CHAPTER 4
2235 Words
PIETRO LEONE
The storm outside is a perfect reflection of the chaos that settles within me.
I pace back and forth in the living room, feeling every muscle tense, every nerve on edge.
Josh is there, near the fireplace, fists clenched and head bowed, like a cornered animal. The warmth of the fire can't alleviate the cold that spreads between us.
"Do you have any idea what your choice has caused us, Josh? Now she knows everything!"
I hold my voice, but it still carries the anger that burns inside me.
He lifts his eyes to me, that bright red betraying his desperation.
"She didn’t see me, dad..."
"Do you think she’s an i***t? She saw enough!", I move closer, and the tension between us is almost palpable.
“She saw the blood, saw the bodies, saw the danger. Don’t come to me with excuses, Josh!”
“I’m sorry, dad…”
He can barely speak, his voice weak with regret. He can't look me in the eyes.
“I put our existence in danger.”
I pause for a moment, trying to regain some control.
I hold his shoulders, firm, but without the anger that was about to spill over.
“She’s not like us. We’re not like her. We can’t get involved like this; it’s not safe, Josh. Getting involved with a human will still be your downfall.”
He lowers his head, his eyes fixed on the wood floor.
“We can... we can make her forget what she saw.", he whispers, so quietly I almost don’t hear it.
My patience runs out completely.
I turn abruptly, grab a glass and throw it against the wall with all my strength.
The sound of the glass shattering is almost as satisfying as screaming.
“She can’t leave this house after everything she saw! She almost died, Josh! Do you understand that? She shouldn’t have been here!”
Josh steps back, guilt clearly weighing on his shoulders.
“She didn’t see me transform, dad. I... I took care of it.”
“Better for us.”
I take a deep breath, trying to suppress the growing irritation.
“But don’t underestimate what she can figure out. Humans are curious and intelligent, even if they’re fragile. You don’t seem to understand that our world is not a fairy tale.”, I glare at him, each word loaded with painful memories.
“You know exactly what happened to your mother when I said those same words.”
He stares at me, and I see the pain etched on his face. He knows what I mean, knows what we lost, but I also know he’s determined to hold onto that girl.
“I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“Then keep her away!”
The words come out in a roar, and for the first time that night, I feel the anger flow through my skin like poison.
My mind races, calculating the risks and the consequences.
“I love her, dad…”, he says softly, but enough for me to hear.
Before I can respond, something interrupts me.
It’s a faint sound, but unmistakable. My instinct kicks in immediately, and I turn my head toward the stairs.
There she is.
The girl.
Zoe looks smaller than in the pictures, more fragile, as if the night had broken her.
The cut on her forehead is still bleeding, mixing with the rainwater running through her hair. There are wounds on her arm, wrist, and leg, and she can barely stand.
Humans are so... fragile.
Josh runs to her, concern obvious in his eyes.
He reaches her before she collapses, trying to speak, but the words seem to fail in his throat.
“I... I...”, she stammers, her eyes searching for something in Josh. Then, as if her strength abandons her, she throws herself into his arms, crying.
Josh holds her, and I stand where I am, watching.
All of this is a mistake. This girl is a mistake.
I light my cigar, the smoke mixing with the heavy air in the room.
I watch the couple, her desperate embrace and Josh’s devotion. It’s painful to watch because I know where this will end.
“I want to leave, Josh. I want to go now, please.”
Her voice is weak but determined. I take a step forward, letting my voice echo through the room.
“You can’t leave this house.”
She looks at me, eyes wide, tears streaming down her face.
“What?”
Josh turns to me, trying to control the situation.
“My dad means that... that it’s safer for you to stay here, Zoe.”
“Safer? I almost died! What were those things?”, her incredulity is almost palpable.
This isn’t how I imagined meeting my son’s human girlfriend.
The smell of her blood hits me again—sweet, almost irresistible. I clench my teeth, fighting my instincts.
“Josh, take her to the room. Take care of her wounds before they get worse.”
Josh doesn’t argue.
He guides her to the stairs, the two of them disappearing from my sight.
I stay where I am, letting the silence of the room engulf me. Finally, I turn and walk to the office.
Inside the office, I slam the door shut.
The desk in front of me is full of papers and maps, all related to the newly created vampires, who are becoming a bigger problem than I expected.
I take the gun from my belt and place it on the desk, staring at it for a long moment.
This night is far from over, and I know I’ll need to deal with more than just vampires.
Now, there’s a human in the equation.
The voices from upstairs pull me from my thoughts. I don’t have to strain to hear the argument in the room.
“I can’t stay here, Josh! I can’t!”
“Zoe, please, just listen to me...”
“Listen to what? That I’m trapped here? That I almost died from something I don’t even know what it was? I trusted you!”
“And you can still trust me!”, Josh’s voice is full of desperation, but I know he’s losing control of the situation.
I close my eyes for a moment, letting exhaustion hit me.
I take another drag on the cigar, letting the smoke spread through the office.
ZOE ROSSI
I’m pacing in the room as my mind struggles to process everything that’s happened.
My argument with Josh is getting more intense, but I can’t hold back. I need to leave here.
“I can’t stay here, Josh. After all this... There’s no way.", my words come out firm, but I feel my voice waver at the end.
He’s leaning against the door, arms crossed and serious expression. His eyes, so blue and familiar, show no sign of giving in.
