Chapter 20

ELLA

Minutes later, I could hear a car coming up behind me. I moved aside to let it pass before realizing exactly whose car it was and why it was slowing down as it neared me.

I quickly turned into the forest, where I knew a car couldn’t follow me, and sprinted as fast as I could.

I heard the door open and footsteps coming toward me before a pair of arms seized my waist and lifted my feet from the air.

“Stop fighting me.” Antonio’s voice growled as he hauled me to his car.

Unfortunately, only a decade and a bit ago he had been alpha and consequently had strength only marginally less than Leo.

“You don’t understand,” I argued, kicking and wriggling even more. “You have to let me go.”

“I am just doing what Leo ordered,” he replied gruffly.

“So if you’d like to stop being difficult and let me get on with it, that’d be fucking great,” he added, throwing me into the back seat before slamming the door and getting into the front.

I noticed that he also put the child lock on so that in case I felt like throwing myself out of a fast-moving vehicle, I couldn’t open the door.

“So what exactly is going on?” he asked. “Leo’s phone call was rather brief.”

“Andrea said that he’d let Cato go unharmed if I hand myself over to him. He also said that if we try anything else, he won’t hesitate to kill him.

“Of course, I am willing to sacrifice myself for my son, but Leo won’t let me,” I explained.

A tear escaped my eye and raced down my cheek. I hastily wiped it off and took a deep breath in.

“Please, Antonio, you have to let me do this. It is my choice.”

“No fucking way,” he said as he drove in the direction of home. “And it is not your choice. It is Leo’s choice. You just need to do as you're told and let the alpha deal with this.”

“The alpha that is currently in jail!” I argued. “And you expect me to let him make that decision over our son?”

“You don’t have a choice,” Antonio replied bluntly in a deeper tone. “Leo clearly wants you out of this for your own safety. He is the alpha, he gives the orders, and you follow them.

“I don’t know why in seven years you haven’t learned that yet, but the sooner you get that in your head, the better.”

“Antonio! My son! My fucking son!” I exclaimed, a tear running down my cheek that I quickly wiped off. “Imagine if someone took Leo when he was a kid and told you to stay out of it.”

“Ella, I can only imagine how you feel, but he’s just trying to protect his luna and his pack,” Antonio said in a much softer tone. “That’s what alphas do, yes?”

“Yes,” I agreed. “But he’s putting Cato’s life at risk.”

“You’ve been with him long enough to know that he always has a plan and that it is usually a good one. You will get Cato back, Ella.

“Telling you not to worry would be futile but at least try and have a little faith in your mate,” he replied.

I nodded and leaned my head against the window. The tears were still streaming and only increased with every thought of Cato and how scared he must be.

We returned to Antonio and Rosa’s house. Antonio didn’t move much farther than a meter away from me, as if he was concerned that I might disappear if he so much as blinked an eye.

Rosa made me a cup of hot chocolate as I clung to my remaining children.

“Can we go and play with big Luca again, Mommy?” Lili asked.

She was too young to really understand what was going on. They all were.

“No, sweetie. None of us can leave the house, okay?” I replied, stroking her hair.

At that point, the phone in the office began ringing.

“This could be important,” Antonio said, before leaving to answer it.

Meanwhile, Rosa was busy with bottles of milk for Stefano and Zach, and I was unattended.

I quickly kissed my remaining seven children on their heads, grabbed my phone, and marched to the door.

I felt kinda guilty because none of this was Rosa’s and Antonio’s fault, and I was causing them more trouble than they deserved, but on the other hand, my maternal instincts were kicking me hard.

Whether Leo had a plan or not, Cato’s life could be in danger if I didn’t meet Andrea in Mexico, and I was not risking it.

I opened the front door and slammed it behind me. Before I could even begin sprinting down the drive toward the forest, I noticed Rosa’s car in the drive. The one I had left at the police station.

Seconds later, the door opened, and my mate got out of it.

Oh shit.

“Ella, get the hell back in the house. I’m not fucking around,” he growled, striding toward the front door.

