Sophia's eyes fluttered open; her whole body felt sore. She had slept late last night, and she couldn't get Atticus' anger out of her head.
She sighed as she got out of bed and went to the bathroom. She washed her face, lifting her head, Sophia screamed—
Right in front of her, smeared across the mirror in thick, dripping strokes, was a single word written in blood.
RUN.
The red liquid trailed downward in slow, uneven lines, as if it had just been written. For a second, her mind went blank, unable to process what she was seeing.
"Oh my God," Sophia whispered, staggering backwards.She covered her mouth with her palms as tears flowed down her cheeks.
THUD
Jasper burst in; he had heard her scream. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the words.
"What the fuck," he said as he pulled Sophia into his embrace and drew out his gun.
Sophia trembled in his arms. Jasper patted her head as he carefully moved around the bathroom, his gun drawn, ready to shoot. After properly scanning the room, there was no one and no other surprise hidden.
"Don't worry, you're okay. I'm here," Jasper assured her as he tightened his grip around her, his eyes determined and filled with fury.
Jasper's men moved through the house in formation, quietly but alert. One cleared the hallway while another searched the living room, checking under furniture and scanning for anything out of place.
In the kitchen, cabinets and drawers were opened quickly as he looked for any dropped item or trace. Upstairs, two more swept the rooms, checking wardrobes, under beds, and behind curtains.
The house remained silent as they searched carefully for anything the intruder might have left behind.
Jasper sat beside Sophia, his hands around her shoulders. He handed her a glass of milk.
"Hey, are you okay? I'm here," he said as he moved the hair away from her face.
Sophia nodded as she sat up straight.
"I'm okay," she said as she sipped the milk.
Jasper looked at her intently. "Do you know who might have done this?" Jasper asked, his eyes never leaving hers.
Sophia darted her eyes away. She knew who it was—it was the vampires after her. Her hands trembled as sweat ran down her cheek. They wanted her dead, and the only one who could save her was Atticus. She looked back at Jasper; he may be powerful, but not against this kind of demon. She couldn't drag him into this kind of evil—not even she was sure she could survive it.
"Sophia," Jasper whispered.
"No, I don't know. I do not have any enemies," Sophia replied.
"You're sure?" Jasper asked.
"Yes," Sophia nodded in assurance.
"Sir, we think we might have an idea who is behind this," Mike said, walking up to Jasper. Jasper raised his head.
"Who?" he asked.
"It could be Iris Kane, sir. He left his trademark," Mike said, handing Jasper a picture. Jasper frowned as he looked down at the picture, then squeezed it as he gnashed his teeth. His jaw tightened, his eyes blazing with determination.
Sophia looked at them in surprise. How could it be this Iris Kane? She knew it wasn't a human. How did it suddenly become a person Jasper worked with? Or was this Iris a vampire? She darted her eyes around as she tried to process this. Could they already be around Jasper and planning against him?
"It's not possible," Sophia mumbled.
"What?" Jasper asked, watching her troubled expression.
Sophia immediately cleared her throat. "Nothing… are you sure it's this Iris?" she asked, looking intently at their expressions.
"I'm not sure yet, but it's his method. We are still investigating, but all leads are pointing to him," Mike replied.
Sophia sighed. So it was just a hunch, a guess.
Jasper sighed as he saw the worried look on Sophia's face. He crouched and cupped her face with his palms.
"Hey, don't worry. We will catch whoever is responsible. I won't let anything happen to you," Jasper said with a reassuring look in his eyes.
Sophia looked into his eyes. Yes, he could protect her—but at the expense of his life. She couldn't do this to anyone, especially him, who was willing to do so much for her. She shifted back slightly.
"You don't need to do that. I can take care of myself," she said, looking away.
Jasper nodded. Yeah, it's better I stay away from her… especially knowing I might be the reason for this attack. I will protect you, Sophia. I won't let anything happen to you.
"Yeah, sure," Jasper replied.
"Sir," Mike called out.
Jasper nodded and walked to him.
Sophia heaved a sigh of relief. Now all she needed was to find Atticus—she needed the protection only he could give.