Chapter 10
TEN
ELENA
She still didn’t understand what was going on once Leon Marchetti shoved her into the backseat of the sleek sedan. Jamie followed, piling in behind her and holding tight to Elena’s hand as Marchetti took to the driver’s seat.
“Good, you do have some sense,” Leon muttered as he glanced back at them, eyeing Jamie with something close to begrudging respect before he ruined it with a sneer. “Or maybe you think you can stop me.”
“If I knew what the hell you were doing, maybe I would,” Jamie ground out as he scooted closer to Elena, hiding her behind his bulk as he glared at Leon. “Until then, I’m damned sure not leaving you alone with my charge.”
“I’m going to fix this.”
It was all Leon said before he revved the engine, the car peeling away from the curb as he set off at high speed through the afternoon’s traffic. It was insane, forcing him to dodge around cars and people alike as they went about their business on this side of town.
Elena didn’t dare breathe a word, so afraid he would pause in his focus and speak to her, thus ending all their lives.
As much as she wished for both his and her deaths, she’d never forgive herself if Jamie died along with her.
He’d feel guilt at her loss, that he was unable to protect her, but he’d be alive to do it.
She was bewildered as to what horrors Leon had planned for her now. As if last night wasn’t enough, and everything before it. He careened through the streets of the city, a man determined on something she did not know.
“We have to get out of here,” she hissed at Jaime’s ear, fisting the sleeve of his shirt as Leon executed a squealing turn.
“It’ll be all right, miss,” Jamie said, giving her arm a quick pat.
“No, it is not, Jamie! Gods only know what he’s going to do to me now.” Though she’d pitched her voice low for Jamie’s ears alone, the confines of the car did not allow for much privacy.
Leon’s ears turned vivid red, a quiet growl rumbling through his chest as he jerked the steering wheel into another turn, the tires screeching as they gripped the asphalt hard and sent them lurching down another street.
She didn’t recognize the area he was speeding through. There were soaring office buildings and skyscrapers, but that could be anywhere downtown. She’d never had cause to come here except for her single visit to Lamberti.
Angry that everything in her life had left her manipulated into being so vulnerable, Elena snarled as she was slammed into the back of the seat when Leon came to a hard stop before a shimmering glass building.
“What the actual hell do you think you are doing, Marchetti,” she shouted as she reached for the door handle only to have it wrenched from her sore hand. She didn’t care what the x-ray had said, her arm felt feeble and less than solid still.
“Get out,” Leon said, snapping his fingers at her.
Realizing she had no idea where they were or what his intentions were, suddenly Elena wanted nothing more than to remain in the car. She scooted back, tight against Jamie as he practically crawled on top of her to bar the open door.
“Both of you, get out now,” Leon growled, reaching in to haul Jamie out with as much ceremony as a sack of grain. Tumbling the hulking Beta guard to the sidewalk in his haste to grab at Elena’s kicking feet. He dragged her across the seat, heedless of her flailing.
He pried her cold fingers from the fine leather, wrenching her out into the crowded street. Hauling her against his side, he caged her against his body with an arm as thick as a tree trunk and just as immovable.
“What are you doing,” Elena whispered, her imagination running wild as fear took hold and turned her face icy. Blood running cold, she squirmed in his ever tightening embrace to find Jamie scrambling after them as Leon carried her into the building.
She still didn’t recognize the place. Not even when he dragged her into a large office and the woman behind the receptionist desk gave her a cursory glance.
“Do you have an appointment,” the woman asked, bored and uninterested in Elena’s distress or Jamie’s red-faced fury.
“No,” Leon said, gripping Elena’s arm tight enough to make her whimper to keep her silent. “I’ll pay the fee to expedite the process.”
“Yes, sir.” The woman rose, indicating an arrangement of chairs as she held out a clipboard full of papers to Leon.
“What are you doing,” Elena hissed as Leon shoved her into a chair. She only paused a moment before rising, swaying in indecision as she understood she had nowhere to go if she ran.
Long enough for Leon to grab her again, pushing her into the seat where he held her down with one arm as he filled out the papers, the pen making furious swoops and livid slashes.
