Alpha Loren novel Chapter 164

Ella's POV

As the night crawled through the hours, I found myself unable to stop my mind from drifting back to Leo. I missed him more than anything which is weird considering how desperate I was to get away from him just hours ago. My mind could hardly handle the conflict of hating him and loving him at the same time and I could feel it slowly driving me insane.

The dream was bothering me too. Why Lili and not any of my other children? Why the swing? The mist? Leo? I tried to make sense of it but my hunger from not eating in hours was clouding my thoughts and making everything seem weird and delusional.

The two guards were playing cards. Richardo had so far lost his belt, his crucifix and the 200 pesos (11 dollars) he had on him to Esteban.

"You cheat," Richardo protested.

They'd been mostly speaking in Spanglish for my benefit. Neither spoke particularly good English but it was good enough to allow me to follow the conversation and not die of boredom. How considerate of them.

"You are a bad loser," Esteban replied with a laugh. "Now I want de picture of your mate from your wallet."

"No, man. That is not cool," Richardo said. "She is my mate. Find your own."

"She's sexy and I like something to imagine when I...how do you say in English...?"

"Feel free to say it in Spanish. I don't wanna hear it," I announced and they both turned to me.

"How about a new game?" Esteban suggested deviously before picking up an empty tequila glass from the table they were both sat at. "You shoot de glass from her head, I give you back everything and you keep de photo. If you fail, then you give me it."

"I don't think the boss will like dat," Richardo replied unsurely.

"I don't fucking like that. If he fails, he loses the photo and I lose my life!"

"Shut up, puta," Esteban snapped before grabbing a spare piece of rope and fastening it around my mouth so that I could only make sounds that vaguely formulated words. "Are you a man, or what, Richardo?"

"If I win, you give me your watch and we have a deal," Richardo said taking the gun from the back of his jeans.

"Agreed," he replied placing the shot glass on my head and taking a few steps back.

"Stay very still, puta," Richardo said closing one eye and aiming the gun just above my head.

I closed both my eyes tightly and tried to stop myself shaking.

I heard the trigger pull, then the bang, then the bullet shoot through the air and then a glass smash above my head.

"Ayyy," Richardo cheered as I breathed a sigh of relief and thanks for my life.

Richardo threw his arms up in the air as Esteban grumbled and took off his watch. Just before he was able to hand it to Richard, the door of the warehouse flung open.

Andrea marched in, gun in hand, with an alert expression as he scanned the warehouse. He then saw the gun in Richardo's hand, the broken glass and the rope around my mouth and began hurling fast Spanish at the two men. They had gone pale with fear as they stuttered and spluttered trying to explain themselves.

Pointing the gun directly at Richardo's head, Andrea stepped closer now with an enraged expression as they cowered back.

"She is not your plaything," he growled before pulling the trigger of the gun. My eyes widened as the bullet hit Richardo in the shoulder and blood began to pour.

He whimpered with pain before sinking to his knees.

"Get him out of here," Andrea barked at Esteban and he immediately nodded and began dragging the crying Richardo out, leaving a trail of blood behind them.

Andrea watched them intensely until they were out of sight before finally turning to me.

He looked me up and down before marching over and pulling the gag off and untying my hands.

"Now I see why they all fear you," I mumbled once my mouth was free. He crouched down and lifted my arm and examined it carefully. "You just shot a man. He could die."

"He'll survive but it will be painful enough to ensure he never defies me like this again," he replied. "Your arm has been cut," he added.

I looked down to see quite a nasty gash along the top of my lower arm that I hadn't noticed before.

He took a white cloth from the pocket of his suit and began dabbing the wound. I winced at the pressure.

"There's glass in there," he said taking a closer look. "Stay still."

I watched as he pulled a long shard of glass from my flesh, cast it aside and dabbed the wound again this time causing much less pain.

He then stood up, walked to the table and grabbed the open bottle of tequila.

"This may sting a little," he warned me before splashing some of the strong alcohol onto my arm.

"Motherfucker," I hissed as a searing pain shot through my arm. "Why the fuck did you do that?"

"Tequila serves as a brilliant disinfectant," he replied looking at the bottle. "45% alcohol. Nothing can survive that."

"Including my flesh. Did you have no other option?" I asked.

"Just be glad I am even bothering to treat your wound at all," he said crouching down in front of me again. "Apart from this, are you okay?"

"I'm starving, longing to get out of these ropes and a few minutes ago, a man, who had just had four shots of tequila, shot a tiny glass off my head," I replied.

I looked down at the red marks around my ankles where the rough fibre had been rubbing.

"Us Mexicans have high tolerances and good aims, Blanca," he replied taking the rope off my ankles. "And good food," he added.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he took my arm and began leading me out.

"To get something to eat," he said as we reached the door. "Consider it a date," he added kissing my cheek.

Just before we left the warehouse, he pulled me closer to him and covered my eyes with his hand.

"What-?"

"Top secret location, Blanca. I can't have you knowing where I pile my stock...or where I keep my prisoners," he interjected before we exited into the fresh air and warm sun rays.

Before long, I heard a car door open and the voice of a man I didn't recognise talking to Andrea in Spanish.

"She is not my bitch, Pedro. Not yet anyway. I just think her pretty face might be useful to me someday so I plan to keep her alive for now," Andrea said to him in English.

"You said that last time, Sir," the other man replied as I felt Andrea lift me into the car.