THIRTY-TWO
F our days.
It’s been four fucking days since the auction took place.
I haven’t slept or even gone home. Lyla had to bring me spare clothes here, and no one has gotten any rest. Lucas and Mika are on the brink of collapsing from exhaustion, but neither of them want to give up.
Not yet.
Not until Noelle is safe. Not until I know that the man who is taunting me is tortured and then sent to eternal slumber, in pieces. The atmosphere is tense and thick, and I can barely function properly.
Ray doesn’t help, either.
He’s trying to look calm and collected but given the weeping of his wife, he’s holding on by a thread. And the thread is thinning with each passing minute. It’s nearly midnight, and there’s no time left.
Who knows what the bastard wants to do to Noelle? He’s not right in the head, so hurting her can’t be ruled out. He also wants her all to herself, so I’m assuming he’ll try to get them married as quickly as possible.
That little piece of information is something Niko revealed only this morning.
Four days ago, Dylan told Noelle that he pushed their wedding date forward. He didn’t ask for her permission; he just did it. She protested, but he didn’t listen.
I only wish she had told me.
Then this problem wouldn’t exist because I would’ve killed Dylan right then and there.
The motherfucker is too cocky for his own good. I tipped off the FBI, and they’re also on his tail. Mika hacked their systems, and everything they find out, we find out. It speeds up the process, yet it’s still not enough.
I’m losing my mind.
Day and night, I’m thinking about Noelle. This is all my fault. And now, because of a mistake that I made, she’s suffering. My gut feeling tells me that Dylan isn’t sane enough to keep her unharmed, and it makes my blood boil.
I broke too many things, punched too many walls, and nearly killed all of the people in the bunker. It’s unreal that the best hackers around aren’t able to find one ugly motherfucker. He’s careful not to show his face, and no one has seen him for the past four days.
The only time I did leave the bunker was to blow up a couple of places.
I left my face visible intentionally. He knows that I’m coming and that his death will be anything but quick. I’ve come up with nineteen different methods to torture him without killing him because I want to hear him scream and beg for his pathetic life.
“Hold on,” Mika says.
Lucas immediately straightens his back and pushes his chair until he’s on the other side of the room, right next to Mika. They’re staring at the screen but since it’s not security footage, I have no idea what the fuck they’re staring at.
“That’s good,” Lucas says. After ninety-six hours, Lucas finally has a little hope in his voice. “But it’s still a stretch.”
“It’s worth looking into.”
“Are the two of you going to start talking before I lose my fucking shit entirely?”
Mika turns to look at me. “One of his employees has been leaving work early and visiting the same area four times a day. But the CCTV in the area isn’t working, so I don’t know exactly where he’s going.”
“Show me.”
Mika pulls out a map. It’s a middle-class neighborhood. For the most part, it’s safe, with a few great restaurants around. However, every single house looks the same. The same layouts, colors—even the backyards are a copy of one another. It’s impossible to know which house he’s been visiting.
“I’ll see if I can track his car,” Lucas says. A few minutes pass, and I’m sweating.
I’ve never felt like this in my twenty-one years of life. The minutes seem like an eternity, and I’m starting to shake. The anger that I was suppressing is slowly resurfacing. As soon as Lucas turns around with a smile, I allow it to consume me.
“There are three possible houses. Take a few people and scout all three.”
“Mika,” I call out, and he turns to look at me. “Throw the feds off the trail. They’re no longer needed here.”
He nods, and I immediately call Lyla over. She starts preparing a team of people while handing me a couple of guns. Niko is quick to mimic my movements. Although we barely spoke this whole time, I can see the relief slowly washing over his face.
We leave the bunker, and I’m in my car before Lyla can take the wheel. She’s complaining that it’s not safe, but I barely hear her voice. My mind is on Noelle and Noelle only.
Just a little longer, baby. I’m coming for you.
“Hudson,” Lyla screams. “Slow down!”
“Slow down?” I repeat with a bitter laugh. “I would drive faster if it were possible.”
