by Gold, Bella
Chapter Sixteen
Gabriel played it off well enough. He sounded terrified, but considering he'd never been sent to kill people before, it sounded realistic enough.
“Yeah, we killed em,” he said, looking at me as he spoke. “The guys, yes. The girl is knocked out, but she's still breathing. I don't think she's dead, but she's hurt. Really hurt.”
Then I heard him saying, “Uh huh, got it,” a lot, without knowing what the man on the other end was saying to him. “Where is that?” he asked.
Gabriel's eyes got big. “Yes, I think Juan and I could get their heads for you – ” His voice cracked as he spoke.
“Got it,” Gabriel said quietly. Then he said something in Spanish, something I couldn't understand. That sent a chill down my spine. But then Gabriel turned to me and said, “He hung up.”
I pulled the phone away from his ear and kneeled down in front of him so I could be eye-to-eye with the kid. “What did you say there? At the end? In Spanish?”
“It was an oath of ours, it was just a way of saying we'd be loyal to the end, that's all.”
“I don't buy it,” Elias said from behind me. “They're lying to us.”
“No, no, I swear!” Gabriel said.
Juan joined him. “He's right. We had to swear an oath to our boss and the group, and he made us remember it – even made us carve it into our own skins. See?”
He lifted up his shirt and on his chest were the words his brother had said. At the end, it said, El Monstruo. It wasn't a tattoo, but scars. From a very sharp knife.
Gabriel lifted his shirt too. Same thing.
“You had to do this to yourself?” I asked.
The boys nodded.
“Do you see why we want out now?” Gabriel asked me, his eyes pleading with us. “We don't want to do this. I'm scared. I don't want to kill anyone or hurt anyone, but it's either that or – ”
He didn't need to continue for me to get the idea. I knew in my heart what we had to do.
We had to protect these boys.
“Don't worry,” I said, standing back up. “We're going to kill that bastard and put his head on a spike.”
“Good,” Gabriel said.
Juan didn't look as convinced as his brother did, but at least they both stopped fighting us.
“So tell us,” Deacon said, speaking up for the first time in awhile. “What did your bossman say on the phone just now?”
“We have to bring him your heads,” Gabriel said. “And the girl. Or else he's going to blow this entire building up, with us in it. We have an hour to meet him at a checkpoint.”
An hour.
“We better get to work then,” I said, walking over to the man whose throat I'd ripped out.
“What are you doing, Ava?” Deacon asked me.
“Getting the man what he wants a couple of heads. Elias already got one, I'm going to get the other.”
I looked around for something sharp, but Elias had beaten me to it. His hand turned into that sharp talon that I'd seen before, and he lifted the guy's head into the air, twisting and digging the talons into the flesh, ripping the man's head off before our very eyes.
As he stood there, the man's head in his talon, we locked eyes.
“Thank you,” I said, feeling myself overwhelmed by just staring at him. Even holding the head of a man who tried to kill me, he was still so damn sexy. I could stare at that chest all day and forget about the mess all around us.
“Anytime,” he said with a wink, dropping the head to the ground. “Let's get some bags to put them in. After that I'll head over to the checkpoint before we give the bastard an excuse to blow us up.”
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Chapter Seventeen
There was no way we could let Arturo out of our sight, and the boss man specifically requested me... so it left a fight between Elias and Deacon on who'd be coming with me, as backup.
“Neither of you should be there,” I said. “Because you're both supposed to be dead.”
Both men scoffed at that idea.
“There's no way you're going alone,” Elias said. Deacon agreed, looking rather pleased with Elias' answer.
I looked at both men, trying to decide who should be the one to accompany me. Let's be honest, I didn't want either man in the path of danger. My uncle was my only living relative, and Elias was... Well, Elias was Elias and my feelings toward him were complicated to say the least.
In fact, the very idea of losing either man choked me up.
