Chapter 9 - Cornered
Before Serena could regain her balance, Victor burst into the room, followed by two police officers.
Seeing the blood on Tommy’s neck and Serena raising the jagged glass toward me, Victor didn’t hesitate.
He tackled her to the ground, pinning her arms behind her back with brutal efficiency.
The glass shattered into harmless pieces across the floor.
“Get the cuffs on her!” one of the officers yelled, rushing forward to take over.
Serena thrashed wildly, screaming like a banshee as the cold steel clicked around her wrists.
“You can’t do this to me! I’m Serena Vance! I own this city!” she shrieked as they hauled her to her feet.
“You own a jail cell now,” Victor said, his chest heaving as he stood up, straightening his cuffs.
He didn’t spare her another glance as she was dragged out of the mansion, her screams fading into the night, replaced by the red and blue flashing lights of the police cruisers.
Victor turned to us. He checked Tommy’s neck. “It’s superficial. Paramedics are outside, they’ll patch you up.”
Tommy nodded, still shaking. “Thank you, Mr. Blackwood. For everything.”
Victor then turned to me.
Without a word, he pulled me into his arms, crushing me against his chest.
His heartbeat was frantic against mine.
“I told you to stay in the panic room,” he murmured into my hair, his voice rough with emotion.
“I had to protect my brother,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around his waist, feeling incredibly safe in his embrace.
He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes.
“You protect everyone, Clara. But who protects you?”
“I can take care of myself,” I smiled softly.
May you like
“You don’t have to anymore,” he vowed, gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
For the first time, I allowed myself to believe him. The nightmare was finally over. The monster was gone.
