Beauty and the Unconquered Beast

Chapter 14: The Man from Blackhaven

Chapter 14: The Man from Blackhaven

Click.

The sound of the lock settling into place echoed through the tunnel.

For a second, nobody moved.

The wind outside had disappeared.

The lights above the terminal were gone.

Darkness swallowed everything.

Vireya could hear her own breathing.

Slow.

Controlled.

But louder than she wanted.

Beside her, Evren stood completely still.

The two Montclair security officers had drawn their weapons.

One of them whispered, "We're trapped."

Evren didn't look at him.

"No."

His voice was calm.

"We're contained."

Vireya turned toward him.

"That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"No."

The man standing twenty feet away laughed.

It was low and rough.

Then he stepped forward.

The emergency lights inside the tunnel flickered once.

Red light briefly illuminated his face.

He was in his early forties, perhaps, with a broad frame hidden beneath a black tactical jacket. His hair was cut short, almost military in style. A jagged scar ran from the edge of his left eyebrow down across his cheek.

But his eyes were what Vireya noticed.

They weren't angry.

They weren't nervous.

They were familiar.

As if he had already seen this moment happen.

The man looked directly at Evren.

"Five years."

Evren's expression didn't change.

"You counted?"

"I counted every year."

The man's gaze moved toward Vireya.

"And now you're married."

"Not yet," Vireya said.

The stranger smiled.

"Close enough."

Evren stepped forward.

"Name."

The man's smile faded.

"You really don't remember me?"

"No."

The man seemed almost disappointed.

Then he reached into his jacket.

Both security officers raised their weapons.

"Hands where I can see them!"

The stranger stopped.

Slowly, he pulled out a small metal object.

Not a weapon.

A photograph.

He held it between two fingers.

"Do you remember this?"

He tossed it onto the wet concrete.

The photograph slid toward Evren.

Evren looked down.

His face changed.

Only slightly.

But Vireya saw it.

It was a photograph of Blackhaven.

A prison yard.

Cold gray walls.

Rows of razor wire.

And in the center—

Evren.

Five years younger.

Bruised.

Blood running from the corner of his mouth.

Standing beside another prisoner.

Vireya looked at him.

"That's you."

Evren didn't answer.

The stranger smiled.

"You were younger then."

Evren's eyes remained on the photograph.

"Where did you get it?"

"You should ask who took it."

The tunnel suddenly felt colder.

Vireya looked around.

"Who are you?"

The man finally turned toward her.

"That's a complicated question."

"I didn't ask a complicated question."

His smile returned.

"I was hoping you'd be difficult."

Vireya crossed her arms.

"You already know who I am."

"Everyone knows who you are."

"The Montclair heiress."

"The woman Darius wants removed from the family."

Vireya's eyes sharpened.

The stranger continued.

"The woman Lucien wants to protect."

Then he looked at Evren.

"And the woman who married the Beast."

Silence.

One of the guards tightened his grip on his weapon.

Vireya looked at Evren.

"Beast?"

Evren didn't look at her.

The stranger laughed quietly.

"You still haven't told her?"

Evren finally lifted his eyes.

"Tell me what?"

The stranger's expression hardened.

"Nothing."

He looked at the security officers.

"Put the weapons down."

Neither man moved.

The stranger sighed.

"I'd rather not hurt anyone."

Evren said quietly:

"Then don't."

The man's eyes returned to him.

"Still giving orders."

"I wasn't asking."

The stranger smiled.

"That's exactly what I remember."

Then he moved.

Fast.

Too fast for Vireya to understand.

He threw a small metal cylinder onto the ground.

Hiss.

White smoke exploded across the tunnel.

The guards coughed.

Vireya covered her mouth.

"Evren!"

She felt his hand catch her wrist.

"Stay behind me."

Gunshots cracked through the darkness.

Bang!

Bang!

The echoes were deafening.

Vireya ducked.

"Stop shooting!"

Another gunshot.

Then silence.

Evren's hand released her.

"Stay here."

"Evren—"

He disappeared into the smoke.

Vireya could barely see him.

Then came the sound of impact.

Thud.

A grunt.

Another impact.

Metal struck concrete.

Someone cursed.

Vireya heard rapid footsteps.

Then another crash.

The smoke began thinning.

One security officer was on the ground, conscious but dazed.

The other was holding his shoulder.

