Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter #2) - Melanie Martins Page 0,41
I insist. “It’s really urgent. I won’t tell him you told me.” Despite my serious tone, Maria continues to ignore me as she tastes the soup simmering on the stove. “I promise, I will make it seem like I just found him.”
“Why is it so important?” she finally asks.
“An innocent life is at stake,” I reply just as fast.
But Maria immediately rolls her eyes. “He will fire me if I tell you,” she says. “He gave me clear instructions.”
“Huh?” Fire her? I cannot possibly believe it. “Of course not, no one’s gonna fire you. I promise.” Maria shakes her head in denial. “Maria, I will never let it happen.”
The gravity in my tone makes her ponder my words more seriously. She then frowns and, a bit skeptical, asks, “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I will protect you. No one will fire you. I give you my word.”
After some hesitation, she finally looks again at me and says, “He’s with Sebastian, getting ready.”
“Sebastian? He’s already here? Okay… Um, where?”
Maria twitches her lips, thinking twice, but finally blurts out, “In the trophy room.”
“What?!” I snap in total disbelief. “A trophy room?” I ask again, making sure I heard her properly. Maria just nods at me in return. Oh God, my heart thunders at a thousand miles an hour. “What kind of trophies are we talking about? Don’t tell me it’s what I’m thinking.”
“I’m afraid it is.”
“Where is the room?” I ask, ready to kill him instead and expose him as a trophy among those innocent lives. Maria’s attention shifts back to the stove, ignoring me. My nerves are boiling under my skin, and my patience is vanishing. “Where is the room?” I demand louder.
Startled, Maria finally stops her little game, and after cleaning her hands on her apron, she leads me out of the kitchen. “This way, please.”
After walking all the way to the end of the hallway, we take the stairs and go down to the basement. I knew there was an old winery here, but that’s all. Alex has never bothered to show me all the rooms occupying his basement. Once we reach the wood-paneled corridor, she switches on the light, and looking ahead, she says, “The last door on your right.” But before I can walk farther, Maria holds me back and adds, “Don’t tell him I told you.” There is genuine concern and fear in her voice, which makes my heart squeeze.
“I won’t. Thank you, Maria.”
Speeding up my pace, I finally stand in front of the infamous room. I can even hear people talking on the other side. I think twice about knocking, but fuck it! Taking a deep breath, I open the door wide and go inside the room, asking, “May we have a word?” But my mind goes wild as I look at the walls lined with stuffed animal heads. “Oh God!” I see the heads of dead deer (some with antlers, others without), rhinos and gazelles. Then, placed on the wall in front of me and above the fireplace, is the head of an elephant. I try hard not to cry at the sight of it. This is the most disturbing place I have ever been in my whole life.
“Petra! What are you doing here?” I hear Alex scolding me, and his tone is enough to bring my attention back to the duo in the room.
Alex and Sebastian are both already in full hunting attire, with brown ankle boots and rifles in hands, Alex sitting slightly on a dark wooden desk that stands behind them. Needless to say, the view is vomit-inducing.
“Good morning, Sebastian,” I snap for the sake of politeness.
“Hi, Petra.” He looks at Alex and says, “I will wait outside.” Afterward, Sebastian puts the rifle sling over his shoulder, takes his jacket hanging on the wall, and leaves the room, closing the door behind him.
Now that we are alone, Alex barks, “What the fuck was that? Where are your manners? You don’t even knock now?”
But I’m having none of it. Walking over in his direction, I say, pointing my index finger at him, “You’re not gonna kill anyone! That’s horrible!”
“How did you—”
“You know perfectly well that I’m a vegetarian!” I cut him off.
“How did you get here?” he asks.
“That doesn’t matter. Please don’t kill a poor animal.”
“I’m sorry, but Sebastian is looking forward to the hunt,” he replies without any bother. “Plus, he’s helping us with the wedding—”
“Promise me you won’t shoot,” I interpose with my sweetest voice.