“Open the damn door.”
Alison's thoughts were in a haze. How was she going to inform Nicholas? She didn't know where to run to. Before she could even do anything, the sound of a gun cocking behind her got her attention. She turned quickly, her heart racing in her chest, only to find it was Nicholas. He stood few feets away from her his face cold and unreadable. A gun steady in his hand. “Where did he come from” she wondered “Get behind me,” he instructed, his tone quiet yet firm. Alison nodded and swiftly stepped back as Nicholas approached the door. He remained silent, his footsteps unnaturally soft. The knock sounded once more, louder and more demanding. Nicholas looked back at her. "No matter what occurs, remain silent." "Understand?" She nodded once more, her mouth dry. He walked to the door, placed his hand on the knob, and swung it open in one swift motion. The chilly night breeze swept in, yet Nicholas remained alert, his gun raised. On the veranda stood a stout man, his face partly obscured by the darkness. A smirk crept across his face when he spotted Nicholas. "Didn't think you'd be here, Pectran," the man said leisurely. Nicholas didn't lower his gun. "Why have you come?" The man laughed softly, moving a step ahead. "Relax." I’m simply here to see how you’re doing. “Adrian tasked me with ensuring everything was taken care of.” “It has been taken care of,” Nicholas said, his voice flat.. The man shrugged “ Word got out that someone saw too much- you know Adrian hate those stuff” He shifted his gaze as if trying to peeped into the house. “ Where is the girl Nic” “It's Nicholas to you and about the girl she's gone” “What do you mean gone” He retorted “Dead” His voice icy The man stared at Nicholas for a moment trying to study his face. His gaze held a flicker of suspicion. “You wouldn't lie to Adrian, would you- you know how he treats traitors, don't you” Nicholas stepped forward “ You think I'd risk lying to him? She's dead Now leave” The tension between them was so suffocating. Alison silently prayed the man would buy the lie and just leave. “If she's dead, you won't mind if I take a look at the body” He had an annoying smirk on his face as he said that. Nicholas clenched his jaws “You're wasting my time” “Am I” The man stepped forward clearly challenging Nicholas. “ If you did the job, there's no harm checking, right” Allison's heart was pounding. It was so obvious the man didn't trust Nicholas and was here to confirm if she was dead or not. Nicholas’s jaw tightened. “You’re wasting your time.” “I’m not letting you in,” Nicholas said coldly. The man chuckled again, his hand drifting to the gun at his hip. “Then I guess we’ve got a problem.” Before Alison could process what was happening, the man’s hand moved for his gun—and Nicholas fired.The gunshot rang out, deafening the silence of the night. Alison flinched, her hands moving to cover her ears to prevent the penetrating sound. The body let out a thud as it touched the ground.Nicholas stood frozen in the doorway, the gun still raised. The man lay on the floor, blood streaming from him, his gun half-drawn.“Stay there,” Nicholas said, not even sparing her a glance.Alison’s chest rose as she tried to take in what had just happened. Nicholas stepped over the body, scanning the darkness beyond the cabin. His movements were deliberate, and each step he made was very calculated.He put down his weapon after a long pause. He turned to her, his expression completely unreadable.“He came alone,” he said flatly, shutting the door.Alison was still dumbfounded. With how the night went, she should have expected it but she couldn't help feeling surprised. “You… you, you killed him”Nicholas’s gray eyes locked into her. “ He was going to kill you or worse”His words sent chills
It became even more terrifying to Son when the headlights behind started to beam in the mirrors; Alison felt fear gripping her as she held onto her seat so tightly.“We’re being followed.” Alison’s voice wobbled from fear. “I know,” He replied, his jaws clenched as he glanced into the rearview mirror. He pressed the gas harder and the car let out a frightened roar in response as it moved faster. The pooling of thick clouds rolling across a soft bluish light illuminated the curvy and hilly streets allowing them to take sharp turns. “Who could it be?” “Adrian’s men,” Nicholas curtly responded, “they must have tracked us somehow.” Alison’s mind raced in unison with her heartbeat. She thought they could at least be safe for a little while. She didn't expect to be in danger immediately. “What now?”Nicholas’s expression became glum. “We won't get caught.” The car behind increased its speed, the lights blinding. Alison could feel the fury radiating from Nicholas as he worked out their
