Chapter 28 Chapter Twenty-seven
ARA
Maggie's smile grew wider as she watched me struggle to process what she'd just told us.
“I'm sure Thayne asked his men to bring you to the villa because he thought it would be the safest place for you. Surprise, surprise.” She broke into a derisive laughter that scraped at my nerves.
What did she mean by ‘surprise surprise’?
"Aim!” Munroe yelled suddenly, and the others obeyed, raising their guns as if to shoot at the entrance.
“What the fuck?" Munroe and I both cursed at the same time as Darius Reedson emerged, three men right behind him with a frail, sickly woman in their middle with her hands bound.
Thayne's mother. The one he'd fought so hard to protect from the media. I saw Thayne's dimples in her cheeks and Ursula's fierce eyes in hers.
How in the nine wonders of the universe was Darius Reedson here?
Thayne's mother looked so rail thin that I wished I could run to her and free her from Darius's grip.
There was an empty, broken look in her eyes. It was like she was both here and not at the same time.
Darius had tricked Thayne with a diversion to distract him.
It was unlikely that Thayne would reach the villa in time to turn things around.
“Finally, I get to meet you, Ara. I must say, you look exquisite. Neil didn't lie, you're exactly the kind of fruit my clients like. Succulent.” I didn't know that a person's voice could sound dirty until now.
He licked his lips as he said the word ‘succulent’, and I cringed.
I seized five seconds to curse Neil in three different languages.
“What are you doing here, Darius?" Munroe snarled.
"You and your boys, remove the buds in your ears and throw them at your feet.” Darius commanded, ignoring Munroe's question and going straight for the offensive.
He wanted to make sure every possible means of reaching Thayne was severed.
"I don't take orders from drug-barons." Munroe resisted.
“Well, let's see if you change your mind." Darius chuckled and lifted one arm, gun in hand, and pressed it to Liliana's temple.
She didn't blink, her eyes remained trained on me. Was there something she was trying to tell me with her eyes?
Munroe and the rest all began to toss their buds at their feet one after the other.
Munroe's bud rolled several times before finally coming to a stop.
“Maggie, sweetheart, do the honors?" Darius said to Maggie who smiled and nodded.
“What we want is quite simple, Ara. We want you. You're our bargaining tool. All you have to do is come up and take Liliana's place.”
"She will do no such thing.” Munroe spat, pushing me gently behind him.
"Oh? She will. If she doesn't, we'll put a bullet in Liliana's head.” He turned off the safety for good measure and flashed a creepy smile.
“It'll be such a disaster if we end up killing Thayne's poor mother, right, Maggie?” Darius's jovial behavior in a situation as distressing as this nauseated me.
"The only bullets that will be fired here will be coming from us, Darius. Let her go." Munroe sneered.
Darius laughed. “Raise your head and look well. I have men watching our friendly exchange from hidden corners. One wrong move and they'll fire."
Thayne's mother giggled, swaying and holding out her bound hands. Shit. The woman was truly out of her wits.
"Munroe, we don't have time. Darius will kill her.” I whispered to Munroe who shook his head slightly.
“I'll handle it. He's bluffing." He said, beads of perspiration forming on his forehead.
"You have five minutes to decide, Ara. Five minutes.” Maggie chirped, folding her arms.
“Munroe, I have to do this. If she dies, Thayne will destroy the whole world just to avenge her death. We can't do that to him.” Even as I said the words, I was shaking from panic deep inside my soul.
Darius must have planned all of this carefully. To have been able to gain entry into the villa, it wasn't exactly a small feat.
“Four minutes more." Maggie counted down.
Thayne's mother seemed to realize in that instant where she was, and she began to strain against the hold of the bulky man holding her hostage.
“Where is my boy? Bring me my boy!" She screamed, her pale white face reddening with emotion as she tried to free her wrists from the tight rope.
Darius grabbed her shoulders and rattled her so hard her teeth knocked together.
“Three minutes." Maggie announced in a sing-song manner.
Without weighing the consequences of what I was about to do, I ducked under Munroe's arm and planted myself right in front of Maggie.
Munroe swore loudly. “Ara, don't -"
But my lips were already moving, saying the words I knew would damn me.
“Take me, then. Let her go and take me.” I tried to sound brave, but my voice wavered slightly.
"Step back, Munroe.” Darius warned Munroe when he tried to climb up and drag me backwards.
They unbound Liliana's hands and pushed her forward.
A hand was already pulling me up and planting me in the same spot Liliana had just vacated.
However, before she could take one step down, Maggie grabbed her by the elbow and mimicked Darius's earlier pose.
Only that she didn't have the gun.
“What's going on? You said you would let her go!" Munroe's voice swelled with anger.
"No, I didn't. I said Ara would take her place.” Maggie countered.
Munroe pulled his trigger, but Darius was faster.
The escort standing behind Munroe slumped to the ground with a heavy thud.
Two things happened. Munroe fired back, and Maggie shoved Liliana forward, hoping she would take the hit.
The bullet sailed past and hit Maggie in the spot between her collar bone and shoulder.
She went down like a sack of wheat.
She howled in pain, her palm cupping the wound as blood oozed out.
More gunshots followed, and men in black overalls poured out of unsuspecting corners of the mansion, shooting down Munroe's men.
I was transferred from hand to hand until I found myself standing right in the middle of the chaos, my back pressed against the chest of one of Darius's men.
Seven dead men lay sprawled on the floor behind Munroe. Men who'd given up their lives because of me.
My tongue tasted bitter.
“Stand down or I decide she goes down.” Darius barked.
Munroe made to protest, but then seemed to think twice.
"Stand down.” He told his men. Reluctantly, they obeyed.
Maggie was still on the ground, whimpering and writhing in pain.
Darius paid her no mind. It was like she wasn't even there at all.
"Toss your guns that way, and put your hands behind your head." He instructed Munroe and the others.
They obeyed without a fuss.
As Darius’ men led me away, I reminded myself that I'd survived this before.
I could do it again.
The only problem? I didn't know if Thayne would try to chase after us when this reached his ears.
As long as facts were concerned, Darius was still owed a debt. And I was his collateral.
“I'm going to have so much fun with you, Ara. So much fun." Darius whispered in my ear.
Of all the nightmares I'd had recently, this was the worst one yet.
And for the first time, I was praying to the skies for Thayne to come wake me up.