Rafael punched Diego in the face when the latter informed him of Isabella's abduction. Valentino stared at them blankly and leaned against his desk. Valery gave him a pleading look, which he answered with a scowl. It was her fault after all. Rafael's demand was clear. They were to go straight to the shop and back to the mansion within three hours. As long as they weren't at LA, they were in danger. He wanted to ensure everyone's safety, especially Isabella's. She could be the one holding his fate in her hands. Her death could lead his as well. Antonio wouldn't risk his life for a few hundred thousand to arbitrarily auction off a dangerous slayer. He felt what Valentino felt, too. His scent was all over her. There must be some significance to this. On the other hand, his pack members had delivered her to his enemy on a golden platter. He could no longer hold back his anger and unleashed it out on Diego. "I want everyone to get me all the information you can reach to find the slayer. You two has risked the existence of our pack. I want to bring her back tonight. We can't postpone tomorrow's flight."
"Yes, boss." Diego nodded to Valery to follow him.
Isabella couldn't feel her swollen face or her numb hands and feet. Her stitched wound tore open, leaving her to bleed silently. Two hours of torture had passed whilst she didn't utter a word to Antonio. She wasn't a traitor. She'd never betray the Lodge for anything they offered her. Antonio glanced at his wristwatch and muttered a curse under his breath, "I don't have much time left. Tell me, how did you predict his death within forty-eight hours? What did you put in those damn bullets?"
She giggled and looked him straight in the eye, "You are the trapped one here, Antonio. How about you cooperate with me so we both get something out of this instead of dying pathetically by my hands like your boss did? I know you have your eye on Rafael's power."
He groaned in frustration and punched the wall beside him. He knew he was the one trapped. Rafael would have it in for his head, and if he did not have a plan, he would lose the chance to be the new alpha of his pack and the leader of his gang. The moment Pedro died, his world collapsed into a hell hole. He wanted to bring Rafael down through this slayer. She must mean something to him, or why else would he mark her. He glanced at her serene gaze. She could see how helpless and defeated Antonio was. "Rafael offered me a job in his gang. I could bring you the information you need and hunt him down if you pay me more than him. I need his head to get promoted in The Lodge, and you want his power to dominate LA's underground mob business. Think about my offer. You do not have much time before Rafael comes after you."
"Fine, how much is Rafael offering you?"
He offered me forty-five thousand a month. I think you can offer more."
"Fifty-five is all I am offering. Take it or say your last prayers, Slayer."
"You need my help more than I need your money, little doggie. Sixty thousand, and we are in business."
"Sixty thousand it is."
"And untie me. I should get back to Rafael's pack before he comes for your head."
"Sage!" he called to one of his men. "Take her to the entrance and untie her. If she tries anything, kill her."
Sage nodded and approached to untie the rope and the chair to escort her, but she was not done with him yet. "I want to tell you one last thing, Antonio." She glanced at Sage, "Alone." He nodded for Sage to leave.
Hearing the door shut, she stepped seductively closer to Antonio. For a few seconds, he was so absorbed in Bella's body that he didn't notice the sharp blade in her heel stabbing him in the balls. "Say hello to Pedro in hell for me. " she said in a stern tone.
Antonio slumped to the floor. Those heels were coated with the same silver poison she'd used in the bullets to kill Pedro Mendez. She let him die slowly, as he'd done to her in the auction room. She made her way out of the basement to meet Sage, who took her to the entrance as ordered. As he cut the ropes that bound her hands, a man came running from a distance, screaming something. They couldn't make out what he was saying, and before he could reach them, a car hit the front gate and threw the broken iron bars on the ground. Sage and the other men drew their guns and pointed them at the stopped car. Rafael and his men got out and walked toward them with their weapons. "Give me back the slayer, and I'll pretend nothing happened." Shouted Rafael.
"There's no need for blood, Mr. Valdez. I have orders to free her from Beta Antonio. We don't need her anymore." He broke off as the man reached out from the distance to whisper to Sage. "You, bitch! How dare you kill our Alpha and Beta on the same day!"
Valentina whistled in amazement as he glanced provocatively at Rafael. "This woman is something."
Sage pointed his gun at her. Before he could pull the trigger, he was shot in the heart and his body slumped to the ground. Rafael's gun stood proudly behind him. He'd to be a good spinner to aim it right from that distance. That only increased Bella's admiration for him. He wasn't a boss to order around and let the men do his job. He steps into danger and enjoys what he does. He looked around as if offering a death wish to the other men. Not a single man dared to stop him as he pulled Isabella by the arm and pushed her into the car to drive away.