The early sun made the sky look gold and amber, but Alison did not feel its warmth. Nicholas had taken them into the countryside, away from the city noise. It was quiet now, except for the sound of birds chirping.And she watched, his profile sharp in the headlights through the windshield. Since last night he barely spoke, jaw set, hands clenching the steering wheel.At long last the car halted by an ancient barn. It was an old and weathered building, slowly succumbing to the elements it had been doing its best to out last. “We’ll stay here for a while,” Nicholas said, breaking the quiet.Alison hesitated a bit, looking at the barn. “What are we gonna do ?”Nicholas did not reply. He got out of the car, pulling a gun from his holder while he scanned the area. Alison got out too, her legs feeling heavy.“Is this how your life is?” she asked softly. “Always running and looking back?”“This is what I chose.” He answered, not entirely honest.Alison frowned. “That is not an answer.”Nich
Allison's life changed with just a brush stroke.She sat in her chair surrounded by a familiar chaos of unfinished canvases and splattered paint tubes in her small studio apartment. Her new project, Sunset View, half-finished, lay on the easel. She dipped her brush into a touch of pink and orange letting the colors bleed into each other. She smiled at her nearly finished creation. Painting was her only way of escaping reality. It was like freeing herself from the hard reality of life.But even it couldn't shield her from what happened next.A loud noise from outside distracted her. She ignored it and continued painting but the noise persisted. Curiosity filled her and she found herself walking to her open window.Below her apartment lay a dark alley, a kind of place people normally avoided in the nighttime. She saw a trashcan roll from the side. She traced her eyes in that direction, and she saw two men heavily tattooed, their hands holding the arms of a man kneeling before them with
Nicholas stared at the unconscious girl sleeping in the passenger seat. He injected her with something to make her unconscious.He hated loose ends which was why he had no idea why he was planning on doing what he was about to do.Even while asleep, she braced herself in such a way that she was ready to fight even though it was pretty obvious she wasn't going to win.Nicholas felt his phone buzz in his trousers. He grabbed his phone from his pockets. It was a text from Adrian Castellano.“What's the update-is it done“Still confirming loose ends” He typed before putting down his phone. He knew he was probably making a mistake. It was foolish to lie or betray the Castellanos, especially Adrian. A part of him was telling him to hand her over to Adrian and not make things complicated but it couldn't help feeling it was a big mistake. He knew Adrian would hurt her, not that he cared; she is practically a stranger to him, and he's been killing the Castellanos for years.But he couldn't sh
The early sun made the sky look gold and amber, but Alison did not feel its warmth. Nicholas had taken them into the countryside, away from the city noise. It was quiet now, except for the sound of birds chirping.And she watched, his profile sharp in the headlights through the windshield. Since last night he barely spoke, jaw set, hands clenching the steering wheel.At long last the car halted by an ancient barn. It was an old and weathered building, slowly succumbing to the elements it had been doing its best to out last. “We’ll stay here for a while,” Nicholas said, breaking the quiet.Alison hesitated a bit, looking at the barn. “What are we gonna do ?”Nicholas did not reply. He got out of the car, pulling a gun from his holder while he scanned the area. Alison got out too, her legs feeling heavy.“Is this how your life is?” she asked softly. “Always running and looking back?”“This is what I chose.” He answered, not entirely honest.Alison frowned. “That is not an answer.”Nich
