Forbidden Knots (Shadow Duet #1)

29. TWENTY NINE

TWENTY NINE

Shadow

I exited the tattoo studio, the ink on my neck burning under the sun and heat. Shielding my face from the harsh sunlight, I walked down the street, casting a shadow over my face.

When I reached my front door, the smell of alcohol hit me hard. Inside, I found Christian sprawled on the floor next to two empty bottles of whiskey. With my foot, I nudged his body to check if he was still alive. He responded with two loud snorts, so I walked past him.

As I got upstairs, taking off my skirt, a familiar voice called out.

"Tristan, is that you?" Amber's laugh echoed through the house, the sound of her heels clicking on the wooden floor.

I turned around to find her standing behind me. "Babe, I missed you," she said, her red lipstick smudged across my cheek.

"Ew, you need a shower," she added, stepping back.

My face went pale as if I'd seen a ghost. "What the fuck are you doing here?" I demanded. "Who even let you in?"

"Your friend downstairs," she whispered, "aren't you glad to see me here?"

"No," I shouted, "we broke up, remember?"

"I thought you would like this surprise," she whispered, her fingers gliding up and down my chest to my neck. "Uh, new tattoo, I like it." She twitched her nose, "Grr," she said, reaching for my neck, but I immediately stopped her.

"Touch it and I swear I will kill you."

She rolled her eyes, spinning and walking away. "Well, I am here, whether you like it or not."

"Fucking leave!" I shouted after her. "LEAVE!"

She shook her finger and walked to Sophie's room, locking the door behind her. Anger surged through me, and my fists clenched as I rushed to the room, banging on the door.

"Open the fucking door, Amber," I shouted.

Not only had she come uninvited, but she was also desecrating my sister's room. Sophie would never allow it, and it made my anger boil over, knowing there was a possibility of her never coming back and Amber was here ruining her memory.

"Open the door!" I hissed under my breath, leaning my head against the door.

As if my luck couldn’t get any worse, Chiara burst into the house, out of breath, her sobs filling the room as she knelt near Christian.

"They found her," she cried, tears streaming down her face. "They found Sophie."

I ran downstairs, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "Where is she?"

But she remained silent, her sobs the only sound filling the room. Her anguish was real, unmistakable. I knew then, with a sickening certainty, that Sophie was gone.

I stormed out of the house, walking as fast as I could. The sun blazed overhead, making the streets boil, and each step I took on the marble pavement felt like walking on hot coals.

I knelt down, pressing my palms to my cheeks, and screamed, "Sophie!"

Part of me died with her, and part of me was still dying. I had forgotten I left Thalia on the boat, and I had forgotten how to breathe, my sobs filling my lungs and leaving me gasping for air.

In the distance, I heard sirens, their wail growing louder, and then the sound of footsteps approaching. They had come officially to announce Sophie's death.

They took us to the police station, offering us water as if that could help with the grief, but nothing could fill the hole Sophie's death had left. My eyes were red, my body exhausted, and the skin on my neck burned, but I felt nothing. The only thing I could feel was pain and anger towards whoever had done this to her.

"We found several human remains," the detective said, his voice grave. "One of them fits Sophie's description."

"Several?" I asked, my voice strained. "There's more?"

"We have a few already confirmed to be victims from missing persons cases," he said. "We are dealing with a serial killer who has been active since the '90s."

"Are you sure it's her?" I asked, my teeth clenched, biting my tongue to keep from screaming.

He nodded, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Nothing in this world can prepare you for something like this. There is nothing that can explain why this happened to us. There is nothing that can turn back time and change it. It wasn't meant to be, it wasn't meant to be her, but it was. You can't accept it; there's a pain within you that screams and wants to escape, but there's also a numbness that makes you feel less human. And a silence that makes you afraid. All you can do is hold close to what's left of your life.

For me, only Storm.

I came back home, tossed the keys away, took off my shoes, and dragged my exhausted body upstairs to her room.

Amber was sitting on her bed, and as I entered, my fists clenched, ready to force her out. But she stood up, her luggage already packed.

"Tristan," she said, her voice trembling, "I'm sorry for your loss." She wiped away her tears. "If I had known, I would never have come."

"I doubt that," I said, my tongue clicking, eyes narrowing as I noticed the envelope in her hands.

"Anyway," she continued, "I'm leaving. I'll be at the San Remo hotel if you need a shoulder to cry on."

My eyebrows shot up, my hands pressed together as I silently begged her to leave. Then she held out the envelope toward me.

"Some creepy woman came earlier. She left this for you," she said, handing it over.

She walked out, rolling her luggage behind her. I didn't care. I just wanted to mourn Sophie in peace. But as I opened the envelope, something tied a knot in my throat.

The message inside read, "Santa Maria Asylum. Save her."

They had locked her away.

They took my Storm from me, and they would pay .

"FUCK!" I shouted, the sound reverberating through the bedroom.