Blood and Ice

***Milena***

Profound shock coursed through my trembling veins, freezing the blood pumping to my racing heart. I stood rooted to the rough asphalt. My chest heaved with painful, ragged gasps. Every intake of breath felt like shattered glass scraping against the inside of my rib cage. Slowly, my terrified gaze shifted from the crimson puddle expanding across the deserted road to the dark blood splattered thickly across Rafael and Alessio.

Two lifeless bodies sprawled grotesquely at our feet. One man lay just yards from my ruined diamond dress, his shattered skull leaking gray brain matter onto the street. The other rested near Rafael's shiny dress shoes. The metallic, sickening stench of fresh death filled the heavy air, mixing with the sharp tang of gunpowder that still burned my nostrils.

Horror twisted my stomach into a suffocating knot. I backed away from the carnage, my breath hitching in my tight throat. Rafael and Alessio remained as still as statues. Their sharp eyes locked onto my trembling form. Their tailored suits were painted in thick streaks of red, turning them into nightmarish figures standing proudly over their fresh kills. A primal, desperate urge to flee overrode my paralyzed limbs. I spun around on my painful heels and ran.

I sprinted toward the estate like my very life depended on it. The unforgiving pavement slammed against my thin soles, sending sharp jolts of pain shooting up my legs, but I ignored the biting agony. I just needed to escape this waking nightmare. I shoved past the heavy iron gates of the villa. The stationed bodyguards watched me in sheer confusion, their hands twitching toward their holsters as I tore blindly through the sprawling courtyard. I pushed my aching muscles to their utmost limit. I raced past them without a single word, climbing the grand marble stairs of the estate. My lungs burned with every frantic step until I finally barged into our master bedroom.

I threw myself into the luxurious bathroom. My hands gripped the edges of the pristine marble sink so hard my knuckles turned white. My stomach heaved, harshly rejecting the contents of my lunch right into the pristine basin. The bitter taste of bile burned the back of my raw throat. I coughed, gasping for clean air that did not smell like copper and death.

I spat the sour taste from my mouth and slowly lifted my heavy head. My lips quivered with sheer panic. A ghostly, blood-smeared reflection stared back at me from the oval mirror. Dark red droplets painted my pale cheeks. Tiny fragments of bone and tissue clung to my skin and tangled in my hair. Pure panic seized my throat. I staggered away from the vanity and yanked the heavy glass shower door open. I stumbled blindly into the massive enclosure, not even bothering to strip off my ruined dress or my high heels.

"Turn on the shower, Alexa!" I screamed, my voice cracking under the crushing weight of my terror.

The AI system hesitated for a torturous second, asking me to repeat the command in a cheerful robotic tone. I slammed my fist hard against the wet glass wall.

"Turn on the fucking cold water!" I shrieked.

Freezing water blasted from the overhead nozzle. It crashed down with immense force, drumming against my skull and soaking straight through my thick clothes. I dug my nails into my face and arms. I scrubbed my skin with a frantic, desperate energy. I raked my fingers over my cheeks and neck, trying to peel away the phantom sensation of hot blood. I wanted to wash away the gruesome, explosive image of that stalker's head shattering into pieces right in front of my eyes. The water swirling around the silver drain ran a terrifying, vivid shade of pink.

I stayed under the freezing assault until my muscles cramped. My teeth chattered loud enough to echo off the tile walls. When I finally dragged myself out of the enclosure, soaked and shivering, my wet clothes clung heavily to my freezing skin. Water pooled around my feet, leaving a messy trail across the floor.

Rafael stood by the edge of the bed. He was casually throwing a clean white dress shirt over his muscular, tattooed torso. His relaxed posture made my blood boil. He moved with the effortless grace of a man who had not just executed someone in cold blood mere minutes ago. He did not look shaken. He did not look disturbed. It was just another normal day in his twisted world.

