CHAPTER ELEVEN
– LUELLA –
“Luella,” my father bellows after me when I stomp in the direction of my wing as soon as we arrive at the mansion. “At least let Santino check your wound.”
I whirl around and curl my hands into fists to stop myself from releasing a hiss due to the pain on my side. Strange. I’ve faced lots of injuries and somehow with my emotions going haywire this injury feels much worse.
“Dad, all due respect and shit, but fuck the hell off.” His eyes go wide from my outburst. “I can handle myself. So, maybe you should focus on finding out why we’re targeted today.
And don’t give me shit about it being retaliation for me killing a Gideon, because they wouldn’t have been able to pin that on me. ”
Whirling around, I continue to stride to my own space.
The mansion I’ve called home for all my life feels different these past few days.
As soon as I’m in my bedroom, I close the door, strip out of my clothes, and take a shower.
The warm water cocoons me, and it’s a bit tricky to keep my side away from the studs of soapy shit when I wash my hair and the rest of my body.
Feeling somewhat like myself instead of the burning fury overwhelming me, I dry off and clean the wound. Completely drained I let myself drop into bed and reach for the pillow Macsen slept on the nights he was here.
Inhaling deep, I let his scent calm me. I wish he was here to snuggle close to his body. To feel his arms wrap around me and mentally take me away to offer the kind of serenity only he evokes inside me.
I close my eyes and let myself drift off to sleep.
Three hours later I am pulled from my sleep by the sound of my phone ringing.
Groaning, I drag myself up and search for my purse, ignoring the pull of the wound on my side.
The phone goes silent once I have it in my hand, but the ringing quickly picks up again.
Macsen’s name is on the screen, and I answer with a groggy, “Hey.”
“Where are you?” he asks with a tight voice.
“In bed,” I murmur and snuggle back into his pillow.
“Stay there, I’m coming over.”
A smile tugs my face to hear he’s coming. I let my eyes fall shut, feeling warmth mixed with happiness flow through me.
“I mean it, Lu. Stay put and alert because there’s a bounty on your head,” he growls and I hear a bike roar to life in the background.
I jolt upright. “What?”
“We’ll talk when I get there.” He breaks the connection.
I send a message to the guard at the gate to alert them and approve Macsen’s arrival.
I let the phone drop down onto the mattress and stalk to the closet.
I grab a pair of black combat pants, a tight black T-shirt, and comfy tight boxer shorts along with a sports bra.
Getting dressed only takes a few minutes and then I’m lacing up my combat boots.
I braid my hair and finally add some weapons as a finishing touch before I leave my room.
Brando steps out of my office and throws a glance my way. “You look refreshed. If you’re looking for your father, he’s in the middle of a business call.”
“I wasn’t, and I don’t care,” I tell him honestly.
“Everything okay?” Brando asks and follows me into the large living room at the front of the mansion.
I stare out the window and wait for Macsen. “I guess we’ll see about that once my friend gets here.”
“Friend,” Brando muses. “The biker. He’s law enforcement, Lu, hard to consider such a person a friend.”
My gaze stays locked on the gate. “I don’t want to hear about it. Besides, you’re not telling me anything new.”
“As long as you know he’s no friend of yours,” Brando repeats.
“Says you. I’d rather judge a person by his actions.” I keep an eye on Brando’s face in the reflection of the window when I add, “He’s surpassed my expectations, and just ordered me to stay put because there appears to be a bounty on my head.”
Not a single twitch of surprise, and Brando simply replies with, “Sharing information isn’t a display of friendship.”
“Leave, Brando. Go rim my father’s ass with that sly tongue of yours when all you do is dictate his words as the truth,” I tell him in a dismissive tone.
“Lu.” Brando sighs.
Whirling around to face him, I snarl, “Do not Lu me. I gave my father every second of my life and have saved him countless times since I became an assassin, just like you I might add. All while you have all the information and he simply goes behind my back to do shit his way. I don’t give a shit about his reasons because those actions are made for his fucking benefit. ”
Brando shakes his head. “It might seem that way to you and others due to his harsh and blunt decision making. He loves you, Luella, and he will always protect you.”
