Chapter 2 - The Red Floor
The smell of copper and wet rain hung heavily in the air, mixing with the scent of lavender oil from the shattered bottle bleeding into the hardwood.
I stood paralyzed in the doorway for a fraction of a second. The world spun on its axis, shrinking down to the sight of my mother’s manicured hand rising into the air, ready to strike my pregnant wife again.
"Kareen!"
The roar that ripped from my throat didn't sound human. It was a guttural, terrifying sound that rattled the crystal sconces lining the hallway.
My mother froze, her arm suspended in mid-air. Her head snapped toward the doorway, her bloodshot eyes widening in absolute, blinding horror. The sadistic smirk on her face dissolved instantly, replaced by a ghastly, paleness that made her look like a ghost.
"Thane...?" Kareen choked out, her voice dropping into a high-pitched, pathetic squeak. "You're... you're on the plane to Tokyo..."
I didn't answer. I crossed the room in two massive strides, my hand closing around Kareen’s wrist with enough force to crush bone. I tore her grip out of Alora’s hair and threw my mother backward with violent, unyielding force. She stumbled over an overturned armchair and crashed hard against the base of the velvet headboard, letting out a sharp yelp of pain.
I didn't give her a second glance. I dropped to my knees beside my wife.
"Alora... Alora, baby, look at me." My hands were shaking uncontrollably as I reached for her. I was terrified to touch her, terrified I might hurt her more.
Alora flinched violently at the sound of my movement, curling into an even tighter ball, her arms locked defensively over her belly. "Please... don't hit me... please, Kareen, I'm sorry... don't hurt the baby..."
"It’s me, Alora. It’s Thane. I’m home. I’m right here." I gathered her slender, trembling body into my arms, pulling her gently against my chest. Her silk nightgown was soaked in sweat, rain from my jacket, and her own blood.
When she recognized my face through her swollen, tear-filled eyes, a broken sob erupted from her lungs. She buried her face into the crook of my neck, her whole frame shivering violently.
"Thane... you're home... oh God, Thane, she was going to kill him... she kept kicking at my stomach..."
My eyes swept over her injuries. A deep cut above her eyebrow was dripping blood down her cheek, her left lip was split wide open, and red, angry finger marks were bruised deep into the delicate skin of her throat.
A cold, lethal stillness settled over my soul. The shock was gone, replaced by a dark, calculated fury that felt almost tranquil.
"Thane, darling, listen to me!" Kareen scrambled up from the floor, her diamond rings catching the yellow light. She adjusted her silk blouse, her mind frantically trying to spin the reality before her. "It’s not what it looks like! She’s hysterical! She’s out of her mind from the pregnancy hormones! I came upstairs to bring her tea, and she attacked me! She tried to push me down the stairs, Thane! Look at my arm!"
She thrust her wrinkled wrist toward me, but I didn't move a muscle. I just looked at her.
"You hit my pregnant wife," I said, my voice eerily calm, devoid of any emotion.
"She was stealing from you!" Kareen shrieked, stepping closer, her voice laced with desperate poison. "I caught her trying to wire money out of your account! She was trying to open your master safe! She insulted me, Thane! She called me a parasite! I was only defending your honor! I was protecting your estate!"
"The flight to Tokyo was canceled," I whispered, holding Alora tighter as she whimpered in my arms. "The Pacific storm grounded all international departures out of LAX. I tried to call Alora, but her phone was dead. So I drove back."
Kareen’s breath hitched. She took a step back, realizing the timeline was completely against her.
Before she could invent another lie, a strange, metallic grinding noise echoed from the far end of the master suite—from inside my walk-in closet where the heavy, wall-mounted biometric safe was concealed.
Whirrr... Clack. Clack. Clack.
It was the distinct sound of a high-powered electronic drill cutting through reinforced steel.
I raised my head, staring toward the open closet door. Kareen’s eyes darted nervously toward the noise, a fresh wave of panic washing over her face.
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"Stay here," I murmured to Alora, gently laying her down against the soft rug and placing a decorative pillow under her head.
I stood up slowly, pulling a heavy bronze statue of a rising eagle off the bedside table. My boots made no sound as I walked toward the walk-in closet, my shadow lengthening against the wall.
