The voice came softly at first, like an echo across water.“Should we get a divorce?”Rene stirred slightly, the sheets warm, the scent of Maria still clinging to the pillows. He shifted onto his side, eyes still closed.Then it came again, closer, louder, more pointed.“Should we get a divorce, Kia?”His eyes flew open.His chest heaved once, and he sat bolt upright with a strangled gasp, heart slamming against his ribs like it was trying to break out of his body. His gaze darted to the side-And the bed was empty.His breath caught.No trace of Maria.The impression of her body still lingered in the sheets, faint and warm, like she’d only just left… but she wasn’t there.“Maria?” Rene rasped, running a hand through his hair, his skin clammy with sweat. “Maria!”He threw the covers aside, launching from the bed like the floor had turned to fire.He checked the en-suite bathroom first, flinging the door open.Nothing.No water running.No light on.His pulse rose like a siren in his e
With one smooth motion, Rene lifted Maria and laid her onto the pillows, pulling away slightly to trail his lips down her throat, her collarbone, the valley of her cleavage. Her breathing hitched, and she arched her hips into him, pushing against him, making him groan. His teeth scraped over a spot on her shoulder, making her shudder.Softly, Rene nipped his way up to her bottom lip, pulling on it, teasingly. He tasted salt again. When he drew back far enough to kiss her cheeks, the corners of her eyes, her eyelids, her nose, her chin, and finally, her mouth...he lingered, savoring her flavor, the scent of her, the taste.A sudden storm of emotion broke loose, causing Maria to cover her eyes with her arm and sniff quietly. But when Rene tried to pull back, she grabbed him by the shirt and brought her mouth to his again. She kissed him deeply, feverishly, demanding more, needing more, and he didn’t have any choice but to give in as her hands reached for his belt buckle, unfastening i
Staring down, Rene’s arms adjusted around Maria instinctively, protectively, as her whispered plea brushed against his neck like the last breath of a prayer, "Don't take me back to that house of horrors... at least not tonight?"He didn't hesitate.“I won’t,” Rene murmured, his voice low and sure.He bent his head and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, letting his lips linger there a moment longer than necessary. “I swear, I won’t take you anywhere near that place. Not tonight."Maria didn’t answer, but her hold around his shoulders grew tighter, like she was memorizing the shape of him, like she was afraid he’d disappear again if she loosened her grip.Outside, the air was thick with late-night silence. The hum of fluorescent hospital lights faded behind them as Rene pushed through the doors and walked with her cradled in his arms. The nurses didn’t stop him. Some watched with soft eyes. Others looked away, giving them a moment of privacy.When they reached the car, Rene opened t
Rene turned.Slowly. Like gravity itself resisted the motion. Like the air around him had thickened into something he had to fight through, guilt, shock, fear… all of it clinging to his skin like fog.And there she was.Maria.Standing in the hallway just outside the east wing doors. A thin hospital blanket was still draped over her shoulders. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her lips parted like she’d forgotten how to breathe. Her fingers clutched at the doorway as if it were the only thing keeping her upright.The moment he faced her, he saw it... the exact second she started to fall apart.Her knees buckled slightly.Her lips trembled.Her chest hitched like she’d been holding her breath since he died.Rene didn’t hesitate.He surged forward, closing the distance between them with just a few long strides. The second he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him so tightly that it almost hurt. She collapsed against his chest, her hands fisting into his s
With a heavy breath, Rene paused by his car, fingers curling lightly around the door handle, but his eyes… his eyes flicked back to the house one last time.Rome stood in the distance, and for a long moment, Rene stared. His father's jaw was tight, the furrows deepening as if the night itself had etched its burden into him. The older man’s eyes caught Rene’s, and something passed between them... reassurance.After a faint nod, Rene slid into the car, the door clicking softly behind him. The engine hummed alive beneath him, and the world outside seemed to slow.Just then, his phone buzzed on the dashboard. A single text notification glowed on the screen.Unknown Number:Saint Mercy Medical. 5317 Arbor Ridge.He stared at the message, and something in his chest twisted as his fingers tightened around the wheel.Without hesitation, he shifted the car into gear, tires crunching softly on the gravel as he pulled away from the estate.A minute after the taillights of Rene’s car disappeared
The lawn was unnaturally silent.Even the rustling breeze, moments ago raking through the hedges and rattling the leaves on the grand oak near the driveway, had quieted.Rene's question lingered in the air without a response for a while.A few officers shifted behind the cruisers. One coughed quietly. Another glanced at his partner, brows furrowed. Whispers crept along the edges of the scene like smoke edging under a door as Captain Rainer continued to stand in his path, fists clenched, jaw tight, like a man trying to balance his emotion on the edge of his ego.“Mr. Flores…” he tried again, voice steady, but lacking the edge of confidence it had before.But Rene's voice was calm. Controlled, but still dangerous."You’re close to Antonio and Jason Rossi, aren’t you, Captain?"Rainer's brow furrowed. "What are you insinuating?"For a moment, Rene didn’t move, didn’t blink. He let the silence settle before answering. "I’m not insinuating anything. I’m pointing out that your eagerness to