Beyond All Burning words

50)

I opened my eyes painfully and the light instantly blinded me. I closed my eyes again, trying to control the pain in my head, and opened my eyes again.

I was tied to a chair in a cell with no way to escape except for the door. Jade was strapped to a chair near me and was waking up now, too. I noticed in the distance John, Clarisse and Clary were also handcuffed to the wall. The poor children were crying and trying to go to their mother. I tried to say something, but only then did I realize that I had a rag tied around my mouth.

Jade had the same thing and she started fighting the ropes but at that moment Peter and Lorenzo entered. Lorenzo placed a blanket on the table and stretched it, and I saw all sorts of weapons of torture.

- Now, let's make a deal, Elena. – Peter said grinning – You will poison Morgan and in exchange, I will let Jade and her children live.

He removed the rag from my mouth, and I spat. I heard Jade giggle behind the rag, and Peter frowned. He wiped his cheek and turned, snapping his fingers to Lorenzo. The boy smiled devilishly and grabbed a gun. She pointed it at Jade, and before I could react, she was shot. Her children cried out in tears and screamed. Peter turned and said:

- Are you going to poison your husband now?

- I don't want to choose between my husband and my cousin's children. - I shouted angrily.

- Obviously, it needs to be made easier. - Lorenzo shrugged and Peter nodded rubbing his temple like he was in pain distracted.

Three gunshots rang out, and I closed my eyes painfully. I wanted to cry, but I didn't want to show weakness. I felt someone put a finger under my chin and lift my head.

- Do you know it's your fault? You could have accepted the deal and saved them, but you chose your husband - Peter said - The blood is on your hands, Elena.

I heard footsteps and everything became quiet. I opened my eyes and a horrifying sight struck me again. I closed my eyes, breathing hard, unable to control my breathing. I had a panic attack, and after five minutes of trying to calm down, I realized I couldn't.

Voices filled the silence, and I recognized one of them.

- Elena. - I heard Morgan scream.

- Morgan. - I shouted breathlessly and the door fell open.

Alan had kicked her, and Morgan ran to me. He touched my neck and stroked my cheek with his thumb.

- Elena, I'm here, breath. - Morgan said comfortingly - Follow my breathing.

He took a breath and waited for me to take a breath so we could exhale together. We did this exercise several times until I calmed down my breathing. Morgan looked around and I spoke:

- It is my fault. – I felt the tears – He wanted to choose between you and them and I couldn't save them. It is my fault.

- Love, it isn't. – Morgan untied me and helped me to stand – He is manipulative and wants you to feel guilty, but you aren't.

- But I could have saved them. – I sighed desperately.

- By killing me. – Morgan asked with a frown, and I looked away – Are you regretting that you didn't choose their lives over mine?

- I am not regretting it. I was just saying I could have accepted the deal to win some time until I decided what to do. – I explained myself.

- See. – I heard Peter's mocking voice through the speaker – When she chooses you, then she regrets it. I gave her a choice to save the kids, but no. She chooses you always even if your relationship is toxic.

- So that is the problem. – Morgan chuckled – You are jealous of us.

I intertwined our fingers and he looked at me with a mischievous spark in his blue-green eyes. I smiled realizing he has a plan, but Peter didn't, and he continued:

- I spend years watching how Elena screwed his life because of you, Morgan. My dad was betrayed by your parents, and since you stole Elena from me, I've spent time with him trying to figure out how he works and how he uses people's anger at you to his advantage. When he died, I took his place, wanting to personally kill you, Morgan, but unfortunately it didn't work out. - Morgan pulled me to go somewhere, and I followed him, but I could still hear Peter.

- You're crazy. - I screamed realizing that he was deliberately flirting with me – You even use Alexandra here.

- I didn't want to do it, but I wanted to get closer to you, and Alexandra was my friend, so she agreed. When she understood my plan, I began to drug her. But she got pregnant by me. - Peter replied - And when I didn't need her anymore, I decided to kill her so I could get some support from you, but alas, it didn't work out.

Morgan stopped, pointing to a door and then to his ear, where I could see his spy headset. I nodded and we got ready while Peter kept muttering that we were now trapped and there was a bomb around. Morgan and I kicked out the door, and I saw Peter jump, scared, obviously not expecting it.

- I thought it was nice to talk face to face. - Morgan said, pointing his pistol, but Peter dropped a few smoke bombs.

When everything become clear, I saw he had fled. We went out and saw the Salvatore brothers have killed quite a few of Peter's subordinates, including wounded Lorenzo.

- Hey, can we take him to talk? - Frank asked, his lips curling into a devilish smile.

- Of course, but I want to know everything he says. – I said.

- Very clear. We will even record a video, especially for you to learn. - Trent replied with a charmingly sly smile.

I nodded and Morgan took my hand, pulling me forward. We entered the car and we went to the headquarters where Jason, Jacob, Hannah, Gabriel, Dylan, Emma and Emily greeted me as they were worried about me. Sara with Charlie in her arms and Derek came to us and to my great disappointment, I had to tell them that their daughter and their grandchildren had been killed. They couldn't stand it very well, and Sara fell to her knees crying as Derek tried to calm her down. I took Charlie from Morgan, who had taken her just before Sara fell to her knees, and we went to our room with my sad children.

Five minutes later, we were all in bed in our pyjamas with popcorn and other goodies watching a movie. I wanted to distract them, even though I knew I wouldn't succeed, but at least I would try. They agreed to a movie and after three movies of two hours on average, we were all asleep.

I heard footsteps and I woke up looking around. Jacob, Jason, Gabriel, and Dylan lay on their stomachs with their feet asleep. Hannah was on my right with Emma and Emily between us, and Charlie was on my left, huddled inside me.

Morgan went under the covers lightly, and I whispered:

- How is she?

- Bad. - Morgan sighed - They want a funeral tomorrow at 1 p.m.

- I can't believe he is doing it because of jealousy. – I laughed quietly.

- In my opinion, he is a crazy maniac with uncontrol attaching to people, but this is just me. – Morgan shrugged innocently making me giggle low – Let's go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a hard day.

- I love you. – I said and pecked his lips – And our relationship isn't toxic.

- I love you too. – Morgan smiled lovely – And even if it was, I don't care.

I shook my head and looked at my kids to make sure they are sleeping and don't have nightmares. Morgan had made sure to put a blanket on our boys before he got to bed. I closed my eyes drifting into sleep.

However, during the night Emma woke up from a nightmare crying and screaming. She woke up everyone after that and after 30 minutes she finally calmed down. Morgan and I spent 15 minutes reading bedtime stories so we could get our kids back to sleep, although all of them were scared that someone would come and take Morgan and me killing us.