Sold To The Devil's Heir

chapter 5

Zara

The moment I saw Damien step out from between the trees, something inside me finally loosened. I had spent the last several minutes running through the darkness with no idea where I was going, terrified that the men behind me would catch up before I found somewhere safe.

Now he stood only a few feet away, surrounded by armed men, his expression frighteningly calm as he stared at the stranger holding me.

I should have been relieved. Instead, I felt confused. Damien was the last person I wanted to depend on, especially after everything that had happened between us tonight.

He was the man who had appeared in my life with a marriage contract and claimed my father owed him enough money to make me his wife. Yet when I had been cornered in the forest, the first person I had wanted to see was him. I hated that.

"Let her go," Damien said. The man holding my wrist laughed softly

. "You really think you can order us around?"

Damien's expression didn't change.

"I'm not ordering you," he said, taking one slow step forward.

"I'm giving you a chance." The man looked around at Damien's men and then back at him.

"You're outnumbered," the Man said with a smug smile.

"No," Damien said.

"You're simply counting the wrong people," Damien said, before I could understand what he meant, one of Damien's men fired toward the ground beside the SUV. The attacker jumped back in surprise, and his grip loosened around my wrist.

Damien moved immediately. He crossed the distance between us so quickly that I barely saw him move. His hand caught the man's arm, twisting it behind his back before the attacker could raise his weapon. The gun fell into the mud, and Damien shoved him away from me.

"Run," he said to me. I stared at him.

"What?"

"Zara, move."

Something in his voice made me obey.

I ran toward the group of men standing behind him, but I hadn't taken more than a few steps when another attacker emerged from the side of the SUV.

He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me backward. I screamed, making Damien turned.

The expression on his face changed so completely that I stopped breathing. He wasn't calm anymore. He looked furious.

"Take your hands off her," he growled. The man pressed a gun against my side.

"Stay back," Damien stopped. For the first time, I saw something flicker across his eyes.

Fear. It disappeared almost instantly, but I had seen it. He was afraid for me.

"All right," he said quietly.

"Nobody is going to hurt you." The man laughed.

"You're lying."

"I'm not," Damien lowered his weapon and slowly placed it on the ground. My heart started pounding harder.

"What are you doing?" I whispered. He didn't look at me.

"Trust me," Two words, that was all. I didn't know why, but I did.

The man holding me loosened his grip slightly, probably believing Damien had surrendered. Damien waited for exactly the right moment before moving.

He kicked the weapon away, stepped forward, and grabbed the man's wrist. The gun went off.

The sound exploded through the forest.

I screamed as Damien pulled me against him and turned his body, shielding me from the direction of the shot.

For a few seconds, I couldn't hear anything except the ringing in my ears.

Then I realized his arms were wrapped around me. He was holding me tightly against his chest.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No," i said as i shook my head.

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"Yes."

He didn't let go immediately. His hand moved slowly over the back of my head, checking for injuries, while his other arm remained firmly around my waist.

I could feel his heartbeat beneath my cheek, strong and steady despite the chaos around us. I should have pushed him away. I didn't, for the first time since my life had fallen apart, I felt safe.

That realization frightened me. I slowly lifted my head. Damien was already looking at me.

His eyes moved over my face, lingering on the small cut near my cheek.

"You were bleeding," he said, narrowing his eyes at me.

"It's nothing," I said that i looked away.

"It doesn't look like nothing," he argued.

"I'm fine."

"You keep saying that."

"Because I am," i said, giving him an annoyed look. His mouth tightened.

"You're stubborn."I stared at him.

"You've known me for one day."

"I know enough," he said. Something about the way he said it made my stomach flutter.

I immediately stepped away from him.

He released me without argument. Matteo approached us, holding the weapon that had been dropped during the struggle.

"Two men are unconscious," he said.

"Three escaped into the woods," he added.

"Find them," Damien said.

"What about her?"Damien looked at me.

"I'm taking her home," he said, i almost laughed.

"Home?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Your father's house was attacked," he said before i could say anything.

"Then I'll find somewhere else."

"Where?"

I opened my mouth but couldn't answer.

My apartment had been empty for months because I'd been staying at my father's mansion while preparing for my wedding.

My best friend lived across town, but I had no idea if she was even home tonight. My phone had disappeared somewhere during the escape, and I had no money with me.

Damien noticed my hesitation.

"You don't have anywhere to go," he said his voice softening.

"I'll figure something out," i sighed.

"You nearly got kidnapped."

"I know."

"And you're still planning to walk away

alone?"

