Chapter 38
Five minutes earlier…
Everything about today had been perfect.
Perfect wasn’t something I was used to, but when Arturo was around it seemed effortless.
With each passing day I was falling deeper and deeper and there was no stopping it… I licked my lips and heaved a deep breath.
But how could I tell him when there was a chance it could shatter my family? There was no way my father would allow it.
Sighing, I dried my hands on a paper towel and made my way to the door only to find it locked.
What the fuck…
Just as my fingers began to turn the lock, I felt a pair of burley hands grip my shoulders.
“Isabella Ricci, nice to finally get you on your own,” he breathed against my ear, making my skin crawl. “Arturo didn’t listen, did he? Arrogant bastard. We warned him what would happen if he didn’t stay away.” The voice was sinister, there was no emotion, just hatred.
“Get your hands off me,” I seethed, shrugging off his hands and throwing my head backwards.
“You’re a little spitfire, aren’t you?” he chuckled.
“No wonder he likes you.” One leather gloved hand flattened against my stomach in a vice-like grip while the other brought a tattered cloth to my face, forcing it against my nose.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my mind trying not to go into panic mode.
Fear began to creep in, making my body want to give in, but I couldn’t let that happen.
Arturo had taught me too well. Fighting the urge to black out, I wrapped the fingers of one hand around the wrist pressed up against my face, then with the thumb of the other I thrust it backwards as hard as I could into his eye.
“Ow, you fucking cunt!” He pulled back, loosening the hand pressing against my nose.
With him distracted, I thrust my hand forward.
To my relief there was a small crack. Howling in pain he finally let go of my middle and I took the chance to jab my elbow into his ribs.
But I was quickly losing consciousness as the drug flooded my bloodstream and my jab had no strength to it.
He gripped my hair, and slammed my forehead into the door with an almighty crack.
Fuck, that hurt! Bastard! The pain brought me out of my dazed state long enough to allow me to throw my leg up and swiftly collide with his crotch.
As he doubled over in pain I ran for the double doors that opened out onto the beach.
“You whore! I’ll cut your face for that!”
My head throbbed as I ran, but I shook it off and stumbled onto the sand. Just as I turned to face the ocean I collided head first into another masked man’s arms.
“You’re a slippery one aren’t you. I’m going to have such fun torturing you before I send your head to Arturo.” His finger trailed down my face, bile rising in my throat. “Shame really. You’re quite the beauty.”
“F-f-fuck off,” I mumbled, as my vision swam and started blackening at the corners. He started dragging me to a waiting SUV in the distance, hidden from the rest of the wedding, but I pummelled my weakening fists into his chest, making him laugh.
“You’re a fighter, I’ll give you that.” His voice grew rough as he started trying to haul me over his shoulder. “Where the fuck have you been?!”
“That bitch nearly castrated me!” Another voice shouted. I didn’t know why, but this for some reason really tickled me and I began to chuckle loudly.
“Think of it this way, I would have done everyone a favour, you fucked up cunt.” To relief, my vision was slowly creeping back in. My head still felt heavy but at least I’d be able to see.
“Shit. She even sounds like the bloody traitor,” the one who now had me over his shoulder scoffed. I wriggled in his hold, thumping my hands at his back.
It can’t end like this. Not after everything. Not after I finally found him ? —
“BELLA!” I choked on unshed tears at the sound of his voice. He was coming.
“Fuck!”
“Oh, you’re in deep shit now, buddy. Just wait till he gets his hands on you. He’s gonna bleed you dry,” I laughed, which irritated them more.
“Gag her!” The one still gripping his balls demanded.
The sound of the waiting SUV’s engine drilled into my ears as we neared the road at the top of the dune, but I knew Arturo and he was built for speed.
He’d make it. The second they tried to bundle me into the SUV, Arturo leapt over the top edge of the dune, and sprinted down the road towards us.
“Shit, hurry the fuck up, G!” Another voice shouted from the driver's seat. “Just get her into the damn car.”
The one who had me in his arms tossed me off his shoulder and into the back seat, before leaping in beside me.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second to hold off the panic, and as I opened them I zeroed in on the inner lock.
With the last of my strength, I yanked it back and shoved at the door, throwing myself out onto the road.
I ignored the jolt of pain as gravel stuck into my skin and focused on the figure running towards me.
“Arturo!” I tried to scream but my tongue was heavy and useless.
My dress began to tear as I slithered along the tarmac, using my hands to haul my uncooperative body away from the car.
But no sooner had I started crawling, did a hand grab hold of my ankle and yank me backwards, tearing the skin at my knees.
As I turned my head and caught the gaze of a pair of furious green eyes—the only thing visible of the man who had threatened to behead me.
A yell from the driver caused the masked man to look over my shoulder before a bullet sliced through the air, penetrating his shoulder.
As he howled out in pain, his hold on my ankle loosened enough for me to slither backwards.
I half expected them to file out of the car and fill the air with bullets, but they didn’t.
In a cloud of dust and gravel, they sped off into the distance, leaving me on the side of the road.
“Bella!” I sighed and finally gave in to my exhaustion as Arturo fell to his knees beside me. With painful concentration I managed to open my eyes as he pulled me into his lap, his face a map of anger, panic and hurt.
“Thank god,” I sighed, letting my head rest on his chest.
“Fuck, hermosa . I thought I was too late. I thought?—”
“I know, but I remembered everything you taught me. I managed to slow down whatever they were doing, I was trying to buy time for you to find me,” I smiled, throwing my arms weakly around his neck.
“You did amazing, mi princesa , I’m so fuckin’ proud of you,” he kissed my head, inhaling the scent of my hair. He tightened his arms around me as he cradled me to his chest. “Are you okay?”