I halted a few feet away from him. Water dripped from the hem of my ruined dress, soaking deep into his expensive Persian rug.

Rafael buttoned his cuffs without rushing, his jaw tight. "I told you to stay in the car. What if you had gotten hit?"

I clenched my damp fists, my voice shaking with raw disgust. "What was that barbaric behaviour out there?"

Rafael stopped moving and turned his head. His dark eyes scanned my shivering form. "What was I supposed to do?! Let him blow up your fucking brains?"

I snapped, closing the distance between us. "Oh, how convenient! And the first man you battered mercilessly in the vineyard? How about him? Are you going to tell me that was self-defense too? What about all the ones before that?"

His dark eyes hardened, holding zero remorse as he stepped closer. His imposing height cast a massive shadow over me. "I never kill anyone who doesn't deserve it. That man was a sworn Luna Ombra brother. He betrayed my trust, and betrayal is a death sentence in my world. Mercy has never been in my nature. It's a weakness, and weakness makes you weak."

A bitter scoff tore from my raw throat. I stared at him with pure revulsion. "You are just a pathetic coward hiding behind a gun. That is your grand argument? Loyalty over basic morality?"

Rafael let out a dry, hollow chuckle. He closed the remaining space between us in one long stride. His overwhelming presence swallowed all the oxygen in the room. "Evil reigns! And in order to survive, you either be the prey or the predator. It's about time you got used to my world because you're not going anywhere anytime soon."

I spat back, stunned by his sheer audacity. "Get used to your world? I never asked for any of this! You manipulated your way into my life and dragged me into this madness!"

Rafael ignored my outburst, his tone shifting back to strict command as he headed for the door. "You barely ate anything today. Come down for dinner in twenty minutes."

I crossed my arms over my wet chest. "I am not coming down. I couldn't possibly sit at the same table as a monster like you. And you cannot make me."

Before I could even blink, Rafael lunged forward. He swept me effortlessly off my feet. The room flipped upside down as he threw me over his broad shoulder. His steel arm clamped firmly around the back of my thighs, locking me in place.

"Put me down!" I screamed, lashing out wildly.

I pounded my clenched fists against the hard ridges of his back with all my might. I kicked my legs and squirmed, but my frantic attacks did nothing. He absorbed my hard blows like a gentle breeze. A slight grunt escaped his lips, but his pace never slowed. He stalked out of the bedroom and descended the grand staircase with graceful ease. My stomach churned with every dizzying step down to the main floor. My lungs burned from screaming, and exhaustion quickly seeped into my battered muscles. The more I fought him, the more lightheaded I became.

He carried me straight into the dining room. The crystal chandelier glistened above the long cherrywood table. He dumped me unceremoniously onto a plush dining chair.

I immediately sprang to my feet, ready to bolt for the nearest exit.

"Sit down, Milena!" Rafael ordered with unyielding authority.

His dark, tempestuous glare pinned me to the spot. The suffocating tension crackled between us, heavy and lethal. I glared right back at him, refusing to cower, even as my wet dress dripped onto the polished floorboards.

Alessio suddenly hurried into the room. His rapid footsteps shattered the charged silence. His usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced by frantic urgency. He froze for a fraction of a second in the doorway. His sharp eyes darted between my furious face and Rafael's thunderous expression, instantly reading the deadly tension in the air.

Alessio focused strictly on his boss. "I just got an urgent report. Some hostile goons are causing a massive ruckus at the main warehouse in Qualiano. We strongly suspect it is directly connected to the dead men from earlier."

My voice dripped with venom. "Go. Go kill more people like you always do. That's what you're good at."

Rafael stared at me in prolonged silence. The rigid lines of his handsome face gave away nothing. His expression remained a blank mask. He did not defend himself, nor did he argue. He just kept his intense, dark eyes locked firmly on mine.

Rafael spoke quietly to Alessio, never once breaking eye contact with me. "Go get the boys ready. We leave in fifteen."