Chapter 72 Bloodlines and Threats
One week into recovery, and Pierce was a terrible patient.
Elena found him trying to get out of bed on his own for the third time that morning.
"What are you doing?" She moved quickly to his side.
"Getting up to use the bathroom." Pierce's voice was tight with pain and frustration. "I don't need help for that."
"Yes, you do." Elena slid her arm under his, supporting his weight. "Your ribs are still healing. One wrong move..."
"I know." Pierce's jaw was tight. "I've heard the lecture."
They made it to the bathroom slowly, Pierce leaning heavily on her, his breathing hard. When they made it back to the bed, sweat was at his forehead from the effort.
Elena helped him settle back against the pillows, then checked his ribs. The bruising was fading from purple to yellow-green, the wrapping still secure.
"You're getting better," she said. "But you're still weeks away from doing this alone."
"I hate this." Pierce stared at the ceiling. "Being helpless."
Elena smiled despite not wanting to. "Patience was never your strong suit."
"No." Pierce pulled her closer carefully, mindful of his ribs. "But you are."
Elena had fallen into a routine over the past week, checking Pierce's vitals every few hours, helping him move, managing his pain medication, working on her laptop beside his bed.
Derek had taken over most of the household tasks and Marcus checked in daily with updates on operations against Rodrigo's network,accounts frozen, suppliers disrupted, two more lieutenants arrested.
It was working slowly, they were bringing down Rodrigo's empire while Pierce healed.
Elena's phone rang, breaking the moment.
It was an unknown number.
She almost didn't answer, then something made her press accept.
"Hello?"
Silence, then a voice she hadn't heard in months. A voice she'd hoped never to hear again.
"Hello, Elena."
It was Alfred.
Elena went cold. Her hand tightened on the phone.
Pierce saw her face change immediately. "Who is it?"
"Uncle Alfred." Elena's voice was hollow. "I thought you were dead."
"Disappointed?" Alfred's voice was smooth. "I'm sure you were hoping that bullet finished the job."
"What do you want?"
"What's mine." His voice sounded strained for a second. "The company you stole from me."
Elena stood, moving away from the bed so Pierce couldn't hear both sides. "You signed it over, legally. So It's mine."
"Because I was threatened." Alfred's tone turned sharp. "You took advantage of me."
"You tried to have me killed!"
"A misunderstanding that got out of hand." Alfred's voice was casual. "But that's in the past. I'm willing to let bygones be bygones if you return what's rightfully mine."
"The company stays with me." Elena's voice was firm.
"Does it?" Alfred laughed. "I've been watching, Elena. I know about your little disappearing act. About the board's lawsuit. About your mafia boyfriend getting blown up last week."
Elena's blood froze. "How do you..."
"I have eyes everywhere, dear niece." His voice was deadpan. "I know you've been hiding in the woods with your criminal lover. I know he's currently bedridden. I know you're vulnerable."
Pierce was trying to sit up, worry clear on his face. Elena held up a hand, signaling him to wait.
"What do you want, Alfred?"
"I already told you. My company." Alfred's voice hardened. "You have one week to transfer control back to me. Full ownership, complete authority."
"What if I refuse?"
"Then I take more permanent measures." Alfred paused. "You survived one assassination attempt, Elena. Will you survive another?"
The line went dead.
Elena stood frozen, phone still pressed to her ear, her mind racing.
"Elena!" Pierce's voice was sharp. "What did he say?"
Elena turned to face him, seeing the rage and helplessness warring in his expression.
"Alfred's alive. He knows I have the company. He wants it back." Elena's voice was surprisingly steady. "He gave me one week or he'll come after me."
Pierce swore hard, trying to get out of bed. Elena rushed to stop him.
"Don't! You'll tear your stitches..."
"I don't care!" Pierce's voice was raw. "He threatened you. While I'm stuck in this goddamn bed unable to protect you..."
"Pierce, stop!" Elena pushed him back down, her hands on his shoulders. "You're going to hurt yourself."
