Chapter 3 - Ashes and Alliances
I screamed. I couldn't help it.
"My apartment?!" I dragged against the zip-ties binding my wrists to the metal chair, the plastic biting deep into my skin. "My things! Everything I own is in that room!"
Damian stood up in one fluid motion, snatching the phone from Leo's hand. His eyes scanned the live video feed showing bright orange flames roaring out of the third-story window of my dilapidated brick building in Pilsen. Fire trucks were already pulling onto the street, their sirens wailing through the phone's speaker.
"Was it an arson team?" Damian demanded.
"Cleaners," Leo reported grimly. "They breached the front door thirty seconds before my guys reached the alley. They torched the whole floor with military-grade thermite. Nothing in that unit survived."
Damian slammed his fist against the concrete wall, a sudden, violent crack that made me flinch. The composure he had worn like armor slipped for a fraction of a second, revealing the sheer, volcanic fury underneath.
He turned slowly to look at me. "Who else knew about the drive, Clara?"
"Nobody!" I cried out, tears of frustration and terror spilling over my lashes. "I swear on my life! I didn't tell a single soul! I was scared! I thought I'd get fired if my boss saw me with a stolen item!"
Damian stared at me, his sharp grey eyes searching my face for any hint of deception. Finally, he let out a long, heavy breath, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small tactical knife.
He stepped toward me. I tensed, pulling back against the chair.
With a swift, practiced flick of his wrist, he sliced through the heavy zip-ties on my wrists and ankles.
"Get up," he said.
I collapsed forward, my legs numb and weak, but Damian caught me by the arm before I hit the floor. His grip was firm, surprisingly careful as he pulled me to my feet.
"They burned your apartment because they knew you were the leak," Damian said, keeping his hand on my elbow to steady me. "Which means Moretti's men had eyes on you from the moment you left that alley. They watched you hide that drive, and when they saw my SUV pick you up tonight, they scorched the earth to make sure we didn't get it."
"So... so it's gone?" I asked, rubbing my raw, red wrists. "The key is destroyed?"
Damian's mouth twisted into a dark, dangerous smirk. "Thermite burns at four thousand degrees, Miss Martinez. But the hardware keys used by my organization are encased in military-grade titanium alloy. It's sitting in the ashes under your floorboards right now."
He turned toward Leo. "Get the tactical unit. We're going to her block before the police wrap their perimeter. And bring a fresh coat for Miss Martinez."
"Where are you taking me?" I asked, panic surging anew as Leo tossed me a heavy dark trench coat.
May you like
Damian looked at me as he buttoned his suit jacket.
"You don't have an apartment anymore, Clara. You don't have a job. And if Moretti's men find you walking the streets, they will end you just to keep your mouth shut," Damian said flatly. "You saved my mother's life. Like it or not, that makes you my responsibility. You're coming to the estate."
