Chapter 4 - The House Went Dark
Mara heard footsteps behind her.
She turned.
A hand covered her mouth.
She drove her elbow backward.
The man grunted.
Mara twisted free and ran.
“Adrian!”
Someone grabbed her sweater.
The fabric tore.
Then Adrian appeared from the darkness.
The confrontation lasted seconds.
A body hit the floor.
Another man ran.
Luca's security team flooded the hallway.
Emergency lights flickered on.
Mara pressed herself against the wall.
Adrian stood in front of her.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Look at me.”
“I said I'm fine.”
“Mara.”
She looked at him.
His control was gone.
Only briefly.
But she saw it.
Fear.
For her.
“I'm fine.”
His breathing slowed.
Luca approached.
“We've got one alive.”
“Who?”
“Not ours.”
“Take him downstairs.”
Mara looked between them.
“Victor sent him?”
“We'll find out.”
Adrian turned to leave.
Mara caught his wrist.
Everyone stopped.
Her fingers rested directly over the tattoos on his hand.
Adrian looked down at her hand.
Then at her.
“Don't kill him.”
Luca suddenly became very interested in the opposite wall.
Adrian said quietly, “He entered my home to take you.”
“I know.”
“He could've killed you.”
“I know.”
“So why are you protecting him?”
“I'm not.”
She released Adrian's wrist.
“I'm protecting you from making this worse.”
His eyes stayed on her.
“You think you understand me?”
“No.”
“Then don't tell me what I should do.”
“Fine.”
Mara stepped closer.
“Do whatever you want.”
She pointed toward the hallway.
“But Victor wants you angry. He wants you making emotional decisions.”
Adrian went still.
“He couldn't poison you. So now he's trying to make you lose control.”
Silence.
Luca finally spoke.
“She has a point.”
Adrian glared at him.
Luca raised both hands.
“Long career.”
An hour later, the captured intruder talked.
Victor had arranged a meeting.
Midnight.
An abandoned ferry terminal.
He wanted Adrian alone.
“Obviously a trap,” Mara said.
Adrian buttoned his jacket.
“Obviously.”
“And you're going?”
“Yes.”
“That's incredibly stupid.”
“Probably.”
“Then don't.”
Adrian stopped.
Mara stood in the doorway.
For the first time since meeting him, she didn't have a sarcastic response.
“If something happens to you because of what I saw…”
“It won't be because of you.”
“I exposed Victor.”
“He betrayed me long before you walked into that restaurant.”
Adrian approached.
“You didn't create this war, Mara.”
“Then why does it feel like I'm standing in the middle of it?”
“Because you are.”
He paused.
“And I'm sorry.”
That surprised her more than anything else he had said.
Adrian Bellandi apologized like a man unfamiliar with the experience.
Mara whispered, “Come back.”
He looked at her.
“Is that an order?”
“Yes.”
A faint smile appeared.
“You're becoming demanding.”
“I've always been demanding.”
“I noticed.”
Then he left.
At 12:42 a.m., Luca received a phone call.
Mara watched his expression change.
“What happened?”
Luca grabbed his coat.
“Mara, stay here.”
“What happened?”
“Adrian's convoy was hit.”
Her stomach dropped.
“Is he alive?”
Luca didn't answer quickly enough.
“Luca!”
May you like
“We don't know.”
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