AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I held my breath, trying to make myself as small as possible in the cramped closet. The new man stood by the first, shorter but equally imposing. His dark brown hair was styled perfectly, and there was a certain warmth about him that contrasted sharply with the icy raw intensity of the first man. I drew my lower lip between my teeth and chewed it nervously.
Maybe running would have been a better choice.
The first man narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze still fixed on the closet that I was hiding in. I shrank back into the corner, hoping the few hanging jackets would hide me in case they decided to open the door.
“We can’t afford any loose ends tonight,” the first man replied in a low, controlled tone.
The second man nodded in agreement, his expression unreadable. “Agreed.”
The first man crossed the room, his steps measured and deliberate.
“The Rossi brothers thought they could play both sides, Rafael,” he mused, a hint of disdain in his tone. “They underestimated the consequences of moving against us.”
Rafael’s lips twitched in a smirk. “They’ll be dead before sunrise, Dante.”
My heart raced as I pieced together their conversation. These men were dangerous. That much was clear.
Fuck. This was bad.
I pressed my back harder against the wall, trying to disappear into the shadows.
A sudden shout echoed from another room.
Rafael turned sharply toward the noise. “That’s our cue,” he said tersely.
Dante gave the closet one last lingering look, his eyes narrowing as if piecing together an unsolved puzzle. With a final, indecipherable glance, he and Rafael swiftly exited the room, their footsteps fading down the hall.
I let out a shaky breath, my heart still beating frantically. Relief washed over me, but it was short-lived. The eerie silence that followed was abruptly shattered by two gunshots, resonating through the mansion’s thin walls. The sound was followed by the unmistakable thud of bodies hitting the ground.
They’d fucking killed someone in the other room. I needed to get out of here. What would stop them from killing me too?
They couldn’t find me. They wouldn’t find me.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
My mind raced, trying to comprehend the gravity of what I had just heard.
Frozen in shock, I pressed my ear against the closet door, straining to hear any further sounds. Muffled voices floated back into the room from down the hall. My breath stuck in the back of my throat.
“We need to move them now.” Dante’s voice was cool, almost methodical. “We can’t leave any traces behind.”
Rafael’s reply was equally calm as he spoke to someone else. “Get the car ready, Ricco. The usual spot in the woods should work.”
Their footsteps moved away, and then the heavy sound of dragging echoed from the other room. They were moving the bodies, as in more than one.
These men were not just dangerous; they were absolutely lethal.
I stood there frozen in the closet when Dante and Rafael returned to the room. There wasn’t any time to run or to hide under the bed, or to really do anything.
Fuckity fuck.
Dante turned his head slightly, as if sensing something. “Do you feel that, Rafael? Like we’re not alone?”
Rafael glanced around the room, his eyes briefly passing over the closet. “This old place can play tricks on you. But let’s sweep the house, just to be sure. We can’t take any chances that someone may be hiding in here, maybe a squatter or something. Can’t leave any witnesses behind…”
Panic set in as the reality of my situation became crystal fucking clear. They were going to search the house. I had to think fast. My eyes darted around the dark interior of the closet, looking for something I could use as a weapon or a distraction, but there wasn’t anything other than a few old coats.
Before I could do anything at all, Dante’s hand was on the closet door. Time seemed to slow as the door creaked open, the sliver of light from the room growing wider and wider as my panic spiraled up into the clouds. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the worst.
