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To happen upon it now, while I was just walking in the woods, fills me with a deep sense of dread.
The ruthlessness of the scene is foreign to me, a perversion of the sanctuary I believed my new home to be. And the thought that it’s happening so close to where I sleep sends a horrified shiver down my spine.
My heart pounds. Dread courses through my veins as I grapple with the reality that Leo—the man I was intimate with just last night, the man whose arms I woke up in this morning—is capable of such savagery.
He seems untroubled by the weight of his actions, oblivious to the monster he projects to the world. A fear settles over me as I realize I’ve been thrust into a world where the line between tenderness and brutality is thin, almost imperceptible.
My hands grow clammy with sweat as Leo continues the merciless display, unaware of my presence. He’s in control, a master of his domain, and the prisoner shakes visibly, begging for his life as he weeps.
Leo’s gun cocks with an audible click, and though I can’t quite make out the words he says, he delivers them with a cold indifference—a haughty arrogance—that chills me to the bone. He lowers his gun, aiming it at the cowering man before him, and with a few last words, he pulls the trigger.
A bullet blasts through the man’s head, sending blood and gore splattering across the ground behind him.
It strikes terror into me like I’ve never known before.
I’ve heard rumors of Leo’s savage brutality, experienced a hint of his cruelty even, but watching its full force and effect with my own eyes is entirely different. The air is thick with the scent of fear, and I find myself frozen, a silent witness to his black world.
Leo’s actions reveal a side of him that I had only glimpsed before. As the gunshot echoes through the forest, I gasp, stunned by his casual violence.
Leo’s head turns sharply in my direction, his piercing gaze finding my hiding spot in an instant.
Panic grips me, and I spin to run, not bothering to be quiet in my desperation to flee. My footsteps echo through the woods, matching my heartbeat as I race as quickly as my feet will carry me.
I know he saw me, and I hear him shout something to his men before the sound of pounding feet breaks out behind me, alerting me to his pursuit. He’s hot on my trail, and the trees that were once a sanctuary to me become a labyrinth closing in from all around.
As I run for my life, my mind races. I have no clue what I’m going to do. It’s only a matter of time before he catches me.
Because despite my considerable head start, he’s already closing the distance.
I weave through the trees, my breath ragged, the fear of the unknown propelling me forward. Leo’s footsteps make a steady beat behind me, a relentless chase that fuels the panic gnawing at my insides.
The world blurs as I navigate the maze of greenery, branches snagging on my clothes and scratching my skin. My legs ache, and my lungs burn, but I can’t afford to stop. I can’t let him catch me now because I don’t trust that he won’t hurt me or even our unborn child.
Fear for the innocent life growing inside me drives me forward, pushing me past the limits of my physical abilities.
And still, with each passing moment, the distance between us narrows.
23
LEO
Adrenaline courses through my veins, a fiery surge that heightens my senses. My breaths come hard but measured, each one laced with the acrid taste of anger. I’m certain of one thing—whoever I’m chasing witnessed the execution I performed as a lesson to the Valencia men.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t be running.
I am left with no choice but to pursue, to eliminate this threat to my carefully constructed world. Regardless of whether they’re a servant who wandered out where they have no right to be or a spy ready to offer up proof of my murder to the authorities. I can’t let them live.
The soft rustle of leaves as I brush past trees and bushes echoes in my rapid heartbeat. I move with a predator’s determination, each step calculated, every muscle tense. The late-afternoon shadows play tricks on me, distorting the landscape, but I press on, fueled by fury and the need to protect my secrets.
They’re fast, whoever it is. And fit by the distance they’re capable of running at such a breakneck speed. But they have no chance of escaping me in my domain—despite their lengthy head start. I navigate the unmarked pathways between the trees with ease, the layout etched into my memory. I’ve lived in these woods my whole life. I know them like the back of my hand.
My quarry, however, betrays their unfamiliarity with their surroundings, stumbling blindly through the rough terrain. And their footsteps are growing more haggard as they finally start to slow from exhaustion. They’re getting clumsy with fatigue.
I relish the thought of catching them, exposing their intrusion, and silencing them before they can unleash chaos on my life. I’ve worked too hard to let it all fall apart now.
As I close in, the terrain shifts, and I realize with a cold shiver that the intruder is heading straight for the gorge that defines the boundary line of Moretti land. The treacherous drop is a natural defense, a guardian that separates our haven from the untamed wilderness beyond.
The fleeing witness’s reckless sprint toward the edge could only end in death. A cruel fate they seem oblivious to—or would prefer over ending up in my hands. I can’t say that I blame them.
