Chapter 27
Alex POV:
I gripped the phone. My jaw tightened. Marcos's words cut me. "She left a few minutes ago. With your sister." Elena was gone. And Rachel. Damn her. Had taken her.
I was ready to say sorry. My outburst gnawed at me. The moment I left the penthouse. I had overreacted. Lashing out. Like a scared animal.
Elena only tried to help. Her innocent questions. About my past. My scars. My tattoos. They dug into old wounds. I could not explain them. She did not know my world's dangers. Did not know I left my number open.
Daring enemies to call. To show I was not afraid. But while I did not fear them. I feared for her. The moment they knew. I had someone in my life. Someone I cared about. Someone I loved. She would be a target. I could not let that happen.
Her sweetness. Her kindness. Her light. They were too good. For my life. A life of shadows and blood. I wanted to protect her. To keep her in her safe bubble. Where she could smile without fear. Laugh without looking back.
But I knew that bubble. Would not last forever. When it burst. I was not sure she would stay. Not when she saw the monster. Beneath the man.
I meant to go home. After business. To make it up to her. To explain myself. Or at least try. To tell her I was not mad at her.
But at the world. That threatened to take her. From me.
My sister knew how to annoy me. Taking Elena without my say-so. Was a bold move. Even for her.
Normally, I would let her play. Rachel could handle herself. Her sharp mind. Shaped by years. In the same shadows. I moved in.
But she had Elena with her. That changed everything. Elena. Who did not know the rules. Who did not grasp the risks.
Elena. Who was mine to protect. Mine to keep safe. Mine to love. Even if I did not deserve her.
"Find her. Now," I growled into the phone. My voice low and deadly. A promise of harm. If he failed. Marcos did not argue. He knew better. He hung up. I knew he would tear the city apart. To find them.
You would think it hard to hide. A car like that. Even in the city. A black Mercede. Quiet and sleek. A magnet for eyes.
But Rachel was a master. Of getting away. Her skills sharpened. By years of dodging our foes. Slipping through shadows. Like smoke. She grew up in this world. Learned to survive it.
But she was always reckless. Always defiant. Pushing limits. I had stopped trying to control. I had been too easy on her. That would change. Once I caught them.
I shoved my phone in my pocket. I turned to the man. Tied to the chair. He was a traitor. Skimming product. From my shipments. A lowlife. Who thought he could steal from me. And get away.
I was in no mood to be nice. And now. With Elena out there. Unprotected. My patience was gone.
Blood dripped steadily. On the concrete floor. Pooling in red streaks. His head hung forward. His body sagged. Against the ropes. His face was a mess. Swollen. Bruised.
One eye almost shut. His breaths ragged and wet. He had whimpered earlier. Begging for mercy. But now he was silent. His fear was clear. In the dim, dirty room.
I grabbed a knife from the table. Its blade gleamed. Under the flickering light. I knelt in front of him. My face cold. My eyes hard.
He flinched. As I leaned closer. His body jerked. Against the ropes. His one good eye widened. In terror.
"This was the wrong day. To mess with me," I said. My voice low and threatening. A promise of pain. "You picked the wrong time. To test me, rat."
He sobbed. Shaking his head. His voice a broken whimper. "I do not know anything! Please, please, I swear-"
I pressed the blade to his hand. Pinning it to the armrest. My grip firm. My eyes locked on his. "Liar," I growled. My voice low, deadly. "You think I am stupid? You think I do not know. You have been stealing my product? Selling it on the side? You think you can steal from me. And get away?"
He screamed. As the knife cut his skin. The sound echoed.
Through the room. Raw and desperate. Blood welled up.
Trickling down his fingers. But I did not stop.
I could not. Not when my enemies. Were getting bolder.
Not when Elena was out there. Unprotected.
Vulnerable. Every second she was gone. Every second I did not know.
Where she was. Was a knife in my gut. Twisting deeper.
"Tell me what I want to know," I said. My voice low, controlled. But filled with rage. "Who is touching my product? Who is behind this? Talk. Or I start cutting."
He sobbed. His body shaking. His words unclear. But I did not care. I pressed the blade deeper. His screams filled the room.
But my mind kept drifting. Back to Elena. Her face. When I had yelled at her. The hurt in her eyes. The way she flinched. It cut deeper. Than any knife could. She did not deserve that. She did not deserve any of this.
But I could not let her go. Not now. Not ever. She had become part of my life. Part of Sophia's life. I would do anything to protect her. Even if it meant keeping her ignorant. Even if it meant pushing her away.
When Marcos called back. His voice was tense. And short. "I found them. They are at the bar."
I wasted no time. I left the rat bleeding. In the chair. His screams faded behind me. As I headed for the door.
My mind raced. Rachel had taken Elena to the bar. A public place. Loud and messy. Where anyone could watch. Where anyone could take her. The thought made my blood boil. My hands clenched. As I stormed out of the warehouse. The night air sharp. Against my skin.
I got into my car. And sped through the city. The engine roared. Beneath me. My hands gripped the wheel tightly. The streets blurred past. Neon lights streaked. Through the darkness.
But all I could see was Elena. Her face. Her smile. The hurt in her eyes. When I had lashed out. I had to find her. Had to bring her back. Had to make this right.
Rachel might think this was a game. But she did not understand the risks. She did not understand. What Elena meant to me. What losing her. Would do to me.
When I arrived at the bar. I saw the Mercedes. Parked out front. Its black body gleamed. Under the streetlights. A dark spot. In the chaos.
My jaw tightened. My rage simmered. As I slammed the car door shut. And stormed inside. My eyes scanned the crowd. The bar was packed.
The air thick with smoke and music. Bodies pressed close. Laughter and shouts. Echoed through the space.
But I did not care. About any of it. I was looking for her. For Elena. For Rachel. For the two women. Who had just turned my world upside down.
And then I saw them. Rachel. Leaning against the bar. Her red hair wild. A smirk on her lips. As she sipped a drink. Her eyes gleamed. With defiance.
And Elena. Sitting beside her. Her posture tense. Her eyes darting. Around the room. Her discomfort was clear.
She did not belong here. In this place of shadows and danger. The sight of her. Weak. Exposed. Sent a surge of rage and fear. Through me.
I crossed the room in seconds. My presence cut through the crowd. Like a blade. My power was clear.