*Bianca*
I stared Taylor down, waiting for his answer. I was so pissed. I did not know if I was angry with him or myself. To be honest, I was angrier with myself than I was with him because I was the dumbass that left the house when I knew Leo wanted to stay put.
Then, I got here and ended up in a bigger ss. Regardless of the fact that Liam had used Isabella to lure here, I still blad myself.
At least the sickness in my stomach had disappeared. Fear did the most interesting things to the body. I did not feel like I was going to puke all over everybody anymore.
There was nothing in my stomach anyway. I probably would’ve been in front of the toilet dry heaving all morning. Now, with the relief and the fear slowly ebbing away, I felt hungry.
“Just know that I’m one of the good guys,“ Taylor said, with a charming grin that got him nowhere with . He avoided telling exactly who he was and why he was here.
He knew damn well I wanted to know what his role and all of this was. He was not willing to tell , and that was okay for now because I needed to get myself and Isabella out of here before sothing else happened.
“Can I take you and Isabella to safety?” Taylor asked.
I stared at him for a mont, wishing I had that glare he and Leo had perfected so well. If I could glare at him the way he and Leo did, I could make him tell what I wanted to know.
But, evidently, my glare was not that good because Taylor just stood there grinning at as if I were wearing an adorable expression or sothing. Well, I did not feel all that adorable in that mont, and I wanted to kick him for giving that look.
I grabbed Isabella’s hand and pulled her toward so that we would not lose each other. She looked as shell shocked as I felt. All of this was surreal to . I felt like I was in a really bad dream that sohow turned out alright.
Thing was, I had the bruises to prove that it had not been a dream. There were finger marks on my arm. I looked down at them and thought to myself that Leo was going to flip.
I had been so tired of fighting with him. And now I sort of understood what the fight had been all about. Leo was not trying to control my Life. He was not trying to make be soone I was not. He was not even trying to control .
He was trying to keep safe. I just felt so trapped all the ti now. Especially because I had not told him the truth about the baby. What was I going to do?
Anyway, at least I could get Isabella out of here and help her get ho. Even if I could not help with anything else. I felt useless in that mont, holding her hand, knowing I didn’t an to pull her into this ss.
Maybe she would forgive , but I didn’t even know how to apologize.
Isabella’s hand shook in mine, and I could hear her breathing hitch a little. She seed to be on the verge of tears again.
“Fine,“ I agreed, feeling annoyed. I wanted answers. At that mont, I felt like I deserved them. But that would have to wait because Isabella was about to fall apart again, and I would not have her feel unsafe any longer than she had to.
The guards that Leo had assigned to , saw us getting ready to leave with Taylor and stepped forward. I pulled Isabella a little closer to as her shivers got worse. I patted her hand and tried to sooth her by rubbing her back and waiting for Taylor to co back to us.
Taylor stood saying sothing to the guards that made them glance over at . Then, they backed off. For a minute there, I thought we were going to have to fight to get out of here.
But they seem to take Taylor’s orders as well as they took Leo’s. Again, it made questions swell in my mind and I knew Taylor had to be sobody important.
They would never go against Leo’s orders or leave with soone who could not protect .
Taylor did not look to have a weapon, but I wondered if he was carrying one. The guards knotted, backed up, and let Isabella and leave with Taylor.
When we finally got into the car, Isabella seed to calm down. At least, at first, I thought she had. Then, the floodgates opened.
“Bianca,“ Isabella’s voice was drenched in tears. “I was just leaving my apartnt to get ready to go to the library. You know we have that paper coming up in our sociology course we’re taking together. I thought I would get a head start on it since I did not have anything pressing to do this morning...”
She paused to sob.
“I...I was just walking down the street minding my own business, and so guy cos up to and grabs . He did not introduce himself. But when I saw it was the guy you were talking to last night I did not think anything of it. I thought, hey I know this guy. I didn’t fight him. Maybe I should have fought him.”
“I am so glad you did not try to fight him,” I said, thinking of what would’ve happened if she had.
