Chapter 2

Always A Step Ahead.

The soft, uneven banging came from the walk-in pantry. At first, I thought I was imagining it, maybe the old pipes creaking or a stray raccoon outside. Weak knocks, frantic and uneven, like someone struggling to get out but running out of strength. I froze, wine glass still in hand, eyes narrowing as the sound cut through the silence. Liam must be out on the grounds somewhere, maybe someone from my crew. I set the glass down carefully and stepped toward the pantry, heart thumping against my ribs. The smell of garlic and rosemary still lingered thick in the kitchen air, a sick reminder she’d been here. When I reached the pantry door, I tried to pull it open, and it wouldn’t budge. Jammed tight. A slow, dark laugh escaped my lips. Of course. She was always one step ahead. Always had to make her presence known in the most inconvenient ways. I stepped back, reached down to the floor, and found a dagger, not one of mine, jammed into the wood stopping it from opening. The pantry door groaned as I forced it open, revealing a dim space crammed with shelves of canned goods and bottles of wine. There, sprawled on the cold concrete floor, was one of my men. Jason. His eyes fluttered open, dazed, his face bruised and dirty.

“Jesus, Jason,” I muttered, crouching beside him. “You okay?”

He coughed, trying to clear his throat. “Boss… she… she was here. I heard something, thought I could catch her before she got out.”

His hand trembled as he reached for the wall to steady himself.

I glanced at the door again, my mind racing. “You got in her way, didn’t you?”

Jason nodded weakly, swallowing hard.