đź–¤ Chapter 8: Touch Her and Die
From the novel: Owned by the Devil
By C. Amara Vale
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The mansion was too quiet.
Zara stood at the window, watching the black SUV vanish into the rain-slicked night. Damien had left with three men — all armed, all grim.
And he'd left her behind like a secret he didn't trust the world with.
She hated how her chest tightened.
Not with fear.
But with something far worse.
Longing.
---
Downstairs, the guards had shifted. These weren't Damien's usual shadows. These ones didn't speak, didn't blink, didn't move unless you breathed too loud.
She tested their presence by walking slowly into the hallway.
No reaction.
But the eyes followed her.
Like wolves waiting to be unchained.
She hated the feeling.
So she made her way into Damien's private study — the one he always locked.
It wasn't locked now.
She stepped inside and was swallowed by the scent of leather, smoke, and secrets.
The room was lined with shelves of old books, rare weapons, and a massive wall of surveillance feeds. Zara stared at one in particular.
A live feed of her room.
She laughed once. Sharp. Bitter.
"He's been watching me sleep."
---
She moved toward the desk and opened the top drawer.
Inside: a gun. Sleek. Loaded.
And a note.
A simple card with bold handwriting.
> If they come for you, aim for the head. D.
She should have felt sick.
Instead, her fingers curled around the weapon like it had always belonged there.
---
An hour passed.
Two.
Then her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
One text.
> You're not his to keep.
Her stomach dropped.
Another text followed.
> You were meant for me.
She didn't recognize the number, but she recognized the warning.
Someone had found her.
And Damien was nowhere near.
---
She turned to leave—only to find one of the silent guards standing in the doorway.
Too still.
Too calm.
Zara pointed the gun.
"Step aside."
He didn't.
"Final warning."
Still nothing.
So she aimed—
And the man smirked.
She pulled the trigger.
The shot rang through the hall like thunder.
He dropped like a sack of bricks.
Zara didn't wait.
She ran.
---
Damien's voice was cold fury through the speaker in the SUV.
"What the hell do you mean someone texted her?"
"She killed one of the guards," the voice replied.
Damien didn't blink.
"She's learning."
He dialed another number.
"Lock the house down. And if Santos even breathes near her, I'll put a bullet between his teeth."
Because no one touched what was his.
Not without dying for it.
---
What happens when the hunted becomes the one holding the gun?
To be continued...
By C. Amara Vale