Chapter 5 - The Lockdown
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The explosion shattered the polite facade of the gala. Guests screamed, rushing toward the front doors as the sound of sirens finally began to wail in the distance.
Rafe didn't flinch. He grabbed Nell’s hand, his grip unyielding and warm.
“Stay with me,” he ordered.
He dragged her back into the chaotic ballroom, navigating the panicked crowd with effortless authority. Ezra appeared from the crowd, his usually pristine suit slightly rumpled, his eyes wide with adrenaline.
“The warehouse is gone, Rafe,” Ezra reported grimly over the noise. “But the men got out in time. Teddy’s crew is surrounding the perimeter, waiting for you to show up.”
“Let them wait,” Rafe replied coldly. “Seal the estate. Nobody enters or leaves without my explicit authorization. And find Bruno.”
“Bruno left the party twenty minutes ago,” Ezra said.
Rafe cursed softly in Italian. “He’s establishing his alibi.”
He turned to Nell, his dark eyes fierce and protective. “Ezra, take Nell to the secure wing. Put two guards on her door.”
“I’m not a prisoner!” Nell protested, trying to pull her hand free.
“You are a witness,” Rafe corrected, stepping closer until she could feel the heat radiating from his chest. “Bruno and Teddy know you clean that study. If they realize you overheard them, they won't just fire you. They will erase you.”
Nell thought of her seven-year-old brother waiting for her to come home. She stopped fighting.
Ezra guided her toward the servant’s stairs, leading her deep into the fortified heart of Ravenscliffe. They bypassed her cramped attic room entirely, entering a luxurious, windowless suite on the second floor.
“Stay here,” Ezra instructed, handing her a bottle of water. “Do not open the door for anyone except me or Rafe.”
The heavy steel door clicked shut, locking from the outside. Nell was alone in the quiet, opulent room, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm. She walked to the bathroom mirror, splashing cold water on her face.
May you like
As she patted her skin dry, she looked down at the silver pendant.
Her father had died protecting a secret. Tonight, she had nearly died uncovering another. It was time to find out exactly what she was carrying around her neck.
