Chapter Seven

Wet warmth slid down the side of my face, and I knew that smell—blood.

I was still in my apartment, but I had been bound to a chair.

I wasn’t alone.

About six men in black suits crowded the room, along with a woman who looked to be in her mid forties.

The first thought that crossed my mind was—how the hell did they all fit into this tiny apartment?

“Sorry for the manhandling. We just wanted this as quiet as possible,” the woman said, her tone too sweet to be sincere. “How are you feeling?”

My eyes flicked to the men; they were huge. While they were all similarly dressed, two stood out from the rest.

Had Wraith sent these people after me?

I should’ve known. He was never planning to let me go that so easily.

The woman frowned when I didn’t answer her question, but her concern was obviously fake.

“I am Diana Callister. Wife to Falcone Callister and I’m here to ask you a few questions.”

Wraith didn’t send them. They were here to claim what they believed I had stolen from them. I had no doubt that these men were armed with guns.

“I don’t want it.” I said quickly. “I don’t know why my name was there, but I want no part of this; I just want to be left alone. Please.”

“And you expect me to believe that? to believe that my own husband wrote off seventy-five percent of all he has to a complete stranger?”

“I don’t know…”

“Don’t you dare lie to me, girl,” she spat, drawing a knife. “Your friend stopped by. What was her name again—the one with the black hair... Bree? She was so anxious to see you, she believed you were in trouble. She’s one stubborn girl, that one.”

“If you did anything to her…”

“Hush. She’s fine. I sent her on her way. But one call is all I’ll need to make, and she won’t be so fine anymore. So, answer me this: Who are you?”

When I’d been abandoned at the altar, I thought life couldn’t get any worse. When I found out my mother had stolen my college savings, I was in despair—but if I thought things couldn’t get worse, this proved me wrong.

Now, I just wanted my life back.

“Are you my husband’s little whore? Is that why he did this to our family?” she pushed.

One of the men stepped forward, and I flinched when he grabbed my jaw. “She looks fine, but I don’t think there’s any pussy so good that Dad would leave his fortune to her for that.”

“You’re right,” the second man added. “If he left her his inheritance, there must’ve been a damn good reason.”

Now I could see why they stood out from the others. It wasn’t just because they looked more refined and expensive compared to the rest, but because they seemed to command authority.

They were Callister’s sons, and Diana was their mother.

If Falcone had a wife and also children, why hadn’t he left his estate to them? That seemed like the most reasonable thing to do.

“I am not his whore,” I finally found my voice to say.

“Then what are you to him?” Diana asked. “How important could you be that he’d risk his own mother, wife, siblings, and children going into poverty just so you could have it all? Tell me!”

“I don’t know, please… I don’t want any part of this.”

She scoffed. “I think she’s lying. What do you think, George?”

George was the one who had grabbed my jaw.

“I think she blackmailed him. She must have held something over him and used it against him...”

“You’re wrong!” I cried out.

“Look around you,” Diana said, a sick smile spreading across her lips. “These are dangerous men. They’d make the next hours of your life a living hell if you don’t tell me what the hell...”

A gunshot rang outside my apartment, followed by the door bursting open.

More gunshots followed, so loud it felt like I’d lost my hearing.

It was chaos.

Shouts and screams erupted from the neighbors.

The bindings holding me to the chair were ripped off.

Someone grabbed me, I couldn’t tell who it was, but before I could react, I was swiftly carried out of the building.

It was Wraith.

He came back for me.

Without a word, he shoved me behind him and took down a man who was about to fire at us.

“Get in the car!” he ordered. This time, I didn’t hesitate for a second.

A driver was already in place, ready to drive off. The moment Wraith got in, the car sped away.