Pierce grabbed her wrists, his grip tight. "He tried to kill you once. He'll try again and I can't.." His voice broke. "I can't even stand up without help."
"Then we handle it differently." Elena's voice was firm. "You can't lead from the field right now. So you lead from here."
"How?"
"The same way you've been coordinating with Marcus. Through communication, strategy, using your team." Elena sat beside him.
Pierce was breathing hard, pain and frustration clear. "Call Marcus. Now."
Elena dialed, putting the phone on speaker.
Marcus answered immediately. "What's wrong?"
"Alfred Davis is alive." Pierce's voice was barely controlled. "He just called Elena and threatened her. He wants the company back or he'll kill her."
Silence. Then Marcus swore. "I thought he was dead."
"Apparently not." Pierce looked at Elena.
"He's been watching us," Elena said. "Has to be. How else would he know about the cabin?"
"We need to move," Pierce said. "To a different location. Somewhere Alfred can't find."
"You can't travel yet," Elena protested. "The ribs..."
"I don't have a choice!" Pierce's voice rose, then he gasped, pain flashing across his face.
"Stop." Elena pressed her hand to his chest. "You're making it worse. Marcus, can you secure this location better instead?"
"Maybe." Marcus said. "But if Alfred has surveillance on us..."
"Then we find it and eliminate it." Elena's voice was surprisingly calm. "We set a trap. Like we did with Xander."
Both Pierce and Marcus went quiet.
"What do you mean?" Pierce asked.
"Alfred wants the company. I refuse to give it to him and he comes after me." Elena's mind was working through possibilities. "But we're ready. We control the situation."
"You're talking about using yourself as bait," Pierce said flatly. "No."
"It worked with Xander.."
"Xander wasn't your family. He wasn't someone who's tried to kill you before." Pierce's voice was hard. "I was able to move then. I could protect you. Now I'm stuck in this bed while..."
"While Marcus and Derek and your entire team protect me," Elena finished.
Pierce stared at her, conflict written across his face.
"Boss," Marcus said through the phone. "She has a point. We can set this up In a controlled environment with full security."
"What if something goes wrong?" Pierce demanded. "If Alfred gets through?"
"Then I handle it," Elena said quietly. "I'm not the same woman Alfred tried to kill months ago. I've seen your world and I've survived it. I'm stronger now."
Pierce's hand found hers, gripping tight. "I can't lose you."
"You won't." Elena met his eyes. "But we can't run from Alfred forever and we can't give him the company."
"So we eliminate him." Pierce's voice went cold. "Permanently."
Elena nodded slowly. "Yes."
Marcus was quiet for a moment. "I'll start coordinating. But we need a real plan. Not just hoping Alfred shows up."
"He will," Elena said. "I'll make sure of it."
They spent the next hour planning. Marcus would increase security around the cabin, sweep for surveillance devices, position his team. Elena would communicate with Alfred, string him along, create an opening.
When Marcus hung up to start preparations, Elena found Pierce staring at her.
"What?" she asked.
"You've changed." His voice was quiet. "The woman I met months ago would never suggest using herself as bait."
"The woman you met months ago hadn't watched you kill someone, hadn't performed emergency surgery to save your life, hadn't lived in your world." Elena's voice was steady. "I'm not that woman anymore."
Pierce pulled her down carefully, kissing her despite the pain it caused his ribs. "No. You're stronger. More dangerous."
"Is that a compliment?"
"It's everything." Pierce's hand cupped her face. "But Elena, if we do this, if we go after Alfred, there's no going back. You'll be choosing to eliminate your own family."
"Alfred stopped being family when he tried to have me killed." Elena's voice was cold. "Now he's just another threat and threats get eliminated."
"Okay," he said finally. "We take down Alfred. But we do it smart. No unnecessary risks."
"Agreed."
Elena stood, moving to the window. Outside, the forest was peaceful, quiet.
But somewhere out there, Alfred was watching. Preparing to take back what he thought was his and for the first time, Elena wasn't afraid. She was ready.
Pierce had taught her well. Now it was time to put those lessons to use.