My new red hair—which I plan to get rid of the second this nightmare is over—caused a massive stir. Back at Lucius's penthouse, both he and Bruce tell me I'm insane. For the first time, I see a side of the eldest Longfield I never knew existed. He leads me into his bedroom by the hand, his expression dead serious.
"It's clear Annia has become obsessed with you," he says. "So much so that she's marked you as one of her future 'collectibles.' Listen to me carefully, Carmilla: if it comes down to your life or mine, I'm choosing yours. If everything goes south, I want you to run to that plane with Killian and take off immediately. Don't look back. I don't know how to fly that thing, so I've already agreed with him that I'll be the last one out. Is that clear? Tell me you understand, or I swear—"
I kissed him with everything I had, cutting him off before he could finish.
Suddenly, we heard the penthouse door slam open as if someone had ripped it off its hinges. Then came Killian's unmistakable voice, echoing through the hall.
"So, you're the moron—Bruce Bance? The genius who thought using Carmilla as bait was a good idea?!"
We ran into the living room and found them facing off. The detective was calm, trying to explain that there had been no other choice, while Killian stood with white-knuckled fists, hating every word that came out of his mouth. But when Killian saw me with my red hair, he lost it. He snapped his gaze back to Bruce.
"Now I really am going to rip your head off. Do you want that psycho to kidnap her?"
He lunged like a predator, but Bruce sidestepped him, using Killian's own momentum to hurl him against the table. In one fluid motion, Bruce drew the pistol from his waistband, field-stripped it instantly, and tossed the pieces aside so no one could use it.
When Killian came back for more, Bruce was ready. He delivered a front kick to the chest that could have felled a buffalo, but the younger Longfield only staggered back two steps. He smirked, an indestructible wall of muscle, pointing a finger at Bruce as if to say, I see how you fight. I know your tricks. The detective's eyes widened as Killian shifted stances, flawlessly blocking a flurry of strikes. Killian landed a punch to the gut that doubled Bruce over, then caught him in a massive headlock.
He was seconds away from snapping Bruce's neck when Lucius threw himself onto them, trying to pull his brother off. "Let him go! We need him or those girls are going to die!" Lucius shouted.
But Killian was blind with rage. "Let him go right now!" I screamed. "You're going to kill him!"
Bruce managed one last weak strike to the ribs, but trapped like a lion in Samson's grip, he finally lost consciousness. Only then did Killian release him, standing up as if nothing had happened. As the detective slowly came to, Killian pointed at him and looked at me.
"I still don't trust him. If we're doing this, Carmilla, you stay by my side at all times. I'm getting you on that plane before anyone else. Is that clear? Lucius and I are the ones protecting you, and we're not accepting any other plan."
I nodded just to avoid a twelve-round fight. Bruce stood up, shaking his head to clear it. I have to admit, girl, I don't understand anything about men and their "codes," because they acted like there was no bad blood at all. The detective actually congratulated Killian on his moves with a handshake, and Killian acknowledged Bruce's skill in disarming the weapon, saying it showed he was a professional.
But Killian still issued a final warning: "At the Vandereck mansion, Carmilla stays with Lucius and me. Got it?" He emphasized that last "Got it?" so strongly the veins in his neck looked ready to burst.
"Fine," Bruce replied, coughing occasionally. "But let me update you on the plan. Once we're inside, we need to create a distraction—something that draws attention away from her, at least from the four of us—so we can sweep the mansion, starting with the Coliseum Hall. I have a contract with Marian Pierce's parents, and I'm not leaving her there under any circumstances. We have to stay united."
While the men talked, Killian glanced at me and gave me a wink. As soon as they finished, he took my hand and led me back to my apartment. He adjusted his clothes in the mirror, gave me a perfect kiss, and said, "Come here, baby. I need to tell you something."
I leaned against his chest and took a deep breath. He didn't sugarcoat it.
