Finding Forgiveness

“Oh, Ella don’t be naive,” he said. “Of course not. You are just a bonus.”

“Then what do you want?” I asked.

“All in good time, Blanca. All in good time,” he replied, a glint in his eye. “But I best be off. People to meet, things to plan.”

He then leant forward and left a lingering, breathy kiss on my cheek, “Sweetdreams,” he whispered in my ear before he and the gunman exited through the back door, letting in a cool breeze that brushed at my bare legs.

The second I was sure Andrea and the gun were far enough away, I woke Leo up.

“What’s the matter, Ells?” he asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. And why are you shaking?”

“A-Andrea,” I stuttered.

“You had a nightmare?”

I shook my head and swallowed, “he was in the kitchen.”

He looked at me blankly.

“I went down to get water and he was there,” I said. “It wasn’t a dream.”

With that he got up and left the room. The scent must have hit him halfway along the hall because it was then that he began to march.

“What did he want?” Leo demanded as I followed him into the kitchen and he relocked the back door. “And how the fuck did he unlock the door?!”

“He said he just wanted to see me,” I replied. “And he’s a master lock picker.”

“Why didn’t you call me?” he asked.

“Because there was a man with a gun. He said he’d shoot the kids if I did.”

If this was a cartoon, this is the part where steam would have come out Leo’s ears.

“Who does he think he is coming in my house and threatening my family?!” he growled. “And who gave him the right to ‘just’ see my Luna?!”

I felt a tear drop down my cheek, “Please don’t wake the kids up.”

“I’m sorry,” he said running his hand through his hair.

He then sighed and held out his hand before saying in a much gentler tone, “I’ve got to call Blair, come sit in my office with me.”

For the next twenty minutes, Leo was on the phone. I sat in the armchair in the corner as he paced backwards and forwards talking to Blair and then various army commanders and then his Dad, Luca and Max.

When he finally put the phone down, I had long since retired to just staring straight down at the floor, trying my best not to process what had just happened.

Leo crouched down in front of me and took my hands.

“Every man and woman in the entire fucking army is out there. The borders are locked, there is a unit on their way here to protect you and the kids and Max will come and stay with you all night.”

“You’re leaving?” I asked, darting my eyes up.Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

He sighed and squeezed my hands again, “I have to Ella. The pack needs an Alpha tonight.”

“Of course,” I said, with a forced smile, “You need to go.”

He then kissed my cheek and left the office.

He soon returned in his black army uniform to find I hadn’t moved.

“You should head upstairs,” he said.

I shook my head and with the movement, a tear broke free. Of course, Leo saw it and crouched in front of me again.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said.

“We don’t know that, Leo,” I replied. “And even if it is. Seeing him again and even the thought of.. of.. it’s just…”

I then broke down into floods of tears. As he pulled me into his arms to comfort me, there was a knock on the door.

Leo smelt the air before turning his head towards the door, “Max, come in!” he called.

A few seconds later, my cousin was stood in the doorway to the office.

“Shit,” he cursed, noticing my tear-stained cheeks.

He came forward and took my other hand as Leo hugged me tightly.

The embrace of them both instantly made me feel safer and helped immensely.

“Max isn’t gonna let anything happen to anyone in this house,” Leo said plucking a wet strand of hair from my sodden cheek.

“And neither are the 40 men surrounding the house, stationed ready to stop anyone coming within a mile radius,” Max added.

I smiled.

“But if that doesn’t suffice,” Leo began. “I can take you to a secret bunker. They aren’t the most luxurious of places but they’re hidden, dry and stocked with plenty of food, water and blankets.”

I shook my head, “I don’t want to scare the kids and passing through the woods to get to one isn’t exactly safe.”

Leo nodded, “Okay,” he said. “Can I hand you over to Max now? I’ve got to go and hunt down that bastard.”

“Be safe please,” I said as he sat me up straight back on the armchair.

He smiled and kissed me, “I’ll be back as soon as I can. I love you.”

“I love you too,” I replied and he was gone.

“Right,” Max said taking my hand. “Enough staring at the floor. What you need is a romcom.”

“You hate romcoms,” I pointed out.

He sat me down on the sofa and reached for the remote control, “Tonight, I’m willing to make the sacrifice.”

“Thank you, Max,” I said. “Notting Hill please.”

He turned around and raised an eyebrow, “I’m already regretting this but fine.”

“Oh, and can you pass me the baby monitor,” I said pointing to the monitor on a coffee table he was stood right by.