Chapter 10 - THE TRAP IN THE STUDY
Before I could back away, a heavy hand clamped over my mouth.
Strong fingers grabbed my arm, yanking me backward into the dark alcove beside the grandfather clock.
I lashed out, kicking backward with my heel.
"Shh," a deep voice rumbled against my ear.
Nicholas.
His hand slowly released my mouth, but his arm stayed wrapped securely around my waist, pinning me against his chest.
"Did you hear him?" I whispered frantically, my heart racing against his ribs.
"Every word," Nicholas replied, his voice terrifyingly calm.
He didn't sound surprised.
He didn't sound betrayed.
He sounded like a chess player watching his opponent walk directly into a checkmate.
"You knew?" I asked, looking up at him in the dim light.
"For three weeks," Nicholas whispered, his dark eyes fixed on the cracked-open door of the study. "Luca was my father's most trusted man. It took time to confirm which federal agency was paying his offshore accounts."
Inside the office, the sound of metal scraping against metal echoed through the quiet hall.
Luca was opening the wall safe.
"Stay here," Nicholas instructed quietly, releasing my waist.
"Nicholas, he has a gun—"
"So do I," Nicholas said, drawing a heavy SIG Sauer pistol from his shoulder holster with a smooth, silent motion.
May you like
He stepped out of the alcove, walking toward the study door without making a single sound on the carpet.
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