Chapter 5 - THE PRICE OF BLOOD
The dining room erupted into absolute chaos.
Women screamed, chairs scraped against the marble floor as men scrambled to their feet, reaching into their jackets for weapons.
"Lock the doors!" Julian yelled, his face pale, his previous bravado vanishing instantly. "Where are the guards?"
"They bypassed the security!" Dante wheezed, clutching his side where blood was soaking through his shirt. "They had the gate codes. Someone on the inside gave them the codes!"
My stomach plummeted. I looked at Julian, then at Sofia.
Someone on the inside.
Julian didn't look surprised; he looked terrified, his eyes darting toward the side exit.
I didn't think. I didn't plan. The image of Silas standing in the rain, telling me he took care of what was his, flashed through my mind. He had saved my mother. He had protected me from Gavin.
I couldn't let him die.
I grabbed a heavy silver candle holder from the table and ran toward the door.
"Celine, stop!" Sofia shrieked. "You stupid girl, you'll get yourself killed!"
I ignored her. I pushed past Dante and ran out into the grand foyer.
The heavy oak front doors were wide open. The sound of gunfire echoed from the driveway, sharp, deafening cracks that shattered the night air. Rain poured into the foyer, splashing against the marble floor.
I ran out onto the portico.
Through the sheet of rain, I could see Silas’s black sedan. The windows were shattered. Three men in dark trench coats were firing at the car, their weapons flashing in the darkness.
Silas was crouched behind the open door of the vehicle, his face calm, his hand steady as he returned fire. One of his shots hit a gunman in the chest, sending him crashing into the wet gravel.
But there were too many of them. Another man was flanking Silas from the side, aiming a shotgun directly at his head.
"Silas!" I screamed.
The gunman with the shotgun turned toward my voice.
In that split second, Silas lunged forward, grabbing the barrel of the shotgun. A deafening blast went off, shattering the remaining glass of the sedan. Silas twisted the weapon out of the man's hands and fired a single shot into his chest.
The remaining gunman, realizing his team was dead, turned and fled into the dark woods bordering the estate.
The gunfire stopped. The only sound left was the heavy thrum of rain against the gravel and the roar of my own heartbeat.
Silas stood in the driveway, the shotgun hanging loosely in his hand, his clothes soaked with rain and blood. He wiped a smear of red from his temple, his dark eyes scanning the dark woods before slowly turning to me.
He walked up the steps of the portico, his boots clicking heavily against the wet stone.
He stopped a foot away from me, his presence overwhelming. He looked down at the silver candle holder I was still clutching in my hand.
A faint, genuine smile touched his lips.
"Were you going to beat them to death with that, Celine?" he asked, his voice low and amused.
"I... I had to do something," I breathed, my hands shaking so violently I dropped the candle holder. It clattered against the stone.
Silas reached out, his hand cupping the side of my face. His palm was warm, wet with rain and smeared with soot, but his touch was incredibly gentle.
"You came out here for me," he said, his eyes searching mine. "Why?"
"Because..." I swallowed hard, looking up into his dark eyes. "Because you said you take care of what is yours. I do the same."
Silas's eyes flared with a sudden, intense heat. He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my lips.
"We need to get inside," he whispered. "The snake who let them in is still in the house."
We walked back into the foyer.
The family had gathered there, Julian and Sofia standing at the front, looking pale and anxious.
Silas stopped in the middle of the room, his arm wrapped around my waist, holding me tightly to his side. He looked at Julian.
"The Morettis are dead," Silas said, his voice carrying a freezing chill. "And I know who gave them the codes."
Julian swallowed hard, taking a step back. "Silas, listen to me—"
"Dante," Silas said, not looking away from his cousin. "Take Julian to the basement."
"Silas, no!" Sofia screamed, throwing herself in front of her son. "He's your family! Your own blood!"
"He betrayed the family," Silas said coldly. "In my world, Aunt Sofia, treason is paid in blood."
Two guards grabbed Julian, dragging him screaming toward the back of the house. Sofia collapsed onto the marble floor, sobbing hysterically.
Silas didn't look at her. He turned to me, his hand brushing a wet lock of hair from my forehead.
"Go to your room, Celine," he said softly. "I have business to take care of."
"Silas..." I began.
"Go," he repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You are safe now."
May you like
I turned and walked up the grand staircase, my heart heavy with the realization of what I had just joined. I was no longer a waitress in the North End.
I was the wife of a monster. And I was starting to realize I didn't want to escape.
