All Chapters of THE KILLER THAT CLAIMED ME: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

The leather upholstery of my office chair creaked under my weight as I rubbed the bridge of my nose, staring blankly at the flickering security tapes. I couldn’t help but think of Amaya. The staff and some of the guards had reported her sudden, violent outbursts and I couldn’t make sense of any of it. What changed? A sharp knock cut through the hum of the electronic servers. "Enter," I said. Regina stepped into the room, closing the door. She didn't take a seat and simply leaned against the edge of my heavy mahogany desk, watching me with a serious expression. "I'm busy, Regina," I said, not looking up from my monitors. “Sooooo about your princess…..” I threw my pen down on the desk. "If this is about her skipping another meal, I already know.” "It’s not about the food," Regina said smoothly, "She started asking me questions. Highly specific questions, Bane." I went entirely still, my hands hovering over the keyboard. "What kind of questions?" "She

The taste of blood from my bitten lip was a clear testament to the absolute chaos of her mouth. The anger that had nearly driven us apart just seconds ago was instantly rewired. Somehow, hate had transformed into a raw, electric desperation that burned through every fiber of our being. Amaya’s hands stopped pounding against my chest. With a soft, broken sob that was swallowed straight into my throat, her fingers uncurled, sliding up the lapels of my jacket to grip it with a frantic intensity. She wasn't trying to run away anymore. She was pulling me closer, her mouth opening beneath mine as she kissed me back with a fierce, unbridled hunger that matched my own stroke for stroke. "Amaya," I growled against her lips, the sound primitive and rough as I lifted her slightly, her feet clearing the marble floor as I carried her away from the door and back toward the large, disheveled bed. “I don’t know what to do, Bane. I don’t want to be here. I don’t know where to go”

Nathaniel’s words hung in the air long after the doors had clicked shut behind him. “You're in love with Bane.” What did he hell did he know?! I wasn’t in love with Bane!! I was just….. I don’t even know anymore. But there was no way I had to be in love with the man who kept me as his hostage. Right? A heavy, suffocating wave of guilt settled into the pit of my stomach. Nathaniel truly did care for me and here I was, sleeping with his uncle who on paper, was horribly for me. I knew the way Nathaniel looked at me, the raw devotion in his eyes, and the quiet risks he had been willing to take just to offer me a way out. From the seemingly harmless letters to his confession that could have cost him his life. He loved me. It was a tragic, dangerous truth that he had carried silently while serving as Bane's right hand. Knowing that my choice to stay with his uncle was actively breaking Nathaniel's heart made the peace I had felt this morning feel incredibly selfish. A

“Leave my estate while you still have the chance, Victor” I warned. "Is this how the great Lord Bane negotiates?" Victor sneered, “Here I thought we would sit and discuss like men”“Sit and discuss?” I asked.“Yes, Don Valak. Surely there has to be a way to reach certain terms for my daughter’s release” "The second you stepped past my perimeter with weapons drawn, the time for terms ended, Victor," I said, “And who said your child is here?”“I’m no fool, Bane.”I didn't lower my rifle by a single millimeter, the red dot of my sight painted directly onto the center of his chest. “Hand over my daughter, Bane. There’s no need to threaten my life”"You are standing inside my home. YOU are threatening my infrastructure. If I wanted to negotiate with an animal like you, I would have sent a lower lieutenant to meet you in the dirt." "This isn't just a simple border skim, Valak," Victor countered.The man’s eyes narrowed as he took a deliberate step forward, completely ignoring the lasers

I stood in the absolute center of the standoff, my bare feet cold against the marble floor. On one side, my father’s mercenaries kept their assault weapons leveled; on the other, Bane stood like an unyielding mountain of stone. I couldn’t believe what was happening at the moment. My father? Of all people? Now he decides to find me? Where was he when I was taken from Raul’s estate? Where was he was I was locked up here for 3 days in a cell? Why is he here now? Did he think I was dead all along? "Amaya," father said, his tone dripping with a smooth, fake warmth as he took a slow step toward me. "The choice is entirely yours. Walk with us. Your prison sentence ends today. Your home is waiting." My home? I looked at my father. "Father?" I whispered, my voice cracking. “I’m here my darling girl” He held my hand and kissed it warmly but only dread filled my soul. This man had used me as a bargaining chip my entire life. His eyes still carried the exact sa