And Evren—

stood in the middle of the tunnel.

His shirt was torn near the collar.

Blood ran from a shallow cut along his cheek.

The scarred man was gone.

Vireya looked around.

"Where is he?"

Evren looked toward the darkness.

"Running."

"You let him escape?"

Evren didn't answer.

Then she noticed something.

He wasn't breathing heavily.

Not even slightly.

After what had just happened, he stood almost perfectly calm.

Vireya stared at him.

"How many people have you fought?"

Evren wiped the blood from his cheek.

"Enough."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one you're getting."

She stepped closer.

"Three men attacked us in a tunnel and you're standing here like nothing happened."

Evren looked at her.

"You weren't hurt."

"That's your concern?"

"Yes."

The answer came so quickly that Vireya stopped.

For a moment, the noise around them seemed to disappear.

Then one of the guards groaned.

The moment broke.

Evren crouched beside him.

"Can you stand?"

The guard nodded.

Evren helped him up.

Vireya looked toward the tunnel entrance.

The scarred man was gone.

But something remained.

A small black object lay near the wall.

Vireya picked it up.

It was a metal emblem.

A crown.

A blade ran through its center.

Her fingers tightened.

"Evren."

He turned.

She held it out.

His eyes immediately changed.

"Don't touch it."

She stopped.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Then why—"

"I've seen it before."

Vireya stared at the symbol.

"Where?"

Evren didn't answer.

The question wasn't necessary.

She already knew.

"Blackhaven."

He nodded.

Ten Minutes Later

The police arrived.

Sirens echoed through the terminal.

Blue and red lights reflected against the wet pavement, turning the shipping containers into shifting walls of color.

Officer Serena Vale stepped out of the first vehicle.

Her navy police jacket was zipped against the cold, and her dark hair had been pulled into a tight ponytail. She moved quickly toward the terminal, one hand resting near her holster.

She stopped when she saw Evren.

Then she looked at Vireya.

Then at the injured security guards.

"What happened?"

Vireya answered.

"We were attacked."

Serena looked at Evren.

"By whom?"

"Three men."

"Where are they?"

"One escaped."

Serena's eyes narrowed.

"One?"

"The other two were working with him."

"They escaped too?"

Evren nodded.

Serena studied him.

"You were inside when the lights went out?"

"Yes."

"How long?"

"About thirty seconds."

She looked at his torn shirt.

"Thirty seconds?"

Evren said nothing.

Serena stepped closer.

Her gaze moved to the cut on his cheek.

"You fought them."

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Three."

She stared at him.

"And you're the only one standing?"

The two security guards were visibly injured.

Evren remained silent.

Serena slowly exhaled.

"Of course."

Vireya noticed the way Serena looked at him.

Not admiration.

Not fear.

Investigation.

Serena was studying every movement.

Every answer.

Every omission.

She turned toward the tunnel.

"Did they leave anything?"

Vireya looked at the emblem.

"Yes."

Serena's expression changed when she saw it.

"What is that?"

"Do you recognize it?" Vireya asked.

Serena didn't answer immediately.

She took a photograph with her phone.

Then another.

"Where did you get it?"

"One of the attackers dropped it."

Serena looked toward Evren.

His expression remained unreadable.

"Does this mean anything to you?"

Evren looked at the emblem.

"No."

Serena held his gaze.

"You hesitated."

"No."

"You did."

Evren stepped closer.

"You're investigating the wrong thing."

Serena raised an eyebrow.

"Then tell me what the right thing is."

"The tunnel."

She looked behind him.

"What about it?"

"The tunnel wasn't abandoned."

Serena's expression hardened.

"What makes you say that?"

Evren pointed toward the ground.

Fresh tire marks.

Mud.

Heavy footprints.

A discarded cigarette.

And something else.

A faint chemical smell.

Serena crouched.

She examined the ground.

"Someone has been using this place recently."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Evren looked toward the darkness.

"That's what we need to find out."

The Hidden Room

Two miles away, the scarred man entered an underground parking structure.

He removed his jacket.

Blood stained his sleeve.

A second man approached.

"You were supposed to bring him."

"I know."

"Then why didn't you?"

The scarred man looked at him.

"Because he isn't the same."

The second man frowned.

"You said he was still human."

"He is."

"Then what changed?"

The scarred man touched the cut on his jaw.

"His instincts."

