Chapter 85 Chapter 85

I was dragged away from the flames by two of the men, they squeezed

me tight and held my wrists and ankles but there were no stakes

anymore. My children were safe and I was unphased by their guns and

threats.

They weren't going to kill me.

But Andrea would.

So I had to put my all into escaping them before they could bring me

to him. I fought with all my might against the three grown men but I

had no success in stopping them from dragging me and I only felt my

feet on the ground again when they stopped half an hour later.

My hair was dishevelled across my face, I breathed heavily and my eyes

still stung with the dust from the explosion but a few metres away I

could still see a figure in front of us.

He wore a pristine black suit and his dark black hair was gelled neatly as

an assertive smile sat on his lips.

"Bring her to me," he said, his accent as slurred and thick as ever.

The two men holding both my arms walked me forward and I couldn't

even try to resist them, too frozen with fear.

I was now only half a metre from him and after he'd taken a slow step

forward, only inches. As he used the tip of his finger to move the hair

out of my face, I cast my eyes down to his polished black shoes,

somehow still clean despite the earth and leaves of the forest.

I took a deep, shaky breath when I felt his touch run down my cheek to

my chin where he clasped my face and forced my eyes up to look at his.

"Hola, Blanca,” he said, "My beautiful wife..how wonderful it is every

time our paths cross..."

His eyes were full of scorn as he glared mercilessly at me. My mouth

was dry and my hands shook with the intense fear building inside of

me.

At long last, he spared me from the darkness of his eyes as he went to

examine my body, his fingers following his gaze as it travelled across

my chest.

"Whilst I was looking forward to some time alone, I was also rather

hoping your children would be with you," he said as he looked up to

the men.

"Donde estan ellos?" he asked, raising a full black eyebrow.

"Ellos escaparon, Sefior," one replied, "They escaped.”

"Escaparon!” Andrea growled, his face hardening into anger, "Eres

estlpido? Ellos son nifios!"

The man swallowed, fear all over his face as Andrea seized his throat,

"Find the brats and bring them back to me," he ordered, "Or I will have

you all killed."

The men then let go of me and cowered back.

"What the fuck are you waiting for?" Andrea hissed, "Vamos."

"They're with a witch,” one of them stuttered.

"A witch," Andrea scorned, "What bullshit. And what is a witch to a

bullet, huh? Get out of my sight and do as I have ordered or I will send

you straight to hell.”

It could have been amusing to see such rough-looking men shudder

and pale if it weren't for how furious their reluctance had made Andrea.

He sent them one more hard stare before they turned and ran through

the trees back in the direction of Milly's fires, leaving Andrea to seize

my shoulders and pull me into him.

"You still have people doing your dirty work I see,” I said as I caught the

strong scent of his cologne and his minty breath.

He let out a twisted laugh, "How are your commanders?" he asked,

"Blown to pieces by the bombs I planted, I presume?”

I swallowed.

"How are the families of all the Stella soldiers I cut the throats of?" he

continued, pulling me even closer to his face.

I cast my eyes away from him as he brought his mouth to my ear, his

breath heavy.

"You know I am more than capable of “dirty’ work,” he said, "And I can

promise you this, Blanca: tonight I will take great pleasure in murdering

all of your dear children, your beloved mate and you with my own

hands.”

I scrunched my eyes shut as my face contorted with dread and he only

let out another laugh.

"Look at you," he jeered, grabbing my arm with one hand and wrapping

the other around my waist, "You're so weak and feeble. It's pathetic.”

I whimpered as he gripped me tighter.

"When we first met all those months ago you were so feisty and

now..totally helpless,” he said, "Admit it, Ella Martinez. I ruined you."

I said and did nothing. With his hold on me, I could hardly move and

my mouth blatantly refused to form words.

"I could crush you with my bare hands, Blanca,” he said taking his gun

from his belt and casting it onto the floor beside us.

"And you are too afraid to even fight back.”

His hand moved to my throat and he gripped tight.

As he slowly increased the pressure, gradually blocking my airway, he

pushed his lips against mine planting a lasting kiss.

My vision was beginning to blur and my head felt light and dizzy.

Confused, twisted thoughts infested my mind. The wretched screams of

my children echoing around my skull along with their father's face, his

cheeks wet with tears and a forlorn expression, riddled guilt.

But just as I thought I couldn't resist the succumbing darkness any

longer, my airway was suddenly released and fresh oxygen gushed into

my starving lungs.

