Chương 1 - The Intruder
Celia locked her apartment door with trembling hands.
She slid the heavy metal deadbolt into place and took a shaky step backward.
Her wet canvas bag dropped from her shoulder and hit the hardwood floor with a heavy thud.
The silence of the empty apartment usually brought her comfort, but tonight it felt suffocating.
She could still feel the rush of displaced air from the SUV that had nearly ended her life.
More than that, she could feel Travis’s hands on her back.
He had pushed her with intentional, calculated malice.
She walked into the narrow kitchen and poured herself a glass of tap water.
Her phone vibrated violently against the granite countertop.
The screen lit up with an unknown number, but she knew exactly who it was.
Travis never gave up that easily.
She ignored the call and pulled the plain white business card from her damp coat pocket.
Lorenzo Duca.
Just a name and a string of digits printed in crisp black ink.
She had no idea who this man was or why his presence had made Travis retreat in absolute terror.
A sudden, sharp metallic click echoed from the living room.
Celia froze with the glass halfway to her lips.
It was the unmistakable sound of a lock being picked.
She carefully set the glass down and backed away from the kitchen entrance.
Her eyes darted to the front door, where the brass knob was slowly turning to the left.
Someone was trying to get inside.
She remembered the way Travis used to brag about picking locks during his reckless college years.
Celia did not hesitate.
She grabbed the heavy iron skillet from the stove and retreated into the dark hallway.
The deadbolt snapped back with a loud, sickening crack.
The door creaked open, letting in a sliver of yellow light from the hallway.
Heavy footsteps stepped onto her entryway rug.
Celia pressed her back against the hallway wall, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs.
She raised the heavy skillet, prepared to fight for her life.
Her phone suddenly vibrated again, illuminating the dark hallway with a bright blue glow.
The intruder immediately turned toward the light.
A massive hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed her wrist with terrifying speed.
Celia screamed and dropped the skillet.
"Quiet," a deep, familiar voice commanded as a thumb brushed over her phone screen to accept the call.
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The man stepped into the ambient light, revealing the gray eyes and scarred jaw of Lorenzo Duca.
"You should have called me," Lorenzo whispered as another set of heavy, frantic footsteps began charging up the exterior stairwell.
