The silence that followed was heavier than the brawl. She stood across the room, eyes locked on mine, hands clenched at her sides. Not trembling. Just tight.
I noticed the redness on her wrist and assumed it was where Vika had grabbed her. I felt the urge to ask if she was okay, if the bastard had hurt her. But in the end, I didn’t.
She combed her fingers through her tousled hair, her chest rising and falling with slow breaths. We stared into each other’s eyes without saying a word. And after a moment, I turned around and began walking toward the door.
I felt an unfamiliar guilt in my stomach, one that made me wonder what would’ve happened to her if I’d been a minute late. Perhaps I never should’ve left her here all by herself. Perhaps it was better to keep her close to me now. Get her to a place where I was sure she’d be safer.
A few feet away from her, I stopped in my tracks, glancing back in her direction. “Are you coming or what?”
She hesitated for a second. “Coming where?”
“If you like it here, that’s fine.” I grabbed the door and yanked it open.
“Wait.” She took a step forward and began walking over to me.
Together, we headed out of the building and got into my vehicle. I started the engine and drove away with her ridingshotgun. During the drive to my place, the car’s cabin was quiet until she broke the silence.
“Who was that?”
I hesitated, eyes fixed on the road ahead. “My cousin, Vika.”
She glanced at me, hands clasped in her lap, a frown on her face. “Well, he’s an asshole, a fuckin’ pervert.”
“That…we can agree on,” I replied softly, steering the vehicle down another street. “Vika has always been a disgrace. He has no honor and indulges himself in activities like trafficking women.” The anger in my voice was palpable even though I tried to mask it. “Because he’s family, the rest of us are supposed to cover for him. We’re all monsters anyway.”
She paused, as if processing my words. “So, the trafficking case I was working on…that was him?”
Silence.
I didn’t confirm or deny it.
Chapter 9 — Kiera
The electronic gates parted with a soft creak as the car rolled into the grand estate. The driveway stretched into the distance, lined by towering trees on both sides.
I sat in the front passenger seat with my head against the glass, drinking in the sight outside. This was his place—his mansion. I didn’t need anyone to tell me that.
The manicured garden on one side of the courtyard was beautiful: trimmed hedgerows, fresh flowers, hanging lamps, and a mini fountain. I spotted what looked like a helipad in the distance, pressed into the soil like a giant coin.
Silence settled over us in the car as we drove deeper into the estate. Ahead, a massive structure revealed itself, rising three stories. It was built in a blend of old-world European architecture and modern restraint.
The closer we drew to it, the more visible the fountain in front of it became. Carved from black marble, it stood at the center of the courtyard. Water squirted in steady, measured streams from a round upper basin into a larger one below.
Even the wind moved differently here, softened by the careful landscaping.
Finally, we arrived, and he parked the vehicle beside the magnificent fountain. The sound of the spilling water was soothing—not chaotic or loud—but calm.
“We’re here,” he announced quietly, killing the engine.
My eyes caught the tall, arched windows lining the front of the building, their glass darkened from within. The entrance was framed with stone columns and a massive door with a handle shaped like a lion’s head.
On the balcony above were two giant gargoyles with glowing red eyes that gave me the creeps. Although the estate was calm and serene, it did not seem welcoming. Composed.But not welcoming. It was the kind of place built by a man who valued permanence over comfort.
He opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle. I did the same, my eyes drinking in the unfamiliar surroundings. I spotted a few armed men on the flat rooftop as I made my way toward the entrance.
The moon’s ethereal glow silvered everything it touched, as the cold, distant stars twinkled in the night sky. The giant door parted open, and he walked inside.
My eyes squinted at the bright foyer lights that enveloped me the minute I stepped inside. The marble floor was cool beneath my bare feet, so polished that it captured my reflection.