“Zoe, the house is safe now. I made sure of that. I won’t let anything hurt you. I’ll protect you.”
“Safe?”
I let out a bitter laugh, crossing my arms.
“You really think I’ll believe that after what I saw? Those things...”
I hesitate, looking for the words.
“What were they, Josh? Don’t tell me they were normal people.”
He tenses immediately, avoiding my gaze as if trying to avoid the question. His hesitation is obvious.
“Crazy people.", he finally says.
“They escaped from an asylum in the hills. That’s it. Nothing more.”
I let out another laugh, this one even more bitter.
“You think I’m stupid? Crazy people escaped from an asylum?”, I shake my head, incredulous.
He takes a step toward me, hands raised in a gesture of appeasement.
“I know it sounds absurd, but it’s the truth. And, even if you wanted to leave now, you can’t. The streets are blocked because of the storm.”
His words hit me hard, like a blow to the chest. My heart tightens, and tears begin to burn in my eyes.
“Where were you when all this happened?”, I ask, my voice trembling.
I can’t hide the fear and frustration I feel.
Josh sighs deeply, looking exhausted.
“I heard something outside and went to check with the bodyguard. I thought it might be an animal or something... I didn’t want to take any risks.”
Blinking my eyes doesn’t make the memories disappear.
The images of a werewolf fighting that man are still vivid in my mind, as if it had just happened.
“And that dead person?", my voice comes out almost in a whisper. The question hangs in the air like an unbearable weight.
He lowers his gaze, visibly uncomfortable.
“My dad took care of it. Don’t worry, Zoe. Nothing else will happen to you, I promise.”
He takes my hand, and something in his touch calms me.
The feeling should be comforting, but the unanswered questions keep echoing in my mind.
Before I realize it, he pulls me into an embrace. His arms around me bring a false sense of safety, a temporary truce for my fear.
But, as he holds me, my eyes fall on the bite on my wrist. The pain is sharp, throbbing, and I instinctively touch it, frowning.
“Vampires...”, I murmur, not thinking.
Josh freezes instantly. I feel his body stiffen against mine, and he pulls away just enough to look at me.
"What?", he seems incredulous, but also... tense.
"They looked like vampires, Josh. I know it sounds crazy, but they were... like vampires.", my voice trembles, but I need to say it.
He holds my face with his hands, and his eyes meet mine. There's something there—a mix of concern and something else I can't decipher.
"Vampires don't exist, Zoe."
The firmness in his tone confuses me. Is he lying? Or am I really losing my mind? He lets go of my face and runs his hand through his hair, clearly nervous.
"I'm going to get the bandages to take care of you. Stay here."
I sit on the bed, not knowing what to think.
The word "vampires" keeps echoing in my head, spinning like an annoying echo. I touch the bite again, feeling the throb under my fingers.
It's real. This is all real.
I hear footsteps in the hallway and lift my head.
"Josh?"
But it's not him who appears.
It's his father.
He's so different from Josh, but at the same time, there's something familiar about him.
His hair is as black as the night, straight and immaculate. His bright blue eyes seem to pierce my soul, but unlike Josh, there's something calculated and cold in them.
"Mr. Leone.", my voice sounds hesitant as I get off the bed.
He watches me in silence for a moment before finally closing the door behind him and taking a few steps toward me.
"My son is right. Nothing else will happen to you, Zoe. Don't worry."
His voice is low but authoritative, as if he won't tolerate any objections.
I feel small under his gaze, but the need to leave here is even stronger.
"I want to leave."
He tilts his head slightly, his eyes never leaving mine.
"You can't."
"The streets are blocked because of the storm, but once it ends, I'll leave. I can't stay anymore..."
My words die in my throat when he grabs my wrist without warning. His fingers examine the bite with almost clinical precision.
"He didn't finish...", Pietro murmurs, almost to himself.
I pull my arm back, fear starting to take over my senses.
"What?"
Before I can react, he pushes me against the wall with force, pinning me there.
"Mr. Leone, what are you doing?", I ask, trying to stay calm, but my voice cracks.
"I can't let you go after everything you've seen, girl."
My eyes widen, but before I can respond, something in his eyes changes.
They shine intensely; his pupils dilated in a way that holds me captive. I can't look away. I'm hypnotized.
"Listen carefully. You can't leave this house. You need to forget everything you saw tonight. Forget the werewolf, the blood, the deaths. Forget the vampires.", he says, his voice low and firm.
I feel my head nod, as if I'm acting against my own will.
"You’re here to spend time with my son. That's what you'll do. You fell down the stairs and got hurt."
"I fell down the stairs...", I repeat, my voice empty.
He smiles slightly, satisfied, and lets me go. I blink, confused. For a moment, I can't remember what we were talking about.
"We haven't properly met. It's a pleasure to meet the girl who won my son's heart. I'm Pietro Leone."
He takes my hand and kisses it, almost formally. A gesture that should be comforting, but there's something disturbing about it.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Leone.", my smile seems automatic.
Before I can say anything else, Josh comes back into the room with the bandages. He stops when he sees his father there, his eyes narrowing.
"Dad."
Pietro nods at him and leaves the room.
Josh looks at me, concerned.
"Is everything okay?"
I nod slowly, but something inside me is screaming.
What did he do to me?
- Writer
