THE DARE | BWWM 18+ (editing)

xliv - facing diabolo: part 2

I R I S

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"Mhm," I groan as I open my eyes. Where am I?"

I see Bella laying next to me and I try to move to get her but I can't. My limbs are tied together and so are Bella's. What the fuck is going on?

"Hello!" I shout and the echo of my voice answers me. "This isn't funny!" I yell again and all I hear is my voice bouncing off the walls.

Leo has always talked about fake kidnapping me so I could practice in case it really happens, so I bet it's him doing this.

"Babe, this isn't funny!" I yell again and Bella stirs awake.

"Hi sweetie," I tell her and she wakes up some more. "Are you okay?" I ask her because she's wincing.

"My wrists hurt mama," she gestures and I look at them. They're turning red, and it looks painful. I know for a fact that Leo wouldn't do them this tight and come to think of it, mine are tied pretty tight too. This is real, isn't it?

"Stop fucking yelling," a voice says and I look up. A man walks through the door and he looks familiar.

"Do I know you?" I ask confused, and Bella nudges closer to me. She's scared.

"You don't, but you will soon enough."

I catch a glimpse of his accent, and as he comes into the light, I realize who he is. "You're Martello, Xavier's dad. I remember you from the family photos."

"Leo has photos of me around his house? How sentimental," he says sarcastically and I'm more confused.

"Could you loosen the knots please before you start training us? Bella's hands are turning red."

"What exactly would I be training you for?" He asks and I blink.

"Training us for our safety, you know? Leo has always talked about fake kidnapping and teaching us what to do in case it really happens. So I'm assuming that you're the one that's going to teach us. Right?"

"Wrong," he answers immediately and my heart drops. "This is one hundred percent real and spoiler alert, you don't make it out alive."

What?

"I don't understand."

"Since Leo is clearly keeping you out of the loop, I've been hired to kill you and I gave him 48 hours to get Bella back, or I will kill her too."

Hired to kill me? Who would want me dead?

"Mama," Bella whimpers, and I look at her wrists again.

"Can you just untie her, please? She's in pain and with the door locked, it's not like we're gonna go anywhere."

"Fine. I'll untie you too because you're gonna die anyway, so it doesn't really matter."

"Wow, thanks," I reply with sarcasm and he starts to untie us. "Why are you doing this? Just because someone hired you doesn't mean that you had to take the job."

"It's simple. I'm doing this because I want to. That and you're Leo's weak spot. Other than his daughter of course, so hurting you hurts him."

"I understand that, but I've never done anything to you. I don't deserve to die. I haven't lived yet."

"It's not about cause and effect Iris. It's about breaking down his empire, so I can build mine and make it better in every way possible."

"This is all about you wanting power? But you're family."