Collateral for the devil

Chapter 4- the devil's weakness

The mansion was silent when they returned.

Too silent.

Elena noticed it immediately.

There were usually men stationed throughout the entrance hall, but tonight, only two guards stood near the doors.

Both looked tense.

Adrian noticed too.

He stepped out of the car and immediately scanned the grounds.

"Stay beside me."

Elena climbed out.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

She frowned.

"You don't look like nothing happened."

Adrian ignored the comment.

He placed one hand lightly against the middle of her back and guided her toward the entrance.

The moment they stepped inside, a man hurried toward them.

"Boss."

Adrian's expression hardened.

"Report."

"We lost contact with two men at the north gate."

"When?"

"Twenty minutes ago."

"Any sign of an attack?"

"No."

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"Then they're not missing."

The man looked confused.

Adrian's voice dropped.

"Someone wanted us to think they were."

Elena's stomach tightened.

"What does that mean?"

Adrian turned toward her.

"It means we're going upstairs."

"But—"

"Now."

Something in his tone made her stop arguing.

They reached the staircase.

Then—

CRASH!

A window shattered somewhere behind them.

Elena screamed.

Adrian grabbed her instantly and pulled her against his chest.

A sharp sound followed.

One of the guards dropped to the floor.

"DOWN!"

Adrian pushed Elena behind a marble pillar.

Everything happened at once.

Men rushed into the foyer.

Weapons appeared.

Orders were shouted.

Elena pressed herself against the wall, trembling.

Adrian stood in front of her.

Completely calm.

Almost frighteningly calm.

"Adrian!"

"Stay down."

Another shot cracked through the room.

A vase exploded.

Elena covered her ears.

Adrian turned toward one of his men.

"Get her upstairs."

The man nodded.

He reached for Elena.

She pulled away.

"No!"

Adrian looked at her.

"I'm not leaving you."

His eyes softened for half a second.

Then the cold mask returned.

"You're not leaving me."

He moved toward her.

"I am sending you somewhere safe."

"But you're staying here."

"Yes."

"Then I'm staying too."

"Elena."

"I won't run."

His jaw tightened.

"You don't understand."

"Then explain it."

He stared at her.

Finally, he stepped closer.

"If they get past my men, they're coming for you."

Elena's breath caught.

"Why?"

His expression changed.

"Because they know you're important to me."

Silence.

Even the chaos around them seemed to disappear.

Elena stared at him.

"What did you say?"

Adrian realized what he'd admitted.

His face hardened.

"Go upstairs."

"Adrian—"

"Elena."

His voice was no longer angry.

It was almost pleading.

"Please."

That word again.

She nodded.

A guard escorted her upstairs.

But before she disappeared around the corner, she looked back.

Adrian stood in the middle of the foyer.

Surrounded by armed men.

Blood on his knuckles.

His eyes cold.

He looked nothing like the man who had quietly brought her a phone that morning.

He looked like the man the city feared.

The devil.

---

Elena reached the bedroom.

The guard locked the door behind her.

She paced.

Five minutes.

Ten.

Fifteen.

Nothing.

The silence was unbearable.

She tried calling Adrian.

No answer.

Again.

Nothing.

Her hands shook.

She hated herself for worrying about him.

He was dangerous.

He had probably done terrible things.

He had taken her from her home.

Yet the thought of something happening to him made her chest hurt.

Then she heard footsteps.

Elena froze.

They stopped outside her door.

A knock.

Three slow taps.

She didn't move.

Another knock.

"Elena?"

Adrian.

She rushed to the door.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

She opened it.

Then stopped.

There was blood on his shirt.

Not much.

But enough.

Her eyes widened.

"You're hurt."

"It's not serious."

"Let me see."

He looked surprised.

"Elena—"

"Let me see."

Something in her voice made him surrender.

He stepped inside.

She closed the door.

Adrian removed his jacket.

A shallow cut ran along his shoulder.

Elena stared.

"You call that not serious?"

"It isn't."

"You could have been killed."

"So could you."

She looked at him.

"That's why I was scared."

He went completely still.

Elena realized what she'd said.

She looked away.

"I mean..."

Adrian stepped closer.

"Say it again."

"What?"

"You said you were scared."

"Of what happened."

"To me."

