Page 76 of Fighting for Ella

“You got your revenge.”

“But it wasn't enough,” Dora snarled. “You had to be punished, too. If you hadn't cleared his name, he would have been in prison, I never would have learned the truth about him. I still would have had someone that loved me.”

“Ella?” The door rattled as Miguel called out her name.

“Don’t,” Dora whispered before she could answer, pulling back her coat to reveal a suicide vest strapped to her chest. “I don’t care about him, about whoever else might be here. You're the one I want revenge on not them, but I also don’t care if they wind up collateral damage. It’s up to you. Just you and I can go boom, or we can take out your boyfriend as well.”

There was no way she was getting Miguel hurt.

This grudge Dora had was against Athena Team only, and if she had to be the sacrifice that allowed the others to be safe then she would. It wasn't how she wanted this to end, she’d wanted her shot with Miguel, but it was the better of the options.

Thankfully, the concert hall was a big place. There were passageways and corridors leading everywhere, and multiple ways out of almost every room.

Including this one.

“You never planned on getting away with it, with getting the money and building a new life, did you?” she asked Dora.

“Money means nothing to me, it was love I wanted, and you took that away from me. All I wanted was for you to all suffer like I did. A letter to the man on Christopher’s team who was the real smuggler, a promise for revenge on the people responsible for getting him put behind bars, and I got Raul’s name. From there it was easy to get my revenge, so very easy.”

“Ella? Why is the door locked? Are you okay, honey?” Miguel called out as the door shuddered and she suspected he was trying to knock it down.

“And now I get to take you out with me,” Dora said, the creepiest smile Ella had ever seen lighting up her face like a kid who had woken up on Christmas morning to find every single item on their list to Santa sitting under their tree.

“Only if you can catch me first,” Ella said, taking off toward the second door to the dressing room. If anyone was dying tonight it wasn't going to be Miguel, it wasn't going to be his team, it wasn't going to be Rocco’s team, and it wasn't going to be any of the innocent people who had paid to come there tonight and hear her play.

If anyone was going to die tonight it was only going to be her and Dora Hibbert.

February 14th

10:42 P.M.

Something was wrong.

There was no way Ella would lock the door to keep him out.

Even if she’d seen something that spooked her and she felt unsafe, she wouldn't just ignore him while he was calling out to her.

Why hadn't she pushed the panic button?

When she’d said she wasn't comfortable wearing comms Miguel hadn't liked the idea. He’d wanted to know that all it took was one word and he could be by her side, but he’d also respected that this whole thing had been his idea. If he wanted the concert to look believable, and Ella said having him andthe rest of the guys murmuring in her ear was going to be a distraction, then he had no choice but to go along with it.

Trusting her.

Now he was wishing he’d insisted.

If he could hear Ella’s voice, he could know exactly what he was up against.

It was Dora Hibbert he knew that much. The figure in black hurrying toward the dressing rooms was the mole, he felt that down to his bones. Whoever had locked the door had to be Dora, and he didn't like the idea that anyone was trying to keep him from what was his.

Regardless of his fears about himself and a future with Ella he couldn’t deny that the woman already owned him. Just because it was far too soon to be even thinking about the L word it didn't mean he didn't know deep down inside, in a place he hadn't even known existed, that this woman was made for him.

Now, she needed him, and nothing was keeping him from her.

Certainly nothing as flimsy and insubstantial as a locked door.

“Mole is in the room with Ella, door locked,” he said into his comms as he rammed his shoulder against the door.

The guys probably said something in response, but he heard sounds coming from the other side of the door, and his focus zeroed into one thing.

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