— Not! Please, do not do this!
— Why not? Asked Jullius.
— You said you follow orders, right? So let me talk to your boss, please. If we are going to die I want to know why.
— Aunt, stay out of this! Hey, guys, you want me to let her go. My aunt is good and has nothing to do with it.
— Close your mouth, kid, or I'll close it for you! Well, kitten, it looks like today is your lucky day, the boss wants to hear you. Come with me. — the nephew tried to rage and get out of the grip but was erased by Lorenzo's firm blow.
— She is all yours. Scoffed Jullius, as he opened the door for her to enter.
— Where are you going to take him? Alex is just a boy who is trying to change his life. Don't hurt him! — She asked desperately, her cry was so painful that I felt like kissing her tears.
— Don't worry, ragazza, he'll be safe for now. What is your name?
— Ellen — she replied. — What did he do? Why do you want to kill him? Please tell me something!
— Do you know anyone named André? — I asked while observing his reaction "please say that it is your brother, or I will have to kill you" my thoughts betray me.
— He is my brother. What does André have to do with this? What did you do with him?
— Nothing yet, but his life is in your hands.
— How ... How can I help you? I will do anything. Please just tell me what I can do.
— Are they worth that much?
— They are my family.
— Well, then let's talk. He said, and I leaned over to see her more closely. — I'm hungry, have you had dinner?
— No, but thanks. I just want to know what they did to you.
The braver she looked the more I found her attractive. I wanted to see her up close, under the lights and my body in my bed. I shook my head to dispel my thoughts and leaned over to better observe her.
— I will answer your questions if you answer mine, Principessa. But first, let's have dinner, capisce?
— I capisce. — she said with disdain, and my dick reacted in response to her boldness.
This was not going to end well, but I'm too stubborn to back down.
When we arrived at the hotel where I was staying, I held their hands to help her out of the car and noticed that they were freezing.
— Don't worry, Principessa. We have an agreement, right? You said you would do anything for them and for now I just offered you dinner. — he said while taking his cold fingers to my lips, she remained alert.
Still holding her hands, I headed for the elevators. I was afraid of my thoughts, I liked the girl; her courage and beauty caught my attention. I have never lost control in a situation like this, but I have to admit that this woman messed with me in some way.
— Accepts a drink? A wine?
— No, thank you. — she refused in a firm voice. She was very brave and I needed to test her limits.
— You know. Is it okay if I drink?
— I am not in a position to give my opinion, sir.
— That. You seem to get the point, Ellie. I have to confess you are very brave. I like that. — I confessed smiling to her.
— Ellen. My name is Ellen. — repeated very slowly as if teaching me a lesson.
I laughed again, and she frowned and looked at me, and I could see the colour of her eyes, they were light, a brown tone so light it looked like honey. I had never seen eyes so beautiful and so enigmatic.
I stopped for a minute to watch her, she was standing in the middle of my suite. Ellie wore a tight T-shirt and low-rise jeans that left a small patch of skin on; she was dark, her hair was a dark brown and tied in a loose, messy bun at the top of her head — I believe her fight with Jullius has to do with it. She is really beautiful.
— I don't know why you're looking at me like that, I'm not your drink or food. — she crossed her arms in an attempt to hide. — You said you would answer my questions if I answered yours, so I need to know what's going on. Where are they? I need to know if they're okay. Tell me that they are okay, please?
— Sit down. I can't concentrate with you standing like that.
— No, I'm fine.
— Sit down! This is not a request! I ordered, and she shivered and sat at the end of the sofa.
— Sit up straight and calm down! They are fine for now, Alex is in a hotel room with my people, and his brother is in a safe place not far from here. — I looked at the girl's face. — I'll ask you just once, so don't you dare lie to me. Are you like them? Do you use drugs or prostitute yourself?
— What? Not! I have nothing to do with my brother's dirty business. I'm not a prostitute and I don't use drugs, I work in a bakery and study at night, okay? She said firmly. — And my nephew changed, went back to school three years ago, and has been striving to be a good student. Alex picks me up from work on the weekends, that's why he was standing there on the wall.
