I Was Only His Substitute

Chapter 8

At the Burnett family's abandoned dock warehouse, Dora was tied to a chair in the corner, unconscious.

Someone sent by the Burnett family was already waiting there, led by Harvey Burnett, George's younger brother. His eyes were swollen, his face a mask of unmasked rage.

"Mr. Stevens, you got here fast!" Harvey's voice was hoarse.

Vincent shoved Gloria forward. "I brought her. Now, release Dora!"

"Hold your horses, Mr. Stevens."

Harvey waved, and two underlings dragged Gloria to his side.

"We'll settle this step by step." Harvey crouched, toying with a dagger. "My brother died because of her. I'll make her suffer first!"

He suddenly drove the dagger into Gloria's shoulder.

"Ugh!" Gloria gasped, the twin pains blurring her vision.

Vincent tensed momentarily but looked away, his voice hard. "She's yours. Now, let Dora go!"

"What's the hurry?" Harvey yanked the dagger free, grinning cruelly at Gloria's pale face. "We're just getting started."

Almost immediately, the second stab pierced her abdomen.

Then, the third sliced her thigh.

Each cut was carefully non-lethal, designed to make her beg for death.

Gloria's vision darkened, her mind fading fast.

'Will I die soon? Not yet... I can't...'

"Enough!" Vincent barked.

The shout jolted Gloria's hazy mind clear.

'Will he... save me?'

Then Vincent's next words hurled her into utter despair.

"You can cut her to ribbons for all I care! But don't you dare frighten Dora! Can't you see you've already scared her ghostly white?"

The words stabbed into Gloria's ears like ice picks, jolting her into complete awareness.

She knew only she could save herself now!

With great effort, Gloria raised her head and saw Dora, who had somehow regained consciousness, her face ghostly pale, her cries brimming with terror.

"Uncle Vincent! Please save me! I'm so scared!"

Vincent's heart ached unbearably. He growled at Harvey, "Name your price to spare Dora!"

"Spare her?" Harvey laughed as if hearing a joke, tossing aside his knife and standing up. "You take me for a fool, Vincent? Sure, my brother died because of a woman, but it was you who killed him!"

Vincent's expression darkened.

"So not only will this woman pay with her life." Harvey's voice suddenly sharpened, "But I'll make you taste what it's like to lose someone you love!"

With that, Harvey aimed his gun at Dora.

"You wouldn't dare!" Vincent drew his own gun, pointing it at Harvey.

The two sides instantly squared off—Vincent's men against Harvey's, the air thick with impending violence.

But just then, Gloria grabbed the knife from the ground and lunged, plunging it deep into Harvey's chest.

At the same instant, Vincent took down the two guys guarding Dora.

Gunfire exploded through the warehouse as Harvey's men were overpowered. Harvey had already fallen in the chaos.

With his dying breath, his face contorted in hatred. "Then let's all die together!"

He triggered the detonator in his hand.

A deafening explosion tore through the warehouse depths, shaking the entire structure. Flames erupted upward.

Vincent had just untied the ropes binding Dora when the explosion sent them both sprawling to the ground.

"Uncle Vincent!" Dora screamed in terror.

Gritting his teeth, Vincent swept up Dora and bolted for the exit, colliding with Gloria just a few feet from the door as she struggled to move.

The collision sapped Gloria's last strength, leaving her to clutch desperately at Vincent's pant leg.

He paused, looking down at Gloria, now drenched in blood. He hesitated briefly, but at Dora's soft whimpers, he kicked her hand away. "It's not far. You can make it yourself."

"Vincent!" Gloria shrieked with her last breath.

Refusing to give up, she thrashed forward.

Yet the exit, so near yet so far, taunted her. She stretched out her hand, praying for someone to grab it.

She didn't want to die!

As flames crept toward her, Gloria closed her eyes in surrender.

Then, powerful hands grabbed her.

She felt weightless. Opening her eyes, she found herself scooped into Daniel's arms.

Behind them, the warehouse was consumed by roaring flames.

His normally playful eyes fixed on Vincent's retreating figure as he said lightly,

"If Mr. Stevens doesn't want you, I'll gladly take you off his hands."