131: Lives for a life

ElianaMy heart pounded in my chest. The room seemed to have become void of oxygen. The man dragged a chair and sat on it, his eyes never leaving my face. It was as if he was searching for something.What could he possibly find on my face? God, was this how I was going to die? He had not made any move yet—didn't have to. It was going to be an easy kill. There was no way I was going to fight him, let alone win.“I appreciate silence, but I expect an answer when I ask a question.”Goodness, could this day get any worse? I had never heard such authority in a voice before. His voice was low, yet commanding.“I—”Words failed me. My eyes fixed on the scar at the side of his face. A thin, long scar that appeared to be a cut wound, starting a little too close to his ear and ending at the corner of his eye. Eyes as remarkably intense as Scott's, blue-grey orbs.For once, I was grateful for the security. Without thinking twice, I screamed as loud as I could. “Help!”I took a few steps back, r

132: Deadline

ElianaThe drive back to the apartment was quiet—too quiet. Something had happened while I was inside the house; something no one wanted to talk about.The men were silent, their faces void of expression and emotion. Still, there was something about the way they kept checking behind us, the way they glanced at me when they thought I was not looking.The car came to a halt, and the door was opened for me. I inhaled deeply, grateful for how chill, yet soothing the air was."Is it just me or is the air different?" I asked, trying to strike up a conversation.The confused look the brown-haired man—almost red-haired—gave me suggested he took that a little too seriously."Where?"Before I could respond, I was pushed behind a human shield, ready to defend. Except there was no need."We can't see the air, can we? And we most definitely can't shoot it unless you fancy wasting bullets."He lowered his head in shame. I didn't bother to ask questions I already had answers to. I had to talk to

133: Hide and Seek

ElianaMinutes turned to hours. Every heartbeat became a loud reminder of the danger—the doom—that awaited us. Every second without a word or news from Susie felt like a bloody century."This is beautiful."Someone exclaimed from behind me."Whose painting is this?"For an exclamation like that, it had to be a splendid piece of art. I smiled, willing myself to turn around, but I was too tense to do anything other than worry."Eliana, it's yours," Paige gasped.No way. I mean, I was not bad at painting, but—"If you would just turn around for a moment," Paige whispered."That is Eliana Garcia's painting. She's over there," I heard Xavier say. I had not realized he had arrived.A silver-haired old woman walked over to me with a huge smile on her face. She looked genuinely happy to see me, her eyes bright with joy. That was the exact sort of reaction an artist prays their work will receive. I forced a smile."You are so talented, my dear. You deserve global recognition," she said, taki

134. Woman Down

Eliana"What is he doing here?" My voice was a breathy whisper. I tried to push back the horrific memories of the assault that threatened to resurface."That is a question for him to answer," Esteban said softly. Lifting an eyebrow, he asked, "You know him?"I didn't know how to respond to the question. I mean, we did not know each other—not really—but worst of all, he had tried to force himself on me."He's a monster," I bit out."Really?" Esteban took a few strides closer to Ashton, crouched down, and leaned forward. "What did you do, Dexter?" He spat the last name with pure disgust.Ashton scooted farther back to avoid the Don's piercing gaze, his lips pressed tightly together.Esteban swung his arm fast as lightning, his fist slamming directly into Ashton's jaw. The crack echoed loudly through the room—if you could even call this place a room."When I ask a question, I expect an answer immediately," his voice was dangerously calm, as if he hadn't just delivered a jaw-cracking

135. Guilty relief

ScottBright lights filtered into my eyes, forcing me to close them. One thing was certain: I was no longer on the table of that warehouse.It was quiet, too quiet. Slowly, I forced my eyes back open. Wincing at the discomfort, I allowed my eyes to focus. Indeed, I was no longer in the room I was in the last time I was conscious. There was no doubt I was in a hospital.Susan's warning replayed in my head: “Don Esteban demands you release his brother.”Esteban never made demands or requests without giving consequences for not following through, not that it was ever necessary. Knowing Jackson, I knew just how hard-headed he could be.I swung my feet off the bed, fighting off the aching pain in my head. I had to make certain Esteban didn't try to fuck things up for us all.“I wouldn't advise you to get up in this condition…” I stopped and looked in the direction the voice had come from.“Camila.”“But that's exactly why I'm here. To drag your weak ass out of this hospital.”Hearing t

136. The End is just the beginning

Eliana The events of that day, I chose to bury at the back of my mind. I asked no questions about it, hoping it never happens again. The saying, “You never know what you have until you've lost it,” is entirely true. Although I didn't lose my mother, I almost did. I felt ashamed that it took her risking her life on my behalf to open my eyes and see her efforts to be present for me. “What are you thinking about, love?” Scott's voice brought me out of my head. “Nothing…” “You sure? Everyone's waiting outside. But,” he pulled me closer, pressing me against his hard flesh, “we don't have to go out there if you don't want to,” he murmured in my ear, trailing his tongue down the side of my neck. “Stop, Scott. We can continue this later.” I turned him towards the door, kicking him out. The groom was not supposed to see the bride before the wedding, married or not. My father had given up his position as Mayor, announcing the truth of his relationship with Susan. The whole trut