I knew how to smell a lie from miles away, but this girl was being so sincere that I would put my hands on fire for those statements. But even if she spoke the truth, I would never trust a woman again.
— Did you know they were paid to kidnap me?
— Paid? When? What did André do this time? And who are you?
— Almost four years ago. — She wasn't scared by my statement. — From what I see you are not surprised that your brother may have done this. Because? What do you know about that?
— I do not know anything. He said softly, his hands clasped together, giving her nervousness. It was time to press.
I took my gun from the holster and sat down across from it, who followed my movements with his gaze
— One more chance. If you answer wrong I start with you. — I put the muffler very slowly, pulled the safety lock by cocking my gun.
— I swear I don't know anything about André's business. A few years ago he came up with a lot of money at home, he was injured, he was a gunshot wound. But I don't know where he got the money from, I swear.
— And your nephew?
— I always tried to take Alex out of my brother's influence, but I never could; André always convinced him to leave the house even if the boy didn't want to. When that happened, he would show up with branded sneakers, sometimes with new watches and cell phones, and then everything would disappear. — She frowned as if trying to remember something. — One day, my nephew was beaten by police on the street, he was hospitalized for several days because of his fractures; at the time I threatened my brother, said that I would report him if he got close to Alex again, and that worked for a while, but then they stayed away for a few days and came back with a lot of money and my brother was shot. I thought it was a robbery, but Alex was weird and asked me to protect him from André. And I've been doing ... it's been four years.
— Who does your brother work for?
— I don't know. I don't know André's friends, and my nephew has been trying very hard to stay away from them.
— Explain this. I growled.
— I just know that that idiot does not like to receive "no" for an answer, and does not accept the end of a relationship.
— Relationship? — I asked intrigued because there was something wrong and I needed to be aware.
— I mean ... my nephew sold drugs and charged them; and when Alex stopped, they didn't like it very much.
— OK. But that doesn't interest me. — he said harshly. — There is a rule in my family, girl; one life for another life. So I will make a deal with you; I touch their lives for yours.
— Y—Are you going to kill me?
— Not you, maybe your brother. It all depends on your answer, and I am not usually forgiving. Your brother would have been successful if my men were not with me that day. Did you know that there were three more boys with your nephew in that car? They were smaller, and almost everyone is dead.
— My God! I can't believe ... — she put her trembling hands over her mouth trying to control the crying.
— Three boys, three teenagers killed because of your brother. Do you really think he deserves to live? Do you think your nephew is better than the other three just because the auntie was there to jump in front of the bullet? — She looked down, I saw that I was losing hope.
— Think about everything your brother did, he sold his soul to the devil. He said angrily. — That day he saved his nephew very little because those bullets were for Alex, but his brother threw himself in front of him and ended up injured in his place. Think about what could have happened if those bullets hit your nephew. — She shuddered at the idea that he could have died that day, and it made her cry, even more, tears were streaming down her face.
— Please don't kill them! They got it wrong, but don't hurt them. I accept ... I do what you want, I trade my life for theirs. Alex is just a boy, he has nothing but the future. You can shoot me if you want, but let them go, please!
— Very well. So I have a proposal for you.
— I do anything, just don't hurt them.
— I will not kill them for now, I will let you help your nephew, but he does not need to know about me, tell the story you want, to deceive him. In exchange for that, you are mine for as long as I want, understand?
— As well? Do you want me as a prostitute? As a thug woman? — spoke with disgust.
— No, Ellie. I will not make you a prostitute, and I am not a "bad guy" either, at least not that kind of bad guy. — I sat down next to her, and turned her over, so she was facing me; I ran the back of my index finger across her face and guided a stray curl of hair until it was safely behind my ear.
— I have a person, and she won't accept that. What should I do? — the anger grew in me and I wanted to go after him to pluck his limbs for having touched her.
— Principessa, I don't have time or patience to play games. Break up with your boyfriend and settle everything with your family, I'll be back in two weeks to pick you up. Don't play with me, Ellie, because I always take what I want. Capisce? — she waved.
Ellie was beautiful, sweet, and brave, but she can also be very dangerous. I have to stay away from her and be rational, at least this time.
***