“Your last statement holds truth and it’s why I’m still here, Brando.
Though, I also think it’s time to lead my own life.
There is no contract between us for either side of the family business.
Which means recognition is only as far as our blood flows.
” I give him a sad smile. “Unlike you who has recognition in both the diamond business and being his second-in-command.”
I feel no jealousy and am very aware of how things work in both worlds. Brando is about to say something when the familiar sound of a rumbling motorcycle fills the air.
“Excuse me,” I tell him politely and head for the door.
Macsen swings his leg off the bike and walks with determination while he growls, “Get inside.”
I smile and take a step inside. His overprotectiveness is written all over his face without any ulterior motive. I highly doubt there’s a sniper in the bushes, but I do realize he’s right if there’s indeed a bounty on my head.
He has me by the back of my neck as he pushes me inside and closes the door.
His mouth is on mine, and I groan at the fierceness of his kiss.
My hands curl into the leather of his cut to ground myself.
This man has the ability to swoop my mind right out of my skull to hide it in a cloud of pleasure and fill my body with bliss.
“Need I remind you you’re still engaged,” my father grits between clenched teeth by the sound of it.
Macsen slows down the kiss. He doesn’t simply stop due to my father interrupting our moment. Nope, he takes his time to press his lips against mine twice more in a fleeting kiss, and only then does he take a step back.
“She won’t be marrying anyone unless it’s her own damn choice.” The answer is for my father, but Macsen is looking right at me when he throws out those words.
I give him a slight nod in appreciation.
“A biker working law enforcement won’t ever be her choice.” My father steps closer. “Your MC already took one of my daughters.”
Macsen snorts. “Livi made her own choice, something Lu is also very fucking capable of doing.”
Turning to face my father I snap, “Like Macsen mentioned, I’m very capable of making my own damn decisions. Glad to have cleared this up. Now, did you know there’s a bounty on my head?”
“Yes,” my father states without a hint of surprise as to why I know and am asking him about it.
“We found out yesterday when we caught a man trying to enter the mansion. Brando managed to squeeze a few answers from him. The man replied to a message on the dark web, an open invitation to whomever shows proof of death.”
I’ve faced men trying to kill me. A gun aimed right between the eyes, knives placed on my neck, bullets flying, fists in the face. Hearing someone actually placed a request for my murder on a board for anyone to give it a shot? Insane.
“How much is the bounty?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady and not think about the little one growing inside my body.
A baby who has a right to come into this world and not have it ended before birth because someone wants me dead.
“Fifty grand,” Macsen answers instead of my father.
“Do we know who placed the request?” I bounce my gaze between my father and Macsen.
My father shakes his head and it’s Macsen who answers again.
“Lenz, our computer guy, managed to reveal a post with the description stating, ‘live fantasy with only your happy ending.’ It’s a link to the auction for a live snuff movie.
Lenz scanned for more requests and offers by the same person.
That’s how we found the request for Lu’s death along with a picture of her and this address.
Lenz tracked down where the requests were posted from. Dudley Wilton’s place.”
Again, that name pops up.
I narrow my eyes at my father. “You’ve made some really fucked-up choices when it comes to picking men for me. No offense, but I’m going to turn down any men you suggest from here on out.”
The flinch is a rare show of emotion for my father, and he masks it so quickly, it makes me wonder if I’d imagined it.
He eyes Macsen. “Maybe I should suggest this asshole, maybe then you’ll turn your back on him.”
Macsen growls low in his throat and I place my hand on his chest while I face my father and state, “It doesn’t count when it comes to Macsen. Some things aren’t for us to decide until you realize you’re finally on the right path.”
I feel Macsen place his hand on my hip and he gives me a small squeeze. The warmth of his touch seeps into me, along with his small thanks without words.