It became even more terrifying to Son when the headlights behind started to beam in the mirrors; Alison felt fear gripping her as she held onto her seat so tightly.“We’re being followed.” Alison’s voice wobbled from fear. “I know,” He replied, his jaws clenched as he glanced into the rearview mirror. He pressed the gas harder and the car let out a frightened roar in response as it moved faster. The pooling of thick clouds rolling across a soft bluish light illuminated the curvy and hilly streets allowing them to take sharp turns. “Who could it be?” “Adrian’s men,” Nicholas curtly responded, “they must have tracked us somehow.” Alison’s mind raced in unison with her heartbeat. She thought they could at least be safe for a little while. She didn't expect to be in danger immediately. “What now?”Nicholas’s expression became glum. “We won't get caught.” The car behind increased its speed, the lights blinding. Alison could feel the fury radiating from Nicholas as he worked out their
The gunshot rang out, deafening the silence of the night. Alison flinched, her hands moving to cover her ears to prevent the penetrating sound. The body let out a thud as it touched the ground.Nicholas stood frozen in the doorway, the gun still raised. The man lay on the floor, blood streaming from him, his gun half-drawn.“Stay there,” Nicholas said, not even sparing her a glance.Alison’s chest rose as she tried to take in what had just happened. Nicholas stepped over the body, scanning the darkness beyond the cabin. His movements were deliberate, and each step he made was very calculated.He put down his weapon after a long pause. He turned to her, his expression completely unreadable.“He came alone,” he said flatly, shutting the door.Alison was still dumbfounded. With how the night went, she should have expected it but she couldn't help feeling surprised. “You… you, you killed him”Nicholas’s gray eyes locked into her. “ He was going to kill you or worse”His words sent chills
Alison stood still, her breath halting in her throat. The faint noise of footsteps near the cabin sent a chilling shiver down her spine. She clutched the sides of the sofa, her mind racing. Nicholas had vanished into the hallway, leaving her to confront whatever—or whoever—was awaiting her. The shadow moved once again, gliding past the window. Alison felt her heart beating faster as the soft sound of crunching leaves grew louder. She gulped nervously, her instincts screaming at her to remain quiet. However, the footsteps came to a halt. The abrupt quiet was more frightening than the sound. She focused her hearing, paying close attention, but the only sound she detected was her own shallow breath. The seconds dragged on like hours. There was a gentle tap at the door. Her body tensed, and she fixed her gaze on the door, yearning for it to remain closed. Whoever was outside hadn’t arrived for a pleasant visit. “Open up,” a deep voice called from the other side. It wasn't Nicholas.
Nicholas stared at the unconscious girl sleeping in the passenger seat. He injected her with something to make her unconscious.He hated loose ends which was why he had no idea why he was planning on doing what he was about to do.Even while asleep, she braced herself in such a way that she was ready to fight even though it was pretty obvious she wasn't going to win.Nicholas felt his phone buzz in his trousers. He grabbed his phone from his pockets. It was a text from Adrian Castellano.“What's the update-is it done“Still confirming loose ends” He typed before putting down his phone. He knew he was probably making a mistake. It was foolish to lie or betray the Castellanos, especially Adrian. A part of him was telling him to hand her over to Adrian and not make things complicated but it couldn't help feeling it was a big mistake. He knew Adrian would hurt her, not that he cared; she is practically a stranger to him, and he's been killing the Castellanos for years.But he couldn't sh
Allison's life changed with just a brush stroke.She sat in her chair surrounded by a familiar chaos of unfinished canvases and splattered paint tubes in her small studio apartment. Her new project, Sunset View, half-finished, lay on the easel. She dipped her brush into a touch of pink and orange letting the colors bleed into each other. She smiled at her nearly finished creation. Painting was her only way of escaping reality. It was like freeing herself from the hard reality of life.But even it couldn't shield her from what happened next.A loud noise from outside distracted her. She ignored it and continued painting but the noise persisted. Curiosity filled her and she found herself walking to her open window.Below her apartment lay a dark alley, a kind of place people normally avoided in the nighttime. She saw a trashcan roll from the side. She traced her eyes in that direction, and she saw two men heavily tattooed, their hands holding the arms of a man kneeling before them with