TAINTED LOVE

THE ESCAPE 2

Moreno was seething with rage. He couldn't believe that Bella had managed to escape him.

He had been in a meeting in Russia when a notification from his smartwatch alerted him of her location. He had implanted a tracker in her, and he was the only one who knew about it.

But here he was, staring at his smartwatch in disbelief. She was no longer in the house. How could she have gotten away?

Moreno was completely taken aback. He thought he had put so many security measures in place and it would be impossible for her to get away, except someone from inside helped her escape, and he was going to find out who it was and teach them a lesson.

Bella belonged to him, not herself or anyone else, she was his to use, control, and do whatever he pleases but she had betrayed him. He felt a mix of emotions; rage, betrayal, and most of all, hurt.

In his anger, Moreno slammed his fist against the wall. He felt so powerless, so frustrated. He had so much to worry about the upcoming mafia war and the threat of losing his power and control. And now this.

He called Mateo immediately, demanding to know what had happened. "She got away," Mateo said, his voice calm. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry," Moreno snarled. "Find her." And with that, he hung up the phone.

As Moreno's private jet landed in San Francisco, he knew he had to get to Bella's house before her. He had a feeling she would go straight to her parents house in the city, she obviously didn't have anywhere else to go.

He would take her back to Spain and bring her back under his control. He had to make sure she never escaped again and regain his power over her.

Moreno thought of the things he could do to punish her, he was determined to make her pay for betraying him.

He stepped off the jet and strode toward his waiting car, his mind racing with thoughts of revenge and retribution.

******
Moreno sat in the her dad's study in their house back in San Francisco, his eyes trained on the door. He could hear the sound of the wind outside, and the creak of the floorboards as the house settled. He had been here for hours, waiting for Bella to arrive.

It was only a matter of time, he told himself. She would be back soon, and he would be ready. He just had to be patient.

Bella flung open the door to her father's study, and she came face-to-face with him, sitting at her father's desk, leafing through a photo album.

He held up a picture of Bella and her family at her high school graduation, smiling and happy.

He scoffed when he turned the picture over, and on the back was written, "Love you, Bella. So proud of you."

As he looked at Bella, he couldn't believe she had betrayed him, and he knew he had to take action. He couldn't risk letting her go free, she was a liability.

The news that she was pregnant was a shock to him. Moreno had always made sure to take precautions, he remembered her getting contraceptive shots.

How had this happened? He couldn't fathom how he could have been so careless.

He felt like a fool like he had been played for a fool. But he couldn't dwell on that now. He had to focus on the situation at hand.

For a moment, Moreno's world stood still. The news was like a punch to the gut. He couldn't allow this to happen, he thought.

He wasn't going to let her have this baby. A child would be a weakness, a liability. He had to get rid of it.

He dragged Bella out of the house and shoved her into the back of his car. She struggled, but he was too strong for her. He drove her to a private hospital in San Francisco, a place where he had significant influence.