushed forward.

"Where were you?"

"Vault."

Luca's expression changed.

"You found it?"

"Yes."

"And?"

Alessandro looked toward Sofia.

"We found something worse."

Sofia stepped beside him.

"Gabriel."

Luca went completely still.

"That's impossible."

Sofia looked at him.

"Apparently not."

Luca stared at Alessandro.

"Then we're in deeper trouble than we thought."

Alessandro nodded.

"Get everyone to the safe house."

Sofia frowned.

"Safe house?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

He looked at her.

"Somewhere Gabriel doesn't know."

"And how do you know he doesn't know?"

Alessandro's eyes hardened.

"Because only three people know where it is."

Sofia waited.

"Who?"

"Me."

"Luca?"

"No."

"Then who?"

Alessandro's gaze held hers.

"You."

Sofia stared at him.

"Me?"

"You've been there before."

"I don't remember."

"I know."

He opened the car door.

"That's what scares me."

As Sofia climbed inside, she looked back at the estate.

High above them, one of the windows slowly illuminated.

A silhouette appeared behind the glass.

A man watching them leave.

Gabriel.

Sofia's heart stopped.

Alessandro followed her gaze.

His expression changed.

He reached for his weapon.

But the silhouette had already disappeared.

Then Sofia felt something inside the bulletproof jacket.

A hard object pressed against her ribs.

She reached inside.

Her fingers closed around something cold.

A silver key.

Not the one from her childhood room.

A different one.

Attached to it was a tiny piece of paper.

Three words were written across it.

HE CHOSE YOU.

Sofia looked at Alessandro.

He saw the note.

His face went pale.

Because he knew exactly what it meant.