Chapter 5 - Shadows in the Library
By nightfall, the estate was locked down under absolute martial law. Victor had deployed fifty loyal soldiers around the grounds, while local police—bribed into total cooperation—kept the roads surrounding Lake Geneva closed to public traffic.
Vanessa Sterling was missing, somewhere in the labyrinth of tunnels that ran beneath the old mansion, built during the Prohibition era to move bootleg liquor to the lake.
In the mansion’s private library, Evelyn was sitting on a plush leather sofa, carefully wrapping a clean bandage around Titan’s grazed leg. The dog lay passively, letting her touch his injury without a single growl.
Gabriel sat across from her, a glass of amber whiskey untouched on the table beside him. He was watching her every move with a deep, silent intensity.
"You need to rest," Gabriel said softly.
"So do you," Evelyn replied, tying off the bandage. "You haven't slept in thirty-six hours."
"In my life, sleeping usually means giving someone a chance to put a knife in my back."
"That sounds like a miserable way to live."
Gabriel gave a soft laugh, leaning back into his chair. "It is. But until today, I thought it was the only way to survive. My father taught me that affection is a weakness enemies will exploit. He killed his own favorite hound because he thought it made him soft."
Evelyn looked at him with profound sadness. "He was wrong, Gabriel. Fear makes people obey you, but trust makes them die for you. Titan didn't save you today because he was afraid of you. He did it because he loves you. And because he knows you protected him when everyone else wanted him dead."
Gabriel stared at her, his dark eyes shimmering with an unspoken emotion. He stood up, walked slowly across the Persian rug, and knelt right in front of Evelyn, placing his hands over hers.
"And what about you, Evelyn?" he asked, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "Why did you stay? You could have run when the cottage burned. You could have run when the shooting started."
Evelyn felt her heart race, not from terror, but from the heat of his gaze. "I couldn't leave Titan," she whispered softly.
Gabriel’s fingers tightened slightly around hers. "Just Titan?"
Evelyn swallowed hard, looking directly into the eyes of the most dangerous man in the city. "No. Not just Titan."
Before Gabriel could speak, Titan suddenly snapped his head toward the heavy bookshelf behind the desk. His fur stood on end, and a dangerous, gut-wrenching growl filled the quiet library.
Gabriel was on his feet in a second, pulling his gun from his waistband. He gestured for Evelyn to stay behind him.
The heavy wooden bookcase swung open with a groan of iron hinges.
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Out from the dark hidden tunnel stepped Vanessa, her clothes torn, her face smeared with dirt and dried blood. But she wasn't alone. Standing behind her was Calvin Pike—the estate’s animal handler—holding a heavy steel controller with a flashing red light.
"Don't move, Gabriel," Vanessa sneered, her eyes manic. "Or Calvin presses the button."
