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45

"Do you really think I would do this? I'm the one who's trying to get you lads on good terms. I wouldn't have let him bail out at the last minute." She retorted with the same tone then looked at the bald man who had sweat beads rolling down the side of his scalp in what looked like fear. "Terrence, you better tell me what the bloody hell is going on and quickly, yeah?"

"Mrs. Aguillard," he spoke up immediately, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief, "your husband believed that you could do his bidding for him." He nervously glanced at Leo whose face was red in rage, his fingers digging holes in the arm of the chair ready to pounce on this imbecile. Placing my left hand on his right one, I give it a gentle squeeze in efforts to settle my nerves and calm him down as well, which worked as he let out a puff of air through his flared nostrils and his stiffened shoulders unwind making me release a breath in relief. I remove my hand and clasp it with my other one when Leo's right one wanders over and entangles it with mine as his thumb lovingly caresses the back of it, forcing a small smile to linger on my face.

"You better start barking," Leo turned back and growled as he grabbed the papers with his free hand and passed one to me, keeping one for himself. The man began reciting everything off the paper in the most monotonous manner as I stared at the white smart board behind that man that had "Aguillard" displayed on it through the projector that hugged the ceiling. Scrunching my nose in disgust at that name, I shut my eyes for a brief moment and let out a shaky breath.

My ears tune back in for the important part. According to it, I had to drop the charges and withdraw the case which made me laugh considering that officer Henderson didn't do anything regarding the complaint anyways since Astor was still on the loose, relaxing at his house and attending lavish parties without a worry. Then, it also stated that I was to shut my mouth and not speak a word of the incident and in return no attacks would be announced on me or my family. It was actually very hard for me to believe that he'd let me go so easily when the first time around Leo made the same deal and immediately he got his petty good-for-nothing goons to attack us the same day.

Deep down I was somewhat glad that Astor didn't show up today but it also worried me at the same time. Why would he ask us to come here and not make an appearance himself? A wave of queasiness drowns my stomach while my heart decided to sink into my chest and dwell in an unknown fear.

"Anything you'd like to add, Mr. Bonferroni?" Terrance asked after concluding the last part of the contract.

Leo smirked at Terrence and slid our documents back to him. "This is the deal for Ms. Noelle here but what do I get for being attacked by him?" Terrence frowned at him and looked at Arabelle for assistance to which she just shrugged. "I need you to add a couple of clauses for me. First, all of his property will be mine. His company, his only two clubs, his houses and land, all mine. Second, he'll work under me like the lousy dog he is and third, if he doesn't follow through, I will torture each and every person he associates with including his family."

"Leo," Arabelle narrowed her eyes, "isn't that too much? You already have a lot and taking his is not going to add to your wealth."

"Wait," he laughed, "I got some more." He looked back at the bald man who was drenched in sweat with fear in his eyes. "You better start jotting it down now or your head will be hung on the wall behind you and your lifeless body will be thrown out the window behind me. Capisce?"

Terrence instantly launches his chair back and swiftly pulls out a gun from his waistband, pointing it at Leo. Trembling immensely, the man held his ground and looked down at Leo who had a cocky smirk planted on his face. "There it is. A little push and the gun comes out," he looks at Arabelle whose face adopted a pale white shade making her look even more ghostlier than she already was. "I knew your ignorant husband wouldn't sit still and give up on such an amazing opportunity to kill me." My heart leapt out of my chest and sunk into the floor while my fingers unconsciously coiled around Leo's hand, diving my nails deep into his skin.

My eyes are ready to pop out of my head when I notice Arabelle's bodyguard pull out a gun, pinning it to the back of her head. Watching Arabelle's face gain a crimson color was much more scarier than watching Leo's. Leo shifted a little when he saw her under the man's gun as his hands turn into fists. Her jaw twitched before she swiftly raises her legs high up in the air and locks it around the man's head, flipping him onto the floor due to which the gun knocks out of his hand. Lifting her dress a little she pulls out two guns that were strapped to the outside of her upper thighs as she immediately shoots the man on the floor, killing him on the spot. It all happened so quickly for any of us to react, especially Terence who was now the target of Arabelle's guns.

