Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Manuel POV
I watched as Leo’s body fell back against the cabin walls and slid all the way down until he hit the floor. I stared in shock at my older brother, who now had his gun lowered at his side.
Juliette stood there in utter shock and disbelief. Blood was splattered on her face, and her body trembled with fear.
“Oh dear, what a mess.” He pointed to the dead body at Juliette’s feet. “But he was a mole, and I don’t take too kindly to rodents in my group. Dante!”
As soon as he called that name, two men emerged from the car with guns pointed right at me. On cue, my uncle and Rodrigo came out of my car with their guns drawn out.
My brother’s eyes danced with excitement. “Now we have ourselves a party! I really did think this whole hostage thing would be a bit of a drag. Well done brother, how fun! We seem to have ourselves a standoff.”
All guns were pointed. I didn’t care for the ones that were pointed to me, but rather the two women on the porch. And my brother had a clean view of Juliette.
“You harm one hair on her head, and I will kill you.”
Diego titled his head to the side, regarding my words for a moment. “Do you think I’m afraid to die, brother? I knew going into this, coming up against the formidable Manuel Gomez, there was little to no chance of survival.”
“So, you wanting the organization? Was that all bullshit?”
“I wanted to see how you would react. There is no way in hell that I will ever take anything that my father has touched. It’s tainted already.”
The area grew quiet again. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. One move and a war would start, a blood bath unleash, and there was no telling how many lives would be walking away from this.
“It didn’t need to go this way, Diego,” my mother’s voice sliced through the air.
My eyes moved to my mother, who gave me a pointed look I couldn’t quite read. But I didn’t need to understand it. In one quick motion, she jabbed her handler in the rib, successfully catching him off guard so she could disarm him.
“Run, Juliette! Run !”
And then all hell broke loose. Juliette charged into the woods, following my mother’s instructions.
I charged at my brother and took him to the ground, managing to lose both our weapons in the process. I threw punch after punch, not fully managing to land a clean enough one on him. We tumbled on the floor going at each other.
My uncle and Rigo made light work of disposing of Diego’s men. They then got to my mother, who had surprisingly handled herself well.
Diego managed to catch me off guard and got me on the side of my head. He took my momentary distraction as a chance and got to his feet, darting into the woods after Juliette.
It took me a minute to gather myself again.
I got to my feet and grabbed my gun before running after my brother.
I was going to end this. There was no reasoning with this man. He had shown me that his hatred ran too deep. I could not risk the safety of the people I loved.
“Diego!” I moved through the forest, darting my eyes everywhere, trying to find where he had went. “Running away already? I thought you wanted to end this, like a man.”
I walked deeper into the forest until I came to a clearing. I ducked behind a tree trunk, making sure that he didn’t see me.
He had Juliette in his grasp. He jostled her about ,trying to scare her.
“Running? That’s just not my style, brother. Maybe yours.”
I crept around the tree line, making sure to keep hidden.
Juliette bit down on my brother’s hand hard, to which he hissed out in agony. I took that as my chance and charged for him again. I couldn’t get a clear enough shot of him, and I didn’t want to risk it.
Juliette jumped out of the way as me and my brother went at it again. I snapped his wrist, causing him to release his gun from his hold.
“You fucker!” He head-butted me, causing me to lose my bearings for a few second, but it was enough for him to through me off my feet. “You’re going to have to watch while I take your woman from you!”
I swung my leg from under me and hooked his foot. Diego went tumbling down to the floor, and I took that chance to get to my feet and run for my gun that had fallen a few feet from me. But just as I was about to grab it, I was speared forward by Diego, and we both went tumbling to the floor. He got on top of me and started punching my skull. All I could do in that moment was shield my face as I took some time to catch my breath.
I had no idea where Juliette was, and my heart was in a panic. I needed her to be as far away from this as possible.
I tried to reach for the gun, but Diego pressed down on my arm in an uncomfortable position that had my ligaments straining to keep my bones intact.
“Fuck!” I roared.
“Not so fast, little one,” Diego ground out menacingly.
I followed his gaze to where Juliette stood off to the side, looking terrified.
“Juliette, run!”
“I’m not leaving you!” she said stubbornly.
Of all the time for her to not listen to me, she chose now . “Juliette.”
“Get off him, Diego.”
Diego sucker punched me in the side of my head, throwing me again. A loud ringing pierced my ear and my brain bobbed around in my skull. I blinked, trying to get my eyes to focus, but everything was blurry.
Shit. This was bad.
Diego got to his feet and reached for the gun that I had been trying to get.
I looked to where Juliette stood, and she had somehow gotten a gun of her own. It must have been Diego’s one.
She held on to it tightly, but I could tell she was scared of it, and I knew then that this could only end one way.
“Stay right there or I’ll shoot!” She waved her gun in her grip.
Diego raised his weapon pointing, it at Juliette. He clicked the weapon into place and looked at me over his shoulder. “Say goodbye to your lovely woman, brother.”
“Juliette!” I ambled to my feet, but I still couldn’t find my equilibrium. “Juliette, run!”
“Goodbye, sweetheart.” Diego turned his gaze from me and focused on Juliette.
“No!” I stumbled to my feet, barely able to stand straight, but I managed.
Juliette closed her eyes as if accepting her fate. And then the gun went off.