Desperate Measures

r pulse pumped and her head throbbed. Didn't they say this was a safe place, reinforced and impenetrable? So what was this

do you want?" Her voice c

y. He stepped forward and Liya willed herself to move but her legs refused to cooperate. Her eyes flitted to the monit

stuttered in a quiver

ps. "You could, but I wouldn't advise it," he said in a s

ut a sigh of relief as Aldo appeared in the doorway, his stance filling the ro

nclear. Aldo's hand grazed the gun tucked in

g here today," Aldo said in

k surrender. "Chill Marino, I'm not here to

part do you play in this game?" Ald

to see Aldo riled up. "To d

at? The entire game didn't make sense to her. First, the man at the study tried to attack her and then took his life after delivering a message from

into his jacket, slowly pulling out a folded piece of paper an

e man. He opened it, eyes sweeping through the page, and Liya watc

y?" Liya asked,

letter with a calm expression. He then folded th

he intruder in a comm

anged at all." He turned his attention to Liya, his eyes remaining on her fo

is confidence unnerving. The nerves in her body did

r eyes. His demeanor was colder than

" she asked as she took c

harply, cutting off any further argumen

s.' she snapped, her panic giving way to rage. "If Damian

that she couldn't quite put her finger on. "This isn't about entitlement Liya, it's about surv

u can't keep protecting me from the truth Aldo, I didn't want

n. "You believe knowing will make you safer?" he asked in a calm voice. Not wait

g like waves in a storm. She hated how little he saw her, how helple

ast you can do is make me und

oment she thought he'd open up to her. But then h

Melinda will show

dismis

er silenced the words in her throat. He was only shut

---

staring at the elaborate design on the rug. The mansion was surprisingly silent but she co

ead and remembered the intruder in the study, the man in the "secured" room who del

ldo, and in the middle of all this. Was he safe? What was he up to? Had Damian

She got up, her heart in her mouth as she approached the door. She should

sion she couldn't quite put her finger on. He held a glass of whisky in one hand and the

ed in a calm voice, nothing like

ly, "yeah, I've got

ble. He glanced around the room, his attention focused on the window.

the house I'm scared of." She said,

a moment. "You're stronger than I'd though

t he just said. "I don't

s more about what you do, and you proved

e looked at her. " Trust me

alive," he said with an

d one. "What are you keeping from me, Aldo?" she could see the conflict in his ey

a frown taking over his face as he looked at the screen. He answered t

Liya asked, he

g said that he turned and exited the r