Page 36 of Temptation: Discreet

Sierra gets up and goes to my closet, picking out black clothes and socks. She stops when she finally takes in the mess I made during my outburst.

I grab the bottle of tequila and gulp down as much as I can, embracing the fiery sensation as the clear liquid warms my chest.

“Okay, let’s change and put this plan into motion. I’ll go downstairs and convince Enzo you need help in your room. You go through the patio doors downstairs first to make sure it’s clear, then I’ll follow. Your brothers weren’t around when I arrived, and I only saw the one guard out front. I’ll order an Uber to get us out of here.”

We nod at each other. A small part of me welcomes the punishment my stalker will inflict once he catches me, while the other part yearns for his dark side to devour me until he can never remove himself from the depths of my heart. At least, it would mean he’s alive, and has survived this war.

Sierra and I dress quickly. We’re about the same size, except she’s a little taller than I am. Luckily, she’s already wearing black leggings. She pulls a black beanie from the pile of clothes and puts it on, covering her blonde hair to avoid standing out. She leaves my room first, as I carefully make my way downstairs and to the kitchen, avoiding the creaky steps. Sierra separates from me to get Enzo to my bedroom while I slip out through the patio door.

Normally, there’s only a guard stationed at the front door, leaving the backyard unattended due to the tall shrubs in the backyard. They are far too tall for anyone to jump over, however, I’ve noticed a small gap near the trees by the pool. As I walk closer to the treeline, Sierra quickly catches up. Leading her down the secret path, I can hear Enzo yell my name in the distance.

“Go, go, go!” I shout, trying to catch my breath as the adrenaline courses through me. We rush towards the waiting white sedan parked down the road from the house.

Sierra sighs, relieved and surprised that we escaped so easily. It’s as if we both recognized the severity of our situation, but now we have nowhere to go from here. She had arranged for the Uber to take us directly to the bar, giving us a head start since that’s likely the first place Enzo will look. Sierra lives just above the bar, another detail that my family already knows, but I can’t bring her with me. I want her to be safe, away from this. My knees tremble as I wait, bracing for everything to come crashing down around me in this stranger’s car.

The flashing green light turns red as the car slows to a stop. The driver seems to be distracted, glued to his phone as we wait for that light to change. My irritation grows, and my nervous tics increase - I’m fidgeting with the cuticles, and my legs are shaking rapidly.

Before long, the car door swings open and two men grab Sierra and I, dragging us out and into a different vehicle. Everything happens in slow motion - the surprise, horror and regret etched on our faces. I stare down the barrel of the as we obediently sit in the backseat of some truck with one man either side of us.

We watch in anguish as the driver from the previous car douses it in gasoline and casually sets it on fire before joining us. Sierra’s normally pale face is now ghostly white, the fear evident in her eyes. As a needle is injected into her neck, her dilated eyes flutter closed despite her attempts to fight it. I didn’t even realize that I had been yelling out her name.

Laughter erupts around me as a sharp pinch on my neck slowly attempts to drag me into the darkness, to drown me in the shadows. The view of Sierra’s limp form sagging against a man’s chest is one of the last things I see. My limbs grow heavy and the world starts to spin, as my eyes slowly flutter shut, trapping me in a quiet peaceful void.

My thoughts drift to the rich, chocolate eyes of Enzo Giordano.

Chapter 27

I’m not sure how this night could get any worse. Catalina fucking ran from me and to make matters worse, she ran off with Sierra. Julian may be right that she is a terrible fucking influence, and now I have to deal with her brothers, who will likely chop off my dick and murder me for letting her escape and fucking her.

Mother fucker.

I practically break the door off the hinges of Lina’s room. Sierra had said she was waiting for me, and next thing I know I’m locked inside with something blocking the door from being opened. Before I can kick it down, the door flies open and Kai is standing there, breathless from rushing upstairs. I don’t pause to speak to him. I have to find Lina before anything happens to her.

Skipping two steps at a time, Julian comes barreling towards me as I reach the bottom. “Didn’t I fucking tell you not to touch my sister,” he snarls, grabbing my shirt, ready to strike. Marcelo silently enters the room, his unwavering gaze signaling that any further fuck up will result in my death.

I know he’s already planning my death, a fate I’m willing to accept if it means Lina is safe and happy for the rest of hers. Choosing to do what she loves, maybe away from the cartel. It’s been hours since I last saw her, and the craving of another fix is overwhelming. I’m fucking addicted.

“Let go,” I grit my teeth, shoving him off me in one swift motion. Julian regains his balance before his right hook connects with my face. The impact burns my skin with a throbbing pain, but I retaliate with a left jab to his face. He roars in anger and lunges back back towards me.

“Mother fucker. STOP! Catalina’s missing!” I shout. Julian’s face drains of color, as if he’s seen his father’s ghost in front of him.

“What the fuck do you mean, she’s missing?” He blinks at me seemingly unable to comprehend that his sister is fierce and stubborn as fuck.

“Sierra bailed her out. They locked me in her room and took off,” I state, walking around an angry Julian and up to Kai, gripping his shoulder.

“Call Ry from the car. Have him check surveillance. She must have her phone. Have him track it. Have him check the Butterfly. That’s where they would have gone first.” I turn my focus to an immobile Julian, knowing their sister’s disappearance is a weakness we all share.

“Are you going to help me look for her, or are you going to stand there like a fucking statue?” I press Julian. Julian glances up at me, his expression momentarily uncertain for a man with no emotions. Then he turns to Marcelo, as if seeking permission to let loose. Marcelo gives him a small nod of approval. Julian cracks his neck, and his knuckles before looking back at me with an evil, unsettling smirk.

“She’s the last shred of humanity we have left, the only tesoro in this family. Find her. Protect her. Keep her safe and kill anyone who dared touch her,” Marcelo demands.

We all nod. I was already planning on killing anyone who dared touch her. The darkness I try to hide, that bloodlust inside me, is on the verge of coming out. It would only take the sight of her hurt to break free. Part of me itches for the release, while the other part hopes she will never see that side of me. Julian’s face is etched with concern. I already know part of it is for Lina, but the other part, which he doesn’t wish to admit, lies with Sierra.

Our men collectively get into various cars, but Julian sticks with me as each of us takes a mixture of our men and theirs. Julian pulls out a mask from his pocket, the mask is all black with just the face of it like a morbid skull you’d see on Halloween. It resembles a ski mask with the way the cotton appears from a distance.

“We need to be careful, and be sure it doesn’t tie back to our family, whatever mess we’ll find ourselves in,” he says, shrugging as he places the mask over his head, covering his hair and resting it on his head so he can easily pull it down if he needs to hide his face quickly.

Ry’s voice comes through the speakers, his tone is cool, calm and collected - a stark contrast to my own state of mind.

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