THE DEVIL'S MANSION
1399 Words
Chapter 2
The doorknob stopped turning.
Nerisse stood frozen.
Her breathing became shallow as she clutched her mother's letter tightly against her chest.
Another knock echoed through the apartment.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Whoever stood outside wasn't in a hurry.
They were waiting.
Waiting for her to make a mistake.
"Who is it?" she asked again, forcing the words past her trembling lips.
Silence.
A sudden vibration broke the terrifying stillness.
Her phone.
The same unknown number.
Her hands shook as she answered.
"Hello?"
The familiar deep voice returned.
"Don't open the door."
Nerisse's heartbeat quickened.
"Who are you?"
"Someone trying to keep you alive."
She glanced toward the entrance.
"There are people outside."
"I know."
"Who are they?"
A brief silence followed.
Then the man answered.
"The same people who killed your mother."
Tears instantly filled her eyes.
"No..."
"Listen carefully, Nerisse."
Hearing her name from a complete stranger unsettled her.
"Your apartment has already been surrounded."
She slowly stepped backward.
"How do you know my name?"
"Because I've been looking for you."
Fear gripped her chest.
"Who are you?"
"You'll know soon."
Suddenly—
Bang!
Something heavy slammed against the front door.
Nerisse screamed.
The wooden frame shook violently.
Another bang.
Louder.
The stranger spoke firmly.
"Go to your bedroom."
She hesitated.
"Now!"
His commanding voice snapped her into action.
She ran.
The letter remained tightly clutched in her hand.
As she reached the bedroom, another deafening crash echoed through the apartment.
The front door splintered.
They were inside.
Footsteps spread through the living room.
Heavy.
Confident.
Merciless.
Nerisse covered her mouth to stop herself from crying.
She could hear them searching.
Opening cupboards.
Kicking furniture aside.
One of them laughed.
"Find the girl."
Another voice replied,
"The boss wants her alive."
Nerisse's knees nearly gave way.
Alive?
For what?
Her phone vibrated once more.
"Bedroom window," the stranger said.
"Open it."
She rushed to the window and pulled the curtains aside.
Rain poured relentlessly.
Four floors below, a black SUV waited with its headlights off.
A man dressed in black stood beside it.
He looked up at her.
Then raised his hand.
"Jump," the voice on the phone ordered.
Nerisse stared down in horror.
"Are you insane?"
"Trust me."
"I'll die!"
"Not if you jump now."
Behind her...
The bedroom door shook violently.
Bang!
"She's in here!"
Bang!
The wood cracked.
Nerisse looked from the broken door to the dark street below.
She had seconds.
The stranger spoke one final time.
"I give you my word."
"No one will let you fall."
Bang!
The bedroom door burst open.
Three masked men rushed inside.
Nerisse closed her eyes.
Whispered a prayer.
And jumped.
The icy wind tore through her clothes as she fell.
She expected pain.
She expected darkness.
Instead...
Strong arms caught her before she touched the ground.
The impact forced a gasp from her lips.
She opened her eyes.
A tall man held her securely against his chest.
Rain rolled down his sharp features.
His black suit was soaked, yet he stood perfectly still.
His eyes met hers.
Dark.
Cold.
Powerful.
For a moment, the world disappeared.
She remembered her mother's final warning.
**Stay away from Lucien Blackwood.**
The stranger looked at her calmly.
His deep voice was almost gentle.
"You're safe now."
Nerisse stared into his eyes.
She had never seen him before.
Yet somehow...
She already knew exactly who he was.
Lucien Blackwood..
Nerisse's feet touched the ground, but her knees refused to hold her.
Her entire body trembled violently.
She had just jumped from a fourth-floor window.
If the stranger hadn't caught her...
She would have died.
The man slowly released her, making sure she could stand on her own before taking a single step back.
Rain poured over both of them.
His black suit clung to his broad shoulders, yet he seemed completely unaffected by the storm.
Nerisse stared at him.
She finally understood why people found him intimidating.
His face was strikingly handsome.
Sharp jaw.
Dark hair damp from the rain.
Eyes so black they almost looked unreal.
