Chapter 8 - The Price of Silence
Bullets tore through the plaster walls,
shattering the glass windows into a million pieces.
I threw myself to the floor,
rolling behind a heavy metal filing cabinet.
The noise was overwhelming,
a chaotic symphony of gunshots and screaming.
Killian was firing with a cold,
deadly precision,
forcing Kieran to stay pinned behind the desk.
Aoife was screaming,
scrambling toward the rear exit with the ledger held tight against her chest.
“Norah!”
Killian shouted over the din.
“Stop her!”
I looked at the pistol in my hand,
my fingers trembling.
I had never fired a weapon at a human being before.
But I saw the future if Aoife escaped,
a lifetime of running,
of looking over my shoulder,
of waiting for the bullet in the dark.
I stood up from behind the cabinet,
my gaze locked on the beautiful blonde woman fleeing toward the stairs.
“Aoife!”
I called out,
my voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through my veins.
She stopped,
turning to look at me,
her eyes filled with contempt.
“A maid,”
she sneered,
her voice dripping with venom.
“You are nothing but a servant.”
She pulled a small silver pistol from her purse,
pointing it at my face.
I did not think,
I did not hesitate.
I raised my weapon and pulled the trigger.
The recoil slammed through my arm,
and the loud report echoed in the small office.
The bullet struck her shoulder,
spinning her around.
The black ledger flew from her hands,
sliding across the dusty floor.
She collapsed against the wall,
clutching her bleeding shoulder,
her face twisted in pain.
“You...
you shot me,”
she gasped,
staring at me in utter disbelief.
“I warned you,”
I said,
my voice cold as ice.
“I pay attention to the small details.”
Behind me,
the gunfire suddenly stopped.
I turned to see Killian standing over Kieran,
the driver’s weapon lying uselessly on the floor.
Kieran was clutching his chest,
his breathing ragged and wet.
He looked up at the man he had served for ten years,
his eyes filled with fear.
“Killian...
please,”
he whispered,
blood bubbling at his lips.
Killian did not say a word.
He raised his weapon and fired one final,
merciful shot.
May you like
The silence returned to the office,
broken only by the sound of the falling rain outside.
