Chapter Seven: The Wrong Door

The room finally emptied.

The doctor packed his equipment.

The bodyguards returned to their positions.

And Carlos remained exactly where he was.

Grinning.

Zane looked up from the couch.

"You can leave."

Carlos sat down instead.

"You got shot."

"Yeah."

Carlos shook his head.

"No. What amazes me is that somebody actually managed to shoot you."

Zane's expression remained flat.

Carlos laughed harder.

"This is my favorite day of the year."

"Get out."

"You sound emotional."

"Fuck off my face."

Carlos pointed dramatically.

"Proof."

The doctor failed to hide a smile.

Zane looked at him.

The smile vanished immediately.

Smart doctor.

Carlos leaned back comfortably.

"So."

Zane already knew that tone.

He hated that tone.

"So what?"

Carlos pointed toward the door Leila had disappeared through.

"Her."

"No."

"I didn't even ask a question."

"No."

Carlos laughed again.

"You brought a woman into your house."

"For a mission."

"She's living in your mansion."

"Temporary."

"You got shot protecting her."

Zane's eyes narrowed.

"I wasn't protecting her."

Carlos looked unconvinced.

"Sure."

Silence.

Carlos continued.

"So who is she?"

Zane looked away.

That alone caught Carlos's attention.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

"You know," Carlos said slowly, "I've known you for twenty years."

"Congratulations."

"And every time you avoid a question, it means the answer is entertaining."

Zane sighed.

"A slut."

Carlos blinked.

"A slut?"

"Yes."

"You brought a slut into this?"

"Yes."

Carlos stared.

Then laughed so hard he almost fell off his chair.

"You've completely lost your mind."

You didn't tell me, I would have arranged dozens. You know?

The room went silent.

Carlos wiped a tear from his eye.

"This keeps getting better."

"It's not a joke."

"I know."

Carlos grinned.

"That's why it's funny."

Zane stood.

Conversation over.

Carlos recognized the signal.

Most people did not.

"Fine."

He raised both hands.

"I'll stop."

"You should."

Carlos nodded.

Then immediately said,

"Do you like her?"

The nearest bodyguard looked at the ceiling.

The doctor suddenly became fascinated with his medical bag.

Zane closed his eyes.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

"Carlos."

"Just asking."

"Leave."

Carlos stood.

Still smiling.

Mission accomplished.

For now.

"Fine."

He headed for the door.

Then paused.

"By the way."

Zane didn't respond.

"If she survives this mission, I'm taking full credit."

The door closed behind him.

A second later, a cushion hit the door.

Carlos laughed all the way down the hallway.

*

Twenty minutes later, Carlos was bored.

Again.

This was a lifelong condition.

His own room suddenly felt too quiet.

Too normal.

Too boring.

And Carlos hated boredom.

So he wandered.

The mansion was enormous.

Hallways stretched endlessly.

Luxury everywhere.

Enough space to get lost.

Which was exactly what happened.

Carlos stopped in front of a door.

"Not my room."

Another door.

"Nope."

Another.

Still wrong.

He sighed dramatically.

"I live here, and somehow this place keeps winning."

He grabbed another handle.

Opened the door.

And immediately froze.

Inside the room, Leila stood with no clothes on in front of the mirror, applying some body lotion.

When she sighted Carlos.

For one second, neither moved.

Carlos's brain completely shut down.

Leila stared at him.

He stared back.

The silence was almost impressive.

Then reality returned.

"Oh, I'm so..rry."

That was all Carlos managed.

Just one sentence.

Leila blinked once.

Twice.

Carlos was prepared for a scream.

Panic.

Chaos.

Possibly a flying object.

Instead—

She calmly reached for the towel lying on the bed.

Carlos frowned.

That wasn't the reaction he expected.

Not even close.

She walked toward him.

Still calm.

Still silent.

Carlos suddenly became nervous.

A feeling he disliked greatly.

Leila stopped directly in front of him.

Neither spoke.

Carlos offered an awkward smile.

Big mistake.

Very big mistake.

The door slammed.

Directly into his face.

BAM.

Pain exploded through his nose.

Carlos staggered backward.

"Ow!"

The hallway echoed.

Several bodyguards turned immediately.

Carlos pressed a hand against his face.

The door remained firmly closed.

Not a single word came from inside.

Nothing.

Carlos stood there.

Stunned.

Confused.

And, somehow...

Impressed.

One of the bodyguards approached cautiously.

"Sir?"

Carlos pointed at the door.

"Did that just happen?"

The bodyguard wisely said nothing.

Carlos stared.

Then he smirked.

The bodyguard looked concerned.

Carlos' nose bled from the impact.

"No way."

He shook his head.

"No way."

Most people panicked around him.

Most people tried to impress him.

Most people became nervous.

Leila had looked him directly in the eye...

Picked up a towel...

And slammed a door in his face.

Carlos touched his nose.

Still hurting.

Still worth it.

A slow grin appeared.

"Oh, this is going to be fun."

*

Inside the room, Leila leaned against the door.

Her heart was racing.

from both embarrassment and irritation

Who just opened random doors in other people's rooms?

Idiots.

That was who.

She rubbed her forehead.

Today was endless.

Gunshots.

Bodyguards.

Mansions.

Zane.

And now his strange friend.

She walked back toward the bed.

Maybe tomorrow would finally be normal.

Then she remembered whose mansion she was currently living in.

"Never mind."

Nothing about this situation was normal.

Not anymore.

Her phone buzzed.

Leila frowned.

Nobody should have her number.

Slowly, she picked it up.

An unknown message waited on the screen.

Her stomach tightened.

One message.

No name.

No number.

Just five words.

WE KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.

Leila froze.

The blood drained from her face.

A second message arrived.

Immediately.

THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

The phone slipped from her fingers.

Outside her room, footsteps suddenly stopped.

Then came a knock.

Three sharp knocks.

Leila stared at the door.

Another knock followed.

Slow.

Deliberate.

And a familiar male voice spoke from the other side.

"Leila."

It was Zane.

But for the first time since meeting him—

He didn't sound calm.