Chapter two

Shadows of the Past

The chill of the voice on the other end of the line cut through me, sending icy tendrils of fear creeping up my spine. I could almost picture him—tall and imposing, with a predatory smile that could freeze your blood. This was no ordinary man; he was the mastermind behind everything that had gone wrong in my life. 

“Who gave you this number?” I demanded, trying to sound brave despite my racing heart. 

There was a pause, a low chuckle that sent a wave of nausea washing over me. “Does it matter? You’re back in the city, my dear. You know how the game works. You’re in my territory now.”

“Get out of my life,” I snapped, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my children from you.”

“Protect them? You think you can protect them from me? From what’s coming? They are already in my sights, Elena. They are the keys to everything.” 

The line went dead, and the weight of his threat hung in the air like a storm cloud ready to unleash its fury. I stood there, phone in hand, staring at the screen as if it held the answers to my plight. But I had no answers—only questions, and an overwhelming sense of dread.

I turned back to the men in the room, who were still standing in a tense standoff, their eyes fixed on me with a mix of desire and betrayal. The realization of my own vulnerability struck me like a blow. I wasn’t just caught between them; I was trapped in a web of danger that was tightening with every passing second.

“Who was that?” Sasha asked, his icy demeanor not wavering. He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing, and I felt the urge to retreat against the wall. 

“Just…someone from my past,” I said, trying to brush it off, but I could see the gears turning in his mind. 

“Just someone?” Dante echoed, his voice low and dangerous. “You don’t get to downplay this, Elena. If someone is threatening you, we need to know everything.”

“Yeah,” Luca added, crossing his arms. “This is bigger than you think. We’ve all lost something to the past. You’re not the only one with ghosts.”

“I said I’d protect my children,” I insisted, my heart pounding as I backed away from them, desperate to find some space in this suffocating room. “I’m not letting you drag them into this. You all have your own agendas.”

“Then why did you come back?” Dante’s voice rose, filled with frustration. “Why not keep running? Why give us the chance to find you? Because you wanted to come back to us, didn’t you?”

I shook my head, panic rising. “I never wanted to come back. I had no choice.”

“What choice do you have now?” Sasha pressed, his tone turning calculating. “You think we’ll let you walk away again? You’re back in the line of fire, and we’re not letting you slip away.”

I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my back as I considered my options. The truth was, I had hoped that the chaos of the past five years would be enough to keep my family safe. I thought I could start anew, but I was wrong. They were here now, and with them came the shadows of our shared history.

“I need to get my children out of this city,” I said, voice firm despite the trembling beneath it. “We can’t stay here. You all need to understand that.”

“Understand what?” Luca replied, taking another step closer, the intensity in his eyes making my heart race. “That you think you can just leave us out of this? After everything?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I turned away, feeling the weight of their gazes like chains around my ankles. I needed to buy time—time to figure out my next move, to gather what little strength I had left.

As I glanced out the window, a flicker of movement caught my eye. I squinted, trying to get a better look, and my stomach dropped when I saw a figure lurking in the shadows of the alley behind the house. Someone was watching me. 

“Do you see that?” I whispered, pointing toward the window. “There’s someone outside.”

The room erupted into chaos. Dante and Sasha rushed to the window, their eyes scanning the street, while Luca positioned himself between me and the potential threat.

“Stay back,” he ordered, his tone fierce. “Let me handle this.”

But I wasn’t going to just stand there and wait. The fear coursing through me became a surge of adrenaline, and I grabbed Luca’s arm, pulling him back. “No! I’m not letting you go out there alone.”

Dante turned, his voice cutting through the noise. “If it’s him, we need to be ready.”

“The fourth man,” I said, my heart racing as I felt the reality of the situation sinking in. “He’s here, and he’s not just watching. He’s coming for us.”

“Then we need to act first,” Sasha replied, a dangerous glint in his eye. “We’re not giving him the chance to make a move.”

Before I could protest, the door burst open again, revealing a figure dressed in black—a dark silhouette that seemed to loom larger than life. My breath caught in my throat as I took a step back, ready to bolt.

“Luca! Dante!” I shouted, but the warning was too late.

The intruder rushed into the room, a masked face and glinting weapon aimed directly at us. “Nobody move!” he shouted, his voice gruff and filled with authority. “I’m not here to hurt you, but I will shoot if necessary.”

Panic surged through me as I looked around the room. Dante and Sasha were already moving, their instincts kicking in, and in a flash, they lunged for the masked man, trying to disarm him.

I couldn’t just stand there. My children were in danger, and I wasn’t going to let anyone hurt them. I dove toward the door, desperate to escape, but before I could reach it, the masked figure turned his weapon toward me.

“Stop!” he commanded, and I froze in my tracks. “I won’t hesitate to shoot you. You’re all caught in a web that you don’t understand.”

I could see the confusion and fear in the eyes of the three men as they paused, their hands still raised. 

“Who sent you?” Dante demanded, his voice low and steady, despite the situation. “What do you want?”

“Your queen is in danger, and so are the children,” the intruder replied, his tone dropping slightly as he shifted his gaze toward me. “But I’m not your enemy. I’m here to offer you a way out.”

“A way out?” Sasha echoed, skepticism dripping from his words. “Why should we trust you?”

“Because time is running out. The fourth man knows you’re back, and he’s not going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. He wants Elena and the children—*all of them*—and if you don’t act fast, he’ll use them to settle old scores.”

The implications of his words washed over me like a wave, drowning me in fear. They were going to come for my children. All three men wanted to claim what they thought was theirs, but in reality, it was the fourth man who would use them as pawns in his twisted game.

“Why should we believe you?” Luca asked, his voice low and measured, studying the intruder as if weighing his next move. “What do you know?”

“Enough to know that I’ve been tracking him for years. I know what he wants, and I know how to stop him.” 

“And why do you care?” Dante pressed, his jaw clenched as he took a step closer, ready to strike. 

“Because I owe you. I owe your family for a past mistake, and I want to make it right. But we need to move, and we need to move now.”

“What’s your name?” I asked, my voice steadier now, the need for action overriding my fear. 

“Call me Ryder. But we don’t have time for introductions,” he said, glancing back at the door. “He’ll be here soon.”

“Let’s go!” Dante barked, snapping back into action. “We can’t waste any more time.”

“No!” I shouted, the panic rising again. “We can’t leave the children behind!”

“We’re not leaving anyone behind,” Sasha assured me, his expression shifting from skepticism to determination. “But if we want to keep them safe, we need to get moving now.”

Luca’s eyes were filled with intensity as he met my gaze. “Elena, this is your chance. If Ryder is telling the truth, we need to trust him.”

The room felt charged with tension, and I took a deep breath, trying to make sense of the chaos around me. This was my chance to protect my children, to finally put an end to this nightmare. 

“Fine,” I said, my voice steadying. “But if we do this, we do it together. No secrets.”

Dante nodded, the fierceness in his eyes returning. “Together. But we need a plan.”

Ryder stepped forward, his demeanor shifting to something more serious. “We need to get to the safe house. I have an escape route lined up, but it won’t last long. He’ll be on us the moment he figures out you’re here.”

“Let’s go,” I said, ready to follow him, knowing that the next moments would change everything. 

As we rushed toward the door, the stakes had never been higher. We weren’t just fighting for our own lives anymore; we were fighting for the future of my children—and I would do whatever it took to keep them safe from the shadows of our past.