85ArmandoIt’d been two hours since Mason left for the operation with his team and in a few minutes, they would be reaching the villa and executing the mission. I was all eyes and ears, my gaze glued upon the screen and all I could think of was Sebastian stepping in the penthouse, hugging my tight in a few hours and I would be the luckiest man alive by then, and after I would get my little man here, then I would start playing with Claire’s fate. “Master, we are at one command’s wait, all teams’ positions are set, we are ready for the attack,” Mason stated through the walkie-talkie. I picked up my receiver and put it closer to my face, listening to each word attentively and calculating the perfect timing. “Are you inside the Villa yet? Turn on your camera,” I commanded Mason. “Yes, sure, I’ve cleared the wall, hiding in the bushes,” Mason informed. I pushed the red button that connected the mike with all men’s devices. “Are we steady?” I asked everyone and each man one by one roge
86LanaNo, no, no, no, NO! Claire was going to hurt my family, she was either going to kill Sebastian or Armando or in the worst case; both. No, I wouldn’t let her do this to my family, how easily she could think it’s easy to diminish my realm with her finger’s snap. No, she was forgetting I wasn’t the Lana anymore when we met each other for the first time. I was Misses De Luca now. I would do anything to make sure my family stays safe, I would go to any extent to keep my loved ones protected. And that all means, I would have to move to Puerto Rico in order to save the already fallen clan and control the situation with the best that I have otherwise things would go horribly wrong and our empire would fall on its knees. I could feel it in my chest, something was going down, furiously. I need to save it before it vanishes into nothing. I was staring at the blank screen all the while till I felt my guts shouting at me to wake up from the bubble I tended to be in, I gasped the next mo
87LanaIn a matter of hours, my feet were finally touching the grounds of my enemy’s city. I never thought of coming here in terms of a battle but here I was, landed here to save my husband and son. As I started walking towards the SUV, every step that I took towards it reminded me of the last time I was here with my husband. A trip that I could never forget. The kisses we had, the love that we made in the back of the seats as we were accompanied by the plash of the rain, the fun that I had, the penthouse that Armando gifted me on my birthday, the same penthouse that was now being used for scheming against the Knightley. Everything, everything touched me in the seconds and yet I got hit by the reality as I got into the car all alone, remembering I was here as a backup plan, not to celebrate our victory that was supposed to happen according to my imagination. I sat in the car, the chauffeur drifted the car to the penthouse without any words exchanged. I closed my eyes as I kept conc
88ArmandoI took a deep breath and let my senses go with the flow. I was wheeling my car, off to the destination which could be the last place I would see before closing my eyes forever. I wished to die beside my wife, so that I could watch the love of my life while taking my last breaths in her lap but now I thought it wasn’t written for me that way. She better stay away from all the mess I made in the first place by loving her and then forcing her to love me back. And now, look at us, where do we stand? I never thought that having a family would mend me into such an incapacitated punk. I never considered myself as a frangible prince charming, I had never been one. I was one ruthless man who used to live on the blood of others but since the day I got Lana in my life. My life had changed by taking a 360-degree shift. I was no longer a vampire who sucked blood but a man who craved the sincere touch of his girl but look, where do I stand today? In the mouth of death, because for viole
89Lana“I want to see him taking his last breaths in front of me,” I said it with all the hatred I ever had in my bosom and I couldn’t understand how I managed to say it too venomously. I said it for a man who I love and that got me doubtful on my own self, was I even loyal to him?What kind of stupid question it was. Yes, I was, am and will always be loyal to a man who sacrificed the world for me. More than that, we shared kids together, so that made us inseparable in this lifetime at least.“Yea, you should see him suffering too, you deserve it because you have been the most affected one in the house. I’m glad I hear it from you and also to know that you realise what is your worth and real place,” Claire replied, her tone getting electrified on the fact that I was revengeful towards Armando which meant she somehow trusted my lie; but not to forget, she could trap me too. “Yes, I have been finding ways to take revenge on him. He ruined my life, from childhood till now, he made me s
90LanaThe clicks of the heels quivered the ground under my feet as they kept coming closer towards this hall. I subconsciously gulped the lump of my throat and calmed my racing nerves that were panicking about the next moments. I couldn’t understand why my gut feeling overwhelmed me with hopeless expectations. All I could feel in my chest was impossibilities and that’s what I didn’t want with me at the moment. I shook my head in my mind and scolded myself to behave properly. If I’d lose my confidence, I might get into huge trouble that no one would be able to get me out of, I needed to be strong on my own and face the woman who made me fear her. I can’t fear her, I would not! Because I wasn’t the Lana her brother knew, I was the Lana whose husband was a mafia guy of great Spain and for his repute’s sake, I had to fight this battle wisely. I had to. As I heard the click of the heel entering the hall, I pushed myself out of my fears and cleared my throat lowly. I turned around with
91LanaMorningIt was a pleasant day to begin my start with. I couldn’t believe I slept for eight hours straight. It happened thrice in the last four years otherwise there had never been any night where I ever slept peacefully beside Armando without having sex. That used to irritate me sometimes. I used to miss peace mornings and today, I got one and I wished the time could stop right here for a while so that I could enjoy the feeling longer. But your husband is held as a captive here with slaughtering intent. There. There went my peace. This single thought sucked up all restfulness I had in me a few seconds ago. I shouldn’t be enjoying peace here, my purpose to be present here was to help Armando escape from here and shut Claire’s intentions down. Forever. But she trusts you. So what? It wouldn’t change my mind. She hurt me, my kids, and now that she had my husband caged and being tortured for God knew how long. I shouldn’t have been feeling calm here, this place was a ‘never’ for
92LanaBlood. It was blood. And the fact Armando was hanged on the wall, it seemed like his blood as he was not covered with only wounds but fresh blood oozed out of his head. Panic ran through my veins and anxiety took over my senses. Fuck them all for hurting him. I felt the strong urge to stand up for him and make every single person pay for their deeds but my audacity crushed the moment my senses knocked some logic into me. My heroic moves wouldn’t benefit us in any way. I had to bear the pain quietly, without showing it on my face. For them, I hated him and I had to keep acting until I got the way out. “Is he alive?” I didn’t know how these words left my mouth without any hesitancy, but one thing I was sure of; my heart bled in vain by now. “I’m not sure. Ben, you left him breathing?” Claire turned around and asked her security who was not less than a vampire seeking the blood of humans; apparently my husband’s. His face was horribly steely. I wondered if he really had fangs