“There's no way I'm letting both of you kids go alone,” Deacon said, standing up as if he was ready to head out. I looked at Elias. I also knew that he had his reasons for wanting to go, and who was I to deny him his opportunity at revenge? Feelings or not, if I was going to die, might as well let Elias seek out what he so desperately wanted in life. The same thing I wanted.
“Uncle,” I said, forcing the words out, “I think Elias needs to do this. Just like I need to do it.”
Elias had started to argue with us both, until he realized I was on his side. He looked at me and whispered, “Thank you.”
Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked back at him, nodding. Letting him know I had his back.
Deacon sighed, rubbing his hands together and looking between the two of us. “I really can't--”
“Deacon,” Elias said, standing up. He walked over to my uncle, hovering over him. Elias was tall, so very tall. He placed his hands upon Deacon's shoulder and looked down at him. “I'm not a child anymore. You don't have to protect me.”
From Elias' height to his broad shoulders, there was no questioning that he was not a child. Yet, Deacon still looked at him as such.
Elias continued, not letting Deacon speak. “Do you know what it means to need something so badly, that nothing else in the world matters? That's what this is for me, Deacon. I need this. I can't continue to live my life without seeking revenge, and if I did because of it? So be it. But if you die, I could never live with myself. I need this, Deacon. I need this more than you possibly understand.”
From where I was standing, I saw tears welling up in my uncle's eyes. He looked over at me, then back at Elias. He wanted to fight this. He wanted to fight it so badly.
“They killed my brother and my--”
He cut off before he mentioned my mother. I knew he loved her, and not in a sister-in-law sort of way. My uncle never married, never even dated a woman seriously. And I believe the only woman he'd ever loved was my mom.
“They were my parents, Deacon,” I said softly. “And Elias'. We need to do this.”
Deacon nodded. “I know you do,” he said. “You need this more than I do. And from what I've seen of both of you, especially from today, if anyone can kill that bastard, it's you.”
“Does that mean what I think it means?” Elias asked.
Deacon gripped Elias' shoulders, pulling him close. The two men embraced, hugged, like a father and son might do. Knowing that this very well could be the last time I ever saw my uncle, I walked over and hugged both of them too.
“The clock's ticking,” Gabriel said softly.
He was right. We needed to go. Or else all of us would die.
“I love you,” Deacon said to me, kissing my forehead.
“I know,” I said. “And I loved you too, Deacon. You've always been more than an uncle to me and I knew it.”
The two of us stared at each other for a moment.
“Honestly, I'm more your daughter than I ever was my dad's,” I said, sniffling and wiping my tears away. “You and I are a lot alike.”
“I know,” he said, holding onto my hand so tightly, I was afraid he might not let me go. He turned to Elias and while he didn't tell him he loved him too, you could see it in his eyes. “Take care of her.”
“I promise.” Elias nodded. He loved my uncle too. You could see it in those green eyes of his.
“You take care of him too,” Deacon said to me, letting go of my hand. “Don't let him do anyt
hing stupid.”
“I promise,” I said, smiling through the tears.
And as we walked away, I feared that might be the last time I ever saw my uncle again. I hoped to God it wasn't, there was still so much I wanted to learn from him. If he was indeed my biological father, he'd get me in ways my parents didn't. And looking over at Elias, I realized I had a family again.
And I just might lose that family as quickly as I got them.
Chapter Eighteen
ELIAS
I knew I couldn't follow them all the way. I was supposed to be dead, they couldn't be expecting me. But to leave Ava in the hands of the enemy? That was going to be hard. We walked in silence, down a dirt road that seemed to be going nowhere.
“How close are we?” I asked Gabriel.
“Getting pretty close,” he said, scanning the area and looking nervous. “Too close.”
I knew what that meant.
“Listen, Ava,” I said, pulling her to the side. I grabbed her by the hand and she didn't resist, but she also struggled to meet my eyes. “You know I can't go up to them with you.”
