Page 96 of The Devil's Fire

The moment I pushed the door open, my hands went limp at the sight. The walls were covered in pictures.

Of me.

The pictures show me sipping on my iced coffee when I was out with Cara and Michael. Pictures of me when I was out with my father for brunch. And the most recent ones, pictures of me at the amusement park, holding snow cones in my hands. There were so many more. Whoever took the pictures was keeping track of me. There was no one else in the pictures. It was only me.

With a target mark on my face.

thirty

Damiano

Althaia’s eyes widened in horror as she looked around.

“What is this…?” It came out as a whisper, and her panicked gaze met mine. The sight of her shaking in fear flooded my body with a hunger to spill every drop of the fucker’s blood.

“Enough. Let’s go.” I went to grab her to get her out of here when she suddenly gasped and put her hand up to her mouth and pointed behind me.

Cazzo. She saw it.

I blocked her view when she paled, her entire body trembling.

“Is that a heart?” She swallowed hard. “With my picture on?”

Althaia swayed unsteadily before her eyes rolled back. I caught her in my arms before she collapsed to the floor. I held her small frame tightly against my body. My eyes were fixated on the heart that was hung by a knife with her picture on it. Clenching my jaw, I walked out with her in my arms.

“Get Ellie to the manor.” I instructed Antonio.

On the way down, I frowned as I looked at her busted brow that was still bleeding. I tried to think of who could have been after her already. I knew being with me was a major risk, but these pictures started before I showed my interest in her.

Whoever it was, the scumbag would have wished he died before I got my hands on him. For every scratch on her body, for every misplaced hair on her head, he was going to get a hole drilled into him.

And that’s a fucking promise.

I parked the car in front of the manor, and Althaia groaned, slowly regaining consciousness beside me. I carried her inside the manor, and she winced at the bright lights overhead.

“Everything hurts…” She whimpered.

“I know, baby. I know.” I whispered soothing words as I cradled her head into my chest. I was trying to hold her without squeezing too tightly as I watched her writhe in pain.

“What happened to her?” Arianna looked in shock at Althaia when I passed her.

I paid no attention to her and entered the room, gently laying Althaia down on the bed before heading to the bathroom. I filled the bathtub with water, rolled up my sleeves, and went back to her.

“You take her away for a couple of days, and she comes back like this? What happened?” Arianna sat next to her, taking in the sight of blood smeared across her face and hands.

“I don’t know.” I clenched my jaw, not liking my own answer.

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Arianna frowned.

“I’m looking into it. Get out and send Ellie up here when she arrives.” Arianna knew better than to push me right now and silently left the room.

I removed Althaia’s dress carefully and carried her to the tub. I grabbed a washcloth and wiped away the blood that covered her face and body.

“I feel dizzy…” She mumbled, leaning against me as I continued to wash her.

“It will go away soon.” I assured her.

“Ellie’s here.” Arianna announced with a knock on the door.

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