“A little bruised and scratched up, but other than that I’m good.” I knew he didn’t believe me. It was written all over his face and the strained anger in his eyes.
“I was so fuckin’ scared, Bella. The shit that went through my mind when I couldn’t find you,” tears pricked his eyes, as they searched my face for injuries.
“It’s okay. I’m right here, and I’m safe, thanks to you.”
“Did they say anything to you?” His eyebrows furrowed as I swallowed. I knew the second I told him, he’d freak.
“I-I’m not sure. It all happened so fast. One of them tried to knock me out with something?—”
“Chloroform. Motherfuckers. Is that why you couldn’t run?”
I nodded, only angering him more. I gave him a moment to calm down and inhale deeply. The smell of the ocean and Arturo’s cologne helped soothe the anxiety and stress of all that had happened.
“Bella…” I looked back up into his eyes as he pulled me upright. “Please, I have to know. What did they say to you?”
Sighing, I repeated everything I could remember. And when I was done, he was breathing heavily in and out, looking away at something over the top of my head.
“Fuck, I knew it. Those fuckers did this because of me. I’m sorry.
I’m so sorry.” My heart broke as he let a tear fall.
My unshakeable, afraid of nothing and no one man was breaking before my eyes.
It took everything I had to fight back my own sob.
“I didn’t listen. I was selfish.” Taking a breath, I hauled a leg around his waist and pulled myself up so I was straddling him.
I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and pulled his head down to rest against my shoulder.
“It wasn’t selfish, you hear me? You did everything you could to protect me and I chose to fight, remember? These men are doing this to hurt us both and we’re not going to let them win.”
“How are you always so fuckin’ calm?” The pain in his voice cut deeper than expected.
Honestly, I wasn’t calm. On the inside I was an absolute wreck, but I couldn’t be that right now.
Artruo needed me to be strong, and I could be that for him right now.
I wanted to be the woman everyone expected me to be.
Pulling back, I kissed away the tears that he had allowed to fall, trying to take some of whatever he was harbouring away.
“I need to call your father. He trusted me with you and this is the second time you got hurt on my watch,” he sighed.
“No! Please, don’t!” I blurted out, practically begging.
“Bella, this isn’t a joke. He already lost his shit with me about the bike, fuck knows how he’s goin’ to handle this.”
“Arturo, please don’t tell him… Not yet…”
“I fucked up today, I took my eye off the ball and…” he buried his head into my neck, sighing. “It can’t happen again.”
“But I was the one who should’ve listened. I insisted I’d be fine, right? I practically ran off.” Wincing, I dragged myself from his lap and used my hands against my knees to push myself upright. Once standing, Arturo wrapped an arm around my waist and helped me walk back to the reception.
“Alright… I'll sleep on it. But I don’t know if we can fight this battle alone, especially when I don’t know who the fuck it is that’s stalking us.”
“Okay,” I whispered as we entered the party from the front doors.
“Wow, Bella… you look like shit.” I tensed as my favourite nasally, shrill voice grated against my ears.
Great! Amber. Just what I needed.
“What did you do, try to nose dive off a cliff and miss?”
“I fuckin’ warned you,” Arturo snapped.
Warned her? Warned her about what?
Note to self: ask about that later.
“Arturo, it’s fine, I’ve got this.”
I turned to face the blond haired, blue eyed bitch who had been a constant thorn in my side since I was 13 years old. Fire coursed through my veins as memories of her endless jabs and snide comments flowed through my head.
“You know what, Amber?” I said, narrowing my eyes. She laughed and rolled her eyes as I closed the small distance between us.
“What?” she said, tossing her long locks over her shoulder.
“Fuck you.” With that I backhanded her cheek, sending her face snapping to one side. Her friends both gasped and stared at me in horror.
Damn, that felt good!
“You wait until my father hears about this, you bitch!” she screamed, spit flying from her mouth.
“Oh yeah? Is that how you want to play this? As a game of tattle?” I grinned as her face brightened redder than the tomatoes my mama had in her veggie patch.
“Go ahead. ‘Cause I’m pretty sure we could end your family’s name quicker than you can say ‘Rah rah go team!’” I allowed a sly grin to spread across my face, as her eyes filled with horror.
“I wonder who’d stick around when poor little rich girl Amber Harding can no longer afford Jimmy Choos. ”
“I hate you.”
“Oh, boo hoo, cry me a fucking river. However will I sleep tonight?” I rolled my eyes and stared at her friends.
“Now run along back to your pathetic, money whoring lives before I make it so you can’t run at all.
” With that her friends dashed off. Holding a palm to her still reddening cheek, Amber sulked her way over to the elevators, in search of her room.
As the adrenaline from standing up to my childhood bully wore off, a sense of empowerment crackled in my veins.
I wasn’t one for putting the fear into anyone but Amber had crossed so many lines it was about time someone put the fear of god into them.
“Well, holy fuckin’ shit,” Arturo draped his arm over my shoulder, pulling into the warmth of his body. “That may just have been the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Even sexier than me crawling to you?”
“Oh, believe me, it’s up there with it.” he chuckled, kissing my cheek.
“I don’t know about you but there’s no way I’m staying here tonight.” Knowing Lily was jetting off to the Maldives in a matter of hours and the wedding was practically over, I figured she wouldn’t mind us leaving a few hours early.
Arturo nodded in agreement.
“Good call.”
“So… home then, I guess?” I suggested, feeling defeated.
“Nah, I’ve got a better idea.” he said with a wink.
“Oh…?” I asked intrigued.
“Do you trust me, princess?” he asked as he pulled me into his arms.
“Always.”