27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Isabella Bianchi

A m I in an alternate universe? How does Professor López know Luca? And why does he want to kill me?

I've been replaying the last few weeks in my head, over and over, trying to see if he ever gave me a reason to think he was an evil person. But nothing comes to mind. He was always kind when I approached him with questions, never made me feel unsafe, and didn't treat me differently than he would the other students.

Damn, he's good.

"So what's your plan? Kill me and send me back to Chile?"

He tsks as he moves his index finger, signaling no.

"That would be too easy. I want them all to suffer. Vicente and Gabriel didn't do anything to help me when your brother knocked my world off its axis. So when I learned you were dating Gabriel, I knew you were the best way to get back at them. I left a few morsels of information so they could find us. I want them to watch you die, helpless to save you."

What did Luca do to this man?

The thought of Gabo seeing me die is like a knife to my heart. He'd never recover from this. I know he loves me as much as I love him. I need to keep this man talking; maybe if he gets ruffled, he'll slip up and say something I can use against him. I mean, if Luca was able to take him down once, I could do it, too.

"What did Luca do that was so bad? I'm sure my brother never had bad intentions."

He turns on his heel and gets in my face.

"What did he do?" he snarls, making me flinch. "Your brother ruined my life. I was supposed to marry Karina. We were supposed to join our families' vineyards and create a wine monopoly in Chile. But your brother decided to charm Karina with his Argentine swag, and she fell for it," he says as he slams the plate of food I had in front of me against the floor. I try not to flinch, but it's impossible. My nervous system is a wreck.

"Then, he decided to tell my family about my little secret—my drug addiction. When my parents learned about my not-so-holy addiction and the debt I had with the mafia, they quickly sold the vineyard, not really caring to who. We left our country like pariahs," he says slowly, each word dripping with venom. His voice shakes with barely contained rage, his eyes wild and unhinged.

I try not to react to this news, but fuck, Luca basically took his life away from him. Not that I blame him, though. Luca and Karina were made for each other. I have never seen him as alive and happy as when he met Karina and bought the vineyard for her. I just didn't realize all this drama was behind my brother's ultimate romantic gesture to get his girl.

No, I need to stop thinking about my brother and ask this guy more personal stuff. Maybe this will make him open up to me.

"But you're such an amazing professor, you had me fooled. I honestly thought art was your passion."

It's the first time I've seen him smile—a genuine smile.

"It is. Art brought me back to life. It's something I truly enjoy doing. Curating art for the Museum of Modern Art has been the medicine I needed to mend my broken life. When I realized you were related to the bane of my existence, all those repressed feelings resurfaced," he says as he passes his hand across my cheek, and I flinch. A touch has never disgusted me so much in my life.

"Please don't touch me," I plead as bile rises in my throat.

"I wasn't thinking about it, but maybe I should try for myself to see why Gabo is head over heels for you." He licks my face, and I scream at the top of my lungs. I try to get away from him, but he holds me by my arms; he's incredibly strong.

I manage to lift my leg and hit him in the balls. He folds in pain, but when I try to flee, he knocks me down. I fall face-first to the floor. There's a metal taste in my mouth—I'm sure I ripped my lip open. Blood stains the floor.

"Where do you think you're going, Isabella? The fun is about to start," he says in a low tone against my ear, pressing himself against me. I arch my back with all the strength I can muster and hit his chin with my head. "You bitch, if I didn't want to kill you in front of them, you would be dead already," he says as alarms go off. The deafening sound engulfs the room as I try to find the source, but I can't see anything. No screens, no phones. Nothing.

"They're here. Let's go, it's time to party," he says as he lifts me from the floor. Instead of turning off all the lights, he turns everything on, including the outside lights. The little cabin is like a beacon in a sea of trees and darkness.

We head outside to the front yard. He ties my legs together and then my hands behind my back. Finally, he places a piece of tape on my mouth.

"You stay here. I want them to see you when they approach the cabin. Don't try anything stupid; the house is protected by a minefield. One wrong step, and you can go kaboom ," he says with a cackle.

I can't help the tears that roll down my face. I'm terrified not only of dying but of potentially seeing Gabo die if he's the one who's near.

Fuck, why did I have to end up in the middle of this shit show?

I'm not sure how long I stand there in the cold night. I don't move, afraid if I do, I might trigger a landmine or, worse, make enough noise to put Gabo in danger. Everything is eerily still. There's no breeze, no moon shining down. The sky is covered in clouds—like time is frozen. The calm before the storm.

Suddenly, I think I hear the crunching of leaves. Maybe I'm imagining it? My body is exhausted, and I'm not sure how much longer I will last standing. The only thing keeping me upright is the fear of messing up. I hear it again: crunch, crunch . I don't look behind me to see if Professor Lóp—Max—noticed. I don't want to alert him in case he didn't hear.