“I know,” she said. There wasn't even the slightest hint of fear in that voice, even though I knew she had to be afraid. She looked up at me and smiled. “Be careful, Elias. Don't let them see you.”
“I won't,” I said, licking my lips. The clock was ticking. We were getting close. This very well could be the last time I ever saw Ava again. “I have a plan they won't expect. They think I'm a lion, they have no idea about what else I can do. They'll never see me from overhead.”
She nodded, looking relieved. “Good. You need to stay safe. No matter what happens down there, you need to get back to Deacon, you here?”
That wasn't going to happen. If something happened to her, there was no going back. I'd either finish the job or die trying. “You're going to be just fine, Ava. I promised your uncle that I'd keep you safe, and I intend to keep that promise, at all costs.”
Even if it meant I died doing so. Not only might I die killing that bastard, I might die protecting Ava. But she was worth it. I may not have known her very well, but the little I did know of her, I knew she was a good woman. One worth fighting for. Hell, she might even be one worth living for, if we could both make it out alive, that is. Yeah, I actually planned to do just that now. Before I met her, well, things were different. But now... the possibility of carrying on with life didn't seem so shabby.
“We need to keep moving,” Gabriel said.
Ava turned to join the other two men, but I held tight to her hand. She looked down at our hands, entwined together, and then back at me as if to say, “You need to let me go.”
But instead, I pulled her into me, embraced her. My lips met hers before I could stop myself, but she didn't fight back either. This time, when we kissed, there was something there. Something I hadn't felt before. She wasn't merely kissing me to win a challenge, there was nothing to win here.
Her tongue snuck into my mouth, and her lips tasted so sweet. I never wanted to let go, but I had to. I had to.
Holding her face in my hands, I whispered, “You come back to me, you hear?”
She nodded. “I'll do my best, but you better do the same, Elias.”
“I'll do my best.”
We parted ways, and my heart ached as she walked away from me, leaving me to stand there alone. I watched her for a good long while before transforming into my true form.
It was easier than shifting into a lion, more natural. Less violent. It was like slipping into your comfortable clothes after a long day in a business suit. My eyes adjusted, allowing me to see more around me. My wings heavy at my side trembled with the urge to fly, and as I took off, high above the tree tops, I watched down below.
I could see Ava and the others, walking. But they didn't look up to see me. Sometimes I could be loud, thunderous with my wings and bring about lightning with my flight, but other times, I could soar through the air as silently as the wind. I had to fly pretty high due to my size, but other than that, no one below would see me coming.
That was the plan, at least. Come in from above, attack them when no one would expect it and take him out with my talons and my beak. Take out the leader, then grab Ava and run for our lives. Where would we go? I don't know, but somewhere far, far away, that's for sure.
One El Monstruo was dead, both of us could finally move on with our lives.
I just had to make sure we both came out of it alive.
Chapter Nineteen
AVA
Gabriel and Juan stopped walking, and I could hear rustling in the bushes around us. They both froze, their eyes wide, and they recited something in Spanish. The same phrase Gabriel had said on the phone.
“Drop the heads,” a voice demanded. “Roll them over to me.”
The two boys did exactly as they were told, dropping the bags and kicking them toward the bushes. I pretended to be out of it, leaning on the two of them for support, pretending to nearly fall to my knees.
“Can she walk?” the voice asked again.
“I don't believe so,” Juan said quietly. “She's too hurt to walk.”
That's when he stepped forward, showing himself from the bushes. He was tall, taller than I remembered, with tattoos covering his arms, chest and neck. His chest was bare, and my eyes narrowed in on the tattoo right away.
El Monstruo.
It was him.
He was all muscle, built like a brick house. Bigger than Deacon or Elias by a lot. His dark eyes looked black, almost evil. His head was shaved bald, and from here, he didn't seem to have any eyebrows, which only made his eyes look even more sinister than I remembered them.
