Chapter 3 - The Blood on the Threshold
By three in the morning, the rain had tapered off into a thick, clinging fog that smothered the Garden District.
Audrey had been given a guest room on the second floor, a change of dry clothes—a pair of silk pajamas that felt far too luxurious for her—and a hot meal she could barely touch. Her hands were bandaged, her ribs throbbed where she had hit the metal pillar, but sleep was impossible.
Every time she closed her eyes, she heard the splash. She felt the freezing black water pulling her under.
A soft knock at her door broke the silence.
Audrey sat up quickly. "Who is it?"
The door opened slowly, revealing Dorian. He had changed into a black turtleneck and dark trousers, making his pale skin and silvering hair stand out in stark contrast. He carried a glass of amber liquid in one hand and a thick folder in the other.
"You should be resting," he said, stepping into the room without asking. He walked over to the armchair by the window and sat down, setting the glass on the side table.
"So should you," Audrey replied, pulling the duvet tighter around her shoulders. "How is Julian?"
"The fever is down. Eleanor says he’ll recover physically," Dorian said. He looked out the window into the fog. "Mentally... that will take longer. He hasn't spoken a word since we brought him in."
"He’s traumatized," Audrey said gently. "He’s eight. Someone he trusted took him from his bed and threw him into a river. He doesn't know who is safe anymore."
"He knows you are safe," Dorian said, turning his head to look at her. "He asked for you twenty minutes ago. He didn't ask for me. He didn't ask for his uncle. He asked for the girl in the scrubs."
Audrey felt a strange pang in her chest. "I’ll go to him."
"Not yet," Dorian said, holding up a hand. "First, we need to discuss your situation."
He tossed the folder onto the foot of her bed. Audrey reached out and opened it. Inside were detailed photographs of her tiny, rundown apartment on Elmira Street. The front door had been kicked off its hinges. The mattress was slashed open. Her drawers were dumped onto the floor, her clothes shredded, her few belongings destroyed.
Audrey’s breath hitched. "My... my apartment."
"My men went there an hour ago to secure your things," Dorian said, his tone devoid of emotion. "They found three men inside. They were not looking for money, Miss Voss. They were waiting for you to come home."
Audrey felt the room tilt. "Why? I don't know anything! I don't know who you are, I don't know your business, I just—"
"You saw the timeline," Dorian interrupted smoothly. "You know what time my son entered the water. You know what he was wearing. You heard his first words. In my world, a witness is a loose thread. And the people I deal with do not leave loose threads."
Audrey dropped the folder, her hands shaking again. "What am I supposed to do? I have a job—two jobs! I have rent—"
"Your rent is paid for the next ten years," Dorian said flatly. "Your employment at the clinic has been terminated, with a generous severance package deposited into an account I opened in your name this morning. You no longer live on Elmira Street, Miss Voss. You live here."
Audrey stared at him, incredulous. "You can't just buy my life!"
"I am not buying your life, Miss Voss. I am saving it," Dorian said, his eyes darkening. "Whoever threw my son into that river failed. They know he survived. They know you saved him. Until I find out who gave the order, you are the safest person in this house—and the most dangerous person to my enemies. You stay under my roof, under my protection, or you walk out those gates and die before you reach the end of the block. Choice is yours."
Audrey clamped her jaw shut. The arrogance of the man was infuriating, but as she looked at the photos of her torn-up apartment, she knew he wasn't lying. The world she had known four hours ago—a world of double shifts, late bus schedules, and forty-two dollars in checking—was gone.
"What do you want from me?" she asked softly.
Dorian stood up, walking toward the door. "I want you to stay with Julian. I want you to be his nurse, his guard, and his companion. He trusts you. And right now, Miss Voss, you are the only person in this city I trust not to kill my son."
Before Audrey could answer, a loud argument echoed from the grand staircase outside her door.
"I don't give a damn about your lockdown, Marcus!" a sharp, arrogant voice roared. "This is my house too! You don't bar me from my own nephew’s side!"
May you like
Dorian paused at the doorway, his back stiffening. He didn't look back at Audrey as he spoke, his voice ice-cold.
"That is my brother, Victor," Dorian said softly. "Listen carefully to his voice, Audrey. Because tomorrow, you are going to help me figure out if he is the man who tried to drown my boy."
