Dead Must Stay Dead
1171 Words
For three seconds, nobody moved. Then Damien pushed himself upright. “Get behind me.”
The man laughed. “You really haven’t changed, Damien.”
My blood ran cold.
Damien looked at him. “Gabriel.”
So he knew him. Of course he did.
The man from the photograph.
My father’s friend.
The man I had been told was dead.
Gabriel lowered the gun slightly.
“You look surprised, Seraphina.”
I couldn’t get a word out of my mouth, it felt like I was frozen and couldn't speak. Damien slowly got to his feet, and the blood-stained side of his shirt was visible. “You were supposed to be dead.”
Gabriel smiled. “That was the idea.”
“Why?”
“Because your enemies believed it.”
Damien’s expression hardened. “And my employees?”
“Collateral.”
My stomach turned. “You killed Chloe?”
Gabriel looked at me. “Not yet.”
Damien stepped forward. “Where is she?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
Gabriel ignored him. His eyes remained on me. “You look exactly like your father.”
I swallowed. “You knew him?”
“I knew him very well.”
“Then tell me what happened.”
Gabriel’s smile disappeared. “Your father discovered the truth.”
“What truth?”
“That Blackwood Holdings wasn’t the problem.”
I looked at Damien. He didn’t react.
Gabriel continued.
“Someone had been using the company for years. Moving money. Buying people. Removing anyone who got too close.”
“Northstar,” I whispered.
He nodded.
“Northstar was only the beginning.”
Damien stepped closer. “Who runs it?”
Gabriel looked at him. “You already know.”
“I want to hear you say it.”
Gabriel smiled. “Elias.”
My stomach dropped when I heard that name. H was the Damien’s uncle.
“You’re lying.”
“No.”
Gabriel looked at me. “Your father found evidence that Elias Blackwood had been using Damien’s company to build his own empire.”
I looked at Damien. His face was completely still.
But his eyes had changed. “You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t have proof.”
Gabriel laughed. “Still protecting her.”
Damien’s gaze sharpened. “Give me the files.”
Gabriel shook his head. “I don’t have them.”
“Then where are they?”
“With the only person your father trusted.”
“Who?”
Gabriel looked at me.
“You.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Your father left something for you.”
“I don’t have anything.”
“You do.”
He raised the gun slightly.
“You’re just looking in the wrong place.”
A sharp sound echoed through the garage.
Security.
Gabriel glanced behind him. “Time to go.”
Damien lunged his way, but Gabriel was on his guard, and he fired as soon as he got the chance.
The bullet struck the concrete beside us.
I screamed. Damien grabbed me and pulled me behind a pillar.
“Stay down.”
Another shot. Then tires screeched. By the time security reached us, Gabriel was gone.
“You’re bleeding.” Damien ignored me.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine.”
“It’s a scratch.”
“You were shot.”
“The bullet grazed me.”
I stared at the blood on his shirt. “That doesn’t make it a scratch.”
He looked at me. “I’m alive.”
My eyes burned. “That isn’t funny.”
His expression softened. “I’m sorry.”
I stepped closer. “Don’t ever do that again.”
“Do what?”
“Put yourself between me and a bullet.”
“I’ll try.”
“You’d better.” He must have thought it was because I cared for him, but I didn't want him to get hurt because of me, and realized that it wasn't all worth it when he found out the truth about me.
He reached for my hand.
I let him, his thumb moved across my knuckles. He pulled me against him. I didn’t think. I wrapped my arms around him.
For once, neither of us cared about the lies between us.
His hand moved through my hair.
“I thought I lost you.”
“You didn’t.”
“I know.”
He held me tighter. “I don’t want to.”
I closed my eyes. Neither of us noticed the security camera above us.
Or the red light blinking quietly.
Someone was watching. We just wanted to be at that moment. And I didn't care about anything else but him.
..............
Two hours later, we were back at the penthouse. Damien refused medical attention.
I refused to let him sleep. We compromised with me cleaning the wound while he sat shirtless on the edge of the bed.
I tried very hard not to stare.
I failed.
“You can look.”
I glanced up. “I’m checking the wound.”
“Of course.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
“I’m not.” His mouth curved.
I dabbed antiseptic over the cut. He hissed.
“Sorry.”
“You don’t sound sorry.”
“Because I’m not.”
He laughed quietly. It was the first genuine laugh I’d heard from him. I looked at him. “What’s funny?”
“You.”
“Me?”
“You’ve spent days telling me you hate me.”
“I do.”
“Yet you’re sitting here cleaning my wounds.”
“You got shot protecting me.”
“I noticed.”
I looked down. “Don’t make me regret caring.”
His smile disappeared. “Seraphina.”
I met his eyes.
“I care about you.”
The words were simple, yet they freaked the s**t out of me. Before I could respond, his phone rang. and finally I felt like I could breathe again.
He answered. “Yes?”
His expression started to change. “Where?” He stood. And I noticed that something was wrong, moreover what could go right in our lives, I should've thought.
“What happened?” I watched the color drain from his face.
He ended the call.
“What?”
“Chloe is awake.”
Finally, something went right, relief flooded me.
“She’s alive?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go.”
He grabbed his jacket.
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“She asked for you.”
I froze.
“She said she knows who has been watching you.”
My stomach tightened.
“Who?”
Damien looked at me.
“She wouldn’t say.”
“Then let’s go.”
He opened the door. Before I stepped through, his hand caught mine.
“Stay beside me.” I looked at him. “Always.”
The word escaped before I could stop it. His eyes softened. Neither of us corrected it.
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