"Lower your gun or I'll unload mine into your brain, yeah?" Arabelle spat through her teeth with anger clearly notable on her face. Each feature on her face screamed rage as her body exuded the same vibe. When Terence didn't move, she pinned one gun to his head and other to his lower back. "I said lower it!"

Leo kicked the gun out of Terrance's hand and slouched into his seat placing his feet on the table crossing them nonchalantly. "I'd listen to her if I were you. Her temper is worse than mine."

"I was just following orders," Terrance cried out, "nothing more. If I wanted to kill you then I would have done it by now instead of waiting." He nervously got onto his knees and clasped his hands together, begging for mercy. Arabelle ruthlessly placed her heel on the man's head and kicked him down, opening a wound on his temple that oozed out blood, urging him to whimper in pain. As the entire scene unfolded before my eyes, my ass glued itself to the seat in utter shock, forcing me to stay still.

"Astor asked you to kill me too?" She queried hesitantly.

Terrence slowly looked at Arabelle with his body still writhing in agony on the floor. He nodded and apologized right before Arabelle shot him between his eyes in pure rage.

"I'm gonna kill him." A fog of transparent tears clung onto her brittle eyes, yet she spoke with the same stern tone as before not presenting the hurt that her eyes were. Leo slowly mounted from his chair to comfort the hurting wife of the man who tried to kill her.

"I'm so sorry, Belle," Leo caressed her flushed cheek gently, "I'll make sure to make him pay for hurting you. I can't believe he'd do that to you to get to me." Why would Astor use his own wife to get to Leo? This doesn't make any sense. Was Leo having a relationship with her? My mind began wandering in the filthiest end of my thoughts but I stopped myself before I went too far and assumed the worst.

"It's fine," she spoke up and leaned down to pick the guns of the fallen men. "Here," she handed one to Leo then looked at me, "do you know how to shoot, princess?"

"She already has a gun and you'd be surprised how well she uses it," Leo scoffed. I manage to lift myself off the chair and wobble towards Leo.

"Get your guns ready then. I think we'll have more..." The door flew open with a loud thud and bullets began piercing through the air forcing the three of us to get to the ground in order to dodge them, "...more men," Arabelle completed her sentence and lifted the guns in her hand. "Ready?"

Leo pulled Terrence's lifeless body closer, gripping his hand around the blood soaked collar and the other on the waistband of the man's pants. "Always." Picking up the heavy limp body and rising from the ground, Leo shielded himself with Terrence and threw him at the men knocking them to the ground. Arabelle mounted up from her feet and opened fire at the men struggling on the ground.

Absolute tranquility flooded the room and my body seconds later as the firing stopped and silence caved in, however, my eardrums still hammered hard against my head. I shakily grip the table and lift myself up to take a peek at the colander bodies that drained blood through the wounded holes. Leo and Arabelle stood around the bodies and stared at the pile of seven bloodied men that were scattered on the marbled floor painting it a crimson red color with their blood. The wall above them had sprinkles of the same color spread across the lower half.

Hefting my heavy feet, I maneuver around the chairs towards Leo and squeeze his arm. "You alright?" He asked as he caressed my face with the back of his hand.

I nod and gaze at the lifeless bodies infiltrating the ground. Nothing. I felt absolutely nothing for these men. No remorse or sadness. Zilch. Contentedness and relief was all I felt in that moment. These men worked for the devil that wronged me and his own wife then tried to kill us. They didn't deserve my pity nor my tears. I'm not going to be the same scared girl that I was two months back. Trauma and considerate amount of death has hardened me up enough to not cry about it anymore.

"I think we'll have more company soon enough so how about we get out of here, yeah?" Arabelle picked up the stray guns on the floor and tucked them in the straps around her thighs. "Just follow me, I know an escape route and tell your men to meet us behind the building."