The ride back to the mansion was awkwardly quiet. Valery scanned Isabella's bloodied form. Bella pressed her hand to her open, oozing wound. Her head was too heavy, and her control of her legs was too weak. She'd lost a lot of blood and desperately needed help, but her ego wouldn't allow her to say a word. Rafael nodded to Valentino to examine her briefly. Bella tried to push him away, but her body refused to move. Her shoves were weak. She could feel her eyes burning and her head vessels throbbing insanely. She collapsed to the side on Valentino's shoulder.
"She lost consciousness," Valentino said. He could see a glimpse of worry and jealousy in Rafael's eyes. He stole Raf's little feisty doll. Suddenly, he noticed the heat on his shoulder. Something felt unsettling. He placed his palm on her forehead. "Her temperature is about thirty-nine degrees. We need to get her medical help as soon as possible."
"It'll take us at least thirty-five minutes to reach the mansion, sir." Said the driver.
"Get there within fifteen minutes. I don't care how many red traffic lights you run." Rafael frowned. This woman was such a pain in the fucking ass hole. Since the day he'd met her, he'd always been concerned about her welfare. He wasn't worried about her; he was concerned about himself. If she was the one, her death would be his death too. He needs her to expand his power and have a heir to his position.
At Mendez mansion, men rushed desperately to save their beta. Antonio's body lay helpless on a bed connected by tubes. They tried to keep his heart beating until finding a cure. Their doctors were pushing for time. Everyone was in a rush to do something before the news spread. Their pack could get targeted by the other covens. They were not ready for any clash. They had forty-eight hours to either extinct or get back on their feet. Oliver was their interim leader and Antonio's closest confidant. He looked through some papers in the archives about the Blood Moon Pack. Rafael's pack and the gang were the most powerful wrags exist for over a century. They must have a weakness point. Oliver was interrupted by one of his men addressing that a businessman wanted to meet him. "He said his name was Salvador Cespedes."
It has been two hours since Valentino and the other doctors took Isabella to the operating room. Valery and Diego waited in the hallway, keeping their fingers crossed, hoping he could save her. Rafael went to his office to catch up on the work he had missed that night. He was a little worried about her condition, but he cannot waste his time waiting outside the closed door.
A few minutes later, a soft knock on the door broke the deathly silence in his office. Valery walked in, folding her hands over her chest in consternation. "Do you really not care if she's okay after all we went through to get her back?"
"Waiting there with you would not change anything. I have work to do before we leave for the airport in the morning." He said, not taking his eyes off the stack of papers in his hands. "If you have nothing important to tell me, then leave now and close the door behind you."
"The surgery was successful, and she'll wake up in a few hours. She needs to rest."
Rafael exhaled in relief. He did not need to worry. She will recover. After all, she is a slayer, a dangerous one. Even he had to be careful around her as he saw what she was capable of. She killed the two leaders of the Bloody Chains pack when they captured her. The way she bloomed in pride when the man yelled and accused her in front of Raf was so damn hot. She was not like the gold diggers he'd met. They were snakes playing under the table to get what they wanted, but Isabella was different. She caught his attention in many ways, and he had to find out what she was hiding.
The pain woke Isabella in the middle of the operation. Valentino instructed one of the nurses to inject her with more anesthetic. Over the years, she'd managed to fight off sleep whenever she got injected with drugs. Her eyes closed again, but she was aware of everything happening around her. When Valentino finished, he asked the nurse to inject her with something she couldn't recognize. He instructed the nurse to inject her with the drug daily. The heaviness on her eyelids subsided, and slowly she woke up.
Her hand was connected to an IV. She looked around, but there was no one around. Pain shot through her spine, and her head felt too heavy for her light body. "I'd suggest you lie down. You're going to need the energy for this conversation," said Rafael, making her snap her eyes open scanning the room for him.
He stood in the corner, leaning against the wall. His hands were folded on his chest. He looked a little strained. He was probably worried that his plan would fail if she died. She smirked at her thoughts. He should have known her better. She wasn't so easy to kill. She wouldn't dare die before his head was on her wall. He pulled up a chair, and placed it at the side of her bed to sit. His body language showed that the subject would be unpleasant to her. "The first thing you've to do is sign this contract."
She examined it briefly before signing it. Rafael leaned closer to her to sign as well. He bent toward the bed where the piece of paper sat on her lap. Suddenly, she was conscious of how close he was to her. Their faces were only inches apart. He seemed to sense what she was feeling because he heaved a deep breath. "Now that you're officially mine, I want nothing more than to fuck you," he said in a husky tone, "but there's something that needs to be settled first."
He hid his copy of the contract in his suit jacket as he sat back down in the chair, "What do you know about your father, Isabella?"