Chapter 22 Twenty Two
Chapter 22 Twenty Two
Rebelle’s POV
As a word, somewhat protective, and I didn’t like how that made me feel because it wasn’t something I trusted, especially not in a place like this. And I have this feeling that something might go wrong soon, even after what just happened.
“I can stand on my own,” I replied, even though my ankle pulsed sharply in protest, the pain spreading slowly, and even though I’m in pain, I refuse to show it, so no one makes me off as weak and helpless.
“Not tonight,” Ezekiel said without even looking at me, his tone flat, final, leaving no room for argument, and for a second I almost snapped back at him, almost told him I didn’t belong to him. I didn’t need him deciding things for me, but then his hand shifted slightly at my waist, steadying me, without asking, like it was the most natural thing in the world, and the words died before they could leave my mouth, which annoyed me more than it should have.
The room slowly returned to normal music increasing, laughter rising in soft waves, people pretending they hadn’t just watched something almost go wrong. Still, I felt it, the tension hidden behind smiles and polished masks, and as we moved through the ballroom together, their presence on either side of me felt impossible to ignore, like protection I didn’t ask for but couldn’t seem to escape either.
“You’re thinking too loud,” Asa murmured beside me, his voice light, but his eyes were scanning the room like he was tracking every movement and every face in the room.
“I’m not thinking,” I said.
“Then you should start,” he replied, almost amused, and I shot him a hard glare, but before I could respond, Ezekiel moved slightly closer, his voice cutting through everything else.
“Walk.” He orders.
I didn’t argue this time.
We moved slowly, my heels clicking softly against the polished floor despite the dull ache in my ankle, and I could feel all eyes following us, whispers growing and a few words catching my attention.
“That’s her…”
“She’s the one…”
“Why is she with them?”
I ignored it; I had bigger problems than curious people and their quiet judgments, but then someone brushed past me, and I still instantly.
Ezekiel noticed.
Of course he did.
His head turned sharply, his gaze locking onto a man who stepped back just a little too quickly, and the tension in his body changed, sharpened.
“Problem?” Asa asked casually.
“No,” I said, even though I wasn’t sure that was true anymore.
Ezekiel didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push it; he just stayed closer, closer than before, like he wasn’t taking chances anymore.
We stopped near the center of the ballroom as the music shifted into something slower, heavier, couples moving toward the dance floor, and I already knew what was coming before either of them said anything.
“No,” I said immediately.
Asa smirked slightly. “Didn’t say anything.”
“You were about to.” He says with a slight grin
“Maybe.”
Ezekiel didn’t bother with the back-and-forth.
“Dance.” He orders.
I stared at him. “That wasn’t a request.”
“No.” He responds firmly
“I don’t dance.” I deadpan
“Then learn.” He says, and before I could argue again, his hand closed around mine, pulling me forward before I could resist, and suddenly I was on the dance floor, whether I liked it or not, his other hand settling at my waist calmly, guiding me into movement.
“I’m going to step on you,” I muttered.
“You won’t.” He responds, looking down at me a little softer than usual.
“That’s confidence.”
“That’s a fact.”
I huffed softly, but my body adjusted anyway, falling into rhythm with each step, aligning with his, his grip guiding me but not forcing, and it annoyed me how easily it worked.
“You’re not as difficult as you think,” he murmured.
“Don’t get used to it,” I shot back.
And then, suddenly, a sound cut through the music sharply. My head turned slightly, catching the shattering of glass somewhere behind us loudly. The music stopped for a second before everything snapped.
A gunshot rang through the hall as screams followed instantly.
The music died completely as chaos erupted, people scattering as bodies collided, panic spreading like wildfire, and before I could even react fully, Ezekiel’s grip tightened painfully as he pulled me back.
“Down!” he snapped.
Another shot rang out, closer this time, and Asa was suddenly there, his expression no longer calm or amused but darker as his hand moved under his jacket and came back with a gun like this was second nature to him.
“Move!” He moved fast, my ankle screaming in protest as I struggled to keep up. People were rushing past us, guards shouting, trying to regain control, but it was already too late; the room had already fallen apart, and whatever this was, it was certainly planned.
“Exit,” Ezekiel said sharply.
But before we could reach it, a hand grabbed me hard. I gasped as I was yanked backward, my balance breaking instantly as my injured ankle gave out beneath me.
“Rebelle!” Asa’s voice snapped.
Ezekiel turned just as I was pulled away from him, his fingers slipping from mine for a second, and that was all it took.
A cloth hardly pressed over my mouth.
Chemical.
My lungs burned as I tried to breathe, my body reacting instantly, struggling and fighting, my nails digging into whoever held me as panic surged through me.
“Let go….” I tried, but my voice came out muffled and weak, the world already starting to tilt.
“No…” I forced out again, but my strength was fading fast, my limbs growing heavy as my vision blurred at the edges.
I saw them.
Ezekiel and Asa…Too far from me and not fast enough.
Ezekiel’s expression shattered into something I had never seen before. It was uncontrolled pure rage
“Touch her, and you die!” he roared, but it was already too late.
The darkness closed in, swallowing everything, and then…Nothing.
Cold, that was the first thing I felt when I came back, my head throbbing as distant voices filtered through slowly.
“She’s awake.” A rusty voice says
“Not yet.” A deep voice responds
“Does it matter?”
The spoke while I tried to move, but somehow I couldn’t, because my hands were tied.
The realization came slowly, then all at once.
I was kidnapped.
My breath hitched slightly as my eyes fluttered open, the dim light above burning for a second before shapes started to form, unfamiliar walls, unfamiliar space, nothing I recognized.
“Where…” my voice came out rough.
A figure stepped closer, still hidden in the shadow.
“Relax,” they said calmly. “You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.”
Something about that made my stomach twist.
“Wrong answer,” I muttered weakly.
They chuckled, and somehow that sound felt worse than silence.
—
Back at the estate, everything had changed. Ezekiel didn’t think; he reacted.
“Lock it down!” his voice cut through the chaos. “No one leaves!”
Guards moved instantly, but it wasn’t enough, it wasn’t fast enough, as Asa grabbed one of them by the collar, slamming him hard against the wall.
“Where is she?” he demanded, his voice dangerously calm.
“I…I…don’t…”
Before he could complete his sentence, Asa shoved him away, turning sharply, his gaze scanning the room.
“She’s not here,” he said flatly.
Ezekiel’s jaw clenched hard, “I know.” He grits lowly.
A little silence stretched between them before Ezekiel broke it.
“We find her,” Ezekiel promised.
“Oh, we will,” he replied quietly and confidently.
Then his gaze lifted toward the shattered ballroom and the people still trembling, unaware of what they had just triggered.
“And when we do…” he added softly.
Ezekiel’s voice cut in coldly, “W burn everything.”
Back to me.
My vision cleared slowly, just enough to focus as the figure stepped closer again, and this time I could see a small smile playing on their lips.
“You really should’ve stayed out of this,” they said.
My heart pounded, my body still weak, but my mind was catching up.
“Yeah?” I whispered.
I lifted my gaze to meet theirs, forcing strength into my voice.
“Then you shouldn’t have taken me.” I spat out
And there was a pause, then a quiet chuckle came after
“Oh, Rebelle…” the voice said softly.
“You have no idea what you just walked into.” He says in amusement.