Chapter 4 - The Monster Revealed
The standoff in the rain lasted for five agonizing seconds.
Harper stood pressed against the cold brick wall, unable to comprehend the violence unfolding in front of her.
The driver of the SUV slowly raised his hands, signaling his partner to do the same.
“Take it easy, Cole,” the driver muttered nervously.
“Declan just wanted to ask the girl a few questions.”
“Declan is a dead man walking,” a new voice echoed through the alley.
The sound of those words made the temperature in the alley plunge to absolute zero.
Harper gasped.
Victor Gallow stepped out of a sleek, armored sedan that had silently pulled up behind the SUV.
He wasn't wearing his suit jacket.
His white shirt clung to his broad chest in the rain, and the bandage she had applied was still on his cheek.
He looked completely different.
The quiet, intense logistics manager was gone.
In his place stood a predator at the very top of the food chain.
His eyes burned with a murderous rage that made Harper’s blood run cold.
Victor walked slowly toward the two men.
They stumbled backward, their previous bravado entirely evaporated by his presence.
“You decided to follow her,” Victor said softly, the quiet tone making the threat infinitely worse.
“Boss, we didn't touch her!” the passenger cried out, panicking.
Victor didn't raise his voice.
He didn't pull a weapon.
He simply looked at Arthur and gave a slight nod.
Arthur fired twice.
The muffled shots sounded like two heavy coughs in the rain.
The passenger screamed, clutching his shattered kneecap as he collapsed onto the wet pavement.
The driver raised his hands higher, shaking violently.
“Tell Declan,” Victor whispered to the driver, “that he has crossed a line.”
“Tell him I am coming for everything he owns.”
Victor turned away from the bleeding man in disgust.
He walked straight toward Harper.
She was trembling uncontrollably, her large brown eyes wide with absolute horror.
The man she had bandaged, the man who had bought an espresso machine for her floor, had just ordered someone to be shot right in front of her.
Victor stopped a few feet away, seeing the terror in her expression.
For the first time in his life, Victor Gallow felt a sharp pang of regret.
He had tried to keep his two worlds entirely separate.
Now, his darkness had completely swallowed her light.
“Harper,” he said gently, reaching out a hand toward her.
She flinched violently, shrinking back against the brick wall.
“Don't touch me,” she choked out, tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks.
Victor froze, his hand dropping slowly to his side.
“You’re... you’re the mafia,” she whispered, the pieces finally clicking together in her terrified mind.
“You aren't in logistics at all.”
“I own the logistics,” Victor corrected her, keeping his voice as calm as possible.
“And I also control the things that happen underneath them.”
He took one step closer, ignoring her flinch.
“These men were going to use you to hurt me.”
“Because of an elevator ride?” she cried out hysterically.
“Because you saw me,” Victor corrected softly.
“Because they realized that for the first time in ten years, I actually cared if someone lived or died.”
Harper stared at him, the weight of his confession hanging heavy in the stormy air.
“Get in my car,” Victor ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“No,” she shook her head stubbornly. “I’m going home.”
Victor’s jaw clenched.
“Your apartment is no longer safe.”
“Declan’s men know where you live.”
He stepped forward, closing the distance between them in a second.
Before she could run, he swept her up effortlessly into his strong arms.
“Put me down!” she yelled, hitting his solid chest with her fists.
Victor ignored her protests, carrying her firmly toward his armored car.
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“You are mine to protect now, Harper,” he murmured against her wet hair.
“And I never fail to protect what is mine.”