He walked over to me, lifting my head up with his filthy hand. As he smiled, gold teeth shown from his mouth. “Ava, do you remember me?”
I nodded, swallowing hard and praying I didn't show any emotion with my eyes.
“Good. Because I remember you. I remember you very well. I've heard a lot about you, Ava. About what you can do. Your unique abilities.”
I fought the urge to spit in his face.
“It's why I didn't kill you like I did your parents. I figured keeping you alive would hurt your uncle more than killing you anyway, especially with what I have in store for you.”
He dropped my chin and turned to the other two men. “Carry her. We need to get back to the clubhouse.”
“What are you planning to do with her?” Gabriel asked, his voice soft.
“What's it matter to you?” El Monstruo said, picking up the heads. At any moment, he could look in the bag, see that those heads were of his own members and this whole plan would go to shit. Where was Elias? Why wasn't he attacking? I knew there were others around us, others who didn't make their presence known except by the shifting and movement in the bushes. Maybe they caught him? God, I hoped not.
The men continued speaking in Spanish, and I regretted taking French in high school instead. If only I could make out what they were saying... But I couldn't. I prayed that I could trust Juan and Gabriel to not betray me. I caught Juan's eye, but he looked away, shifted to not look at me. Something wasn't right.
Something wasn't right at all.
This was a trap, I thought. Juan and Gabriel held my arms, forcing me to walk between them. I fought and struggled to break free, but El Monstruo turned and slapped me hard, his hand knocking my head back with such force, I feared he might break my neck.
“Do you want to live, Ava?” he asked me.
“Yes,” I muttered, a coppery taste filling my mouth. “Very much so.”
“Then stop struggling and come with me.”
Where was Elias? I couldn't look to the sky, I didn't want to give anything away. But the further we walked into the woods, the less sky I could see overhead and the more I feared we'd lost him. We came to a cabin, a ramshackle piece of shit, and they were walking toward the front door. Once inside, there was no way he could come at us from overhead. He needed to strike now. Either that or I nee
ded to.
Closing my eyes, I focused all my energy on the lion inside of me, feeling the animal growing and growing until I thought I might burst, but something clamped around my neck and that feeling left me as quickly as it came on.
“You think we'd let you shift, sweetie?” El Monstruo said. “Nah, we have ways to stop that. We have ways to control your kind.”
The chain at my neck burned into my flesh, causing me to scream out in pain.
“Silver. Works every time on your kind.”
The kids continued dragging me toward the cabin, but I resisted. I no longer moved my leg, I went limp in their grasp. I had no weapon, I couldn't shift and there were more of them than there were of me. Damn it, Elias, where the fuck are you?
That's when I heard it.
It started out as a wind, a harsh wind that caused the trees to shake in the ground. Gabriel and Juan fought to keep a hold of me, but both dropped to the ground as what felt like a tornado rushed through the area, tree limbs flying every which way. I also dropped to the ground, covering my head. I ripped at the silver at my neck, fighting to release it, but it was locked. It only burned my hands as I touched it.
“Here!” Gabriel yelled at me. He threw something at me, but in the wind, I couldn't see anything. It landed somewhere near me and I tried to search for it.
“What was it?” I called out, but that's when my hand discovered it. It was a key.
I hurried up and removed the silver collar just as the rain started pouring down. Dropping the collar to the ground, I looked up and saw El Monstruo making his way toward me. It only took me a second to pull the lioness back up, breathing fire into me. But Elias was already there, behind El Monstruo. His talons came down onto the man, lifting him into the air. I knew Elias could rip him apart, if he wanted to, but he didn't. Instead, he flung him around.
I shifted into a lion, in remembrance of my father. The man he killed. Rushing toward him, I bit down as hard as I could on his leg, thrashing my head around as I ripped it off, the cartilage and bone cracking between my powerful jaws. The taste of blood mixed from my own blood from earlier, and I almost couldn't tell the difference. Almost.