"Do you mind, Loren?" Andrea asked as he pulled my back into his

chest, wrapping his arm around my neck, "I'm trying to kill your mate.”

My vision cleared and I could see Leonardo stood tall and fuming only

a few metres away.

Thank the Goddesses. He found me.

He was unarmed but his hands and arms were covered in blood that

splattered up to his face, indicating he had managed to do some

damage to our enemies regardless.

"And I can't let that happen,” Leo replied lurching forward as Andrea

began to move towards his gun, which still lay where he had thrown it

on the floor.

Leo got to it first and kicked it far into the forest before coming straight

towards Andrea and me.

"I wouldn't do that,” Andrea warned, "I can still snap her neck.”

Leo paused and looked to Andrea's hands on my neck before his face

hardened and he took a step back.

"Fine," he said sharply, "We're both unarmed. We're both adults..well I

am at least. Let's settle this properly.”

Andrea scoffed.

"You against me. Alpha against Alpha. Man against man. Unless you're

afraid I'll beat you...again?" Leo asked raising an eyebrow.

Andrea was still reluctant and Leo's lips curled into a smile.

"Tell me, Martinez..." he began, "Do I threaten you?"

With that Andrea unravelled his hand from my neck and kissed my

cheek as he maintained fierce eye contact with Leo, who swallowed, the

corner of his mouth twitching in anger as he exhaled heavily through

his nose.

Andrea then shoved me behind him.

"Fine," he snapped, "I had planned to kill you last but... this works too."

Leo gave the first blow: a forceful punch that sent Andrea stumbling

back and reeling in pain. The blood he spluttered from his mouth

barely had a chance to seep through his brilliant white shirt before Leo

came in ruthlessly with a second.

But before Leo's fist could reach his cheek, Andrea had shot to the side,

narrowly avoiding it before bringing his knee hard into Leo's exposed

stomach.

He doubled over, the air expelled from his lungs as Andrea didn't

hesitate to knee him again causing him to choke out another residual

breath.

Just as Andrea was coming in for a third, he cast his weary eyes up and

met mine. A split second later, his face instantly hardened again as he

stood up straight, his gritted teeth seething with rage.

Andrea may have had Alpha Blood but it wasn't as strong as Leo's. He

was just as tall but slender with youth. He was muscular and powerful

but I'd never seen a man more ripped than Leo and Andrea Martinez

was no exception

With his strength quickly returning, Leo seized his collar and flung him

to the ground, the impact causing him to groan as fresh ripples of pain

spread through him.

But as Leo pressed him to the ground, with a sudden surge of strength,

Andrea managed to offset his balance and roll on top of him as one of

his hands delved deep into a pocket for a small object.

With only a small click, a glint of moonlight reflecting off a metal blade

caught my eyes.

"I don't play fair, Loren,” Andrea growled as he began forcing the

pocket knife towards Leo's throat, "I don't believe in honour and

nobility.”

Leo had his hand around Andrea's wrist desperately holding the blade

off but since he was lying flat on his back as Andrea could use his body

weight and gravity to push the knife down, he was struggling.

His arm shook as he gritted his teeth and groaned.

Andrea just looked down at my mate, a wicked, victorious smile on his

face.

My heart was pounding in my ears, my stomach had been bound and

constricted by anxiety and dread and my hands clammy and trembling

uncontrollably.

But as I watched Leo's desperation and death get closer and closer to

him, an instinct set in.

The gun.

Andrea's gun.

It lay covered in leaves only a few metres from me.

I sprinted to it and picked it up. He taught me how to use one like this

months ago, the day I had been too weak to shoot him when his back

was turned.

Now I had another chance and my love for Leo was my strength.

He always had been.

I spent three hellish months enduring Andrea's torture but hope that

Leo would one day find me got me through, even when Andrea eroded

it away until there was only a fragment left. I clung on. Just about

surviving by the dim light of a flicker of faith burning in my heart.

Because I knew that Leonardo will always do whatever it takes to save

me. Sometimes it hurts me, like when Connor got caught up in his

fierce protection. Sometimes I suffer months of pain before he can

rescue me.

But he always does.

No matter what.

Now it was my turn to repay the favour.

No matter my fear.

I gripped the gun firmly in my hands and repeated Andrea's words

inside my head:

Both eyes on the target.

Hold it steady.

Use your strength.

Pull the trigger.