Chapter 49 Chapter 49

As we neared the door to the office, I tried my best to free myself from

Andrea.

"What, Blanca?" he asked. "You're afraid of him?"

"Andrea please-" I began

"Don't bother,” he said with a short laugh before opening the door and

pushing me in.

I had hoped I was going insane. But my eyes were met with exactly

what I had dreaded. Maybe I'm hallucinating now?

"It's not possible," I whispered as I scanned his body. It seemed very

real and extremely alive.

"You're dead."

The man stifled a laugh and turned the swivel chair he was sat

comfortably in a few degrees to the left, "Is that what your Alpha told

you?"

"He killed you," I said surely.

"Yet here I am," he shrugged, a sly smile tugging at his lips.

He then stood up and stepped forward slowly until he was a mere few

centimetres from me. He examined me, and picked up a strand of my

hair and felt it between his fingers before dropping it back down and

his hand finding it's way to my chin. Using the tips of his fingers, he

lifted my head so I had no choice to look him in the eye.

"Nice to see you again, my dear little cousin,” he said. "It's been a

while.”

“Luciano,” I said, his name filling me with more hatred and loathing

than you could imagine.

He smiled in that cold, emotionless way before turning my head to the

side.

"Yikes," he said running his finger along my cheek, which was still

bruised from when Andrea hit me a couple of days prior. "That's gotta

hurt.”

I couldn't bring myself to give him the satisfaction of a response so I

just kept my mouth shut.

"I see Martinez is finally giving you the treatment you deserve,” he

replied. "Because Alpha dearest is out of the picture? I also hear you're

not quite so brave without the threat of him around?”

I scowled which only amused him more.

"How are you still alive?" I asked, my curiosity itching like a nasty rash.

He sat back down and put his hands behind his neck, "Do you want to

tell her or should 1?" he said to Andrea.

"The honour is yours," Andrea said with a grin.

"Your Alpha lied to you, sweetheart," Luciano said. "He let me live."

"After everything you did, why would he do that?" I asked, refusing to

believe it.

"Looks like you aren't the only one Leonardo has a soft spot for,”

Andrea replied.

"Even Alpha Leonardo Loren couldn't bring himself to murder his

childhood bestie, so we came to an agreement,” Luciano replied picking

up a pen from the desk and twizzling it in his thumb. "He let me live so

long as I went back to the Italian mafia, spied on them, fed information

back to him and most importantly, stayed the fuck away from his Luna

and family.”

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Because I don't keep my promises. You know that better than most,”

he replied. "So when Andrea Martinez showed up in the doorway to my

house offering me a deal that interested me far more, what do you

think I did?"

"You see, Blanca," Andrea said. "All that information you gave me on “a

dead man’ was all I needed to find the best weapon against your Alpha

of all time."

I looked back to Luciano, panic taking hold.

“Leonardo is as good as dead,” Luciano said, his lips curling up at the

sides. "All I have to do is get him to trust me again and then lure him to

his death like a puppy on a leash.”

"He will never trust you again,” I spat.

"Watch your tone, my love,” he warned. "He's not here to protect you

anymore."

"He will not trust you," I repeated, this time much quieter.

"Oh, he will. By now he's probably so desperate to get you back that

he'd recruit the devil himself for help and besides, let's not forget that

time and time again he makes the mistake of thinking he can trust me.

It's his fatal flaw."

"I should have requested to kill you myself," I hissed.

At that I felt Andrea seize my arm, "Ella, that's no way to speak to our

guest,” he snarled in my ear. "Apologise.”

I stared into Luciano's eyes, longing to rip the smirk from his lips.

When I didn't reply, Andrea wrapped his hand around my throat and

repeated his order, "Do it."

Despite being unable to breathe, my stubbornness didn't allow me to

apologise to such a piece of shit.

"No," I croaked.

Andrea let out a short sigh and turned to Luciano, "Would you please

give us a moment?”

"Take all the time you need," Luciano replied in an amused tone before

Andrea dragged me out of the office.

The first thing Andrea did was hit me...again.

"Do as you are fucking told," he hissed.

"He doesn't deserve an apology,” I replied trying to get my wrist out of

his hand. "I don't see him trying to say sorry for all the shit he's put me

through. I have never done anything wrong to him. He hates me for no

reason.”

