Ethan stared gloomily out the window of his living room into the London night. His heart and soul were in turmoil.

He knew that what he felt for Sophia was not simply lust or a passing infatuation.

He wanted her, yes. There was no doubt about it. However, it was not his libido that made him obsessed. It was love. But, he wouldn’t take what wasn’t willingly given, and the last thing he wanted was to cause her pain.

He braced his forearm on the cold window and rested his forehead on it. I should rid myself of this madness. He looked up to the almost full moon as if hoping for an answer. I just don’t know how.

The sound of the soft footsteps on the stairs reached him.

Barbara climbed down the last step and her eyes searched the moonlit room for Ethan.

He turned and saw her standing in the shadows, wearing a diaphanous black negligé. I need Sophia.

His unfocused gaze was so frightening that Barbara froze and the room went deathly quiet for many seconds before she whispered, “Ethan?”

He shook his head as her voice took him out of his reverie.

Sometimes, Ethan lost himself in a dark place within his mind. He cleared his throat and turned his back on her, waving her away. “Go back to sleep.”

Even though he was her employer, hearing the torment in Ethan’s voice hurt Barbara in a way she hadn’t thought possible.

“I woke up and you weren’t in bed,” she said barely above a whisper, approaching him. She hugged his waist and laid her head on his back. “It’s late, my dear. Come back to bed.”

Sophia had been the sweetest pleasure he had ever tasted, but having had her and knowing she was now forbidden to him, worse still because of his own bad choices, was an agony beyond any wound he could receive.

As Ethan turned and crushed Barbara’s lips in a hot kiss, his last coherent thought was that he needed Sophia back in his life.

* * *

The party dismounted and tethered their horses to trees in the clearing. The forest was bathed in the last rays of the sun. The sunset in that part of Northumberland was a sublime spectacle; the mist, the colors, and the changing light were a wide field for Sophia’s romantic imaginings.

Everyone was carrying rifles, but Sophia. She had declined, as she had never shot before.

“This way, Sophia,” Alistair said in a low voice. “They usually appear near the stream.”

“Watch your step. It’s a bit slippery,” Lachlann murmured, and immediately Alistair grabbed her hand.

They walked silently through the woods until they reached a good spot to observe the stream; a small hilltop just above it. Moments passed and a young deer appeared to drink.

Sophia peeked at Alistair.

He shook his head and murmured, “A halfling.”

A few minutes later, his stance changed abruptly, and he mouthed to Leonard who was a few feet away with Alice, “Mine.”

A striking buck had emerged from behind some trees. His antlers were rather opened and straight, with the fourth and fifth tines forming a crown giving him a regal aura. His hide glinted dark-red under the last sunrays that peeked through the trees.

Alistair positioned his rifle until his hand curled around the stock. He placed his finger on the trigger and took aim.

Icy prickles danced up Sophia’s spine, tendrils of wariness clinging to her like a vine, sweat running down her back in spite of the cool weather.

The stag lifted his head from the stream, proudly raising it to its full height, and looked directly at her, his black, almond-shaped eyes so endearing, so lovely that her heart constricted in her chest and her throat closed.

It was pleading. It was begging her to spare his life.

A male voice shouted loudly in her mind, ‘Don’t lose hope, Sophia!’

Suddenly the sun set and she wasn’t in the woods anymore.

* * *

Light rain was falling.

Streetlights flashed quickly by as Gabriel drove them home from São Conrado to Ipanema in their Porsche Cayenne.

Sophia looked at the clock on the dashboard. Almost three in the morning.

It was late, and she was tired but incredible happy. She took off her sandals and sighed.

Gabriel glanced at her and smiled, entwining his fingers with hers.

The bar-mitzvah had been cheerful and lively. They danced the whole night long.

She put her head on the headrest and looked at the huge waves splashing on the rocks below.

The sky was dark; the waning moon nowhere to be seen.

She closed her eyes.

A very loud sound of brakes and crashing came in through the closed windows and a flash illuminated the night.

Abruptly, Gabriel released her hand.

The car swerved on the wet road and stopped.

Sophia opened her eyes, scared.

In front of them, two black cars were blocking the road, six men all dressed in black, armed with AR-15 rifles and .45 pistols stood outside.

Gabriel put the car in reverse, but before they could escape, he slammed on the brakes again.

Sophia looked back and her whole body froze. The car driven by their bodyguards had crashed against the rocky wall and was on fire. And two other black cars had appeared behind them, impeding their progress.

“Oh, my God,” she gasped.

More armed men got out of the cars.

Gabriel took both her hands in his and squeezed as he spoke quietly, looking into her eyes, “Don’t panic, Sophia.”

“Oh, Gabriel,” she heaved, her whole body filled with dread. “What are we going to do?”

“Everything will be okay.”

The men advanced on the Cayenne, surrounded it and took aim.

Gabriel pressed the speaker and said, “I’ll leave the car in peace. Don’t shoot.”

“Please, don’t go. Please, Gabriel, please,” Sophia begged him in a scared whisper.

“The armor will never hold against that kind of ammunition, Sophia.” He opened the door slowly and got out of the car, arms raised. “Don’t leave the car.”

The men crowded closer around the car and one of them holstered his gun, yanked her door open and ripped her out of the car, shouting for her to stay quiet. He dragged her behind him in the direction of the cars.

She freaked out and struggled.

The man turned and slapped her hard, splitting her lip.

Without thinking, she flung her knee high and hit the man squarely on the groin, sending him screaming away.

He cursed foul words and shot her.

Once.

Twice.

Three, four times.

The first bullet missed her, but the second hit the center of her left upper arm and she staggered to the side. The third one tore a few inches lower through the outside of the same arm, and she fell.

“Sophia!” Gabriel yelled, and ran to her only to be held back by two huge men.

She fell on the pavement, clutching her bloodied arm. Another man pulled her up by the hair. She stood unsteadily and stumbled, dragging behind, but it didn’t stop his firm stroll to the cars.

“Please, don’t, please,” she screamed, pleading with him, but the kidnappers just laughed and sneered.

“Stop. STOP!” Gabriel shouted for them. “You are making a mistake. I’m worth more than she is! My ransom will be bigger.”

The guy dragging Sophia halted and turned slowly.

“She is already shot and will surely die without medical attention. You won’t receive a cent.”

The man looked at Gabriel and back to the others. “He’s right.”

“Take me instead,” Gabriel shouted again. “Release her.”

The criminals started a heated argument, but concluded that Gabriel’s alternative was better.

“No. Gabriel! No.”

Sophia was flung violently on the ground and the man kicked her ribs and stomach calling her lewd names. She stayed down on the wet tarmac, crying and hugging her arm. “Gabriel, please! No!”

They started to haul Gabriel toward the two cars at the rear but he managed to free himself and rushed to Sophia’s side, dropping to the ground on his knees.

“I love you.” He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. “You’re the best thing that happened in my whole life.”

Sophia grabbed his wet shirt, sobbing, imploring to him, “Don’t go with them, please. Let them take me.”

“Fucking ridiculous,” another man laughed and pulled Gabriel from Sophia.

“Help! Someone help us,” Sophia screamed and received another hard kick in the ribs.

“Don’t lose hope, Sophia!” Gabriel shouted as two men hauled him into a car and zoomed away as she struggled to crawl back to the Cayenne.

“HELP!”

Sophia collapsed on the ground before she managed to reach the door. The rain increased and she watched as rivulets of her diluted blood ran down the sloping avenue.

Sobbing, Sophia embraced darkness, falling, falling in an endless abyss.