Leo grabs my hand with his unoccupied one and whispers, "stay close and shoot if you have to." I nod again and we exit the room, leaving the stench of blood and dead bodies behind. Arabelle's clacking heels sounded through the eerily empty hallway until multiple footsteps from the right end of the hallway were amplified by each second. "Let's do this!" Leo released my hand and pulled out another gun to shoot. I gripped mine tight in my hand with my index finger on the trigger.

Arabelle and Leo sprinted towards the end and began firing to the right at the men I couldn't see. I stayed back as I watched them take cover and shoot back and forth when a pair of masculine hands grope me with one on my waist and other covering my mouth, making me drop the gun out of my hand in surprise.

I squirm in the man's hold in efforts to get out, but it was just too tight. Biting the man's filthy hand, I elbow him hard in his abdomen causing him to stumble back. I spin on my heel and look at the unruly man whose eyes turned dark as he glared at me. Unconsciously my fists clench as I began running towards him. I grab onto his shoulders and lift myself off the ground, wrapping my legs around his neck and flinging him to the ground, a move Zaya had perfected me in. He winced in pain and defeat but still attempted to get up on his feet. I quickly slide towards my gun and hold it in my hand. Looking back at him, I pull the trigger twice shooting him on the side of his torso and neck.

I felt Leo's all too familiar hands creep up on my arms, stroking them slowly. "You okay?" He spoke softly into my ear.

I turn around and lay my head on his chest, letting out a breath that I had held in as he wrapped his arms around me. "Yea," I muffle and lift my head to look at him. His eyes were soft as they awaited for me to breakdown any moment for killing that man but I couldn't feel any tears lingering in my eyes or heart. I just killed a man and I don't regret it. Maybe I was drifting away from my morals and soul; away from my humanity, but I didn't care because these filthy men deserved what they got. They say karma doesn't have a menu, you get served what you deserve.

"You got some blood there," Leo pulled me out of my thoughts as he gazed into my eyes with a hint of naughtiness behind those beautiful oceanic blue marbles. Lightly and slowly, he dragged his thumb over my lower lip causing the hair on my spine to stand upright and forcing a little inaudible moan to escape my parted lips. His mouth curled upward into a knowing smirk. Fuck my life. Good job, Arie. Real fucking smooth.

"Okay, lovebirds," Arabelle's voice broke our hypnotic trance and made me glare at her for interrupting at the wrong damn moment. "Let's get moving unless you two want to get a bullet stuck in you, yeah?"

Leo had a scowl evident on his face as he glared at Arabelle who was now walking away. "Let's go!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him to follow Arabelle who took us into an intricate office. She shuffled through the books that were tightly lined on one layer of the shelf with small trophies on the upper glass one.

With a clicking sound, the entire shelved wall opened up to reveal an elevator. "Sneaky bastard," Leo said under his breath as we stepped onto it. I walked to one of the back corners and leaned against it with Leo to the left of me and Arabelle right in front of us.

After a few minutes of silence, Arabelle turned to me. "I know I have a lot to explain to you and I will once we get into the car. Leo will be riding in another, yeah?" She smiled up at him.

He narrowed his eyes at her as he pulled me closer with his hand on my waist claiming me as his. "You don't tell me what to do. I'd like to know what you have to explain to her and how you two met. She isn't going anywhere without me."

"Oh, c'mon. It's not like I'm going to kill her. I just need to talk. I'll tell you everything after I'm done talking to her, yeah?"

"You're crazy at times so you can't blame me for thinking of that possibility, Belle."

"For Christ's sake, Leo," she huffed out and glared at him. "Please, I need to talk to her. I promise I'll explain everything to you."

Leo hesitantly looked at me, asking for my approval. I nod and reassure him. I needed to hear what she had to say about all she did. Being married to fucking Astor and supposedly dating my brother at the same time wasn't winning her any points. Why would she use someone like my brother if she wanted to hurt me for her husband? "Fine," I blurt out, "I'll ride with you."

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