The Don's Innocent Collateral

Chapter 16

The convoy cleared the estate gates just as the sun dipped behind the tree line. Moments later, the heavy steel barricades slammed shut behind them with a loud metallic thud, sealing the estate once again.

Amelia let out a slow breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Just as Nicolai had predicted, the spotters hadn't followed them up the mountain.

When the Maybach came to a stop in the courtyard, Nicolai didn't linger. A guard was already waiting with a tablet in hand. After a brief exchange, Nicolai headed toward the security wing with Lev, his attention already fixed on whatever awaited him there.

"Take the bags to her room," Lev instructed two of the guards before disappearing down the hall after Nicolai.

Amelia didn't go straight upstairs. Now that they were home, the rush of adrenaline from the city had faded, leaving behind nothing but a dry throat and bone-deep exhaustion. Instead of heading for the grand staircase, she turned toward the kitchen.

Dimitri stood at the stove, the smell of garlic and searing meat filling the kitchen. Tomas sat at the center island with a mug of black coffee in his hands, looking up as Amelia walked in.

He looked up as Amelia walked in. The scar cutting through his eyebrow shifted slightly as a familiar, easy grin spread across his face.

"Rough trip to the city, Doc?" Tomas asked, in his usual gruff voice.

Amelia paused, leaning against the archway.

"You could say that."

She walked over to the refrigerator, poured herself a glass of water, and took a long drink.

She lowered the glass and met Tomas's eyes. He gave her a small nod, the kind that quietly asked if she was alright without saying the words.

"I heard about the spotters on the radio," Tomas said, resting his forearms on the marble island. "It's unsettling the first time it happens. But you don't need to lose sleep over the Italians.

Amelia looked down at her glass. "My father told them where to find me."

Tomas was quiet for a moment.

"Some men are just broken," he said quietly. "But this place? It's built to keep people like that out. Cameras, sensors, guards—we'd know long before anyone got close. Let the Viperas follow the cars if they want. They're not getting onto this mountain."

Amelia looked at him. There wasn't a trace of doubt in his expression, and somehow, that helped.

"Thank you, Tomas," she said softly.

He nodded. "Get some rest. You look dead on your feet."

Amelia left the kitchen and made her way up to the third floor.

When she opened the door to her suite, the shopping bags were neatly arranged at the foot of the massive bed. The black velvet garment bag holding the midnight-blue dress hung neatly on the closet door.

She stared at it.

She walked into the en suite bathroom and turned on the faucet to wash her face.

She leaned over the sink, bracing her hands on the cold marble counter. She looked up at her reflection. Her skin was pale, and dark circles shadowed her tired eyes.

A single drop of blood hit the sink with a soft tap.

Amelia froze.

Another drop following, splashing into the sink.

She lifted a hand to her face. Her fingertips came away wet with blood.

Her nose was bleeding.

She didn't panic. She grabbed a hand towel, pressed it firmly against her nose, and pinched the bridge. Leaning over the sink, she breathed steadily through her mouth as she waited for the bleeding to stop.

But as she stood there, the room suddenly lurched.

The bathroom spun, throwing her off balance.

Amelia’s knees buckled. She sank heavily to the bathroom tiles, her back hitting the cold edge of the bathtub. She kept the towel clamped to her face, her chest heaving as she waited for the room to stop spinning.

It took two full minutes for the dizziness to recede.

When she finally pulled the towel away, it was stained bright red. The bleeding had stopped, but her heart was still pounding in her chest.

The numbness. The dizziness. Now this.

She stared at the blood on the towel. Her mind raced through every possibility, but none of the answers brought any comfort. If anything, they made the fear settle even deeper.

She pulled her knees to her chest, resting her forehead against them.

Tomas said she was safe here. Nicolai had made it clear no one would lay a hand on her.

They were both wrong. The walls, the guards, all the security around her... none of it mattered. The thing that was going to kill her had been with her all along.