“This is my choice,” I insisted. “And don’t you dare try to stop me. How are you even here?”

I saw his jaw clench as he continued toward me, and his eyes flashed black.

“Now is not the time to defy me,” he replied in his alpha tone.

He then grabbed my arm and pulled me over his shoulder before bursting into the house and up the stairs, leaving Rosa and Antonio dumbstruck.

He carried me into one of the spare rooms, put me down, left, and locked the door behind him. I stood motionless for a few seconds before going to investigate the windows.

They were both locked, but one of them looked pretty weak. There was still a huge drop to the ground, but also a tree that if I jumped far enough, I could get to and climb down.

Usually when Leo and I had disagreements these days, we didn’t fight. We sat down and talked about it.

But I could just tell that there was a 0 percent chance of him changing his mind here, so drastic times called for drastic measures.

Just as I began rattling the already-weakened lock, Leo marched back into the room with what looked like a pair of handcuffs in his hand.

“No… No… No,” I said, stepping away from him. “No. I’m not a fucking animal.”

“I am trying to focus on getting Cato back. To do that, I need you in a position where I know that I don’t have to worry about you doing something stupid,” he replied, grabbing my wrist and fastening it into the metal cuffs.

“And what about me worrying about you doing something stupid!? You heard what Andrea said!” I replied, trying to get my hand out of his grip, only making him hold me tighter.

“Do not raise your voice at me,” he snapped, dragging me roughly to the floor and attaching the handcuff to the other side of the bedpost. “I am Alpha, and I will decide how to handle this.”

In that moment, I was probably the angriest with him as I had ever been. Even more so than when he murdered Connor. What we were “handling” was the abduction of our son, and he’s just gonna cut me out of it?

“I’m sorry,” he said, crouching down and placing his hand on my cheek.

“Fuck you,” I spat, swatting his hand away. “If Cato ends up getting hurt, I will never forgive you for taking this choice away from me.”

He took a deep breath in and out before kissing my forehead, standing up, and leaving the room.

I listened to his footsteps downstairs and his conversation with Antonio.

“They just dropped the charges?” Antonio asked as I listened to their conversation through the ceiling. “Just like that?”

“Martinez’s bullet wound has obviously healed faster than any human doctor could ever imagine, leaving no evidence that I actually shot him, and they have concluded I didn’t kidnap Ella.

“And surprise surprise, he decided not to take the drug thing any further with the police. Especially as all he needed was me out of the way for an hour,” he explained as I heard him open the front door.

“Is there anything I can do?” Antonio asked.

“Keep an eye on Ella. She’s handcuffed to the bed, and I need her to stay that way,” he explained.

He was treating me like I was the enemy here? Like I was one more thing he didn’t need to deal with.

“Of course,” Antonio replied, before the front door closed, and Leo’s footsteps disappeared down the drive.

Antonio didn’t sound like he was coming upstairs, so I began searching the room for something to pick the lock with. I’d done it before, I could do it again.

If only I actually bothered to put a pin or something in my hair that morning…

A few moments later, the door opened a crack, and a small blonde child slipped into the room.

“Mommy, why are you attached to the bed?” Lili asked with a confused expression. “And when is Cato getting back? I want him to play with me.”

“Very soon, sweetheart,” I said, gesturing for her to come over. “And I’m attached to the bed because Daddy wants to make sure I stay here because here is always safe, yes?”

“Yeah!” she agreed, wrapping her arms around me. “But why are your eyes red, Mama? Have you been crying?”

“Because just like you, I want Cato to come back too,” I replied, stroking her hair as I held back even more tears.

She was only four. I didn’t know what a better way to phrase it.

“Did Daddy do your hair this morning, Lili?” I asked, noticing two tiny butterfly bobby pins.

“Yep,” she said, smiling, turning her head to show off Leo’s skill.

For a man that had had short hair his whole life, he was remarkably good at doing our daughters’ hair in the morning.

“Very pretty,” I said. “Do you mind if I borrow one of those clips?”

“We can match, Mommy,” she said excitedly, taking one out and placing it in my palm.

“Grazie, bambina,” I replied as my phone began to ring.

