Richard POV
Horror rips a shout from my mouth as Alex trains a gun on Arabel, who is lying flat on the floor in a white wedding dress.
Don't shoot! I want to scream as the men move fully into the hall, leaving the other couples in pandemonium.
I can't believe Alex would kidnap Arabel and bring her all the way from New York just to force her to get married.
Because her phone was in the car, we couldn't track her. I kept throwing curses at Leo, asking him to find a solution before it was too late.
Then a call comes through.
From a strange number. In Spain.
I know no one there except Gonzales. He was once one of my business partners. But I had his number saved, and he wasn't the one calling.
It was a call from Daisy.
My poor girl was in tears as she told me what was happening. It turned out one of their men had left his phone behind at the house where she was kept alone without her mother. Knowing my number off-hand, Daisy called me. I told her to remain calm, and Daddy was on his way to get her.
And that call made me think of calling Gonzales, who is the head of his gang members.
Within two hours, Gonzales found them after we sent him pictures of Alex, Eve, and Arabel. He knew Arabel as my wife.
Before my divorce with Arabel, Gonzales and I were business partners, and he vowed to bring her back to me safely with Daisy.
He didn't want me involved, but I didn't care. I insisted on coming.
I don't mind if I suffer harm instead of her or Daisy.
I also sent him the number with which Daisy called me, and he was able to track their location with that.
I don't know what else he did or what other findings he made, but I was surprised when he brought us here, only to see Arabel in a white wedding dress and Alex in a suit.
They were getting married.
The jerk was forcing my woman to marry him. Arabel would never do a thing like this to spite me.
The fear in her eyes said it all.
Alex's tone is venomous as he threatens, "If you approach any closer, I will f**king blow her brains out."
The priest falls to his knees, and everywhere goes silent.
I want to signal to Gonzales to drop his gun and tell his men to do the same, but I know he won't listen.
This is why he insisted on me staying back. But I couldn't.
My woman is in danger. And my girl, too. How can I stay calm?
With a deep laughter vibrating from his throat, Gonzales drops his gun and begins to communicate with Alex in Italian.
Alex pushes the gun barrel forward onto her head. Arabel is trembling with fright, and I almost weep at the sight before me.
Suddenly, Alex points the gun at me, and I raise my hand in surrender, dropping the gun in my hand.
He can shoot me, but not her.
"You think you can just waltz your way back into her life after being absent for four f**king years?!" He yells, dragging Arabel up and using her as a guide as he steps forward. “You were not present when she gave birth to your own child. You were not there when she was overly depressed, and I had to care for her till she was fine. What gives you the right to return now?!”
Gonzales signals to his men to drop their guns, making me feel an intense sense of relief.
“Arabel is mine. It is either she is mine or no one will have her.” He cocks the gun and pulls the trigger, the bullet hitting my shoulder and making me stagger back with pain seeping through my arm.
When he cocks it again to shoot at me, someone else shoots from behind, making me realize there are some men laying ambush behind the building.
Alex groans but manages to back out, with Arabel shivering and not sparing me a glance.
“Shit, Gonzales. He is taking her.” I shout, wincing at the pain in my shoulder.
Gonzales remains motionless, as do all his men, Then he signals to one of his boys to help me out and assist in extracting the bullet.
“No, Gonzales!” I scream. I am in intense pain, but I couldn't care less. I need to be sure Arabel is fine. “I want her away from that man.”
I grab my gun and train it on the man before standing up. “I'm fine. Let's follow them.”
Gonzales turns to me with anger, tightening his features. “These are my men. They follow my orders. So do as I say.”
I shake my head, tears streaming from my eyes, as he seizes the gun from me, and two of his men guide me out.
By the time I return to the van that Gonzales brought here, I am in a state of emotional turmoil. My head is spinning with lots of wild imaginations about what he would do to her.
Now that he knows a marriage between them is no longer possible, I envision him raping her.
I envision him shooting her legs to prevent her from ever being able to escape.
Or shooting her two hands.
Or blowing her skull up.
Shit!
I try to stand back up but they push me down forcefully, one of them grabbing the first aid kit.
You are bleeding, senor,” one of the men shouts out with urgency in his voice, just before dizziness hits me.
Quickly, they get to work. My mind is preoccupied with the thoughts of Alex, Eve, Gonzales, and Arabel. With my precious little girl, Daisy.
Alex is right.
I wasn't there when she needed me the most. That was because I couldn't find her anywhere in the world.
But now, I won't let her go, no matter what. I won't let her slip off my hands like she once did.
I won't betray her trust like I have done several times. And most importantly, I won't stop loving her till death do us part.
The other guy yells an order to the first person and then extracts the bullet. Instead of instant relief, the dizziness sweeps through me again.
After stopping the bleeding, they put a bandage on my arm, with a groan leaving my mouth at intervals.
The first guy pulls me up, just in time for Gonzales to get back into the van. Sparing me a glance, he mutters. “Stay put.”
The driver ignites the van into action, and we move away from the registry, making me dart my eyes around for the sight of Alex or Arabel's running figure.
I'm sure Gonzales is chasing them.
From what he is doing, I am sure he doesn't want Alex dead now. He wants to give him a slow and torturous death, but I don't want any of that.
Not at the expense of him hurting Arabel.
He would hurt her if we don't do something quick.
“Gonzales,” I call. Instead of answering me, he brings out a rifle, pushing his rear out of the van’s window.
I catch sight of a woman dressed in a white wedding dress sitting in the car and another man in suits driving recklessly.
Alex.
Shit!
I shift to the edge of the van so I can also grab a gun, but Gonzales’ voice stops me. “No moving.”
He pulls the trigger, and it shatters the car glass from behind.
Shit!
Don't hurt her.
Gonzales is working rapidly. Not in a haste like I am. There is a look of certainty on his face, which ought to give me assurance that Arabel will be fine.
He is not in a hurry to have Alex taken down. And he seems to be the one who wants to kill Alex, not his men.
Another shot rings out, and I realize it is from the car.
Alex is firing back.
Gonzales shoots at his tires, and the car screeches to a halt. Finally, he steps down from the car and runs over to grab Arabel before dragging her with him.
Gonzales steps out, and I do the same.
Just then, he shoots at Alex, making him drop his hold away from Arabel and fall to the floor.
I suck in a breath in relief.
But when I see the terror in Arabel’s eyes, I want to run past Gonzales and grab her in my arms when Alex trains his gun at her again.
Before I can warn her or tell her to run, he pulls the trigger.