"When we get out of that madhouse, we're all going to have to live together. It was Lucius's idea, and we've kept it a secret—not even Bruce or Evangelina know. I just want you to understand that the war coming afterward won't be easy. When the world finds out Vandereck is complicit in his daughter's atrocities, he'll lose control. He'll use every ounce of his power to eliminate witnesses and corrupt politicians. We're bigger and more influential than them, but when he realizes he can't win because we'll be protecting everyone, he'll go straight for my father. He'll hit him where it hurts: his children, and the people we love. You'll be a target too. We have several safe houses where the three of us will live until the dust settles—until there's nothing left of those bastards but ashes. Now we have to go."
Evangelina was waiting outside for Annia to come out with her suitcase. We all got into two armored SUVs and headed to the airport. As planned, I sat across from the psychopath with Bruce. The detective rested his hand on my leg a couple of times to follow the plan, but something had changed. He noticed it and stopped touching me, because every time he did, Annia's face twisted into a look of disgust that was impossible to miss. I had no doubt: the red hair was a clear signal to her that I was now her property.
Annia called me over to sit beside her. Evangelina got up and lay down on another one of the plane's seats as if nothing were wrong. They're all such good actors—everyone except me. And to make things worse, imagine my terror when she leaned in and whispered, "I know your little secret. I know why you're so nervous. Evangelina told me everything."
I almost burst into tears right there, but then she added, "No, don't worry. I have a surprise for all of you when we arrive."
"What... what did Evangelina tell you?" I asked.
She narrowed her eyes, visibly annoyed. "She told me you didn't like the red, that that's why you've been acting so strange. A shame, really. I was going to let you choose whatever gift you wanted as a reward for dyeing it for me."
My soul returned to my body, and with it, the courage to lean into her ear. "Please, don't be angry. I only said that so she wouldn't get jealous of your affection for me..."
Annia's muscular arms wrapped around my waist. I shook my head slightly and forced a smile.
Mid-flight, the psycho walked over to Lucius. "Bad news. My father canceled dinner. He won't be at the mansion; he got a call and left. He didn't say where he was going."
Lucius remained perfectly calm. "We can't turn back now, so we'll just wait for him there. Don't worry about it."
Once she returned and lay down next to Evangelina with her eyes closed, I took the opportunity to speak with Lucius. "Is what just happened good or bad?"
"It's very good," he replied. "It was Killian's idea. We made that 'mysterious call,' inviting him to close a deal Vandereck has wanted for years. We wanted him and his personal security—his best men—far away from us."
I smiled and told him what Killian had said earlier. He whispered back, "Yes. If everything goes as expected, Vandereck will try to have us killed using everything he's got. For a long time, the three of us will be moving between our safe houses around the world."
He leaned closer, his expensive cologne surrounding me. "Usually, in a war, we hide separately so both heirs to the empire aren't killed at once. But neither my brother nor I would ever allow you to stay with the other. So it'll be the three of us. Relax. They can't take us down."
He rested his hand on my thigh; I held it with mine and closed my eyes for a moment. I couldn't sleep. The flight attendant offered me a drink. Remembering what Annia had whispered to her earlier after catching her flirting with Evangelina, I asked her to come with me to the cockpit.
With Killian at the controls, I asked her, "What did Annia say to you back there?"
Fear crossed her face. "I can't reveal anything said on this plane. My contract forbids it."
I looked at Killian. He didn't hesitate. "Talk. She's family."
The woman leaned in and whispered, "She threatened me using a term I didn't quite understand. She said that the next time I got close to 'Number Six,' she would break my neck. I didn't know who Six was, and I didn't dare ask."
But I understood immediately. That monster numbers her victims. Evangelina was next, sooner or later.
When we landed at the Vandereck estate, Bruce stepped beside me. "Phase one: while Evangelina and Annia get settled, we head to the Coliseum Hall."
I nodded. The mansion looked a thousand times more sinister than the last time I had been there. Nothing had actually changed, girl—it was just my mind playing tricks on me.
While Evangelina kept Annia busy in their room to give us time to explore, Lucius, Bruce, Killian, and I tried to head upstairs. We hadn't even made it twenty steps when we heard it... the most blood-curdling scream, coming from their room. Just as we reached the door, it burst open.
Evangelina stumbled out, covered in blood.
Killian stepped inside and clutched his head in his hands...