Chapter 42

LUCIANO

“You offered him your help?” Andrea asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“And was he suspicious?”

“As expected,” I said with a nod.

Andrea’s face lit up. “So you settled with just the address?”

“Exactly as planned.”

“Excellent,” he replied, a wide smile on his face. “I never would have guessed that Loren would be so predictable.”

“And I was sure to include details about the state of his luna. You should have seen his reaction,” I added with a wink.

“Good job, Luciano,” he said, shaking my hand. “You have impressed me.”

“Oh, and there was something he told me that you might like to know,” I began. “He’s sided with a powerful ally of yours?”

Andrea furrowed his eyebrows. “Gustavo Escobar?”

“He didn’t mention a name.”

He leaned back into his chair and stared ahead for a few moments in thought.

“Fetch my wife, will you?” he replied. “I have just realized something that has made me exceedingly angry.”

“Gladly.”

I hurried upstairs and marched into the library where I knew Ella would be. Where she usually seemed to be.

She looked up from her book momentarily and scowled. “Piss off, Luciano.”

I grinned with the intention to unsettle her and easily succeeded. Her eyes snapped back to me, and her eyebrows creased as she closed her book.

“What?” she asked, looking me up and down.

“Your alpha is dead,” I teased.

I watched as my words sunk deeper in and the shock faded to a choking, suffocating grief. Her lip quivered, and the book she clutched in her hands dropped to the floor, the pages crinkling on impact.

“Fucking hell, Ella,” I said, grinning through my teeth. “I’m kidding. But you need to get a grip.”

“That’s not funny” was all she said, before wiping the tears from her eyes and taking a deep shaky breath.

“Well, you better get used to the idea because he will be soon,” I replied with a shrug as I leaned my hand on the doorframe. “Anyway, Andrea wants you downstairs. He seems really pissed.”

“I’m busy,” she said, pulling her hands into the sleeves of her sweater.

“Not sure he really gives a shit,” I replied. “Now move it.”

She shook her head and cowered farther into the armchair she was curled up in.

“Fear doesn’t look good on you, hun,” I said. “Chin up and get your ass downstairs. Don’t make me drag you.”

“Fuck off, Luciano,” she hissed.

“Time is ticking, babe,” I replied, looking at my watch. “And Martinez is only getting angrier.”

“I haven’t done anything,” she protested. “Why is he mad?”

“Something about a Gustavo Escobar?” I said.

Her face dropped. “Shit,” she mumbled under her breath.

She then stood up and marched past me, down the stairs, and toward Andrea’s office. She opened her mouth to speak, but Andrea interrupted.

“Let me guess,” he began, standing up from behind his desk. “Andrea, I can explain,” he mocked. “Then fucking explain, Blanca,” he added, slamming his fist onto the table. “Why the fuck is your alpha working with Gustavo Escobar?”

“I-I don’t know,” she stuttered.

“Don’t fuck with me,” Andrea hissed. “I told you about Escobar, and then your alpha sought him out? How so?”

She paused for a moment, clearly unsure of what to say.

“Escobar is a secretive man just like me. How would Loren know to go looking for him?” he asked.

She swallowed but said nothing.

Andrea’s jaw tightened. “Did you inform your alpha about Escobar!?”

His tone was a deep growl, and Ella took a step back. I’d never seen her this frightened before, and frankly, it was exceedingly amusing.

As she stepped even farther back, I put my hand on her back and pushed her forward again.

“How the fuck does he know?!” Andrea repeated, grabbing her wrists. “I want the truth.”

He pulled her closer to him and grabbed her face in his hand and stared at her deeply.

She closed her eyes and turned her head away to the floor. “When I rang him…in the jungle…with the phone of that man you killed…Javier…that’s what I really told him,” she replied.

I couldn’t help but smile as Andrea slapped her across the face. Hard.

She let out a faint whimper, and for a brief second, her despair-filled blue eyes met mine, her misery thrilling me to the core.

“Sometimes I wonder if you’re worth the bother.” He growled.

“Then let me go,” she replied.

Andrea’s eyes then snapped up to me. “Take her away before I”—he paused—“do something bad.”

He then shoved her in my direction and sat back at his desk, brooding.

I took her wrist and pulled her out of the office and into the kitchen.

“Ice?” I said, opening the freezer.

“Try not to enjoy this too much,” she replied, dabbing her red cheek as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Enjoying seeing my favorite cousin in pain? The one that is the reason I got exiled from my home pack? Daughter of Nicolos Jones, my favorite uncle?”

I then brought the ice from the freezer to her cheek and kissed her head.

“Fuck you,” she replied, glaring up at me.

“Well... I’d probably have to get permission from husband first, but I’d be happy to—”

“You are so sick,” she replied.

I grinned and sat beside her at the table, placing my arm around her shoulder and picking up a strand of her hair. “How’s Max? I saw him today, but I didn’t really get the chance to catch up. Has he found his mate yet?”

“I’m not doing this,” she said, standing up.

I snapped my fingers and pointed back to the chair. “Sit. We are going to have a family heart-to-heart whether you like it or not.”

She glared at me, her eyes watery and a pout on her soft lips.

“Remember the big bad alpha ain’t here to stop me doing something painful, sweetheart,” I replied. “Now sit.”

Reluctantly, she did, and I rested my arm back on her shoulders.

“I like you better like this,” I said. “We never got along because your temper and attitude used to piss me off, but now... now things are different. Maybe we can be friends?”

“Before or after you try and kill my mate?” She raised an eyebrow and folded her arms.

“And the old you is back…”

“Not sure I am the issue in our relationship,” she replied. “You just don’t like me because I took your precious best, and only, friend away from you and made him a half-decent person.”

I clenched my jaw. “Watch your mouth, babe. You don’t wanna piss me off.”

“Truth hurts, doesn’t it?” she replied

“You’re still surprisingly brave considering your situation,” I said, grabbing her arm. “So unless you want me to do what I do best and make your life a living hell, I suggest you get back in your place.”

She looked up at me, and I gave her time to respond, but she didn’t, and I sat back with a satisfied smile.

“How many kiddies do you have now?” I asked.

“Eight,” she replied shortly.

“Any of them named Luciano yet?”

“No,” she snapped.

I laughed, ruffling her blonde fluffy hair. “And why’s that?”

“Because you have done terrible things.”

“So has Leonardo... yet I’m pretty sure that’s Cato’s middle name?” I replied. “Has he ever told you about the time we killed someone’s granddad? Well, I say we... Leo actually finished him off in the end.”

“No,” she said quietly as she looked down at her hands.

“Oh, it’s a great story,” I replied. “We were like nineteen, and this kid from another pack pissed your dear Leo off. We didn’t plan to murder this elderly man, but we just got... carried away—”

At that point, Andrea came into the kitchen.

“Blanca, we’re going out,” he barked.

She seemed fairly relieved by the abrupt end to my story, but at the same time, she was not exactly excited about going anywhere near the still fuming Andrea.

“Where?” she asked.

“To make Escobar...and your mate pay.”