"I don't give a shit about your little family feud,” Andrea replied. "You

will go in there and you will apologise for disrespecting him. Your Alpha

is no longer in charge, I am and I will not tolerate this.”

"Fuck. You," I replied pushing him away from me.

"Fuck me?" he asked with a sly smile, totally unphased by my efforts to

hurt him. "That can be arranged for tonight but first you are going to

make up with your cousin.”

I fought against him as he dragged me back to the office. His ability to

manhandle was as good as ever but this time I had the fuel from a

seven-year feud to fight with. Somehow, I was able to free my leg and

kick him hard right where it hurts the most.

His knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor grimacing in pain. In

doing so, he lost his grip entirely on me and I was able to race back

down the hall. I'm not sure where I was going except for away from

him. The kitchen was empty, Chico was nowhere to be seen and the

back door was wide open leaving the vast jungle in my grasp.

Without hesitation, I legged it out into the backyard and across the

terrace. As I sprinted over the grass towards the jungle I heard Andrea

thunder out of the house. I was sure that if I could get into the dense

vegetation, I stood a chance of losing him. I was small and agile whilst

he was fast but big and would certainly get tangled in the branches and

vines. It was just a matter of getting there before he could stop me. My

lungs burnt not really from exercise, the lawn was only about 200m

long, but from adrenaline and pure terror. Andrea's footsteps were

nearing me quicker than the forest fringe was.

I soon felt my feet wipe out from underneath me and my back come

into contact with the solid ground. My entire body pounded as the fear

shot through me in paralysing pulses.

"Thought you could escape me, huh?" Andrea growled pinning my

arms to the ground as he straddled me.

He was breathing heavily and shaking with fury. His fingers curled

around my wrist were cutting the blood supply off and I struggled to

breathe under his weight.

"Huh?" he questioned bringing his lips to my ear.

"No, but it was worth a try," I replied. "Anything is worth a try."

A smile crept onto his lips as he looked down on me struggling.

"Oh, Blanca," he said maliciously stroking my hair. "You have no idea. I

wasn't even going to let him hurt you. Becoming my wife earned you

privileges,” he continued pulling me to my feet. "Privileges that you just

lost."

I closed my eyes preparing for him to hit me and I wasn't disappointed.

I felt a searing pain across my cheek and a warm trickle from my nose.

He then pulled me to my feet and began dragging me back to the

house.

"You have disobeyed my orders, embarrassed me in earshot of our

guest, tried to escape from me and killed my future children. You know

that I don't tolerate disrespect, and frankly, this is humiliating.

Ordinarily, I would kill a person for causing me so much trouble but

unfortunately, I need you alive. However, I am not going to fucking let

this slip, Blanca. I will not be shown up by a woman..."

He then suddenly ground to a halt and pulled my ear to his mouth

"So as your husband, I see it as my duty to show you the consequences

of pulling stunts like this and ensure that you get in line. I can assure

you that you will think twice next time," he whispered sinisterly before

continuing to drag me.

I couldn't actually think of anything he could do that he hadn't already

done so I just let him drag me expecting him to lead me into the office

back to Luciano. But he didn't. He dragged me past and through the

door that leads to the basement.

He flicked on the light to reveal to figures. Chico, who I had been

wondering the location of, was one. He was sat on a hard stool

watching intently another figure that was sat tied to a chair with a sack

over his head. I recognised the second's scent but I couldn't remember

what from. It had been so long since I left this house and my nose was

not in tune.

"Now, I believe you know this man,” Andrea said forcing me into the

cold basement. "Chico, remove the hood."

Chico stood up and briefly made eye contact with me before pulling

the sack off the man's head. He squinted at the brightness of the light

and his face was sad and drained but I could still recognise his kind

eyes and gentle features. Alessio.

His eyes looked me up and down. At the bruise on my cheek, the cut

above my eye, the tears rolling down my cheeks.

"He is just one of many Stella soldiers in our captivity all of which are of

no use to us. I don't like to compliment him but your Alpha trains them

well, they don't give up a single word... not even the most gruesome of

torture,” Andrea said gripping my arm. "So in other words, they are very

disposable and ideal for teaching disobedient little bitches a lesson.”

"Andrea no," I protested looking at the solider with a pained expression

as I tried to hold back the tears. "Don’t do this."

