Chapter 2 - The Man Behind the WatchThe attack lasted ninety seconds.
Marin would remember every second.
The sound of footsteps.
Broken glass.
Raphael's voice.
Calm.
Cold.
Decisive.
When silence returned, he came back.
His suit was untouched.
His expression wasn't.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
He checked anyway.
Her wrists.
Her shoulders.
Her face.
“You're bleeding.”
She touched her cheek.
A small cut.
“Glass.”
He looked angry.
Not at her.
At himself.
“This is my fault.”
“No.”
“You wouldn't be here if you hadn't returned the watch.”
“I chose to return it.”
“That doesn't make it your fault.”
He stared at her.
Something about her refusal to be frightened fascinated him.
“Where do you live?”
“Why?”
“I need to know.”
“No.”
His eyebrows rose.
She crossed her arms.
“I'm not giving a stranger my address.”
He almost smiled.
“You are standing in my house.”
“Because your guards let me in.”
“Fair.”
For a second, the feared Raphael Santoro looked almost human.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
“Talk.”
A voice replied.
Raphael's expression darkened.
“What?”
Silence.
Then:
“Find him.”
He hung up.
Marin watched.
“Who?”
“Someone who shouldn't have known you were here.”
“You think someone followed me?”
“I know they did.”
He turned toward her.
“You're staying here tonight.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Marin.”
She blinked.
She hadn't told him her name.
“How do you know my name?”
His eyes narrowed.
“You signed the visitor book.”
“Oh.”
“Very observant.”
“I'm a watchmaker.”
He looked at her hands.
“Where did you learn?”
“Charles Street.”
“Ilia Novak?”
She froze.
“How do you know Ilia?”
“My father trusted him.”
She swallowed.
“I thought they were friends.”
“They were more than that.”
“What?”
Raphael hesitated.
“Partners.”
Marin's heart skipped.
“What kind of partners?”
“My father had enemies.”
“So did Ilia.”
Raphael looked at her.
“Exactly.”
The next morning, Marin learned that her brother's rehabilitation center had been broken into.
Nothing had been stolen.
Someone had searched Wyatt's room.
Her blood ran cold.
Raphael watched her face.
“What happened?”
“My brother.”
“Where?”
“Newton.”
“Let's go.”
“I can drive.”
“No.”
“I don't need protection.”
“You do.”
She glared.
“You don't get to order me around.”
He stared.
Then nodded.
“Fine.”
She blinked.
“Fine?”
“I'll ask.”
She hadn't expected that.
“Please let me come with you.”
She almost smiled.
“Better.”
They drove together.
Wyatt was awake when they arrived.
He smiled when he saw Marin.
Then noticed Raphael.
“Who's that?”
Marin hesitated.
“My employer.”
Raphael raised an eyebrow.
“Really?”
“Temporary.”
Wyatt smiled.
“I like him.”
Marin sighed.
“You don't know him.”
“I know the face.”
Raphael looked amused.
“What does that mean?”
Wyatt shrugged.
“You look like the kind of guy who gets things done.”
Raphael nodded.
“I usually do.”
Marin rolled her eyes.
After they left, Wyatt whispered:
“You like him.”
Marin nearly choked.
“I absolutely do not.”
Wyatt laughed.
“You're blushing.”
“I am not.”
She was.
Raphael noticed.
He said nothing.
That evening, he took her to a private workshop inside the Santoro estate.
Rows of watches covered the walls.
Marin stopped.
“You own all this?”
“My father collected them.”
She touched one.
“Beautiful.”
Raphael watched her.
“You're different when you see watches.”
“How?”
“You stop looking afraid.”
She looked at him.
“I wasn't afraid.”
“You were.”
“Maybe.”
He stepped closer.
“Do you know why?”
“Because someone shot at me?”
“No.”
He looked at the watch.
“Because you saw something you weren't supposed to see.”
She frowned.
“What did I see?”
Raphael opened the watch.
The twelve-word engraving.
“My father had a code.”
Marin remembered the plate.
“Can you read it?”
“No.”
She looked surprised.
“I thought you could.”
“My father never taught me.”
“Why?”
“Because he thought it would put me in danger.”
“Then why does he want you to have it?”
Raphael stared at the words.
“He doesn't.”
Marin frowned.
“Then who does?”
Neither answered.
A voice came from the doorway.
“Someone who knew Bruno better than you did.”
They turned.
An older man entered.
Raphael's uncle.
Lucian Santoro.
Marin immediately disliked him.
Lucian looked at her.
“So this is the watchmaker.”
Raphael's expression hardened.
“You've met?”
“Not personally.”
Lucian smiled.
“I know her father.”
Marin froze.
“What?”
Lucian looked at her.
“Samuel Kovatch.”
Her heart stopped.
“My father?”
“He worked with Bruno.”
She stared.
“You knew him?”
“Yes.”
“What happened to him?”
Lucian's smile disappeared.
“He disappeared.”
Marin stepped forward.
“You're lying.”
Raphael looked between them.
“Uncle.”
Lucian sighed.
“Your father wasn't killed.”
Marin stopped breathing.
“He was taken.”
“By who?”
Lucian looked toward Raphael.
“Your father's enemies.”
Raphael stepped closer.
“Which enemies?”
May you like
Lucian smiled.
“The ones who are now coming for you.”
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