Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
He grits his teeth. “It’s your fault. You came to visit your brother in Columbia. He works with my enemies and they promised Carlos more money and attention.” He spits on the ground. “If not for you, I would’ve been the most powerful cartel in the entire world.”
Wow. Isabella’s right. This asshole is a completely delusional prick.
“Your family might,” I snap, my gaze locked on his. “But with your sister in power, not you.” I hit him so hard the nerves in my hand vibrate.
The man staggers back, clutching his stomach, but I don't give him a moment to recover. I reach for a metal pipe and swing it with all my might, the dull thud of the impact reverberating through the warehouse. He drops to his knees, blood dripping from a gash on his temple.
"You made a big mistake coming here," I snarl, lifting the pipe again.
Isabella slashes at the rope that binds her wrists. She comes up behind him, her eyes blazing with a mix of fear and determination. Javier tries to crawl away, but I kick him hard in the ribs, sending him sprawling.
“That’s for hurting her.” I lift him off the floor, only to throw him down again, hard. “No mercy," I growl, and Isabella nods, understanding the gravity of our situation. Together, we are a force of nature, brutal and unstoppable.
Javier tries to get up again, but Isabella is quicker. She slashes his arm, and he screams in pain, blood spraying from the wound. He swings wildly, catching her across the face with a backhand, but I’m already there. I bring the pipe down on his shoulder with a sickening crack, and he howls in agony.
"You don’t hit my wife!" I roar.
Isabella, her cheek already swelling from the blow, moves in with cold precision. She plunges the knife into his thigh, twisting it viciously. His scream is a high-pitched wail of pure agony, and I almost feel pity for him. Almost.
"You think you can hit my wife, disrespect her, and get away with it?" I hiss, leaning close to his ear. "You think you’re stronger than we are? That you’ve won by lying about who we are and what we’ve done? You’re dead wrong."
He gurgles something unintelligible, blood bubbling from his lips. I grab his hair, yanking his head back and exposing his throat. "Do it," I command Isabella.
“You ruled with terror,” she hisses. “Your reign is over, Javier.”
Javier’s body shakes furiously back and forth with the realization of what is about to happen.
Without hesitation, Isabella draws her blade across his throat in a swift, practiced motion. Blood gushes out, and his eyes widen in shock and horror. He collapses to the ground, twitching, his life draining away in a growing pool of crimson.
We stand there, panting, covered in blood, the echoes of the brutal fight still ringing in our ears. Isabella kneels in front of him. “You will die with the knowledge that I am the new head of Los Sangre Dorada. You have lost, Javier. And so has our father.”
She looks at me, her face hard but her eyes softening.
"Let’s get that damn map and call your brothers," she says quietly. “Before anyone else comes."
I nod, tossing the pipe aside.
We work side by side. Isabella's nimble, blood-stained fingers dance over the map, tracing paths and uncovering hidden messages while my mind maps out the strategic implications of each discovery.
Minutes pass, every second crucial. We’re exhausted, but we push through. We’ve ended the first part of Javier’s reign of terror. We have to finish it off completely.
Exhaustion tugs at our edges, but we continue, driven by the glimmer of hope our combined efforts have reignited. Finally, a breakthrough comes.
Isabella's eyes widen as she deciphers the final piece of the code. "Lev, this is it. These coordinates lead to a hidden compound. It's where they're holding prisoners and planning their next move.” She shakes her head. “It was under our noses the whole time.”
My eyes narrow with fierce determination. "We have to move quickly. We'll gather our forces and strike before they have a chance to retaliate."
I call Mikhail. Isabella places a hand on my arm and whispers, “We can do this. Together.”
I bend and kiss her while Mikhail answers the call. I hold her gaze.
“Javier is dead. Carlos is heading to the location I’ll send you.”
I tap on my phone and send him the coordinates.
“Aria was close,” he says with pride. “We’ve got our men two blocks away. Hang on, they’re closing in.”
My heart is beating too fast. I don’t want to let her go. I came so close to losing her. If only Javier hadn’t wanted me to feel the pain of her death, I would have.
In the midst of the chaos and urgency, I find strength in her. Forged by fire, through pain, I feel as if we’re invincible. Together, we’ll face any storm, and in the aftermath, we’ll create our future together.