SIN IN HIS SHADOW BOOK TWO

Chapter 8: Blood and Lies

The Black Cell

Lucien’s wrists burned against the iron cuffs. Chains bit into his skin like teeth. The room smelled of damp stone and something sweeter—roses.

Fresh petals were scattered across the cold floor, crimson against gray.

Alder sat on a velvet chair a few feet away, his long fingers lazily stroking the blade in his hand like it was a lover. His smile was all teeth.

> “Do you know what I like about you, pretty thing?” he said softly. “You break so beautifully.”

Lucien’s voice cracked. “Zarek will come for me.”

Alder chuckled low, leaning forward. “Oh, I hope so. Because I want him to find you like this—on your knees, chained, whispering someone else’s name.”

He stood and crouched in front of Lucien, his face inches away. His cologne was intoxicating—dark spice and smoke.

> “Tell me,” Alder murmured, tilting Lucien’s chin up with the blade. “Do you really think he loves you? Or does he just love owning you?”

Lucien glared through tears. “He loves me.”

Alder’s smile widened, wicked and sharp. “Then why did he let me take you?”

Lucien’s breath caught, the words sinking deep like venom.

Alder leaned closer, lips brushing his ear.

> “You know what’s funny?” he whispered. “He begged for your life once. He’ll beg again. And this time—I’ll make sure you hear him break.”

He kissed Lucien’s jaw slowly, deliberately, before standing and walking away, leaving him trembling in chains.

---

Elsewhere — Velenza Estate

Rain lashed against the windows as Zarek sat at the head of a long black table in the war room. The lights burned cold white. Shadows stretched across the walls like knives.

Renzo stood to his right. Soldiers lined the edges of the room—hard men with harder eyes. And at the far end, two figures entered: men even Zarek didn’t call unless the world was ending.

The Morano twins. Killers whispered about like myths.

Zarek didn’t waste words. He slammed a photo of Alder on the table.

> “Find him. Tear apart every street, every safehouse, every rotten hole in this city.”

One of the twins smirked. “And when we do?”

Zarek’s voice was a blade dipped in poison.

> “You bring me Lucien. And you bring me Alder’s head in a bag.”

Renzo met his eyes. “This isn’t just business anymore, is it?”

Zarek looked down at the blood still drying on his knuckles.

> “No,” he said softly. “This is war.”

---

Back in the Black Cell

Lucien tried to pull free again. The chains clinked like cruel laughter.

Then a sound broke the silence—a soft hum.

Alder’s voice.

Low. Melodic. Twisted sweet.

> “You know, Lucien…” he said as he walked back toward him, blade glinting in the dim light, “…you and I aren’t so different. Zarek caged you. I just replaced his cage with mine.”

Lucien spat the words out. “You’ll never own me.”

Alder crouched low again, his lips ghosting over Lucien’s ear.

> “Oh, I don’t need to own you,” he whispered. “I just need to make you doubt the man you’d burn for. And when I’m done…” His fingers brushed Lucien’s throat, slow and cold. “…you’ll beg me to finish what he started.”

Lucien’s heart thundered as Alder kissed the corner of his mouth—not tender, not lustful, but a promise of ruin.

And somewhere far away, under the roar of rain and engines, Zarek’s black convoy sped into the night—ready to paint the city in blood.