The air in was thick with tension, the rain relentless drumming now a muted pulse against the windows. Candlelight flickered across the room, casting jagged shadows that danced with the tension still thick from Diego's lunge. The journal pages trembled in my grip, Mom's words on a page "Diego's deals run deep. He is not who you think he is", burning into my mind.
My lungs ached, each breath shallow, as Salvador's arm remained a steel barrier between me and Diego, his sleeve hissing softly with the movement. The floorboards groaned under Diego's retreat, his polished shoes clicking as he straightened, his face a mask of barely contained fury.
"Enough, Salvador," Diego snapped, his voice a whip crack, though his eyes flickered with a hint of unease. He adjusted his cufflinks, the glint catching the light, and turned to me. "That journal is mine. Hand it over, or you'll regret the consequences."
I held onto it tighter, the journal crinkling, my fingers numb. Salvador's gray eyes, flecked with gold, shifted to me, his scarred jaw tightening. "Boss," he said, his tone respectful yet firm, "she found it. Let us hear her out."
His voice carried that gravelly warmth and I felt a strange steadiness in his presence. Diego's laugh was a cold bark. "Hear her out? She is a child meddling in matters she can't fathom."
His gaze bore into me, daring me to speak, but before I could, Salvador stepped closer, his leather jacket creaking, the faint musk of rain and worn hide filling the space. "Ocean girl, you got some nerve," Salvador murmured, his grin roguish as he leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. "But this game is bigger than you know."
His thumb brushed my jaw, a fleeting touch that sent a shiver down my spine, not of fear but of something i couldn't explain .I jerked back.
"What game?" I demanded, my voice cracking but defiant. The room seemed to shrink, Sofia's quick breaths and Aunt Clara's muted shuffle fading into a hum.
Diego's eyes narrowed, and he gestured sharply toward the door. "Salvador, take her to the study. We settle this now."
His command brooked no argument, and Salvador nodded, his deference to Diego unmistakable, though his gaze lingered on me with a hint of challenge. He guided me with a firm hand on my elbow, his grip strong yet careful, leading me down the dim hallway.
The study loomed ahead, its oak door ajar, revealing a desk cluttered with papers and a single lamp casting a sickly yellow glow. The air smelled of old ink and dust, a stark contrast to the storm outside.
Salvador shut the door behind us, the click echoing like a gunshot, and turned to face me. "Sit," he said, his tone softening but still commanding.
I hesitated, then dropped into the chair, the leather creaking under me. He leaned against the desk, arms crossed, his scar catching the light like a warning.
"You've stirred a nest, Isabella. That journal, Diego's been burying those deals for years."
My heart thudded, a wild drumbeat. "What deals? Who's Valentina? Why the blood note?" The questions spilled out, raw and urgent, and Salvador's grin faded, replaced by a hard edge.
"Valentina is a ghost with a grudge," he said, his voice low. "Part of the old network Diego built, smuggling, blackmail, worse. The note probably her way of scaring you."
He paused, his eyes searching mine, and I felt the weight of his words settle like a stone. "Diego is my boss, but he's not clean. I have cleaned up his messes, and now you have got one too."
I gripped a broom nearby, its splinters digging into my palm. "So you're part of it? Why help me?" My voice trembled, but I held his stare, refusing to break.
His laugh was short, bitter. "Because I'm tired of the blood on my hands. And you...you're a tide I can not ignore." He straightened, his presence overwhelming.
"Let's get one thing straight, ocean girl," he said, his voice low and husky. "I'm not doing this out of kindness. I'm doing it because it's time for a change."
Before I could respond, the door swung open, and Diego entered, his suit impeccable, his face a storm. Behind him, Sofia hovered, her eyes wide with fear, and Aunt Clara wrung her hands silently.
"Salvador," Diego said, his voice a blade. "Explain this to her. Fully."
Salvador nodded, his respect unwavering, and turned to me. "The deals are power plays, arms, secrets, people. Your mom knew too much, and now you do. Valentina wants revenge, likely for a cut Diego denied her. The note's a warning, but also a lure."
He pulled a chair close, sitting with a predator's grace, his scarred jaw flexing. "You're in now, ocean girl. No running."
Diego loomed over me, his shadow swallowing the lamp's light. "You'll stay silent, or I'll silence you myself. Salvador will ensure it."
His threat hung heavy, and I felt the room tilt, my defiance warring with dread.
A sharp knock jolted us, and Sofia gasped as the door creaked wider. A figure stepped in, tall, cloaked in black, a gloved hand holding a sleek pistol. The leather scent cut through the dust, and my breath caught.
Valentina. Her voice, smooth as silk, slithered into the room. "Diego, you've kept this little fish from me. Time to share."
Diego's composure cracked, his hand twitching toward his pocket, but Salvador was faster, stepping between us, his arm raised.
"Easy, boss," he said, his tone a low growl. "Let's talk."
His respect for Diego held, but his stance protected me, a shield against the chaos.
Valentina laughed, a sound like breaking glass. "Talk? I want the journal or she dies here."
The pistol gleamed, its barrel trained on me, and my hands shook, the journal page slipping slightly. Sofia whimpered, and Aunt Clara froze, her face pale.
Salvador's eyes met mine, a storm of resolve. "Give it to her," he murmured, his voice barely audible, "but not the truth."
I hesitated, then slid the journal across the desk, my fingers numb. Valentina snatched it, her gloved fingers smudging the ink, and scanned it with a smirk.
"Pathetic," she sneered, tucking it away. "You'll regret this, Diego."
She backed toward the door, the pistol still raised, then vanished into the hall, her laughter echoing.
Silence fell, thick and suffocating. Diego turned on Salvador, his voice a hiss. "You let her walk? Fix this."
His cufflinks glinted as he stormed out, leaving me with Salvador, Sofia's quiet sobs, and Aunt Clara's stunned gaze.
Salvador knelt beside me, his hand resting on my shoulder, steadying me. "You're deeper now," he said, his grin returning, faint but real. "But I've got your back until it all over."
His words were a promise and a threat, and as the rain pounded on, I wondered if I had just traded one danger for another.