Chapter 14 #3
“My life or death has never mattered to him,” I whispered, unable to hide the sorrow I felt.
I’d always known my father hadn’t wanted a daughter, that he’d done everything in his power to ensure that he wasn’t actually a part of my life.
I told myself time and time again that I didn’t care but hearing his disdain for me put so bluntly was painful.
“Either way, Elijah and his pack will be destroyed tomorrow. Anyone that turns their back on my allies will die,” Augustus added.
“Hear, hear,” Vincenzo cheered.
I turned my head to the side. I’d heard more than enough.
“I needed you to know the truth,” Ronaldo whispered.
I wanted to cry, but I wouldn’t allow myself to lose control like that, not for the likes of them. I took several moments to gather myself before I looked back at him.
“What do you need?” I asked carefully. I gazed up into his eyes, trying to find it in me to trust him. I wanted to, but I needed to be cautious right now.
“Elijah knows you’re here,” he said, his voice so low that even I could hardly hear it.
I stared at him, trying to make a quick assessment of his end goal.
Was it his job to trick me into saying something?
He was still a part of my father’s pack.
He hadn’t left with Elijah on that day several weeks ago.
He’d made his choice and stayed, which meant that he’d chosen my father instead of Elijah and me.
But… the way he was looking at me at that moment made me question that assumption, so I decided to ask him point blank. I didn’t have time for pomp or circumstance.
“Whose side are you on?” I asked pointedly.
“The same side as you. We both answer to the same alpha,” he whispered hoarsely.
“I only answer to one man, and he is not sitting in that room,” I replied carefully, looking back in the direction of the room I’d just left behind.
“Elijah wants me to tell you that he loves you. He also wants me to tell you to trust him. He will not allow you to marry a monster, not when you already belong to him,” Ronaldo added. I stared into his soft brown eyes. I could trust him after all.
“That sounds like him,” I murmured tearfully. My heart ached.
“I want to help you,” he added. He slipped something metal into my hands. I glanced down to see that it was a small handheld gun. The metal was cold against my fingers, but its grip was familiar enough to the one I’d trained with. It fit my hand well.
“This is full of silver bullets. Keep it hidden and use it at the opportune moment,” he whispered. “I have hidden a number of other small weapons that might be useful to you in a small shoebox at the very back of your closet. There is an extra magazine full of sun fire bullets inside it too.”
“Why would you take such a massive risk for me?” I asked him.
“It is a matter of loyalty, Ashleigh,” he replied.
“Did you hear the rest of what they were saying?” I asked.
“I did. I know everything that they are planning. I wasn’t able to find out their plan for you until it was already in motion, but I was able to prepare for your arrival.
Return to your room now and familiarize yourself with the weapons.
Elijah said he’s been teaching you, so none of them should throw you off. ”
“I will,” I replied.
“Now, keep yourself safe. Elijah will be waiting for you,” he murmured.
“Tell him that I love him,” I pressed, and he nodded.
“I will. If anything goes wrong tonight, scream as loud as you can. I won’t be far. Your safety is my most important directive,” he added before he released me and disappeared around the corner.
I took several deep breaths and hiked the decorative garter I was wearing higher up on my thigh. I slipped the gun inside it, checking that it wasn’t revealed by the salacious slit in my skirt. When I was certain that it was fully hidden, I walked off down the hall and returned to my room.
I used a chair to bar the door and opened the closet door.
The box that Ronaldo had left for me was there.
It was full of everything he’d said and more.
There were a few designer purses on the top shelf.
I grabbed one of the bigger Kate Spade bags and packed the weapons he’d left me inside it.
I hunted around the room and packed a few additional outfits on top of it, a pair of pajamas, the works.
I twisted around and stripped myself out of the dress, tucking the gun away in a hidden pocket inside the bag too.
I wasn’t going to let it out of my sight tomorrow.
* * *
The morning flew by faster than I thought it would.
The wedding dress fitting was mercifully quick.
The dress had already been chosen for me.
It was gaudy and ostentatious, seemingly something out of the mid-1800s.
The skirt was massive and covered in embroidery.
The upper half was demure, covering me completely in a thin veil of white lace.
The sleeves went all the way to my wrists and the neck towered up my throat.
I assumed that it was probably a dress that was special in some way to the Venuti clan.
To be honest, I didn’t much care.
No one took a second glance at my bag. They didn’t search inside it or even question the fact that I had taken it along with me. They underestimated me and I let them.
After the fitting, I was ushered to a small airport and hustled inside the Malkovians’ own personal private jet. It spoke of old money. Many of the fixtures were lined with pure gold. The leather seats were the softest I’d ever felt, and the wood grain accents were deep stained mahogany.
I kept my head in a magazine I’d taken from my room, making a show of admiring several images of models in fancy clothing. Soon enough, no one was really watching me at all. Augustus and Vincenzo were chatting together while my father snoozed in a seat toward the front of the plane.
The flight itself was fast and I had hardly enough time to stuff my magazine into my bag before I was shuffled off and into a waiting Range Rover. The car shot off down the road and I studied the surrounding scenery. Some of it started to seem familiar.
The vampires had loaded into their own car.
The windows were tinted pitch black, which must have made it safe for them to travel.
On the plane ride, all of the windows had been shut and the only light inside the cabin had been artificial.
We reached a ritzy old mansion, and I was ushered inside to a room of my own and left there.
I dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose-fitting long-sleeve t-shirt.
I buckled a holster that Ronaldo had left for me around my waist beneath it, slipping the gun inside it.
I’d decided to load it with sun fire bullets, not knowing if I’d have the heart to shoot my fellow wolf shifters with silver bullets, even if some of them may deserve it.
I hid a few stakes in a holster at my ankle, using the wide flared cut of my jeans to conceal them.
Lastly, I slipped a silver switchblade into the back of my waistband.
By the time they finally came to retrieve me, I was fully armed and prepared.
Even after being left to my own devices, they didn’t bother patting me down or even remotely checking me for signs of betrayal.
They just assumed that I would come with them willingly and I did nothing to shatter that false veil of compliance.
The sun was almost fully set by the time we set out again. They stopped a short distance away from the chalet before I was forced out. My father gripped my arm roughly, forcing me to stay at his side as one carload after the next was unloaded beside us.
I looked out in the direction of the chalet I’d come to know and love. It was only a short walk down the road. All was silent in that direction, but I knew Elijah and his pack would be waiting. My hands pressed against my belly nervously.
I just wanted this all to be over with so that I could return to the safety of my alpha’s arms.