"I don't need you to rescue me every time something goes wrong," i said, my voice was barely above whisper. His expression softened slightly.

"I know," That answer surprised me.

"Then why are you insisting?"

He looked toward the dark forest before returning his attention to me.

"Because whoever came for you tonight won't stop." My stomach dropped.

"Who were they?"

"I don't know yet."

"Then how do you know they'll come back?"

"Because they went into considerable trouble to find you." I hugged my arms around myself.

"Why would anyone want me?" Damien was silent. I watched his face carefully. There it was again, that hesitation. He knew something.

"You do know," I said. His eyes met mine.

"Know what?"

"Why they wanted me."

"I have an idea."

"What kind of idea?"

"One I don't want to discuss here," I shook my head.

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"Because you're not safe enough to hear everything yet."

"I'm tired of people deciding what I'm allowed to know." He didn't argue. Instead, he walked toward me and removed his jacket. I frowned as he placed it over my shoulders.

"You'll get cold," he said.

"I'm fine."

"You've already said that," he said with a smirk. He looked down at me.

"Stop pretending you are." For some reason, those words hurt more than they should have.

I looked away.

"I'm not pretending." He didn't respond.

A moment later, I felt his fingers gently brush a wet strand of hair away from my face.

The touch was so unexpected that I froze.

His hand lingered near my cheek.

"There's another cut here," he said quietly, making me swallow.

"It's small," i said.

"It still needs to be cleaned."

"I can do it myself."

"I know," he said, as his thumb brushed lightly beneath my eye, wiping away a trail of rain and tears I hadn't realized was there.

"Come with me." I should have refused. Instead, I nodded. The ride back was quiet.

I sat beside Damien in the back seat while Matteo drove. His jacket was still around my shoulders, carrying the faint scent of his cologne. I kept telling myself that I only wore it because my clothes were soaked, nothing else.

I glanced toward him. He was staring out the window, his expression unreadable.

"Why did you come?" I asked. He turned his head.

"What?"

"To the mansion," i answered.

"I was notified about the attack," he said.

"No." I shook my head.

"Why did you come yourself?" He looked at me for several seconds.

"Because I needed to know you were alive."

My heart skipped. I looked away before he could notice.

"That doesn't make sense," i breathed out.

"It doesn't have to," he replied.

I didn't know what to say to that. The car continued through the rain until the enormous gates of the De Luca estate appeared ahead.

I stared through the window. The property was breathtaking. Tall stone walls surrounded the grounds, while warm lights illuminated the enormous mansion in the distance. It looked more like a palace than a home.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"To my house," he said.

"I thought you said you were taking me somewhere safe," i said narrowing my eyes at him.

"You'll be safer there." I looked at him.

"You're the devil everyone keeps warning me about," i said before i could stop myself. His lips curved slightly.

"That's what people call me."

"And are they wrong?" He considered the question.

"No."

I should have been frightened. Instead, I found myself wondering what kind of man could be feared by an entire city and still look at me the way he had in the forest.

The car stopped. Damien opened the door and stepped out. I followed him toward the entrance.

Halfway there, my ankle twisted painfully.

I stumbled.

His arm immediately wrapped around my waist.

"I've got you," he said. I looked up. Our faces were only inches apart. Neither of us moved.

His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.

My breath caught. For one dangerous second, I thought he might kiss me. Instead, he straightened and helped me stand.

"You should rest." I nodded, suddenly unable to meet his eyes.

As we entered the mansion, I noticed several people watching us from the staircase.

Damien ignored them.

I didn't, their expressions told me something was happening that I didn't understand.

And then an elegant woman stepped forward.

She looked at Damien first, then at me. Her face went completely pale.

"Elena's daughter," she whispered. I froze.

Damien's expression hardened.

"Mother." The woman covered her mouth with one trembling hand.

"Oh my God." She looked at me again.

"You're alive." My heart began pounding. I turned toward Damien.

"What does she mean?" He didn't answer.

His mother stepped closer, tears suddenly filling her eyes.

"Zara," she whispered.

"Your mother never wanted you to know what happened that night." I stared at her.

"What night?" i asked with confusion. She looked at Damien.

He shook his head once. But it was too late. I had heard enough.

"Damien," I said, my voice trembling.

"What happened to my mother?" He looked at me for a long moment. Then his phone rang.

He answered it.

"Speak." His expression changed.

"How long?" A pause.

"Keep him alive." He ended the call and looked at me.

"What happened?" I asked. He stepped closer.

"The man who ordered your kidnapping has been identified."

"Who?" i asked. Damien's eyes darkened before he answered.

"Your mother's killer."