“It’s a justice’s office,” Jamie breathed, collapsing into the chair beside Elena with an expression she’d never seen on his face before. He was stark white against his black clothes, his red hair somehow even more vivid.
Helpless. That was the name of the look she’d so often seen in her own mirror, now painting its way across Jamie’s rough features.
“A… what?” Elena didn’t think she’d understood as her gaze swung from Jamie to Leon and back again. She couldn’t have heard right. Never in a million years would this be the outcome of this day.
Surely she’d heard wrong.
“Sir, he’ll see you now,” the receptionist called.
Leon’s hand wrapped around her nape, hauling Elena to her feet to march her before him.
He slapped the clipboard down on the receptionist’s desk as he passed it, pushing Elena ahead of him into the expansive office with tasteful cherry furnishings and inundated with the mellow smell of pipe tobacco.
The man behind the large desk rose, an aging Beta with wispy grey hair surrounding a balding pate, rheumy blue gaze narrowed as he took in Leon and Elena as they entered. “I just need you both to sign some papers and we can have the ceremony—”
“That won’t be necessary.” Leon shoved Elena towards a chair, closing the door hard behind him.
Locking Jamie out, she realized as she stumbled into the chair, catching herself on the sturdy piece before collapsing against the worn leather seat.
Her breaths were coming fast and hard, a sure sign she was well on her way to hyperventilating.
She gripped the chair’s arms for support while she swayed as the world slipped sideways on this unbelievable axis.
This was a dream. Some nightmare she’d wake up from before the horrors all came true. Everyone woke before they hit bottom, right?
Except Leon was squeezing her hand around a pen, demanding she sign her name on papers spread out before her.
When she just continued to stare in sightless horror, he barked at her to sign.
Looming over her, putting all the breadth of an Alpha’s considerable power into his voice, she had little choice.
Her hand executed the looping whorls and slashes of her name. Did it again as the Beta pointed out another place she had to place her signature.
What was she even doing? She had to stop this madness before it was finished.
Shaking her head, Elena rose, clutching the pen to her chest as she backed away from the desk, the papers, the evilness of Leon Marchetti. He couldn’t make her do this. She made it all of two steps before he was upon her.
“You will sign those papers now or after I’ve claimed you and you have no say in the matter. It’s your choice, Miss Costanzo,” he growled at her ear as he pulled her back before the desk. “But rest assured, it is happening.”
“You’re a monster,” Elena whispered as he pushed her hand down against the desk onto the single remaining document not bearing her signature.
“The monster that owns you now,” he snarled as he pushed his chest against her back, growling against her.
The dangerous rumble made her tremble, but her hand still made all the right letters. He snatched the pen from her, taking far less time to sign his name as she had. It seemed only seconds passed before the old justice brought down the stamp sealing her fate.
“Congratulations, sir. We shall send the bill,” the justice murmured without a single glance at Elena.
“Good evening,” Leon said, fingers encircling Elena’s arm to wrench her up on tip toes as he dragged her out of the office and back into the lobby.
Jamie was still there, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. That same helpless expression on his handsome face as he surged forward only to fall back several steps in the face of all of Leon’s ire.
“You will leave an address with my agency for your severance package,” Leon said in tight, clipped tones to Jamie, reeling Elena back in against his side when she thought to go to her friend and guard.
“Whatever Costanzo promised you, it will be doubled for your troubles, though Gods know you don’t deserve it for the way you’ve looked after her since her father’s death. ”
“Yes, sir,” Jamie said, forlorn as he looked to Elena. He stepped out of Leon’s path, giving the couple a wide berth.
“You can’t,” Elena whispered, once again trying to go to Jamie’s side where she belonged.
“You are mine, Miss Costanzo, you had best get that through your head right now,” Leon snapped as he dragged her back against him, forcing her to scurry at his side as he left the office.
“Jamie’s been my guard since I was twelve,” Elena said, wrenching her arm as she tried to force him to at least slow down.
Her every ache and wound made itself known after all of this running around, her many hurts throbbing in time with her thundering heart.
“Please, you must have room on your staff for him.”
“I do not have room for incompetence.” Leon pushed her into the backseat, going so far as to squeeze his bulk in above her to latch the belt at her waist.
“He’s not incompetent! He’s kept me safe for all this time.”