“Yeah, but if you kill us in the process—or worse if we get pulled over—no one can save her. Slow the fuck down while I’m being nice.”
Over the past few excruciating days, Lyla has been the voice of reason. She’s not personally connected to Noelle, and her unbiased stance helped. However, now that I’m this close to finding my girl and bringing her home, her voice of reason is no longer needed.
So why do I slow down?
The thought of not being able to save Noelle because of my reckless driving makes me listen to my cousin. She releases a deep sigh of relief and then stares straight ahead.
“Good,” she comments. “Now, do I leave any of them alive, or not?”
I shake my head. “Absolutely not. Unless it’s that motherfucker Dylan. You are going to save him for me, understood? And keep an eye out for Niko. He’ll go berserk.”
“Right.” She nods. “I’ll do my best. This will all be over soon. What are you going to do then?”
“What do you mean?”
“The alliance will come to an end, and the hunting game between the De Santis’ and the Campbells will resume. Can you do that?”
I forgot about that.
In fact, I forgot that her family is someone that I was raised to hate.
“No chance in hell. That woman will wear my ring as soon as humanly possible.”
From the day I got my first sweet taste of her, she was mine. She got under my skin like no other and spread her honey-glazed poison through my veins. I’m addicted, and it’s an addiction that has no cure.
I’m prepared to take down anyone who dares to threaten my relationship with Noelle, even if it’s her. Even if it means putting both of our fathers six feet underground. No one is taking her away from me.
And anyone who tries will be dealt with accordingly.
I park the car a street away from the location. Another four cars pull up behind me, and the assassins from both families rush to Lyla and Niko. Their faces are masked, and they are all prepared to listen to instructions.
“Hudson.” Lyla turns to look at me. “You take the house in the middle. Somehow, it’s giving me creepy vibes. I think it’s that one. Just in case, Niko and I will cover the other two. Have five people with you.”
Why the fuck is she ordering me around?
I let it slide and just nod my head.
There are far more important things at stake right now.
“How do we proceed?” one of the men asks. “If we knock the door down, they might run away.”
“That’s why you will surround the house. This one doesn’t have any secret tunnels so if they try to go through the back, wait for them. Kill all of them. Show them no mercy.”
They all nod.
Just like we were all trained to do, our footsteps are silent. The cold air doesn’t bother me, and the streets are empty. It’s late, so only a few select homes have their lights turned on. And this one is no exception. The bottom floor is lit up like Las Vegas.
The men scatter around, blending into the night. They all wait for someone to leave the house, their weapons prepared. Unless you look for them, you can’t see them. They’re the true ghosts—the scary ones from nightmares.
And if they’re ghosts, I’m the monster that rules them all. I’m known as the king of the underworld, and, as stupid as the nickname is, it’s fairly useful. I’m going to show the bastard just why The Silencer is going to be silenced for the rest of eternity.
He operated a sex ring in my city. He kidnapped my woman. He wants to marry the woman I put my claim on.
That’s not something I can forgive.
I’m in front of the door. Before I forcefully break it down, I try turning the knob. It’s unlocked, and I immediately push it open, rushing inside with my gun in my hand. I feel burning eyes on my body as I step in the living room, and my breath hitches.
My heart stops.
Noelle is on her knees with chains around her wrists, stomach, and ankles. Her clothes are wet, her hair messy and tangled. And the worst part? Her lips are split, bleeding. Her right eye is purple. Her cheek has a handprint on it. It has cuts, and her lip is split.
There is a bathtub filled with water and ice, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what he did to her.
All the anger I’ve been harboring unleashes, and I immediately fire. They’re all caught by surprise and by the time they withdraw their weapons, bullets rest between their fucking eyes. The three men I take down fall with a thud, leaving Noelle and Dylan in the room.
The motherfucker hides behind her with a sharp knife on her throat.
“Noelle.” My voice is as soft as humanly possible. “Baby, I’m getting you out of here. Just close your eyes, okay?”
