Bloodbound: The Alliance
Chapter 30 - 34

Chapter 30: Chapter 34

Avara POV

My eyes flutter open, mauve light sifts through, and I wake up fully. The memories are flooding back and I try to only focus on the good one. I scramble out of the cocoon of blankets, dressed in his short-sleeve shirt that comes above my knees. A cluttered desk pressed against the glass railing, atop the table surface is building plans, scrolls of blueprint layouts—the architecture and the interior design inform that it’s a house—a very big one. A series of alluring and arousing grunts entices me away from the front, drawing to the side so I can perch my wrists on the spine of the railing. From above, I watch him, Botan’s hands are bolted to the bar as he does an untold amount of reps. The pull-up bar rack positioned in front of the far-reaching windows. Taut muscles bunching in his back, rippling with every movement. A gear-churning sound forces my gaze away. Shortly, a man appears, sauntering to Botan, his hair medium length, a bright white gelled back.

Botan switches to doing pull-ups with only one arm.

The man snorts. "Trying to impress me... because it’s working."

"Where is he?"

"At the den strapped to the table like—" His eyes fly up to me. His hand flashes to his gun on impulse, then he drops it. "That’s why we took her? So you could fuck the mayor’s daughter?"

He drops to the ground, leveling him with a violent glare.

"Go. I’ll call you when I need you."

He swallows a response, pitching a glare up at me before he leaves. I descend the staircase, only to plop down on the third last step dejectedly.

Botan ambles into my field of view, looking down at me. "Do you want me to take you home?"

The thought of it is just unbearable.

I shake my head. "No. To Kelsey."

He nods carefully. I glance at him, his muscled chest glistening from exertion, rivulets of sweat run down every thick chord of striated muscle. Wet wisps of dark hair stuck to his forehead.

"You can take a shower if you want. There’s a clothing store close by, I can grab you something before we head out."

I nod, then stop. "How do you know if they’ll fit?"

"I know everything about you, Bella, even your measurements."

***

Botan stops the car in front of Kelsey’s house.

Evading his gaze, I say, "Thank you. For everything. I know you’re busy, and—"

"Nothing is more important. You call me anytime. I’m always here."

I will myself to look in his eyes and in them is not a trace of pity, but something else. Something more. He reaches for me, his hand twined behind my neck. I lean forward. He rests his forehead against my own, not needing to say anything else but to exist in our moment of horror and intimacy, safe in the embrace of peril.

He draws back and I leave, climbing out of the car. I close the door and walk down the path to her house. Botan’s eyes never leave me, not even when I’m standing at the door. I knock. Promptly, the door opens, she sees him and only then does the car fly down the road.

"Avara..."

I weave past her. She closes the door behind me. I lead myself into her living room, claiming my spot on her gigantic bean bag. Not even feeling the need to curl up against it. Kelsey enters the living room with extreme caution, like I’ve never seen, gawking at my face. The bruise.

"Did he do that?"

"Botan?" I shriek. "He’s the one that saved me."

She arcs a dubious brow at me. "An enforcer for the Yakuza? The boss’s right-hand man? He comes into your life and suddenly you’re sneaking around, keeping secrets. And showing up at my house with a bruised face. I mean. Come on, Avie—"

"It was Grayson," I blurt, unable to cope with her word vomit. "He did this to me when I didn’t give him what he thought I wanted."

"... What?"

"You wanted the truth. And no, I’m not okay. And No, I definitely don’t want to talk about it. I came here instead of going home because I don’t want an interrogation or to explain myself. Or make sense of what just happened. All I know is that Botan was there for me when I needed someone the most."

Her face falls devastatingly serious, so much so I feel guilty.

"I’m sorry. I’m just..."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Avie." She looks around like she doesn’t know what to do with herself. She gestures to the bruise. "Do you need ice?"

"The pain is not what’s hurting me."

She sags, eyes abounding in sisterly sympathy. "Have you eaten? I still got some pancake mix left?"

"I’d only throw it up." My hand hits my head lightly. "Gosh, I’m sorry. I’m acting like a jerk and you’re just trying to help. You’re always helping me in the messes I keep finding myself in."

Kelsey drops herself on the couch. "I can’t blame you for trying to dodge life’s punches. No one can. If what you say about Botan is right... and he was there for you. I hate the son of a bitch a little less. However, it still doesn’t change who he is, and what he does." A far-off look enters her eyes. "Damn... I wonder how many people he’s killed?"

