Chapter 58 Chapter 58

I battled my way through the jungle for hours. I could hear his voice.

Leo's voice. He shouted my name over and over again but my senses

were so overwhelmed by adrenaline and exhaustion I couldn't pinpoint

where it was coming from. It echoed all around my mind as my head

spun and my heart thudded. I let out a desperate frustrated cry before

stopping between two large trees to catch my breath.

"Why'd you stop?” A voice asked. "He's so close.”

I jumped and snapped my head around. Luciano slowly emerged from

the shadows, sporting once of his most malicious grins.

"How long have you been following me?” I asked.

"Eh, hours," he said with a shrug as he examined the gun in his hand,

polishing a smudge away with his sleeve. "Kinda boring how you just

go around and around in circles though.”

"Is this a game to you?" I questioned.

"It was until you just stopped and gave up," he said. "You make it top

easy for me."

I could still hear Leo's calls. Perhaps if I couldn't find him, he couldn't

find me.

"Leo!" I shouted. "Leonardo!"

Before I could call for a third time, Luciano had grabbed me and

slapped a hand over my mouth.

"Shut up,” he growled. "Or one of these bullets might end up in your

Alpha's skull."

"Fuck you,” I hissed shoving him away from me.

At that, he wrapped his arm around my neck, pulling me into his chest

and held the gun to my head.

"Don't underestimate what I will do, Ella," he said deeply.

"Ella!" Leo's voice called again.

He was half a kilometre away now at the very most.

I didn't doubt Luciano’s words for a second. He was perfectly capable of

killing me but I was more concerned about him killing Leo. I stood

silently, praying that he wouldn't find us. It was the only way he'd stay

safe.

Unfortunately, I was not so lucky. A few minutes later, we were listening

to a set of close footsteps battling through the dense vegetation and a

few seconds after that, the light of the moon, filtering through the

canopy, cast onto Leonardo's face.

He was exhausted. And not just from running through the jungle

tonight. The sort of long term exhaustion from weeks and months of

sleepless nights and stress. The twinkle in his eye had diminished and

his usual sturdiness of his presence had wilted into desperation.

But the second we made eye contact, he seemed to revive.

"Leo," I whispered as a tear rolled down my cheek.

He scanned me, stopping at every bruise and cut on my body, before

returning with a sad smile.

He then looked up to Luciano, who still hold the gun to my head, and

immediately turned cold and harsh.

"Let her go,” he growled.

"I don't take orders from you anymore," Luciano replied with a laugh

Leo lurched forward but then Luciano only tightened his grip on me

and pushed the gun harder against my head, "Don't think I won't do it.”

Leo froze and gave Luciano the most demonic glare.

Just then, we heard the not so distant calls of men. Andrea's men.

Luciano turned and tuned his ear as I did the same. Andrea was among

them.

"Where are you, Puta?" Andrea shouted. "You can't hide from me

forever.”

Luciano then looked back to Leo for a split second and then down to

me. He removed the gun from my head and shoved me towards Leo. I

stumbled and gasped but without hesitation, Leo came forward and

pulled me into his arms. One arm wrapped firmly around my back, the

other hand settling at the base of my head, holding me close to his

chest in a protective embrace.

I rested my head on him and breathed in his comforting scent for the

first time in months as I clutched his shirt in my hands.

I felt him nod to Luciano who disappeared into the jungle, leaving me

with Leo.

A few seconds later, he lifted my head so that my eyes met his, "I've

never been so relieved to see you," he said wiping my tears with his

thumb. "I love you."

In that moment, I felt our bond more powerfully than I ever had before

and I was too choked with emotion to reply so instead I just gave him a

genuine smile as more tears flooded out.

"We need to get out of here,” he said a few moments later as the voices

of Andrea and his men got louder.

I suddenly remembered our situation and the danger we were in.

"I tried to kill him," I said, my heart rate already increasing. "But-"

"It's okay," he replied. "We will get him one day. But for now, just let me

get you somewhere safe.”

I nodded and he took my hand in his tightly and we ran.