Chapter Twenty- Four - Suffocation
Balor's POV
Everything seemed to be falling into place. We caught the rat, and we now had a plan to take down the whole rat's nest. Everything was looking up, or it at least it should have been.
Something about this whole plan wasn't sitting right, and I had the most challenging time pushing the doubt away. Unease sat in the pit of my stomach as I nursed my glass of whiskey.
The party was tomorrow, and I went to the packhouse to clear my head. The city's noise was too overwhelming right now, and I just wanted to have a moment to breathe.
"You know if you keep scowling like, your face might stay that way." I looked up to see Penelope leaning against the doorframe. Her head was slightly tilted, and her lips pursed as she watched me. I let out a grunt as I took another sip of my drink.
Chapter Twenty-five - Double-crossedReyna's POV"So what are we looking for exactly? I thought we already had others look through all of this." Sullivan complained as we looked over the file for the third time.I tapped my foot as I looked through every detail of the file in my hand. I finally got to the bank statements we had acquired, looking for any suspicious activity, and it was like the stars had aligned, and I was granted a break for once.I moved to the following file, finding the same thing. Twice a month, payments were made to Bloodstone Security accounts. As I moved from one file to the next, a smile spread across my face."What'd you find?" Sullivan asked, her brow arched.
Chapter Twenty-Six - Deception Reyna's POV "It's nice to meet you, Eugene." I gave him a soft smile before turning my attention to the rest of the ballroom. Ribbons and tulle were draped across the ceiling. Twinkling lights, slowly blinking above them, giving off the illusion of stars. The tables that surrounded the dance floor were covered in black cloth along with silver runners. Black feathers fanned out from the top of tall vases as pearls and crystals hung off of the top of the vase. Everyone was dressed in beautiful formal wear. The men all wore perfectly tailored suits, and the woman wore the more beautiful gowns. Most even flashier and fancier than mine. I didn't believe in fairytales or magic for that matter, but this place was enchanting.
Chapter Twenty-Seven - TemptationBalor's POVI waited anxiously for Reyna to return from the meeting. I wasn't sure what to expect, and the fact that I couldn't actually be in there only made matters worse.I had covered all of my bases. I glamoured myself to everyone except Reyna, which took a lot of energy. I also cast a memory spell on the host so she wouldn't ever remember encountering me. These events were so exclusive that I didn't even have to worry about cameras, which was an added bonus. Phones weren't even allowed past the front entrances, saving me from having to find a way to delete all photographic evidence of Reyna being here too."Another, sir?" The dealer asked me. I nodded as he placed another card down in front of me.Fredericks went all out for these events. Apart from the ballroom and over-the-top decorations. He also had another room sectioned off and turned into a casino."House wins.Would you look to play again?
Chapter Twenty - Eight- BlissBalor's POVWe sneaked past one of the barricades that blocked the rest of the house off from guests. Reyna giggled as she kept looking around, expecting someone to stop us.I used my wolf hearing to make sure no one was coming as we rounded the corner. The sound of footsteps sounded behind us, and I reached for her hand, tugging her to move faster behind me. I went to let go of her hand as we rounded another corner, but Reyna only squeezed tighter.My heart started to beat a little faster as sparks travelled up my arm. I wondered if she could feel them too. If she could feel the same warmth I did, whenever our skin touched."This way," I said, pulling her in the direction we needed to go.
Chapter Twenty-Nine - BetrayalReyna's POVIt's so cold."Hello?" I tried to shout, but my voice only came out as a raspy whisper.What the hell happened?I tried to think of the events that led me to this dark, cold place, but everything was fuzzy.The sound of chains dragging on my ground drew my attention. I tried to look at my surroundings, but everything was black.The sensation started to return to my numb hands. And I reached to touch my face, but everything felt heavy. I tried to move my hands but couldn't. My wrists were bound, and I couldn'
Chapter Thirty - TormentReyna's POV"You have a pretty twisted grasp on how to ask a lady out for coffee." I deadpanned, earning a huff of amusement."It's the tough ones I love breaking the most. But, on the other hand, watching your spirit slowly crack is just as euphoric. Plus, watching the light start to fade from those beautiful eyes of yours is going to be the best part of my day.""You said you wanted to talk. So talk.""In a rush, are we? It's not like you can leave." He laughed."Seems we're at a crossroads. I can't leave, and you're too much of a bitch to step out of the shadows." I snapped.
Chapter Thirty-One - AcceptanceBalor's POVWe exited the police station, and a bunch of press was waiting outside to bombard us with questions. They were like vultures circling their next meal. They all charged forward at the same time, shouting questions and accusations. Cameras flashed, and recorders were shoved all too close to my face."Once we get her back, she's going to pay for this," I muttered to Flint. He hummed in agreement before retreating back. He knew when to stay back, even if everything in me told me to shift and lose it. That wouldn't bring Reyna back, and it would only cause more trouble for my kind in the long run.Self-control was the most challenging and most detrimental thing to learn once you could shift because our wolves were so intuned with our emotions that they could shift for any reason, whether it be because of anger or
Chapter Thirty-Two - StainedReyna's POVMy fingers and toes were completely numb. The cold had worked its way down to my bones. My throat felt like sandpaper as I swallowed. Ivan didn't bother to unstrap me from the chair. Leaving me here all night to freeze, hoping it would break me.The dress I wore was anything but warm and weighed a tone from being soaked again and again. My feet were also left bare. That had me guessing they were smart enough to know I would have used them as weapons.The shuffling of shoes against the gravel path grabbed my attention. I lifted my head slowly, ignoring the aches it caused my body to move. My eyelids felt like weights as I forced them to stay open."Are you ready to talk now?" Ivan asked. A sadistic smile spread across his lips as he eyed me. I stared back at him, hating how much we looked alike. I shifted in the chair and spat it in his direction."Ahh, still being stubborn. I must say I'm really proud