Chapter 29 Alina
Chapter twenty-nine
Alina
Something feels off. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, but I feel it churning in the pit of my stomach, like little sirens wailing in my head, urging me to turn around and drive home without looking back.
But I can’t do that.
Not when I need to get my dad and bring him back to the Alarie Estate, where he’ll be safe.
I let out a deep breath.
It’s time to tell Mauro everything. Tonight. No putting it off any longer.
Peering through the windshield as the wipers work extra hard to keep up with the flurries of snow, I notice dark, ominous clouds directly above my destination.
I grip the steering wheel a bit tighter, my foot easing off the accelerator as I turn off the highway and navigate the back roads toward my father’s residence.
But as I pull into the parking lot, that unsettling feeling intensifies.
The building ahead seems gloomier than usual; in fact, it appears completely engulfed in darkness.
I turn off my car, slipping my phone inside my pocket, and step out into the cold, pulling up my hood and wrapping my arms tightly around my midsection.
As I approach the front door, I stop in my tracks when I notice that it’s wide open.
Snow drifts across the hardwood floor, as only the emergency lights flicker around the space, illuminating the halls. Stepping inside, I cautiously look around, but am immediately relieved when I see Andrea sitting at the front desk with her back to me.
“Hey, Andrea,” I call out, shutting the door behind me and brushing the snow off my jacket. “Did you guys lose power?”
She doesn’t acknowledge me, so I step around the desk. “Andrea?”
I place my hand on the back of her office chair and begin to spin it when—
I muffle a scream behind my hands and back up against the wall. Blood seeps down her face from the knife sticking out of her forehead. Her bright blue, lifeless eyes reflect a sheen of vivid terror.
I look away as nausea washes over me, my lungs finding it impossible to breathe in enough air.
There’s only one person I know who could have done this.
My eyes dart to the end of the hall in the direction of my father’s room, and dread rushes through my veins.
Shuffling to the side, I spin on my heel and slip, falling to the floor. I manage to catch myself with my hands, which now feel…sticky. Turning them over, I see red coating my skin.
Blood.
Fear crashes through me as I crawl across the floor and then use the wall for support to stand. No. No. No.
Carefully, I keep one hand on the wall as I maneuver through the building.
Bullet holes decorate the walls. More bodies line the floor.
Lifeless faces staring back at me. I check each one for a pulse, hoping and praying for a flicker of life.
But each person lies before me, motionless in a pool of their own blood, their eyes wide and full of panic.
Seeing my dad’s room, a flicker of hope ignites within me, and I dart for the door, shoving it open.
The room is in complete disarray.
Books are scattered on the floor.
Pillows are ripped in half.
A glass of water has spilled on the coffee table, spreading across his chessboard.
“No…” I breathe, my chest heaving violently. I bring a trembling hand to my mouth. This can’t be happening.
A murmur catches my attention, and I freeze, listening for it again.
The moment I hear it, I swivel to my left, staring at the closet straight in front of me.
I don’t hesitate as I cross the room and then wrap my fingers around the cold metal knob.
Taking a deep breath, I pull the door open, revealing…
“Dad,” I breathe, my eyes taking in the nightmare before me.
He’s bound by rope, lying on his side, with duct tape covering his mouth.
His eyes lock onto mine, fear clouding his dark irises.
I don’t care who else is here or what they might do to me; all I know is that I need to get him out of here.
I drop to my knees, and with quivering fingers, I try to untie the knots one by one.
“It’s okay. I’m going to get you out of here.
” He mumbles frantically against the tape, but I keep working on the knots. “Everything will be—
Pain dances across my skull.
Air rushes out of my lungs.
And my vision goes black as my shoulder collides with the floor beside my father, my hand outstretched toward him.
“Did you really think it was going to be that easy?”