The other man waited.

"He knew where I was before I moved."

"Impossible."

"He didn't see me."

He paused.

"He anticipated me."

The second man stared.

"And the woman?"

The scarred man smiled.

"She stayed beside him."

"Vireya Montclair?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

The second man opened a folder.

Inside were photographs.

Vireya.

Evren.

Lucien.

Darius.

Adrian.

Then another photograph.

Blackhaven.

The second man tapped it.

"The plan was never supposed to involve the Montclairs."

The scarred man looked at him.

"Plans change."

"Because of Evren?"

"Because of what Evren is looking for."

The second man lowered his voice.

"He doesn't know about the Crown."

The scarred man smiled.

"Not yet."

Montclair Estate

Darius stood alone in his office.

The lights were off.

Boston glittered beyond the windows.

His phone rang.

He answered.

"Report."

A voice responded.

"The tunnel failed."

Darius closed his eyes.

"How many?"

"Three went in."

"And?"

"Two escaped."

Darius's eyes opened.

"Where is the third?"

Silence.

Darius's jaw tightened.

"Answer me."

"We don't know."

He slammed the phone onto the desk.

For several seconds, he stood completely still.

Then the door opened.

Adrian entered.

"Darius."

"What?"

"The police are involved."

Darius turned.

"Who called them?"

"Montclair security."

"And Evren?"

"Alive."

Darius laughed once.

Not because it was funny.

Because he had expected it.

"Of course."

Adrian stepped closer.

"What do we do now?"

Darius looked toward the window.

"We stop trying to break him."

Adrian frowned.

"Then what?"

Darius's eyes became cold.

"We find out what he wants."

"And if it's Blackhaven?"

Darius didn't answer.

Adrian noticed.

"You know something."

Darius slowly looked at him.

"Everyone knows something."

He picked up his phone.

"Very few people know enough to survive knowing it."

The Valcero Residence

It was nearly midnight when Evren returned home.

He entered through the side door.

The mansion was quiet.

Most of the lights were off.

The smell of old wood and polished leather filled the corridor.

He removed his coat.

Then stopped.

Someone was sitting in the darkness.

His grandfather.

Alistair Valcero sat beside the fireplace, dressed in a dark robe. The flames illuminated the lines across his face.

He had been waiting.

"You went to the tunnel."

Evren looked at him.

"How did you know?"

"Because you have your father's habit."

"What habit?"

"Walking toward danger instead of away from it."

Evren sat across from him.

Then placed the black emblem on the table.

The room changed.

Alistair stared at it.

His face lost its color.

Evren watched carefully.

"You know it."

Alistair didn't touch it.

"Where did you get that?"

"Someone attacked me."

"Who?"

"I don't know."

Alistair looked at the symbol again.

Then whispered:

"The Crown."

Evren's eyes hardened.

"Finally."

His grandfather looked up.

"You shouldn't have found that."

"Why?"

"Because now they know you remember."

"I don't remember."

Alistair stared at him.

"That's the problem."

Silence.

Evren leaned forward.

"What happened the night I went to Blackhaven?"

Alistair looked into the fire.

His hands trembled slightly.

"You were not supposed to go there."

Evren's expression hardened.

"But I did."

"Yes."

"Why?"

His grandfather looked at him.

"Because someone wanted you there."

Evren's breathing slowed.

"Who?"

Alistair said nothing.

"Grandfather."

The old man's eyes filled with something Evren had never seen there before.

Fear.

"Not tonight."

Evren stood.

"Then tomorrow."

Alistair shook his head.

"No."

Evren stopped.

His grandfather's voice became barely audible.

"Tomorrow may be too late."

The fire cracked.

Outside, the wind moved against the windows.

Evren looked down at the emblem.

The crown.

The blade.

Blackhaven.

Cassius.

The stranger.

Darius.

The tunnel.

Too many pieces.

Too many people knew something.

And now Vireya was involved.

His phone vibrated.

A message appeared.

YOU'RE GETTING CLOSE.

A second followed.

SO IS SHE.

Evren's eyes hardened.

Then the final message appeared.

THE NEXT MOVE WILL NOT BE AGAINST YOU.

He stared at the screen.

His hand slowly closed into a fist.

Because he already knew what the message meant.

They weren't coming for him.

They were coming for Vireya.

And this time—

Evren wasn't going to let them touch her.