31. Lula
31
LULA
T he door slams shut, and Derin’s heavy footsteps fade down the corridor, leaving Allegra and me alone again. I suck in a breath, my ears straining to make sure he’s really gone. He’s been glued to his phone for the past hour, rejecting call after call with an irritated sneer. Whatever this call is, it finally got his attention. It’s a sliver of opportunity, and I’m not going to waste it, not when Allegra is so determined to do something.
Allegra doesn’t hesitate. The moment the tension in the air shifts, she shifts with it, her fingers twisting and pulling at the ropes around her wrists with a new urgency. She’s been working on them for hours, her quiet determination a stark contrast to the fear she tried so hard to hide earlier.
“I’m almost done,” she says, her voice trembling but fierce. She twists her wrist, and with a sharp tug, the rope falls free. She exhales in relief, her hands shaking as she rubs her raw wrists, then removes the rope from around her feet.
She tiptoes to my side and starts to work on my ties, and I feel the rope around my wrists loosen.
“I think I hear him. Hurry,” I urge her, my voice low but firm.
Her fingers fumble with the knots around my wrists, her breathing uneven. “Lula, shit,” she whispers, glancing nervously toward the door. “He’s right outside. If we get caught?—”
“We won’t,” I cut in, my voice sharp with conviction I’m not sure I feel. “Just hurry.”
The ropes fall away, and I quickly shake out my hands, the return of circulation sending painful tingles up my wrists. My eyes scan the small room, my thoughts racing as Allegra works on loosening the ties around my ankles. There’s nothing here that can help us—just cold, unforgiving stone walls and the heavy, suffocating presence of fear hanging in the air.
I stand quickly, and Allegra watches me pace, her wide eyes reflecting both trust and terror. “What do we do now?” she asks, her voice shaking. I realize that her plan is not so structured after all.
I freeze, my gaze falling on the diamond choker around her neck. It catches the dim light, glittering like a weapon waiting to be wielded.
“Your necklace,” I say, pointing at it.
“What about it?” she asks, her fingers instinctively touching the jewels.
I step toward Allegra, my voice low and urgent. “Turn around.” She doesn’t hesitate, following my instructions. In moments, I have the choker in my hands, the cool metal encasing the stones digging into my palms. My pulse throbs in my ears, but I push past the panic. I grip the choker tight, feeling its weight—real diamonds, no doubt. This thing could do some serious damage if used right.
I can’t help but smirk, despite everything. “Remind me when we get out of here to thank your husband for his exceptional taste in jewelery,” I tell her, eyeing the massive stone in the centre of the necklace.
We don’t have time to argue. We hear Derin approaching, and we prepare ourselves for the fight of our lives.
Allegra grabs my arm, her voice urgent. “Lula, listen to me. If we do this, there’s no turning back. We have to do whatever it takes to get out of here. Are you ready?”
Whatever it takes.
I meet her gaze, the weight of her words sinking in. Am I ready? No. But I can’t let that stop me. “I’m not afraid of him,” I lie. “But I’m afraid of doing nothing.”
Derin has been a thorn in my side for the longest time. I’m tired. Tired of running. Tired of merely existing. Tired of constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop. He will always find me, and he will not stop. I see that now. He’s gone beyond me, involved others, to get what he wants. This is a man who will do anything and everything to make my life a living hell for eternity.
Footsteps echo in the crypt, growing louder with each passing second.
“He’s coming,” Allegra whispers, her grip tightening on my arm.
“Stay behind me,” I whisper back, positioning myself by the door. My heart races, my grip on the choker tightening as I prepare for what’s to come.
The doorknob turns, and the door swings open. Derin steps inside, his phone still in hand, his brow furrowed in annoyance. He doesn’t even look up, too distracted by whatever’s happening on the other end of the line.
It’s now or never.
With a burst of adrenaline, I lunge at him, the choker slicing across his cheek before he even has time to react. He lets out a roar of pain, his hand flying to his face as blood wells up beneath the jagged cut. He drops his phone as he staggers, clutching at his injured face.
“Run!” I shout, grabbing Allegra’s hand and pulling her toward the door.
We sprint out of the room, the sound of Derin’s curses and the pounding of our footsteps echoing off the stone walls. My lungs burn, and my legs ache, but I don’t dare slow down.
Behind us, Derin’s voice bellows in pain as he calls for us to come back, telling us we’ll never make it out alive.
I think we’ll take our chances.
Allegra stumbles, and I catch her, forcing her forward. “Keep going!” I urge, my voice frantic. “We’re almost there!”