"Kel."

She looks back at me ruefully. "Sorry...I don’t want to stress you. But at the end of the day, he is a criminal. You can’t let a glimmer of kindness change your world view about that. Once the alliance is over, I hope to God, he gets pulled out of your life. He knows everything about you, but you know nothing about him... nothing about what he’s capable of."

My family, reassured of my safety, let me spend the day at Kelsey, expecting me back in the evening to discuss travel plans. I had to go to the store to buy some foundation and concealer to disguise the bruise and with some time-honed hand craft—it’s like I was never touched. A clean exterior that cannot cleanse the stain within. Kelsey has been trying to get me to eat, but the mere whiff of food makes my stomach roil. Since I refuse to eat, she’s also on a hunger strike and only because of that has she now forced my hand.

"How about I get you that dish you like at that Thai place?"

"They don’t deliver."

She jumps up, rounding the kitchen counter. "I’ll drive to the end of the world if I have to." She snatches her car keys. "I’ll go get us takeaways. You stay here, go lay down and I’ll be back in forty minutes or so."

I concede a nod. She leaves. And I wait until the front door opens and closes.

Only then do I scoop up my phone, calling Simon’s new burner.

"Simon?"

"Avara. Did you attend the Governor’s party last night? I know it’s a high-profile event, but that’s like carnival tickets to your dad."

"That’s what I’m calling you about. My father, the Governor and three other men left the party and went into a room, guarded by security. And it had me thinking...a man with my father’s profile can’t be seen doing nefarious business at shady places."

"He has to do it where he’ll never be scrutinized," he says, catching on fast. "Orchestrating crime right under the guise of legitimacy. No one would question him for attending the Governor’s dinner party or other elite events. The perfect cover and alibi."

"Just a theory. I have no idea what they were talking about."

"And you just gave me an idea. I’ve been going about this all wrong, even prior to me getting fired. I’ve run reconnaissance on Haru’s organization for years, trying to learn the names and faces of the top-tier members in his hierarchy. A dead-end. They are untouchable but their associates, their clients, and the people they do business with aren’t. That’s my way to them."

The front door opens again, echoing the sound of jingling keys and frantic footsteps.

"I’m just glad you’re safe since you were at his party, too."

"Why wouldn’t I be safe?"

"Forget my wallet!"

My eyes dart to the wallet on the counter beside the sink.

"Because—"

"I have to go."

I end the call, and Kelsey reappears, searching the kitchen. I point it out.

"Ah."

"Hey, I kind of don’t want to be alone—like at all. You think we can sit down and eat rather?"

***

I close the front door of the townhouse.

I came back home much later than I intended. Oh well.

I head to the staircase, only to be brought to a halt.

"Avie?"

Luciano. A spark of joy. I hurry to the lounge, pausing in the archway. My dad and my brothers are seated inside and were clearly discussing something serious. Luciano stands up and comes to me, roping me into a hug. I smile to myself, smelling his Axe body spray but savoring the scent on him. I pull away.

"You’re back." I whack his stomach. "Finally."

But he doesn’t smile back. His face is unnaturally solemn, as is Silas’s.

I look to my father instinctively. He responds with a mournful look, one I recognise.

"It’s about your friend," he starts slowly. "Grayson."

My heart slams against my ribcage. "What about him?"

"I’m so sorry. He was abducted the night of the party, well into the evening." He runs his hand over his face. "God knows how they, whoever they are, pulled it off. Within fourteen hours, he was taken, tortured and maimed before what was left of his body was returned to the Governor’s gate like an Amazon package. The Adlers are holding off the news for as long as they can to allow themselves to grieve in privacy. But by tomorrow, it will be airing on every news outlet nationwide. If not global."

My mind reels and I fumble back.

"Maimed?" I murmur. Black spots swim across my vision. "What do you mean, he was maimed?"

"They cut off his hands," Silas says blatantly. "And his... manhood."

"Manhood?" I murmur dazedly.

"They castrated him, Avie. By Adler’s description of his body, he suffered. And there’s no motive for them to butcher him the way they did. No ransom demand. Nothing. I don’t know what kind of soulless animal could do that—it’s sickening."

A growing ringing overtakes my hearing, muting every voice. Darkness edging my vision. My talk with Botan replaying in my head a thousand times over—I sent Grayson to death’s door.

Suddenly, I see everyone rushing at me as my world turns on its side, blacking out after that.