Chapter 71 Chapter 71

Leo's POV

I marched into my office where I knew Blair and my head army

commander, Ollie, would be waiting.

"Thank you for coming so early in the morning," I said to them

Blair forced a smile and nodded but Ollie just looked grave. He was a

big guy, usually fearless so to see him so concerned was very

unnerving. This was the effect Andrea had.

"Any word of Martinez?" I asked.

"Nothing at all," Blair said. "We have no idea what he's doing, where he

is or why. The usual deal.”

"We don't think he has left the territory but we can't be certain,” Ollie

added.

I nodded.

"Well, how are we supposed to work with that?!" I growled, throwing

myself into my chair. "Just sit and wait for him to do something

terrible?”

At that, the office phone began to ring. It was Eduardo Siciliano, one of

my deputy army commanders. I furrowed my eyebrows, his mate had

given birth the previous day and as a result, he wasn't on duty. Why

would he be calling me?

I answered the call and put it on speakerphone.

"Yes, Eduardo, what is the matter?”

"Alpha?" a woman's voice asked.

Her voice was shaky and as she paused, I heard the heaviness of her

breath.

"It's Claudia Siciliano, his mate,” she continued. "I'm calling because

Andrea Martinez just came to our house. He's gone now but Eduardo is

in a bad way."

I exchanged looks with Ollie and let out a low growl.

"Lock the doors and windows and stay where you are," I ordered. "I am

on my way."

"Okay," she replied. "Thank you, Alpha."

Blair, Ollie and I then marched out of the office to my car and sped

towards the Siciliano household. They lived just in triton but their house

stood alone in the woods so unguarded by the patrols we'd stationed

to protect the villages. In the car we informed the nearby men that

Andrea could still be close and brought in extra protection for the

villages and houses around.

Fortunately, Eduardo and Claudia lived in the opposite direction to my

house, where Ella and my children still were which was the only thing

giving me comfort.

"Claudia it's the Alpha," I called as I knocked on their front door. "You

can open the door.”

Thirty seconds later, she came to the door. In her arms was a tiny little

baby, screaming and crying and on her face was paled and terrified.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"In the kitchen," I said.

She lead us through to where her mate sat slumped against the wall

covered in blood and hardly conscious.

Claudia had tried to wipe away the blood and bandage him up but he

was still bleeding.

"Ollie, help me get him up onto the table," I ordered and we lifted his

floppy body up and lay him on his back on the kitchen table as he

groaned.

"Was he shot or...?" I asked.

"No. Martinez just punched him and kicked him and-" she said before

sobbing. "There was nothing any of us could do."

She tried to stop her tears and her baby only screamed more.

I nodded to Blair.

"Claudia can I?" he asked, gesturing to the baby.

She nodded and handed him her daughter. After a few moments of

comfort and soft whispers from Blair she began to settle whilst her

mother took her father's hand.

"Ollie, get some warm water, antiseptic and bandages,” I ordered. "The

wounds are not too deep and he will be fine but we ought to clean him

up."

A few minutes later, we were busy tending to his cuts and bruises as he

let out winced and mumbled.

"Can you explain what happened from start to finish?" I asked Claudia.

"I'm not sure your mate has the strength.”

"Eduardo was in his office making calls and organising his squadrons.

He was technically off duty but he couldn't ignore what was happening

in the pack. I woke when there was a knock at the door and a voice with

thick Hispanic accent. I came down to see two men, one holding a gun

at mate's head. He was forced to let them inside and they began trying

to bargain. Martinez wanted Eduardo to betray his Alpha in exchange

for a huge amount of money and a position in his cartel. Eduardo

refused so they began to threaten us. Martinez said he'd kill until he

complied, starting with the men in Eduardo's squadrons and then me

and then our daughter. Eduardo still refused to give up his loyalty for

you so Martinez beat him up and left saying he'd give him some time

to make the right decision.”

Ollie and I both stared for a few seconds before I was the first to curse

him to the fiery pits of hell, shortly followed by Ollie.

"Thank you both for your loyalty. Firstly for not giving in to his bribes

and blackmail and secondly for having the courage to inform me," I

said once I was done. "I know he is a terrifying man and telling me

could have compromised your lives. But I will ensure you are

protected.”

"Any of your people would do the same,” Claudia said.

I nodded before my phone began to ring.

"That was Luca," I said after hanging up. "Paulo Salvatore has suffered

an identical attack.”

"So this is his plan,” Ollie said. "Convert your men to his side by

targetting my commanders with bribes, presumably to weaken the

army before attacking.”

"Yes. But what he's failed to judge is the loyalty of my men," I replied.

"But Martinez knows the reputation of your army,” Blair pointed out

from the corner of the room where he had been rocking the newborn

child. "He's tried torturing information out of them with no success

before. Why would he attempt this?"

I narrowed my eyes in thought.

"Maybe he overestimated his own capabilities?" Ollie suggested.

"Martinez is an intelligent man and this is so clearly destined to fail and

poorly planned. Something doesn't fit right,” Blair said.

"You have a point," I said. "And it does seem a little indiscrete and

obvious. Not usually his style, is it?"

"The motherfucker is sending us on a wild goose chase,” Ollie said

thumping the table.

"Then what's his actual plan?" I asked gravely.

I looked up at Blair who wore a serious expression as he held the little

baby close to his chest.

"I dread to think."