Page 17 of Red

Tears start to pool at the corners of my eyes, looking back down at my plate not wanting him to see my sadness at the fact the future that I’d planned was slipping from my fingers. Zeev grabs my chin and lifts my face to meet his eyes.

“What's wrong, Red?”

Taking a deep breath, I’m not sure how much I want to expose to him. Even though he saved me, and I feel safer with him than I ever have, that skeptical voice enters again, “I still need to protect myself.”

I’ve already been hurt before and by people I thought that would never hurt me. My whole life has been a lie and I’m still processing that. I’ll need lots of therapy in the future. I suppose I need to grieve a future that I thought was for me. Hearing his deep gruff voice breaking through my thoughts, he places his hand on mine.

“You can trust me, Red. We’re meant for each other. I’ll never hurt you.”

A voice whispers in my head and over my heart, “He saved you, you can trust him. Hasn’t he proven himself?”

This thought causes me to stop. Zeev is the only person that seems to have my back. Everyone else either wants something from me or is dead. My heart seems to be taking the reins within my mind because all I can think about is how I need to try to trust him. I need someone to rely on and he seems to want to be that person. I give in to my gut and heart, telling him what has been on my mind.

“I’m realizing that the future I thought I was planning is not the reality. I had this plan of opening my cake shop, getting married, and starting a family. Now I’m not sure what my future holds. My grandmother wants me to marry Nicholas. Then there’s my business which I've worked so hard for.”

After spilling my guts so fast, I finally take a breath. My chest started to ease a bit after releasing all of the thoughts that have been swimming in my head. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. In the back of my mind through all this chaos, I’ve been trying to figure out how I was going to manage the bakery. I’ve worked so hard to start my company that it devastated me to think that it’ll all disappear just because my grandmother has it in her mind that I should be running the family business.

I wasn’t a part of it before and I don’t want to be a part of it now. All the secrets that are coming to light remind me I didn’t know my family. I was left in the dark having to find my way. Well, fuck that! I’m going to live my life on my own terms. If I was to take over the family business, I would burn it down.

Then an idea comes to me. Maybe that’s what I should do. It would kill the deluded woman faster. She’s taking everything from me to get what she wants. Maybe it's time I take a page from her book.

I can feel a smile coming to my face as I think of a plan to take down my grandmother. This should work. Zeev’s gruff deep voice interrupts my thoughts of revenge.

“What are you thinking about? You went from looking sad to smiling. A deranged smile too.”

Wanting to keep my cards to my chest a little bit longer since I’m still not sure that I can trust him completely, yet knowing I’ll need his help, I explain some of my plan.

“I was thinking that I might give my grandmother exactly what she wants. She didn’t say what I had to do with the business once I got my hands on it.”

Chapter 12

Zeev

“You know it might not be as easy as you think. Don’t underestimate her. She destroyed my whole family.”

Confused and horrified by my comment at the same time, she sputters out, “What do you mean she destroyed your family?”

I have explained this so much that I just shrug. “My family used to work for your family. When your grandfather died, my dad didn’t want your grandmother to take over. Le Milieu was split. Your grandmother wanted the power so she went on a killing spree. Killing all upper-ranked members that supported your father. Including mine.”

As she’s listening, she takes a deep breath and I see a lone tear fall. Taking my finger, I wiped away her tear, the one for the little boy that lost his parents. This woman feels so much. I can’t help but reach for her to give her some comfort. I‘ve lived so long with this that it doesn’t affect me the same. Trying to rein her feelings in, a meek reply comes from her.

“My grandmother has hinted that she was the one who killed my parents. Threatening me if I didn’t fall in line, I would die too. I need to come up with a plan to stop her and I want you to help me.”

I reply with the only thing that I could ever say to her, “Yes.”

My parents would still be here if they were able to figure out what Old Lady Marelle was up to before she was able to take over The Wolves. When I look at this perfect woman, it kills me to know her childhood was similar to mine. It was hard to grow up in the world without parents. I can see that she’s trying so hard to come to terms with all the loss that everyone has endured by the hands of her grandmother.

If Blanche is sure that she doesn’t want to take over the family business, I will change her mind. She would be good at it. Her strength and her bloodline would take her far. Finding a way to survive and not become a bitter person is tough. The way that Blanche has achieved this is astounding. With her strength, kindness, along with the things she has been through, I can’t see the members of The Wolves not giving her their loyalty.

I would stand by her side with my knowledge of the underworld and we could bring The Wolves to new heights. Right now, the Marelle family has involved The Wolves in human trafficking. I know she would abolish this despicable trade. She’s strong but still sheltered, not realizing that she’s been living with wolves in sheep's clothing her whole life.

Leaving her as she finishes her dinner allowing her to process everything, I take a deep breath and see that it's dark enough that I can take care of the stragglers.

Grabbing Lucille, I walk out the back door and allow the shadows to overtake me. Silently walking around the house, I see the two men positioned behind the trees that face the front door. Sneaking through the forest, I’m able to come up behind the guy closest to me.

Placing my hand over his mouth and nose to make sure he doesn’t alert the other guard, I take Lucille and slice his throat. Slowly laying him down, I can hear him choking on his own blood. I turn and leave him to finish bleeding out on the forest floor.

One down, one more to go. Peeking through the trees, the second guy is about a hundred feet away from where I’m standing. Slinking back into the shadows of the trees, I move stealthily toward him. A huge crack rings throughout the silent forest. I look down.

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