Leo
“Why do you live in this cheap apartment? You are filthy rich.” Marcus, who is one of Mike's bodyguards glances at the door.
“Your bravery is something else.” I chuckle bitterly, mad at myself for letting them take Willow. “You have the nerve to make a casual conversation?”
“I’m just asking. It looks expensive, but don’t they maintain the doors and everything? Did you hear the creaking of the door when we closed it? It was not loud, but good for dramatic effect.”
“I have to admit, I felt it too. I can imagine the poor woman’s face when she heard the door slowly closing behind her.” His friend laughs.
“Where did they take her?” I growl.
“Easy, tiger. You wouldn’t want us to make a call to get her killed.” He grins devilishly. “She is so young, so innocent, with hopes and dreams.” He says with a shaky voice, and the most theatrical facial expression and a hand on his chest. If he did this under different circumstances, I would be laughing my ass off.
“Fuck you!” I bellow.
“Pointing a gun at you was awesome, and I told the boss to stop being so protective of you,” he titters maliciously. “We always had to treat you like an egg, so that you would never think of taking your business elsewhere.”
“So, you mean all this hospitality and showering me with adoration or pretending to fear me was a lie?” I ask sarcastically.
“Fear you?” He laughs. “Don’t be delusional. I even heard about your drama. On that night at the club, they let you take your sister and choke my brother, because of Mike’s stupid rules.”
“If you ever hurt her...” I trail off.
“You know what the boss wants, man. So, you will get your sister when you deliver or you might regret your decisions forever.” Marcus says casually as he puts the gun on the waistband holder and covers it up with his t-shirt.
“You won’t kill her, you need her to make me continue making limbicus.”
“You think?” He smirks.
I raise my eyebrows, daring him to think of another reason I would make limbicus, but I feel my pulse quicken. What if they know about Jessica?
“We saw you getting all brotherly in Minnesota. What’s your deal, anyway? Are they really your sisters?”
My jaw drops. How could I have been so careless?
Marcus opens my refrigerator, and my wolf goes berserk, but I suppress his need for violence.
“Want a beer?” He asks his friend, and he nods. "How about you, man?" He glances at me.
"I'm good." I clench my fists to stop myself from pouncing at him.
"It's been a long day. We gonna sit down." Marcus walks away and heads to the sitting area. His friend follows him, and I trail behind them, vowing revenge in my heart.
‘This is your territory. Yes, Willow is in danger, but really? You are an Alpha.’ Asclepius lets out an irritated growl.
‘I'm not an Alpha, and Willow’s life is in danger, let it go.’
If two men opened my fridge without my permission and took out beers, I would’ve thrown a punch.
“Mike sent someone who has been trailing you for a while. There is no way out of this.” He grins.
I let out a long sigh before sinking into the couch. The lives of all three siblings are in my hands, and one of them is already down. How did this even happen?
“So, what’s the deal? You are a werewolf, a lone wolf, we know that. We just don’t know from which pack, but the sisters smell like humans.” Marcus says casually.
“Like I told Mike before, they are not my sisters. Just some girls I mess around with.” I glance at Marcus, who is watching soccer on my TV.
“It doesn’t matter, we know you care about them. We leaving. See you in Tacoma with the merch.” They both get up.
“Aren't you going to stay here to kill me if she tries to escape?”
“She won’t escape, and how will you make the stuff if we chill here with you? She cares about you, and she thinks we are watching you.”
“You threatening a man’s family?”
“We have nothing to lose. See you around, man.” They leave holding the beer bottles, and I sigh with relief when the door finally closes with click.
When I’m sure that they have left the building, I run to the parking lot and drive to Tacoma with as much speed as I can manage.
I run to my second apartment, Mike’s words echoing in my mind about using Willow. I picture her glaring at Mike, probably strapped to a chair.
I glance at the stack of limbicus that I have been making for days. I take from the stack, guilt weighing on me with each packet that I pick, and I pack them in a sports bag that I have brought.
My phone rings, and I fish for it in my back pocket, then I frown at the caller ID.
“Leo, where are you? I need you.” She breathes.
“I don’t have time for this right now. I’m busy.” I roll my eyes, wanting to drop the call, but deciding to be sensitive to her feelings.
“Are you with her? Oh God, I thought she was lying. I’m on my way, and I will find your apartment.”
“Chloe, not today, please. I have so much to deal with. Chloe? Chloe?”
I call Romeo, my private detective, to keep an eye out for Chloe and to find her the protection she needs.
I fucking hate what mate bonds do to humans, and how they lose complete control of their emotions. I need to reject her as soon as we meet again
“Now you want to turn me into a model sitter?” Romeo chuckles.
“I will compensate...”
“It’s nothing,” he interjects. “I have taken so much of your money, I’m ashamed to calculate it.”
We both chuckle before hanging up. This is my favourite thing about Romeo, he never asks more than what I tell him, and he is discreet.
I put the phone away, and I walk in and out of the apartment, filling the trunk of my car with as much speed as I can muster.
My phone rings again, and I glance at the screen.
“Leo, are you okay?” Professor Malino asks.
“I’m fine.” I say dryly.
“I’m coming to your apartment.”
“Why does everyone want to come to my apartment today?” I exhale.
“I’m worried about you.”
“I’m not at my apartment. Can I call you later?”
“Did Willow come to you?”
“Yeah, she had been kidnapped.” I try to sound as calm as possible.
“By Mike?” She raises her voice, prompting me to keep my phone away from my ear. “How could you be so unbothered by this?”
“Am I supposed to be crying?” I sigh.
“I warned you, Leo. I told you to stay away from these idiots and the dodgy business.”
“Can you scold me later?” I roll my eyes as if she can see me, and I wonder if my mother would always scold me like Professor Malino does if she was still alive.
“What’s the plan?” She sighs.
“I haven’t slept in days, creating the stuff for him.”
“Goodness, Leo, you are back to making that stuff again?”
“I have to go.” I hang up, and I continue to fill the bag and to empty it's contents into the trunk.
I call Mike when I’m done.
“We can meet at the same spot.” I say when he answers the phone with a grunt.
“That was fast. I can already smell the money coming my way. I hope you made the real deal, I don’t want complaints.”
"Whare is she?"
“I have your sister right here, and she is tied to a chair. I have already given her her first tattoo. She loves it.”
“Mike!” I glower. “Just send your people to the spot, if you come, I might get tempted to make bad decisions.”
He chuckles. “I’m running a business. I have nothing against you. You are my sole supplier. My customers need limbicus, and every other business that I supply with limbicus.”
“Yeah, you said that already.” I say dismissively.
“You are selfish. If you sold me the recipe for this thing of yours, I would have people who make it.”
“No!” I groan. I can't risk other people knowing how to make limbicus and distributing larger amounts. “Let me speak to her.”
“No!” He grunts.
“How should I know if she is still alive?”
“You don’t have a choice. I suggest you deliver my stuff, then you'll find out.”