The scent of fear oozes out of his disgusting pores. A bead of sweat trickles down his face as I tower over him like a shadow, ready to swallow him whole.
“How did I get out? I can’t tell you my secret, can I? Where are we?” I demand pressing the knife a hair more into his throat, causing him to gulp.
“Rome. We’re in Rome. They’ll come for you, you know,” he threatens.
“You’re in a difficult predicament to be making threats. Where’s the other prick who was down here earlier? Who do you work for?” If he’s smart, he’ll give me my answers but that doesn't mean I’ll keep him alive.
Hesitating, he presses his lips together, refusing to give me any information. Pressing the knife harder, I break a little skin causing a squeak to come from his lips.
“He’s upstairs. I can’t tell you that,” he responds.
“Are there others? Why’s that? If you value your life, tell me who you work for.”
“Of course there are others, but I can’t tell you. They’ll come for me if I do. For your own good, put the knife down, sweetheart. Don’t want you to hurt yourself,” he mocks.
I really do hate that pet name, especially from the smelly pig in front of me. It gives me the creeps, causing me to sneer in disgust. A two-hour shower couldn’t even wash away his filth, especially as his eyes roam my body.
“Who’s to say I’ll let you live?” I tilt my head to the side and stab the side of his throat before he can respond.
I step back as he brings his hands to his throat, trying to pull the knife out and stop the bleeding but it’s too late. The sound of gargling comes quick and he drops to the floor, eyes open, lifeless.
Bending over, I pull the knife from his throat and head up the stairs cautiously. Once I get to the top, I slowly crack thedoor open to see who and what is all out there. Not seeing or hearing any movement, I open the door wider and step out scanning my surroundings. A toilet flushes and a door to my left opens and the stupid prick from earlier emerges, stopping dead in his tracks. We have a stare off until I make a break for it towards the front door.
He launches at me, grabbing my hair and pulling me back. I step back with the yank and turn into him, elbowing him in the face. He takes a step back, dazed for a moment, and then swings his fist towards me. I dodge his fist and thrust the knife I had in my other hand into his side. I yank it out, stabbing him again. He falls to the ground and I step over him.
“You’re a stupid bitch. You won’t get away. They’ll come after you and your family. The devil is always watching,” he threatens the same way the dead one downstairs did. How original.
I’m going to enjoy this death. Maybe a little too much, but I never said I was a saint.
“I fear no evil as I am the shadows and the hell it seeps from. Your threats don’t frighten me. Tell Lucifer I said hello.” I smile at him before I stab him several times in the chest. Blood covers my hands once I step away from him but I don’t have time to clean myself off.
Peeking out the windows, there’s no one outside guarding and I take the opportunity to make my escape before anyone gets back. Stepping out into the street, I’m surrounded by walls of other houses that have no occupants out to see the bloody woman running from the house. I take the alleyways to avoid any attention coming my way just in case anyone living in the homes are in on my capture. I move silently, alley to alley creating more distance, looking for any sign of familiarity.
I notice the restaurant I was supposed to meet Antonio at and realize they didn’t take me far. Footsteps catch my attentionand I quickly throw myself against the wall to become the shadow of the night. Men search the streets as if they’ve lost something valuable.
Fuck, they were quick. I peek around the wall trying to see if there's another way I can get away until I see a familiar face. I let out a whistle in a rhythm only Antonio and Larson know and his head snaps to my direction. He motions for the men to pause. Realizing it’s my men who are searching for me, I step out into their full vision and try to walk out with my head high.
“Christ, Celeste. You look like shit.” Antonio rushes over to me, taking off his jacket and placing it over my shoulder. “Let’s get you out of here and checked out.”
I nod my head, unable to say a word as a flood of emotions rush through me as I realize that I’m safe and alive.
He takes me to a personal doctor that we pay and know won’t breathe a word. He thoroughly checks me for any major injuries and hooks me up to IV’s to get rehydrated. I’m severely dehydrated and he couldn’t believe I was able to move like I did without passing out. I have a couple broken ribs and luckily nothing is broken on my face. Just a few cuts, bruises and bumps. I have a minor concussion from hitting the cement floor so the doctor holds me for observation for the next couple days.
As the doctor does his last check on me, Antonio walks into the room and asks the doctor to give us a minute. The look on his face stops my heart, making me hold my breath.
“What is it?” I look at him with concern and panic.
“I’ve arranged for our flight to take off in the next couple of hours. Celeste, I’m sorry. Your father passed away.”
CHAPTER ONE
CELESTE
“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” - Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Screams ricochet off the walls embedding into my ears. I devour every single bit of it, fueling me to bring the darkness forward. The clicking of my heels echoes as I make my way into the chamber. He’s expecting a man to appear like a stereotypical Mafia movie. But what he doesn’t see coming is the queen of chaos. The soul snatcher, deadlier than a self-absorbed male.
Sauntering in through the barrier, my eyes land on a large, grungy male tied up to the chair. He’s covered in grime, sweat, and blood. His odor collides with my nose, causing me to hold back from gagging. He’s thrashing around trying to get free which makes a laugh escape from my lips. He freezes as he lifts his head meeting my gaze. His eyes widen at first but immediately examine me from head to toe admiring my beauty.