"I know you're out there, Gabo. Come get your girl," he shouts.

I try to press my lips together, but I can't—the damn tape is too tight around my mouth.

Out of nowhere, a figure appears in the distance. I can't tell who it is, but I'm sure it's a man. He approaches the cabin slowly, with measured steps and hands in the air. When I see him, I can't help but cry harder. He came for me. And now he's going to die because of me.

"Bella mia," Gabo says as he walks faster toward me. His voice is rough like he's been yelling a lot. I can't imagine the nightmare this has been for him, too.

"Stop. There are landmines," someone shouts, and Gabo freezes.

"You brought professionals. I didn't think you were here alone," Max says from behind me, safe from the landmines on the cabin's front porch. He pulls out a gun and points it at me. I want to charge and knock him down, but I can't move. And I don't know where the landmines are. My legs start wavering; I'm so tired, but I need to be strong for him. For us.

I try to take calming breaths, but it's in vain. Seeing Gabo so close yet so far away is killing me. When he extends his hand to me, as if to say, "I'm here. I got you," I lose it. My body doubles over in pain. I'm desperate to be in Gabo's arms.

"Aww, such a beautiful moment, Gabriel and Isabella finally reunited," Max says in a mocking tone.

My thoughts shift from sadness and stress to murderous rage. I've never been a violent person, but knowing that Gabo is here and is in danger makes me rabid.

"What do you want, Max? A formal apology? I can have Luca on the phone in two seconds," Gabo asks.

"Oh, so he's not here? I guess he doesn't care about his family as much as he made it seem all those years ago."

I grit my teeth. Can someone shut this idiot up? My brother is the most caring person ever, so if he's not here, it is precisely because he's taking care of his family.

"No, he couldn't make it. His wife is ready to give birth to their first child any day now," Gabo says.

I hear a loud noise behind me. When I look back, Max is angrily kicking a rocking chair, over and over, until it becomes a pile of wood. I'd rather he take his anger out on the chairs than on me or Gabo.

"I saw their wedding pictures and how happy they are together. It should have been me marrying her. I didn't realize Karina was so close to giving birth. I guess I've been distracted planning this little reunion," Max yells, so much anger in his voice.

I stay rooted on the floor, terrified of what's coming next.

"No, that should have never been you. Karina and Luca are meant to be." I would recognize that voice even in my sleep. I can't believe Gio is here, too.

I fall to my knees as I see him walk toward me and stand next to Gabo. This has to stop now before I lose two of the most important people in my life. I hope they have a plan because we're really going to need one to get out of this mess.

"Ah, the smart brother. Gio, right? Yeah, I've read about you. Smart and lonely. Ever since Ruin vanished. Poor soul, may she rest in peace."

Gio transforms from cool and collected to a wolf ready to draw blood.

"Keep Ruin's name out of your filthy mouth," Gio shouts with such a stern voice that even I get the chills. I'm not sure I've ever seen him so mad.

"I'm here, Max. Talk to me and leave my family the fuck out of this." Luca emerges from the shadows, and I see everyone's faces transform in pure shock. I'm shocked, too.

How did he make it from Chile? Oh, my God. This is madness.

"I was just making sure my wife was safe before I came to end this charade once and for all."

I cannot believe this. Everyone I love is here. Gio remains next to Gabo, and there's no one else on the periphery. At least, no one I can see.

"So glad you could join us, asshole. It wouldn't have been the same without you," Max says as he rearranges his hair and cocks the gun. I whimper. I hope Gabo has a plan because right now, I feel helpless and useless.

"Who's going to be brave enough to come and get Isabella? Remember, the perimeter is a minefield, so make sure you know where to step," Max says in a chirpy tone; he's enjoying this too much, and I hate him more for it.

I plead with Gabo not to come. I hope he can see it in my eyes because it's the only way I have to communicate with him.

When no one moves, I feel Max getting impatient behind me. "Come on. No one? Okay, I'll go first," he says as he descends the porch stairs and starts skipping around the cabin's front yard. "See, it's easy. You just have to know where to step."

I roll my eyes because, honestly, this man is an idiot. Such childish behavior.

"You're skipping around so carefree because there are no mines. You're bluffing," Gabo says in a strong voice.

I really want to believe his words, but how is he so sure?

"It's your word against mine, Gabriel. Why don't you come and try for yourself?" Max challenges him. I scream with all my might for Gabo not to accept, but all that comes out is a muffled sound. The moment I see Gabo start walking toward me, my heart skips a beat. I have acute chest pain—this must be what it feels like to have a heart attack. When nothing happens, and Gabo continues walking, I start breathing a little easier. Maybe this idiot was bluffing after all.

