The Hunter’s Mark
1057 Words
Chapter 13.
The sun had barely risen when Serena woke to the sound of murmured voices outside her door.
She sat up, her heart still rattling in her chest from the events of the night before. The intruder. The gunshot. Damian’s terrifying calm as he ended a man’s life in front of her.
And yet—
She hadn’t run.
She should have.
Instead, she had stayed.
Now, in the cold light of morning, reality crashed down like a tidal wave.
There had been more than one man hunting her.
And if Damian was right, last night had only been the beginning.
A knock sounded at her door.
Serena’s pulse spiked.
Then—
“Serena, it’s me.”
Damian.
His voice was low, firm.
She swallowed and pulled the blanket tighter around her. “Come in.”
The door opened, and Damian stepped inside.
He was already dressed in his usual dark suit, the crisp lines doing nothing to soften the lethal aura around him. His presence filled the room, suffocating in a way that should have scared her.
Instead, it grounded her.
His eyes swept over her, sharp as a blade. “Did you sleep?”
Serena hesitated. “A little.”
It was a lie, and they both knew it.
Damian exhaled, rubbing a hand over his jaw.
“Get dressed,” he said. “We’re leaving.”
Serena’s brows furrowed. “Leaving?”
“Someone put a target on your back.” His voice was like steel. “We’re finding out who.”
The Game Begins
An hour later, Serena sat in the passenger seat of Damian’s sleek black Aston Martin, gripping the leather armrest as they sped down the highway.
The city blurred past in a haze of steel and glass, but Serena wasn’t focused on the skyline.
She was focused on the man beside her.
Damian was a storm, barely contained.
His fingers tapped rhythmically against the steering wheel, his jaw clenched tight.
Serena licked her lips. “Where are we going?”
“To get answers.”
His voice was sharp, and controlled.
But there was something beneath it.
Something dark.
Something ruthless.
Serena didn’t ask any more questions.
Somehow, she knew—
She wouldn’t like the answers.
The Warehouse
The car pulled into an abandoned industrial district on the edge of the city.
Rusting warehouses loomed overhead, their windows shattered, their walls covered in faded graffiti.
A shiver ran down Serena’s spine.
Damian parked and stepped out. “Stay close.”
Serena hesitated before following him.
The air smelled of oil and decay, the silence unsettling.
Then—
A door creaked open ahead.
A man stood in the doorway.
He was built like a mountain, his arms crossed over his chest, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
His gaze landed on Damian, then flicked to Serena.
A slow smirk spread across his face. “Didn’t think you’d bring a date, Blackwood.”
Serena stiffened.
Damian didn’t react. “Is he inside?”
The man chuckled. “Yeah. But he’s not in a talking mood.”
Damian’s expression darkened.
“Then I’ll make him talk.”
Interrogation
Serena followed Damian into the warehouse, her heart hammering.
Inside, the space was dimly lit, the air thick with dust and something metallic.
And then she saw him.
A man was tied to a chair in the center of the room.
Blood dripped from his temple, his shirt torn.
He lifted his head slowly, his gaze hazy—until he saw Damian.
Then, his eyes widened.
“You—”
Damian didn’t waste time.
He stepped forward and punched the man so hard his head snapped back.
Serena gasped.
But Damian didn’t stop.
Another hit.
Then another.
The sickening crack of bone echoed through the warehouse.
The man groaned, spitting blood onto the concrete floor.
“You sent him.” Damian’s voice was ice. “Who ordered the hit?”
The man coughed, a cruel grin spreading across his bloodied face. “You think I’ll tell you?”
Damian tilted his head. “Yes.”
Then, without hesitation—
He grabbed a knife.
Serena’s breath caught.
Damian knelt, pressing the blade against the man’s throat.
“One last chance.”
The man’s grin faltered.
Serena could see it now—the flicker of fear in his eyes.
Damian didn’t bluff.
The man knew it.
“I—” He coughed, spitting more blood. “It wasn’t me.”
Damian’s hand didn’t move.
“Lies,” he said flatly.
The man wheezed. “I swear—”
The knife pressed deeper.
And finally—
The man broke.
“Fine! Fine!” He gasped for breath. “It wasn’t my call! It came from someone higher!”
Damian’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
The man swallowed hard.
Then—
“…The Santiago family.”
Serena froze.
Even she had heard of them.
The Santiago family wasn’t just any criminal syndicate.
They were one of the most powerful in the world.
And now—
They wanted her dead.
The Truth Unfolds
Damian stood, his grip on the knife steady.
Serena’s voice was barely a whisper. “Why would the Santiagos want me dead?”
The man in the chair coughed. “Because of him.”
Serena’s stomach twisted. “Damian?”
The man gave a bloody grin. “You think being close to Blackwood protects you?” His laugh was hollow. “No, sweetheart. It puts a target on your back.”
Serena’s blood turned to ice.
She turned to Damian. “What is he talking about?”
Damian exhaled slowly. “The Santiagos and I have history.”
Serena’s hands clenched. “What kind of history?”
Damian’s gray eyes locked onto hers.
“The kind that doesn’t end without blood.”
A War Begins
Serena’s pulse thundered.
She had stepped into something bigger than she had ever imagined.
The attack last night?
It hadn’t been random.
It had been a warning.
A message.
And Damian knew it.
Serena licked her lips. “What happens now?”
Damian didn’t hesitate.
“We go to war.”
The words sent a shiver down her spine.
Because she knew—
Damian Blackwood didn’t lose.
And the Santiagos had just made the biggest mistake of their lives.
They had threatened her.
And now—
They were going to pay.
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- Writer