But it wasn't his appearance that frightened her.
It was the calmness in those eyes.
As if danger had become a normal part of his life.
"Are you hurt?" he asked quietly.
Nerisse blinked.
"You..."
Her voice barely came out.
"You're Lucien Blackwood."
He didn't deny it.
"Yes."
She took another step backward.
"My mother warned me about you."
Something unreadable crossed his face.
It disappeared almost immediately.
"I know."
Nerisse frowned.
"You know?"
Before Lucien could answer, a loud shout came from above.
"She's down there!"
The masked men had reached the broken window.
One of them pointed directly at Nerisse.
"Don't let them escape!"
Lucien looked up once.
His expression became cold.
"Get in the car."
Nerisse shook her head.
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
"You don't have another choice."
"I don't even know you!"
"You know enough."
She tightened her grip on the folded letter inside her coat pocket.
"My mother told me to stay away from you."
Lucien looked directly into her eyes.
"Then your mother left out one important detail."
"What detail?"
His voice became almost a whisper.
"She also trusted me with your life."
Before Nerisse could respond—
Bang!
A gunshot echoed through the night.
The bullet struck the pavement only a few steps away.
Pieces of concrete scattered into the air.
Lucien reacted instantly.
He wrapped one arm firmly around Nerisse's waist and pulled her behind the SUV.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
She had never been this close to him.
She could feel the warmth of his body despite the freezing rain.
His hand remained protectively around her as another gunshot rang out.
Bang!
The vehicle's side mirror exploded.
"Stay down," Lucien ordered.
He reached beneath his jacket and removed a handgun.
Nerisse's eyes widened.
"You carry a gun?"
"Unfortunately."
His answer was calm.
Too calm.
As though this happened every day.
Another black SUV sped around the corner.
It stopped beside them.
Four men dressed in black stepped out.
They weren't wearing masks.
They immediately surrounded Lucien.
One of them spoke.
"Mr. Blackwood."
"The eastern street is clear."
Another added,
"Our team has blocked the remaining exits."
Nerisse looked from one man to another.
They all treated Lucien with complete respect.
No...
More than respect.
Loyalty.
Absolute loyalty.
Lucien gave a brief nod.
"Take Miss Vale to the car."
Two bodyguards approached.
Nerisse instinctively stepped back.
"Don't touch me."
Lucien raised a hand.
The guards stopped immediately.
He looked at her.
"No one here will force you."
"Then answer my questions."
"Not here."
"Why?"
His gaze shifted toward the apartment building.
Flames had begun spreading from one of the lower floors.
Smoke curled into the night sky.
Firefighters' sirens echoed in the distance.
Lucien's voice became grave.
"Because the people hunting you are watching us."
Nerisse followed his gaze.
Across the street...
A black sedan sat parked beneath a flickering streetlight.
Its windows were too dark to see inside.
Yet she could feel someone watching.
Watching every movement.
Every breath.
A strange chill ran down her spine.
Lucien opened the SUV door.
"From the moment your mother died..."
He paused.
"...your old life ended."
Nerisse looked back at the apartment building.
The place she had called home.
The memories she had shared with her mother.
The dinners.
The laughter.
The birthdays.
Everything felt impossibly far away now.
Tears welled in her eyes again.
She whispered softly,
"I don't even know where I'm going."
Lucien's expression softened for the first time.
Just a little.
"I know."
"But I promise you this..."
He held her gaze.
"I'll protect you."
Nerisse searched his face.
She wanted to believe him.
But the words in her mother's letter echoed in her mind.
**Stay away from Lucien Blackwood.**
Yet here she was...
Climbing into his car.
Driving into a future she never asked for.
As the SUV pulled away, the black sedan across the street remained motionless.
Hidden behind the tinted window, a man slowly smiled.
He picked up his phone.
"She's with him."
A deep voice answered from the other end.
"Good."
A pause.
Then came the chilling order.
"Let them fall in love."
The man frowned.
"Sir?"
The voice laughed quietly.
"Because when the Devil finally chooses love..."
"...we'll use that love to destroy them both."
End of chapter 2
When the devil chose Love
- Writer