It was the no caller ID again. Andrea.

“Why don’t you go and play with your other brothers and sisters? Cato will be back soon,” I said, kissing her forehead.

She nodded, hugged me, and then left the room.

“Are you on your way, Blanca? Time is ticking,” he taunted.

“I’m a little tied up right now,” I replied. “I can’t—”

“Let me guess… Mr. Alpha won’t let his luna sacrifice herself?” he asked. I could almost see the smirk he was almost definitely wearing. “Drama…”

“He’s handcuffed me to the bed. I can’t get out of this room, let alone the pack.”

“Oooh, kinky,” he mused.

“Andrea, please. Give us another option,” I begged. “I can’t stand the thought of you hurting him,” I added in a sob as the tears began streaming again. “He’s seven years old, how evil can you get?!”

“You found a way to slip out of my grasp, now slip out of his…or your son dies,” he replied, before hanging up.

I let out a cry of exasperation and launched my phone across the room in anger before erupting into a mess of tears and sobs.

A few moments later, the door opened yet again, this time with the arrival of Antonio.

“If you are here to rebuke me, I don’t need it right now,” I snapped, wiping my tears.

“I’m not,” he said softly. “I heard you crying, and I wanted to ask if there’s anything I can do…obviously nothing that Leo wouldn’t agree to.”

“Can I ask you a question?” I said after a short pause.

He nodded.

“Do you think he’s doing the right thing?” I asked.

“It’s hard to imagine what he’s going through, Ella,” he said, sitting down on the bed. “He cares about you. I don’t think you should blame him for this.”

“But what about Cato? Does he not care about our son too?”

“Of course, he does. You know that. But Andrea Martinez can’t be trusted, and even if he could, what kind of alpha would he be to allow his luna to go to her death without a second thought?

“When all other options have been exhausted, then he may consider it but not before,” Antonio explained. “You haven’t even given him a chance yet.”

I supposed he was right. The only option I had considered was me handing myself over. What if Leo could find another way?

“What would you have done if someone took one of your kids?” I asked.

“Well firstly, I wouldn’t have had this issue,” he replied, gesturing to me. “Because Rosa isn’t a disobedient little pain in the ass,” he joked.

I stifled a laugh and wiped away another escaping tear.

“But apart from that, I’d be doing the exact same as Leo. Everything in my power. And Leo has far more power than I ever did, so if I were you, I’d have faith in him to bring your son back before the end of the night.

“There’s no way that car is getting off territory,” he replied. “But I do understand your desire to give yourself over.”

“You do?” I asked, looking up at him.

“Although I do still think you could show the Alpha a little more respect and obedience, you’re still a mother. How could you not want to do anything for your children?” he asked.

“But you have to remember that working against Leo isn’t going to help.”

“He’s not exactly allowing me to work with him,” I replied, lifting my handcuffed hand.

“Because you haven’t given him a reason to trust you.”

“So, what am I supposed to do?” I asked.

“Exactly what he orders,” Antonio answered.

I wrinkled up my nose and scowled.

“Fuck that,” I mumbled.

He let out a short laugh.

“You’re definitely a Jones,” he stated. “Can never be told what to do.”

“If he asked me to take the kids to school or pass him his shoes or make dinner, then yes. I’d do it. Telling me to sit back and stay out of his way when our son has been kidnapped? That is another matter,” I replied.

“The fact that he is alpha is irrelevant when my kid is in danger.”

“Which is precisely why he has to resort to handcuffing you to a bed. I would have done the same.”

“It’s like I’m the enemy or something. And I get that he is just trying to keep me safe, but it’s my choice. Who gave him the right to take it away from me?” I asked.

“His alphaship. He can do what he likes,” Antonio replied, standing up. “But just try to remember, neither of you is the other’s enemy.

“You both want your son back, and I will be greatly surprised if Leo doesn’t succeed...and then you’ll be glad that he handcuffed you to the bed,” he added, before leaving the room.

Maybe he was right...hopefully, he was right.

But my son’s life wasn’t something I was willing to gamble with.