The exit looms ahead, a sliver of moonlight spilling through the open doorway. Freedom is so close, I can taste it.
The cool night air greets us as we burst out of the crypt, but there’s no time to relish it. The dark world beyond feels heavier, the atmosphere charged with danger. Shadows shift and merge ahead of us, and suddenly, figures step into view.
The moonlight is faint, barely a whisper in the inky blackness, but torches flare up, their glare piercing our eyes. I squint, trying to make out who—or what—is standing before us. My chest tightens, hope surging for one reckless moment. Rescue? Could someone have come for us?
But then the figures solidify, and dread crashes over me like a tidal wave. Standing at the center, wearing a smirk that chills me to my core, is a man who looks suspiciously like Derin. His eyes gleam with delight, like a predator toying with its prey.
“Ladies,” he drawls, his voice dripping with false charm. “What an unexpected turn of events.”
Allegra stiffens beside me, her fingers clutching my arm like a lifeline. I don’t dare speak, my mind scrambling to process what’s happening. So close to freedom, yet still so far.
Before I can find words, movement behind us draws my attention. Heavy footsteps, uneven and dragging. My stomach twists.
Derin.
Fuck.
He staggers out of the crypt, one hand pressed to his bloodied face, his fury radiating like a palpable force. Even in his disheveled state, there’s a dangerous energy to him, like a wounded animal ready to strike.
“Altin,” Derin snarls, his voice rough and strained. “You have no idea what you’ve just walked into.”
Altin tilts his head, an almost bored expression crossing his face. “Oh, but I do, dear cousin. And I must say, you’ve really let this spiral out of control.”
Derin’s steps falter as he approaches, his glare locking on Altin. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it? We’ll deal with them together, and then we can…”
Altin raises a hand, silencing Derin mid-sentence. The smirk on his face sharpens, and for the first time, I catch a flicker of something terrifying in his eyes.
The Beast of Albania.
“What I wanted?” Altin repeats, his tone mocking. “Oh, Derin. You’ve always been such a disappointment.”
Derin freezes, confusion flashing across his face. “What?—”
The gunshot comes so fast, so sudden, that it takes a moment for my brain to register what’s happened. One second, Derin is standing there, sputtering in outrage. The next, he crumples to the ground, a gaping wound in his chest.
I gasp, my body recoiling instinctively. Allegra lets out a small, strangled cry, her grip on me tightening.
Altin doesn’t even blink. He lowers the gun with a casual air, his expression betraying no emotion. “Pesky little nuisance,” he mutters, almost to himself. “You’ve been causing me far more trouble than you’re worth, cousin .”
The coldness in his voice sends a shiver down my spine. He speaks of murder like it’s a minor inconvenience, a task he’s checked off his to-do list.
Altin’s gaze shifts to us, and his smirk returns, this time sharper, more predatory. “Now that that’s dealt with,” he says, spreading his arms as if welcoming us into some twisted game, “let’s talk about you two .”
Allegra and I press closer together, our fear binding us as tightly as chains. My heart pounds in my chest, my mind racing for a way out.
Altin steps closer, his movements deliberate, calculated. “You see,” he continues, his tone almost conversational, “Derin had ambitions that didn’t align with mine. He got greedy, sloppy. And now, well, I suppose you belong to me.”
Belong to him? The words make my stomach churn. I glance at Allegra, whose face is pale, her eyes wide with terror. We’ve just escaped one monster, only to fall into the clutches of another—one who’s far more calculating, far more dangerous.
“You’re both very valuable,” Altin says, his eyes raking over us like we’re assets to be appraised. “And I don’t like to waste valuable things.”
I swallow hard, my throat dry. “We’re not things,” I manage to say, my voice trembling but defiant.
Altin raises an eyebrow, amused. “Oh, I like that spirit,” he says, his smile widening. “It’ll make breaking you all the more satisfying. I can see why Derin was so taken with you.”
Allegra’s hand tightens on mine, and I know we’re thinking the same thing. We’re in much deeper than we ever imagined.
Altin snaps his fingers, and more men step forward, their expressions cold and unyielding. “Take them,” he orders, turning away as if the matter is already settled.
“No!” I shout, the word bursting out of me. I won’t go down without a fight. Not now. Not after everything.
But as hands grab my arms and pull me away, Altin doesn’t even look back. For him, this is just business. For us, it’s survival.
And I swear, as they drag us into the night, that I’ll find a way out of this. No matter what it takes.