I had no idea if Taylor was carrying a weapon, but I knew for sure that Liam had been carrying a weapon when we had been in the Café. I was not stupid enough to think that he had not been carrying one when he grabbed Isabella. Would he have hard her? Or, had he only been using her as leverage.
A part of hoped that she had only been leverage, but deep inside of , I believed he would’ve hurt her if I had not co to et her.
“Maybe if I would have tried to get away from him he would not have been able to lure you down to the café,“ Isabella said, holding tightly to my hand as she stared at , tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Do not think that way. I am so sorry, Isabella, that you got caught up in this ss.“
“No, Bianca, it wasn’t your fault. It’s not like you took . That stupid asshole did.“
“I am just so glad we’re safe now,“ I said, thinking of how badly this could’ve ended for the both of us.
We sat in the backseat, Isabella’s head on my shoulder, her tears wetting my arm, as I looked out the window, trying to hold back my own tears. I wondered if she would ever recover from this, and if she could ever forgive for keeping her in my life when I knew I lived in danger every mont of every day.
“Taylor rescued ,“ Isabella said as we neared her apartnt.
“I am glad that he was able to help us,” I said, knowing that Leo was not gonna be happy I had left with him.
“It is going to be okay, Isabella,“ I said, rubbing her shoulders and helping her out of the car.
Her mother was waiting for us as we entered the apartnt building, and I kissed Isabella’s cheek and handed her off to her mother. I did not want to leave her there, but I could not stay with her. I was so glad that her mother was there to take care of her.
I hope to all the gods and goddesses that her mother never found out that this was all about , and it was my fault that Isabella was taken in the first place.
I watched Isabella hug her mom and her mom hold her close and rock her. It made miss my mother. I wished at that mont that I had my mother here with and that I could be in her arms.
I did not envy Isabella, her mother’s love. I was so happy that she had her and that she had soone to tell her story to and possibly soone who could help her begin to heal. I just really wished that I had my mom here too.
Once Taylor and I drove off from Isabella’s place, I turned to him and gave him my best narrow eyed stare.
“You had better start talking right now. I want to know who you are and it better be a good answer,” I demanded.
“Co on, Bi, you know who I am. I’m a little pissed you forgot about . How could you not recognize this face?“ he asked, a teasing glint in his eye as he glanced over at for a mont.
“What are you talking about?“ I asked, staring at him.
“My given na is Tadeo. You, yourself, ca up with the nickna Taylor.”
Taylor stopped for a red light and looked over at . I saw his face from a different perspective now. He had always seed a little familiar, but it never occurred to to think of Tadeo. He was right. I knew him. I was so shocked in that mont my lips fell open in surprise.
I stared at him. He was so different now, yet he was the sa. He had been my childhood friend. Now, I could see it. I had not seen him in nearly 8 years, so it was understandable that I did not initially recognize him.
He was a man, no longer a boy. He was so tough and strong.
He seed affable, but I had seen the dangerous side of him too in the café. I was thrilled to see him. At least, now that I knew who he was.
“It is so good to see you again after all this ti,“ I said, pushing my hair back away from my face.
“Mia set up with a bodyguard job in the organization for Al. I was on a mission sowhere else in Europe when I found out about Matteo hurting you. I ca back to Italy to deal with him, but by the ti I got there, he was already in jail.”
“How did you end up here?“
“I would lie and say I was in the neighborhood,“ he joked.
I stared at him and rolled my eyes dramatically.
“Okay, you don’t have to give that look. I wanted to make sure you stayed safe, so I ca to your college to keep an eye on you. I figured you would’ve noticed who I was right away, but you didn’t. Besides, it plays into my plan. I have a new mission now.“
“What is your new mission?“ I asked, genuinely curious.
Taylor just sent a sly smirk as he brought the car to a stop. That is when I realized we were already at the compound. Before he could say another word, Taylor’s door was jerked open, and he was unceremoniously yanked from the car.
For the second ti that day, my mouth fell open in shock.
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