Chapter 6 - The Man In The Doorway
1197 Words
The man smiled.
Sofia couldn't move.
Her eyes dropped to the bloodied glove on the floor, then lifted slowly back to his face.
He was tall, perhaps in his early forties, dressed in a charcoal suit beneath a black overcoat. Rainwater glistened across his shoulders, suggesting he'd come through the broken side entrance rather than the front door.
He looked completely at ease.
That frightened her more than the gunshots had.
"Looking for him?" he repeated.
Sofia forced herself to breathe.
"Who are you?"
The man's smile widened.
"That's an interesting question."
His gaze travelled over her, lingering briefly on the silver key clutched in her hand.
Then his expression changed.
"You found it."
Sofia instinctively closed her fingers around the key.
"What is it?"
He took one step forward.
"Something your father spent years trying to hide."
"Where is Alessandro?"
"Alive."
Relief hit her so suddenly that her knees almost weakened.
"Where?"
The man tilted his head.
"You really care whether he's alive."
Sofia said nothing.
He smiled again.
"That will make things easier."
Something about his voice made the hairs on her arms rise.
"Where is he?"
"Not far."
Sofia glanced toward the hallway.
"I want to see him."
"You will."
"When?"
"When you give me the key."
She tightened her grip.
"No."
The man's smile disappeared.
"Then I suppose we'll do this the difficult way."
He reached inside his coat.
Sofia stepped backward.
Before he could draw his weapon, a gunshot thundered from upstairs.
The man spun.
Sofia didn't think.
She ran.
She reached the doorway just as Alessandro appeared at the top of the staircase.
His shirt was torn near the shoulder.
A thin line of blood ran along his temple.
But he was standing.
And he was furious.
"Sofia!"
She ran toward him.
He descended three steps at a time.
When he reached her, his hands immediately went to her shoulders.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
His eyes searched her face.
"Did he touch you?"
"No."
"Did he threaten you?"
"Yes."
Alessandro's jaw clenched.
Behind them, the man had disappeared.
Alessandro looked toward the entrance.
"Luca!"
His security team rushed into the house.
"Find him."
They scattered.
Sofia looked at Alessandro.
"What happened to you?"
"Nothing."
"You've got blood on your face."
"It's not mine."
She stared at him.
"Then whose is it?"
He didn't answer.
Sofia's eyes narrowed.
"You keep doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Deciding what I'm allowed to know."
His expression softened slightly.
"You're right."
She hadn't expected that.
He reached up and gently wiped a streak of dust from her cheek.
His fingers lingered for half a second.
Sofia went still.
His hand dropped.
"You shouldn't have come downstairs."
"I heard something."
"You could have been killed."
"So could you."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"I've had years to learn how to survive."
"And I haven't?"
"No."
The answer was immediate.
Sofia bristled.
"You don't know me."
"I know enough."
"Apparently not."
She stepped around him.
He caught her hand.
She stopped.
"Don't."
His voice was quiet.
"Don't what?"
"Walk away when you're angry."
She looked down at their hands.
His fingers were wrapped around hers.
Warm.
Steady.
She should have pulled away.
Instead, she looked up.
"Why?"
His gaze moved between her eyes.
"Because I don't like not knowing where you are."
The admission surprised them both.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Sofia gently pulled her hand free.
"You'll have to get used to it."
She walked toward the library.
Alessandro followed.
Inside, she placed the silver key on the desk.
"You know what this opens."
He stared at it.
"Yes."
"What?"
"A room."
"Where?"
"Under the estate."
Sofia frowned.
"There's a basement?"
"Not exactly."
"Then what?"
"A vault."
She stared at him.
"Of course there's a vault."
Alessandro almost smiled.
"Your sarcasm is getting worse."
"You bring me to a secret house with a secret vault and expect me to behave normally."
"No."
"Good."
He picked up the key.
His fingers brushed hers.
Neither pulled away immediately.
The contact lasted only a moment, but Sofia felt the same strange awareness she'd felt when he'd caught her on the stairs.
Alessandro noticed it too.
His eyes lowered briefly to their hands.
Then he released her.
"The vault hasn't been opened in eleven years."
"How do you know?"
"Because my father ordered it sealed."
"And you have the key?"
"No."
He looked at her.
"You do."
Sofia's stomach tightened.
"The key was hidden in my bedroom."
"Exactly."
She looked toward the door.
"Then someone wanted me to find it."
"Yes."
"And the note?"
"Someone wanted me to bring you here."
Sofia's face went pale.
"Why?"
Alessandro didn't answer.
She stepped closer.
"Tell me."
His gaze hardened.
"Because whoever left that note knows something about the promise."
"The vow?"
He nodded.
"Your father didn't just ask me to protect you."
Sofia waited.
"He made a deal with my father."
"What kind of deal?"
"A dangerous one."
"You're still avoiding the answer."
"I know."
"Alessandro."
He looked at her.
"Your father gave my family something."
"What?"
"A name."
Sofia frowned.
"Whose?"
"The man who ordered your father's death."
Her breath caught.
"You know who killed my father?"
"We know who ordered it."
"Who?"
Before Alessandro could answer, the lights went out.
The entire estate plunged into darkness.
Sofia froze.
"Alessandro?"
"I'm here."
His hand found hers immediately.
She felt him move closer.
"Stay behind me."
"Again?"
"Please."
The word surprised her.
She couldn't remember him ever saying please.
Footsteps echoed somewhere beyond the library.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Someone was walking through the house.
Alessandro's hand tightened around hers.
"Sofia."
"I'm here."
"Whatever happens, don't let go."
Her heart hammered.
"Why?"
He leaned closer, his mouth near her ear.
"Because whoever is inside this house came for you."
A shadow moved beneath the library door.
Sofia held her breath.
The handle slowly turned.
Alessandro stepped in front of her.
The door opened.
A figure stood on the other side.
Then the emergency lights flickered on.
Sofia stared.
It wasn't the man from downstairs.
It was Luca.
He was pale.
And in his hand was a photograph.
"Alessandro," he said.
"What?"
Luca looked at Sofia.
"We found the man who escaped."
"Where?"
"Dead."
Alessandro's expression changed.
"How?"
Luca held out the photograph.
"Someone killed him before we could reach him."
Sofia stared at the image.
Then her blood ran cold.
Because beside the dead man's body was a message written across the wall in black paint.
THE VOW BELONGS TO THE DEVIL NOW.
Alessandro took the photograph.
His face became unreadable.
Sofia looked at him.
"What does that mean?"
He didn't answer.
She stepped closer.
"Alessandro."
His eyes met hers.
And for the first time since she'd met him, she saw something she had never expected to see in the eyes of the man everyone feared.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
"We're not hunting the people who want you dead anymore," he said quietly.
Sofia's stomach dropped.
"Then who are we hunting?"
Alessandro looked toward the darkened windows.
"The person who knows exactly what I promised your father."
He paused.
"And is willing to destroy everyone around us to make me break it."
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD