“I’ll come with you to back you up,” Dominic offers.
“Be quick,” Massimo orders and he and the others leave us.
Sacha continues to scream for help with an urgency that makes me think he’s being tortured.
We kick the door in and see he is. his hands and legs are bound by rope and he’s being stretched. There’s a guy operating a mechanical device that’s pulling his body apart. I’ve seen this shit before. it’s literally designed to rip your limbs from your body slow and torturous.
These fuckers never cease to amaze me.
Before the guy can talk I shoot him in the head and blood splatters everywhere.
Sacha’s in a bad way.
I’ve never met the man before, but he looks fucking happy to see us.
I help him out of the device and he’s breathing so heavy he looks like he’s going to pass out. I thought we messed him up bad, but his face is so badly beaten all I can see are his two puffy eyes starting back at me.
“You have to get her quickly. At noon he plans to kill her,” he blurts in one go.
“What? Why would he do that?” I gasp.
“She’s pregnant,” he answers and I swear time just freezes.
It feels like I’m stuck in a dream and can’t move.
I’ve had several shockers come for me over the past years, but this one is… this one changes everything.
“She’s pregnant?” I ask and Sacha nods.
“He’s going to burn her alive. They’re in the basement. The senior Shadow members are all here for the punishment.”
Dominic grabs my arm and I snap out of the trance of shock.
“Come Tristan. It’s noon now.”
I rush out ahead of him and he catches up.
“The basement is this way,” Dominic points toward a set of stairs leading down.
I’m grateful he’s here. I’d be running around trying my best to find the entrance and I’d be too late.
As we descend down the stairs I grab my communicator and alert everyone to round back this way with the men.
When we run down the stairs and I see why this place is called The Ring.
This isn’t a basement. It’s an arena style room. We’ve just got on to the first floor where we’re met by a group of what I’d class as the real Shadow members. Their all men dressed in black, all have their guns trained on us.
Down at the bottom is Isabella tied to a gurney and that motherfucker Dmitri is standing over her with a broad smile on his face.
We’re about thirty feet away. Far away from each other but our eyes lock and I see that spark of hope in them.
I steal a few seconds to look at her. She’s carrying my child and both of them are in danger. In those seconds I love her even more and I realize I can’t be without her. I was a fool to think I could. if I make it out of this I’ll do everything I can to be the man she deserves. I’ll do what I must to be the man I wanted for her. the best version of myself that I can be for her and my child.
All I can spare are those few seconds because Mortimer just walked in front of us with a smug expression like he’s already won.
Seeing him face to face now I remember the glimpse I’d seen of him all those years ago.
Now I stand before the bastard.
“Well look at this, classic case of Romeo and Juliette,” he says looking me over with disgust. “Not with my daughter I’m afraid. I’d tell you to find someone else but you won’t make it out of here alive.”
“No?” I challenge.
“No.” he answers and as his men ready their guns I do wonder how the fuck we will make it.
I don’t know where Massimo and the other’s got to but it would have been to the other side of the house because they were heading toward the front.
I’m about to say more but the words fade from my mind when I see Alfonse standing in the corner next to Nickoli.
I look at Alfonse and the sight of him churns my stomach. The fucker doesn’t even look remorseful.
God… trust really is a thing to be careful with. He was the hand that rocked the cradle all this time. The fucking fox in the hen house that had become part of the furniture. This is the result of letting the devil in.