Page 144 of Arturo's Temptation

I scouredthe area for Bella, but she was nowhere to be found. Something wasn’t right, she wouldn’t have run off.

“Qué diablos estaba pensando?!” I screamed, the frustration and anger taking over instantly.

“Arturo, what’s going on? We’ve been waiting for your signal to start the exercise.” Tyler came darting through the trees, his eyes filling with worry the more he spoke.

“Ella no está jodidamente aquí, Tyler! Dónde diablos está mi chica?!” I couldn’t think straight, my head was a fucking mess. Had someone taken her in broad daylight? I had guards positioned every 100 metres from where she was in a tight circle perimeter and yet just minutes after I’d left her, she was gone.

I ignored Tyler’s confused looks and pulled out my phone.

“Now isn’t the time for a game of Angry Birds, mate, what are you doing?” Tyler demanded.

“Shut it! I’m trackin’ my girl.” Opening the app, within seconds I’d located her.

“What the fuck is that?” Tyler asked, trying to yank the phone from my hold. “Have you got a tracker on her?” The shock in his voice grated against my nerves.

“Look, I ain’t got time to discuss this now?—.”

“Arturo, is that smoke?” Tyler asked, pointing in the same direction the app was indicating for us to go.

“Boss!” Two of the guys ran through the trees, with a look on their face I hated. “It’s James and Sanchez. They’re dead, throats slit cleanly.”

“FUCK!” I roared, anger taking over. “You three go get Lorenzo and Red.” I ordered, already sprinting towards the Jeep.

“I’m coming with you!” Tyler was hot on my heels.

“Go home, Ty. That’s not a request.” I hissed. No sooner was I in the driver’s seat but the little shit was right there in the passenger seat. I slammed my palm against the steering wheel. “Tyler, get your arse out of the car, now! This shit is too fuckin’ dangerous.”

“You drive. I’ll navigate.” he said, grabbing my phone.

“Fuck’s sake.”

Not having the time to argue, I started up the Jeep and sped off toward the smoke. Tyler remained silent. Clearly both of us were shaken up and didn’t know what to say. All I could think was I’d fucked up. I’d become too cocky, thinking I had it all planned out in my head, despite knowing there was a threat still out there, lurking and waiting until I dropped the fucking ball.

After a few miles or so, we pulled up to the house in record time.

Bloody hell.

The house was completely engulfed in flames with no signs of the wankers that had taken her.

“BELLA!” I shouted to the air. When no answer came, I pressed my lips together and sprinted to the door. I didn’t know how I’d get to her, but I had to. She needed me and I wasn’t about to lose another person I loved. As I brought my heel to thefront door, booting it open, but a noise to my left told me I wasn’t alone.

“Tyler for fucks sake, wait here!” I demanded, but the stubborn little fucker simply shook his head.

“We’re both going.” his eyebrows furrowed. I closed my eyes briefly before turning back to the doorway. I wasn’t confident this piece of shit could manage my weight, let alone two of us! Besides, he wasn’t ready for something like this. He was clumsy and uncoordinated, and?—

“It’s Bella, A…” I glanced over my shoulder to see his eyes had become glassy.Dammit.He was her best friend. There was no way he was letting me go without him.

“Just… stay behind me. And for fucks sake do exactly what I tell you to do, got it?” I gritted out. He nodded as I tied a spare shirt from the Jeep over my face, psyching myself up for whatever waited for us inside. With a deep breath, I darted into the house, relying on instinct and rigorous training to guide me on where to step as we made it to the first floor.

As I turned, spotting what looked like cable ties, a floorboard beneath me groaned loudly. Flinging my arms out and ducking down, I shouted over my shoulder at Tyler.

“Ty, be careful! The floor is caving in. We’ve got to do this nice and slow.” Facing forward again, I squeezed my eyes shut against the sting of the smoke. It was then I realised the flames were getting worse the higher we climbed. Gritting my teeth, I walked on what seemed to be the stablest beam, taking it one step at a time. The fire above us made the back of my head burn, but I ignored it. All I cared about was getting to her.

“What if we don’t find her?” Tyler shouted over the pops and cracks of caving windows, and falling beams.

“We’ll find her. I won’t leave until I do.” A yelp at my back forced me to turn. Tyler was struggling to keep his balance andavoid the growing holes in the floor. “Tyler, go back outside, it’s too dangerous for the pair of us in here.”

“No—” he coughed. “I’m not leaving.”

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