"See, Blanca. You should have thought about this before you decided to

anger me again. Beating you doesn't seem to do the trick anymore so

you leave me very little choice.”

The soldier looked back at me with eyes that remained sympathetic to

me despite his own situation. I hadn't known him well but it was clear

within minutes that he had empathy beyond most.

"I'l do anything, please,” I begged.

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't,” Andrea ordered as Chico

removed a knife from his pocket.

"He has a mate and young children,” I said quickly. "A little boy born

only a month or so ago.”

Alessio smiled meekly at me and gave me a silent reassuring nod as if

to say it was okay. As if to say that he was happy to have done his duty.

Andrea stifled a laugh.

"Not good enough, Babes," he said as Chico brought the knife to

Alessio’s throat.

"No!" I screeched, lurching forward only to be caught by Andrea's huge

hands that brought me back to his side as he laughed like he was

deriving some kind of sadistic pleasure from this.

"Luna, please turn away," Alessio said in a hoarse but courageous voice.

"I am so so sorry," I sobbed before Andrea nodded and I watched as

blood poured from his throat.

I let out a howl of pain as I pressed my head into Andrea's side, the

image still flashing across my hand.

"Look at the consequences of your actions, Blanca,” Andrea said coldly

as he seized my hair and lifted my head to look at Alessio’s body. "A

young, healthy life wasted because you didn't feel like cooperating

today. Don't think that I will not do this again and again until you learn

because I will. Do you understand me?"

I nodded as my eyes brimmed with water.

"So now you have a choice. You either come with me easily to the office

where you will apologise to Luciano...or I kill another.”

I looked up hoping to see even a glint of remorse but there was

nothing. Just hard, cold, emotionless eyes.

"I'l come,” I said quietly.

"Good decision," he replied throwing me over his shoulder and carrying

me out of the basement. I tried not to watch Chico drag Alessio's body

across the floor and I tried not to heed the puddle of pooling blood but

it was hard to avoid.

He was dead because of me. His mate alone. His children fatherless. All

because of me.

I was soon back in the office in front of Luciano who grinned at my

state. I could hardly stop my tears long enough to speak but I managed

to choke out a sorry.

"Apology accepted,” he said wiping my cheek with his thumb. "Perhaps

we can put our history behind us.”

I looked up at him and saw that his face was even more insincere than

expected. He smirked down at me and raised an eyebrow, "So?"

I glanced over to Andrea who was stood with his arms folded with a

pissed off expression still on his face before I nodded slowly.

"Brilliant," Luciano chirped. "Give me a hug, cuz.”

His face looked so much like my other cousin Max's. The features were

the same, his hair, the colour of his eyes. Even his height and body. But

his temperament was dark and as he wrapped his arms around me,

instead of comfort, I felt trapped.

He rested his head in the crook of my neck and took in my scent before

kissing my cheek and finally letting me go.

"Good girl," Andrea said with an approving nod. "Now go upstairs

whilst I discuss the finer details of our partnership with your cousin. I

will be up in the evening.”

Relieved to get away from Luciano, I headed towards the door

immediately. I felt Luciano’s glare on me until I was out of sight and

only then did I allow myself to crumble.

I ran upstairs, tears streaming again until I got to the bedroom where I

slid down the wall into a crying heap on the floor.

Life had once again thrown more hell at me, just when I thought it

couldn't get any worse. Alessio was dead, Luciano was back in my life

and Leo was in danger. What could possibly be next?

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. It was quiet and

gentle but I quickly wiped my tears a few seconds before Chico

appeared.

"I shouldn't be here," he said. "But I wanted to check on you."

"I'm fine," I replied unable to look him in the eye. "Just leave me alone.”

I couldn't blame him for Alessio’s death. He was as much trapped in the

situation as I was and if he had resisted Andrea's orders, they both

probably would have ended up dead.

"Everything is worse alone,” he said.

I tilted my head back and screwed up my eyes as another wave of tears

came my way. Without hesitation, Chico slipped next to me and put a

gentle hand on my knee.

I looked at him for a moment, taken aback by his action before I

couldn't keep the tears away any longer and rested my head on his

shoulder.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and simply did what he does

best and sat quietly with me. It provided comfort. Comfort in a primitive

form but comfort all the same and I was grateful for at least any

attempt.

It was more than what anyone else was doing.