Chapter 11 - Blood Whispers
The silence in the cabin was so absolute that the soft patter of rain against the roof sounded like falling gravel.
Mateo felt as though the floor had given way beneath him. The rifle in his hands felt suddenly impossibly heavy. He turned his head slowly, looking at Clara. Her face had drained of all color, her hands shaking violently against the wool blanket.
""Clara..."" Mateo’s voice was barely a whisper, stripped of all authority, all ruthlessness. ""What is he talking about?""
Clara couldn't meet his eyes. She pressed her face into her palms, a ragged sob tearing from her throat. ""I didn't know I was pregnant until two months after you vanished, Mateo. I was alone. I had no money, no family, and the police thought you were a dead criminal.""
""Where is she?"" Mateo’s heart slammed against his ribs like a caged animal. The world spun. Ten years of calculated survival, ten years of living as a ghost, shattered by four words. ""Clara, where is our child?""
""Her name is Sofia,"" Clara wept, looking up with eyes filled with agonizing sorrow. ""She’s nine years old. When Julian started showing up at the restaurant, I knew what was coming. I sent her away with my sister to a boarding school outside of Boston under an assumed name. But three days ago... she got sick. An emergency appendectomy. They ran her blood through the hospital system. Julian’s people have flags on every hospital database in three states looking for any genetic markers linked to you.""
Marcus took a step forward, his voice grave. ""Montoya's private security extracted the girl from the hospital recovery ward two hours before Julian attacked you at the pier, Mateo. Julian didn't know; old man Montoya kept it compartmentalized. Julian thought he was just hunting you for sport.""
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Mateo dropped the rifle entirely. He gripped Marcus by the lapels of his trench coat, shoving the older man against the doorframe. ""Where is she, Marcus? WHERE IS SHE?!""
""Montoya’s estate in the Hamptons,"" Marcus gasped out, struggling for breath. ""The old man is sitting in his fortress, surrounded by fifty heavily armed mercenaries. He knows he’s dying, Mateo. And he wants to look you in the eyes before he trades your daughter's life for his own twisted peace.""
