Savage Heir

Chapter 4: The Prisoner Arrives

The door slammed shut behind her with an authority that slithered up Juliette’s spine. Her senses had been attuned to a razor’s edge since she had been yanked from the car, every nerve ending howling to escape, but all she could do was walk forward, her vision still blinded, every step directed by the iron hold on her arm. Nothing had been spoken, only the empty sound of footsteps and the sharp clank of metal, the sound of a key in a lock.

And then… silence.

The room into which she had been shoved was large — but her blindfold had obscured much of the room. The air was cool, laced with the smell of leather and new wood. There was a palpable wealth here, a far cry from the gritty, dangerous people of the streets of Rome she’d come from. Her eyes burned from the gloom as the blindfold was torn away, and she beheld her surroundings for the first time.

Rich silk drapes hung from the high windows, gold thread embroidery on them glittering in the meager light from the dim chandelier above. The floors were gleaming marble, shining in the dim light of the expensive-looking lamps. There were plush velvet chairs by a grand fireplace, and an immense four-poster bed draped in rich linens that seemed too pristine to sleep in. The room screamed luxury in every way, but it felt stifling.

The click of the door closing behind her sent her heart racing at rapid speed, as the now silent room bore down on her like an anchor. She was trapped — behind a gilded cell door, inside a prison that resembled a hotel suite more than a place designed to detain a person against her will.

“Sit,” a voice said from the door.

Juliette’s eyes shot to the sound, her spine going rigid. It was the same voice that had tailed her from the warehouse—the voice of Rafael Salvatore. His presence was like a storm swirling on the horizon. COLD, RUTHLESS AND DANGEROUS.

At first she didn’t move, defiance coursing through her veins. He wanted her fearful, to c***k her open. But she was not going to give him that satisfaction.” Yes, her insides trembled with fear: but she buried that fear with all the metallic resolve she had been forced to acquire over years in dealing with such threats.

“Did you hear me?” Rafael’s voice was clipped, the words slicing through the room with the sharpness of a blade.

Juliette’s breath caught, but she held his gaze. “I’m not your pet,” she said, her tone calm even as her emotions raged within. She wasn’t about to back down. She couldn’t.

The click of his shoes on the marble floor was slow and measured as he stepped slowly into the room. The arrogance of his movements, his cold eyes, the fact that he appeared to tower over her even at this distance — everything about him spoke of a man who had power, and no qualms about using it.

“I don’t require you to be my pet,” Rafael said with a smug smile. “But you will be my captive for now.”

The words pierced more than she was braced for and her chest tightened. She hadn’t allowed herself to believe it — had not taught herself to think that was her fate — but hearing him say it out loud made it all too real. She was still shaking slightly in her legs, but she wouldn’t sit, wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he moved her.

Instead, she kept her chin up and squared her shoulders. “What do you want from me?” she said, her voice giving little hint of her stress.

Something unreadable flickered in his eyes, but he didn’t reply right away. He turned away from her and walked toward the window, looking out over the expansive estate. Strangely, the silence stretched between them like the distance she thought he had put behind him, and now she was reminded of how those quiet moments with him made her genuinely feel.

“I don’t want anything from you,” he said at last, his voice contemplative, almost nonchalant. “Not yet.”

Juliette frowned. “Not yet?”

He considered her and then his eyes fell into hers, cold and calculating. “You’re an investigative journalist, yes?” he asked. “You think you can expose us, bring us down with your pathetic little stories?”

Her heart pounded, but she kept his eyes. “Maybe,” she said quietly. “But you’re making it easy for me. Hiding in plain sight. Killing people.”

He gave a low, throaty chuckle that sent chills up her spine. “You don’t understand, Juliette,” he said, moving a step closer to her. “There’s a lot more going on than you know. Much more.”

She swallowed hard, the gravity of his words hanging like a threat. “What does that mean?”

Instead of replying, Rafael moved toward the large desk across the room; he was graceful, almost predatory in his movement. He sat down with measured hushedness, his fingers lightly drumming on the desk.

“And for now, you’re here,” he said, as if that alone were explanation enough. “You will remain here, where I can watch you,” I’ll have all your movements under surveillance. And when that time comes, we’ll see if you can be useful to me.”

Juliette’s breath caught. “Use?” the word tasting bitter in her mouth, she added. “You’re going to murder me, right?”

Rafael’s face didn’t change, but his eyes shone with dark excitement. “Not yet,” he repeated, his tone still one of calm. “You’re too interesting for that.” You’ll do your part, and then we’ll see.”

Juliette didn’t know if she was relieved or terrified by what he said. The fact that he was not immediately plotting to kill her was troubling. It had left her with too many unanswered questions. Why didn’t he just murder her already? What did he want with her?

Everything rushed through her mind as she tried to make sense of it. A prisoner in his mansion now, she would not, however, sit here and be a passive spectator. She needed to understand what he was really after, what his ultimate goal was.

Before she could ask another question, the door of the room opened once more and another man entered. This one was older, with salt-and-pepper hair and a hard, calculating stare. His bespoke suit was a degree darker than Rafael’s, but every bit as costly.

“Is everything ready?” “What is it?” Rafael said, his tone sharp.

“He does,” the man responded, with a quick septof. “Everything is in place.”

Rafael rose from behind the desk without taking his eyes off Juliette. “Then it’s time for you to learn exactly what it is that you’ve gotten yourself into.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. Juliette sensed something was coming, but had no clue what it was, and she tensed, ready for anything Rafael was going to do to her.

And as the door closed behind the man, it hit her that her time was limited.