Chapter 49

VALERIA

I walked up to my front door, and right now, the familiar creak of the wooden steps under my feet brought me a sense of comfort in a way. It had been a long day, and all I wanted was to relax with a glass of wine. The moon was just starting to rise, casting a silvery glow over the front yard. As I reached into my bag for my keys, my mind was already drifting to the peace of my living room.

As I opened the door, a sudden pressure against my head jolted me back to reality. Cold metal was pressed into my temple, and a voice growled harshly in my ear, "Move, and you die."

Every muscle in my body froze. My breath hitched, and my heart kept pounding in my chest. Slowly, I turned my head, and the fear I felt kept gripping me tighter with each fraction of movement that I made. My eyes met a pair of familiar ones, but the coldness in them was new, and it really chilled me to the bone.

"Collins?" I whispered. The disbelief I felt was totally evident in my voice.

He just smirked. The