A small chuckle slips her lips. “I’m not a kid, Hudson.”
My eyes move from her face, the swollen cheeks making me fume. Dylan is either surprised that I found him, or he didn’t expect me this early. He’s panicking, his eyes wide as he glances around, trying to find a way out.
There isn’t one.
He grabs a fistful of her hair and pulls it back, pressing the blade further into her skin. His expression changes from a panicked one to the worst case of insanity I’ve ever witnessed. His pupils dilate, and his body starts shaking.
“Let her go,” I command, the threat clear in my tone. “I will not ask again.”
A manic laugh comes from him, and he cocks his head to the side.
“I’ll give it to you. You found me quicker than I thought, but did you really think I didn’t expect you?”
My jaw clenches, and I step closer.
Little red lights fall on my clothes, and I close my eyes for a moment. The bastard has snipers prepared, and they’re waiting for a signal. I know that sooner or later, Lyla will deal with them, but time is the only thing I don’t have right now.
“Oh, and by the way.” He grins. “You should probably know a thing or two. One, Noelle killed your brother in vain. It was me who killed her aunt.”
My heart sinks to my feet.
It’s like someone rips out my heart and starts smashing it with a hammer, then puts it back in my chest and closes the wound. My mind goes into overdrive as I process his words, which are like a punch to my gut.
Noelle’s eyes widen, surprise on her face. But I can recognize the hidden emotions like she’s an open book. She knew. She knew that she killed Franco for nothing, and she didn’t say anything.
“And the second thing, which in my opinion is far more fucked up than the first one—” He pauses for dramatic effect. “Your brother and I worked together. Then the motherfucker chickened out, so I had to get rid of him. Well, I just pointed Noelle in his direction and boom, the problem solved itself. That is, until she started fucking you like a pathetic whore.”
Something changes in Noelle’s expression.
“Now.” Dylan inches closer to her, his lips an inch from her ear. “You either walk away, or I’ll kill her. Then you’ll be dead, too.”
Her lips part, and the light vanishes from her eyes. It’s almost as if she’s dead. There’s not a single emotion on her face, only numbness and emptiness. Her body relaxes, her breathing evens. She’s blinking, staring at me, but she’s not seeing me. She’s no longer with me, and it terrifies me to my core.
“I’m sorry, Hudson,” she says.
It’s almost as if only I can hear her, because the motherfucker behind her doesn’t react. Time stops, and it’s just the two of us. Her deep-brown eyes are dull, lifeless, and she’s not moving. She’s not struggling, she’s not fighting.
“Shoot him, Hudson.” She pauses briefly, snapping her eyes to the side where Dylan’s face is. “You seem to forget who I am. I am Noelle Campbell, and I will not be anyone’s weakness.”
Her eyes turn back to me.
And then everything happens in slow motion.
“Shoot, Hudson.”
Her words reach me, but I hesitate. That’s all she needs. A tear slides down her cheek. Her bottom lip quivers. Dylan tightens his grip on her hair, and Noelle uses the opportunity to slide her head to the side, the blade piercing through her throat.
Blood starts gushing out immediately, and her eyes close.
My gun fires, and Dylan falls behind her in screams.
I’ll never forget this scene.
I’ll never forget the moment Noelle lost all will to live.
“I’m so sorry, Hudson.”
I’m by her side in record time, holding her head in my lap. Her eyes are closed, and the blood doesn’t stop coming out. I tear my shirt and press it to the wound, my hands shaking. Her body is already cold because of the water, and I can’t feel her pulse. The scene of her lifeless body laying in my hands makes it feel as if I’m being killed over and over again, but death isn’t coming.
“Noelle, baby, please open your eyes,” I whisper, my voice cracking.
And it doesn’t fucking reach her. Her body is limp in my arms, and I hug her tightly. My body is shaking, and I can’t comprehend what the fuck just happened. Her blood coats me and no matter how hard I try to press on her wound, no matter how hard I call out her name, she doesn’t respond.
She remains lying in my arms, pale as a ghost, unmoving.