Leo
The 6’2" lean men in suits who look like cloned bodyguards form a wall behind Marcus, standing at attention in front of the cars, and he stands in front of them, wearing a wife beater, facing me and folding his bulked arms like the boss he fancies himself to be.
“It’s you, again.” I make an exasperated sigh.
He chuckles. “Don’t look so disappointed. You know I run this operation.” He grins arrogantly.
“No, Mike runs this operation. You are just an errand boy.”
He growls in response. “Just be grateful that you are still under the boss’s protection, or you would be screaming like a girl right now. I know you are going to mess up again, and I can’t wait.”
I stare at him when it finally clicks. Marcus hates me because I’m valuable to Mike, and he hates the fact that his boss needs me more than him. I ignore his empty threats. “So, ten men, huh? I didn’t know you were so afraid of me.”
“These men are here to keep you in control, because you need to be tamed like the animal that you are.” He smiles as if he said the best line ever.
“It’s difficult being you. Is it?” I smirk.
He raises his eyebrows.
“You are just a muscle. You can be replaced. Mike can’t replace me, he needs me, and you hate that,” I continue.
“Watch your mouth!” he grumbles.
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugs nonchalantly.
“So, you want me to give you the merch so that you and your lame boss can torture her and continue making more demands?”
He titters. “You are the one who messed up. If you did things right, you wouldn’t be in this situation.”
“You are going to bring her to me before you take this.” I press on my car key and the trunk of my car opens behind me, revealing the limbicus.
“No.” He says decidedly. “Good job thou." He grins and uses his head to motion towards my car. “This is going to last for a while. We are glad we found her. Without her, you were going to try to fight your way out of this. You were going to fail, of course, but you were going to try.”
He turns around and whispers to the bodyguards as if I don’t have a supernatural hearing ability. He tells them to get the limbicus packets and pack them in assigned cars.
Then he turns back around and grins at me. I press the button and the trunk of my car snaps shut, and five men approach me at the same time, leaving the rest behind him.
I use my martial arts knowledge and training from the combat classes to throw a few kicks and punches, and Marcus watches with a huge grin on his face. I take quick steps back and take out a gun.
“Stop!” He bellows as if he could read my thoughts. I took a glance at him to see where he was so that I could shoot that ridiculous grin off his face.
Everyone stops, and he takes out his phone.
“Should I call my boss and tell him to press the trigger? Sister number 2 is on her way here. If we get rid of sister number 1, we can throw the second one a warm welcome party. What do you say?”
I point my gun at him, walking towards him until the gun gets in contact with his forehead. “You will do no such a thing, and you will get this limbicus when I get her back. If you try to call your boss, I will blow your brains out!”
His bodyguards also take out guns and point them at me. “Stand down.” He says to his bodyguards. “I have nothing to lose, remember?” He says to me and raises both his hands up.
I sigh, before putting the gun back into its holster.
“Good choice. You are listening like the good boy you are.”
I glower at him, but I decide against punching his face, and my wolf growls.
“If I let you go, I would have failed at this mission. That means I’m as good as dead. So, I would rather die than leave this place without the merch. Think carefully about your decisions. You have poor Jessie to think of.”
I retreat with a grunt, and I take a few steps back, but I get certain that he can hear the loudness of my heartbeat. How did they find out about Jessica? How am I supposed to protect three innocent women whom their lives are in danger because of me?
If they take Jessica, there is going to be war. Am I going to be the cause of a war between dad’s pack and Mark's pack? Whatever their pack is.
The bodyguards unload the trunk of my car and pack the limbicus in two different cars. Marcus and I stand in the middle, having our staring contest.
“It’s fun seeing you so...” He sighs. “Helpless.”
“You should never forget this night,” I rumble.
“Oh! I’m going to think about it as much as I can, and I’m going to smile every time.” He turns and nods when the other bodyguards signal that they are done. One of them hands a duffle bag to Marcus, and he grins. “Here’s your money,” he holds out the bag for me to take it.
“I don’t want blood money.” I fold my arms.
“Suit yourself. We will be calling you soon to request more orders.” He hands the bag to the guy who is standing next to him. The guy places the bag in the trunk of my car and closes it before they get into their cars. Leaving me and Marcus glaring at each other.
“You can go now, and we’ll know if we are being followed. That will not work well for your Willow, or is it Jasmine? Mike tells me that she smells really good.”
I glare at him, a growl that escapes my throat makes him jump back a little, but I walk away and get in my car, feeling helpless, tired, abd a little bruised from the fight.
When I’m at a safe distance, I park my car aside, and I take out a detector that senses spying equipment, but I find none.
“Romeo, I need you to find someone for me.” I make the call when I get back to the car.
“Another one? I have just found Chloe.” He exhales.
“Never mind Chloe, I found her too. Mike found her! She is safe, for now. I will send bodyguards her way. Find Michael for me.”
“You mean, Mark, Mike?”
“Yes. Who else?” I roll my eyes as if he can see me.
“Again? What did he do this time?”
“He kidnapped someone.”
“So, you want him ASAP?” He says in a business-like manner. “You know that dude is slippery.”
“That’s why I chose you for this.”
“I’ll do my best.” He sighs.
"Don't disappoint me, Romeo. I work with you because I believe in you. Mike's people can't be out here finding people before you do."
Just like clockwork, my phone rings, and I ignore it until Chloe hangs up.
My phone vibrates, and the AI app reads the text from Malino as I drive.
"Did you find her? What can I do to help?"
Another text pops up almost immediately: "I’m looking for my girlfriend. I heard something about you kidnapping her. You have an hour, or the sound of the police sirens will be your most hated sound." The AI voice reads the text from Liam.
My phone rings again, and I ignore tge call twice before answering on her third try.
“Did you find my sister, or should I call the private investigators?”
“I’m on it. Calm down.” I try to sound as calm as possible.
“You have five hours. If I don’t meet my sister when I arrive in Seattle, I’m calling the investigators.”
“Investigators? You mean you want the kidnappers to be aware that they are being investigated?”
“No, my investigators are discreet.” The confidence in her voice makes me grunt. Nothing good can come out of including numerous people.
“What are you going to say to them?”
“I’ll tell them what I know, they will find her, and the person who took her, and we’ll finally know why.”
“Leave this to me,” I say before hanging up.
Great, the police will be involved. My father would be happy, but l probably won’t feel so guilty about Marcel anymore. I must finally face my crime. I just have to ensure that Willow comes out safe after this ordeal.
The Gordon sisters are going to be disappointed, and they are going to hate me. Jess is safe, but if they attempt to do something, Alpha Hunter won’t hesitate to go to war to protect his daughter, and his disappointment son will be the cause of this mess.