She didn't answer.

He moved closer.

Not touching her.

Just close enough that she could feel his presence.

"Elena."

She finally looked up.

His eyes were different.

No coldness.

No anger.

Just something raw.

"You shouldn't worry about me."

"Why?"

"Because men like me don't have happy endings."

Her heart tightened.

"Maybe you don't get to decide that."

A faint smile appeared.

"You have no idea what you're saying."

"Then tell me."

He stared at her.

For a moment, she thought he would.

Instead, he stepped back.

"Get some sleep."

"Adrian."

He turned.

"Thank you."

He stopped.

"For protecting me."

His shoulders relaxed slightly.

Then he looked over his shoulder.

"I'd burn this entire city before I let anyone hurt you."

Elena's heart skipped.

"That's not exactly comforting."

"It wasn't meant to be."

He walked toward the door.

Then stopped.

"I need you to promise me something."

"What?"

"If something happens, you run."

"Where?"

"Anywhere."

"Without you?"

His eyes met hers.

"Especially without me."

He left.

Elena stood there, staring at the closed door.

She didn't know why those words frightened her.

But they did.

---

The Following Morning

Adrian sat behind his desk.

A single photograph lay in front of him.

Elena.

Taken outside her university.

Another photograph showed her entering the mansion.

Another showed her sitting beside him in the car.

His jaw tightened.

Someone had been watching them for days.

His most trusted lieutenant, Marco, stood across from the desk.

"We traced the messages."

"And?"

"Burner phone."

"Who?"

"We don't know yet."

Adrian's eyes became deadly.

"Find out."

"We're trying."

"Trying isn't good enough."

Marco hesitated.

"There is something else."

Adrian looked up.

"What?"

"The men who attacked the mansion weren't trying to kill you."

Silence.

"They were trying to get inside."

Adrian's fingers tightened around the photograph.

"For Elena."

"Yes."

Adrian leaned back slowly.

"Who knows about the agreement?"

"Only a handful of people."

"Then we have a traitor."

Marco nodded.

"We believe so."

Adrian picked up the photograph.

For the first time in years, fear touched something inside him.

Not fear for himself.

Fear for someone else.

And he hated it.

Because fear made a man vulnerable.

And Elena had become his vulnerability.

His phone rang.

Unknown number.

Adrian answered.

"Who is this?"

A distorted voice replied.

"You really should have stayed away from the girl."

Adrian's expression went completely blank.

"Who are you?"

A quiet laugh.

"You don't recognize my voice?"

"No."

"You will."

The line went silent.

Then Adrian heard something.

A woman's voice.

Faint.

Terrified.

"Adrian?"

His blood turned cold.

It was Elena.

"Elena?"

The caller laughed.

"Now you understand."

Adrian stood so quickly that his chair crashed backward.

"Where is she?"

"Find her."

The call ended.

Adrian stared at the phone.

Marco rushed forward.

"What happened?"

Adrian looked at him.

For the first time, Marco saw something in his boss's eyes that terrified him.

Pure rage.

"Lock down the city."

"Boss—"

"Every road."

Adrian grabbed his gun from the desk.

"Every port."

He headed for the door.

"And Marco?"

"Yes?"

Adrian stopped.

His voice was deadly calm.

"Find Elena."

A pause.

"Before I do something this city has never seen."

---

Meanwhile...

Elena opened her eyes.

Darkness surrounded her.

Her wrists were tied.

Her head throbbed.

She tried to move.

A chair scraped somewhere nearby.

Someone was in the room.

A man's voice whispered from the darkness.

"Finally."

Elena's heart slammed against her ribs.

"Who are you?"

The man stepped into the faint light.

She had never seen him before.

But the smile on his face made her blood run cold.

"You don't know me."

He crouched in front of her.

"But Adrian does."

Elena's breathing quickened.

"What do you want?"

The man smiled.

"Not you."

He leaned closer.

"I want to see what the great Adrian Vale will do when someone takes away the only thing he can't afford to lose."

Elena's heart stopped.

He stood.

"Let's see how far the devil is willing to go for his little angel."

And somewhere across the city, Adrian Vale was already coming for her.

But neither of them knew that the person who betrayed Adrian was already inside his inner circle.

And the traitor had one final surprise waiting.