Chapter 8 - The Price of Blood
Time seemed to fracture into slow motion.
Marcus took another step forward, the snub-nosed revolver catching the afternoon light as he raised it toward my chest.
“Don't move,” Marcus snarled, his eyes wide with desperate greed. “One scream and I put a bullet through you and the little brat you’re hiding in that belly.”
My hand clamped instinctively over my stomach. Every maternal instinct I possessed surged forward, overriding the paralyzing terror. I wasn't just fighting for my own survival anymore; I was fighting for my child.
“You touch me, and Alessandro will hunt you down to the ends of the earth,” I warned, my voice dropping into a steady, chilling register that surprised even myself. “You think a gun saves you from a man like him? He owns this city, Marcus. You won't make it two blocks past these gates.”
Marcus hesitated for a fraction of a second, a flicker of genuine doubt crossing his ruined face.
That fraction of a second was all I needed.
As he lunged forward to grab my arm, I swung the heavy crystal paperweight with every ounce of strength I had left, smashing it directly across his jaw.
CRACK.
Marcus roared in pain, stumbling backward and dropping the gun. It clattered loudly against the hardwood floor, sliding beneath the antique dresser.
Before he could recover, I bolted toward the door, my fingers clawing at the brass knob.
I twisted it, wrenched the door open, and screamed at the top of my lungs.
“GUARD! SECURITY!”
Heavy boots thundered up the staircase instantly. Within three seconds, two of Alessandro’s elite private security guards rounded the corner, weapons drawn, professional and lethal.
“Down on the floor! Hands behind your head!” one guard barked, slamming Marcus facedown onto the hardwood before he could reach for another weapon.
“Get him out of my sight,” I panted, leaning against the doorframe, my knees shaking so violently I could barely stand. “Get him out of this house.”
“Yes, ma'am,” the guard replied sharply, hauling Marcus to his feet and dragging him out of the suite as he cursed furiously into the hallway.
I slid down the doorframe until I sat on the floor, pulling my knees to my chest, letting the delayed shock wash over me in agonizing waves.
May you like
He had found me. The past I had spent years running from had finally punched through the billionaire fortress walls.
And worse—Alessandro was going to find out.