Gabo keeps closing the distance between us. When he's ten feet away, Max steps closer to me, his gun pointed at my head with intent, and Gabo rushes toward me. I try to get up to meet him halfway, but there's a deafening gunshot before I can reach him, and I fall back to the ground. A strong body lifts me, and I inhale his scent—a mix of whisky, tobacco, and sandalwood.

Gabo got me.

When I'm sitting upright, I touch him from head to toe, making sure he's unharmed. When he catches on to what I'm doing, he hugs me hard.

"I'm fine, I'm okay. You're the one I'm worried about." He slowly lets me go and very gently starts checking my body, making sure I'm fine.

I look around, trying to see what happened to Max, but chaos has broken out all over. Luca, Gio, and Vicente rush toward Gabo and me. Luca has a gun in his hand—this is ludicrous.

Since when does my brother know how to use a weapon? Did he kill Max? Oh no, I hope we're not in trouble.

"It's over, principessa. I got you. My team disarmed the minefield. As soon as they gave us the all-clear, nothing was stopping me from getting to you," Gabo says as he peppers kisses all around my head, my face, and my neck. He removes the tape from my mouth as gently as he can, grimacing as he sees the blood from the cut in my lip. I notice how badly he's trembling when he removes his radio earpiece. He cups my face in his hands, his expression a mixture of relief and sorrow. Seeing this strong man almost at his breaking point makes me cry harder. I can't believe this nightmare is over. Everything is still a jumble of thoughts and memories in my head.

"Isa, thank fuck you're okay," Luca says as he falls to the ground next to us. When I see him and Gio, I try to hug them, but I'm still handcuffed. Gabo shouts for someone to help me, and a man wearing all black military gear materializes immediately next to me and removes the chains in no time. Once free, I hug my brothers, and the three of us start crying uncontrollably.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through this, Isa. Please forgive me. You know I love you and care about you deeply," Luca says, sobbing as Gio tries to comfort him, but it's in vain; he's in shock.

"There's nothing you have to apologize for, brother dearest," I murmur. The nickname earns me a small chuckle from him, so I continue. "You just fought hard for what you wanted, and you got her. It's not your fault this idiot is a mess and tried to ruin everyone's lives." Luca nods, absorbing my words as he continues to let his tears run free.

I feel a strong hand on the small of my back. After my initial shock, I look back. When I realize it's Gabo, I relax and turn around to hug him. He cradles my face with his hands, and I feel at home again. "I love you, G. I love you so much."

My tears mix with Gabo's, and all the stress from this harrowing situation starts to melt away.

"I love you, too. Always," he says against my lips. We kiss slowly and gently, careful around the swollen cut. We kiss like we have all the time in the world. Because we do.

I hear someone clearing his throat near us, and I remember my brother and Vicente are here, too. Reluctantly, I end the kiss, and after giving Gabo a cheeky grin, I hug my brothers again.

"What are you guys doing here? I thought Karina could give birth any day now?" I ask them, even though I know full well he'll go to the end of the world for me.

"Well, your Gabo here texted all panicked that something was wrong. I knew I needed to come and support any way I could. Besides, I needed to keep Luca in check. The man was losing his mind," Gio says, and Luca winces as he wipes the tears from his face.

"Yeah, the moment this boludo texted us, I knew I had to come. I brought Karina with me just in case. We even brought her doctor in case of an emergency."

I know the situation isn't funny, but this is my brother in all his glory—extra until the end of time.

I see Vicente approaching us with Rocco and Aldo, and I sigh in relief to see them alive and well. I hug them, but they remain immobile, likely looking to Gabo for approval. I don't care if we're breaking protocol. I thought they were dead.

"I'm so glad to see you guys. I promise I'll never ever complain about having you as my security team again." They both chuckle, but I can tell they're still shaken by the situation.

"We're so sorry, Miss Bianchi. We failed you, but we're really thankful you're safe and sound," Rocco says, and Aldo nods.

"Okay, that's enough. Bella, come with me," Gabo says, and I warily chuckle at his possessiveness but go to him anyway. I'm still shaking from all the adrenaline.

We walk toward the spot where a military team has detained Max. He's been shot in the shoulder, and several people are helping him out. This team seems to be the real deal.

"You worthless piece of shit," Gabo says as he lunges to punch Max in the face.

"Noooo, G," I shout and try to go after him. I don't want him to get arrested because of that psycho.

"It's okay, Isa. He needs to let all that pent-up energy out," Gio says as he holds me back.

I sigh but hug my brother.

Gabo gives Max a few good punches, and Max starts laughing uncontrollably. It's almost maniacal. How can one laugh when there are bones crunching and blood flying left and right?

"Do you think a few good punches are going to do anything to me, Gabriel? What your family and the Bianchi's did to me and my family is far worse than a few punches. And maybe this time my plan didn't go as I thought it would, but time will tell who has the last laugh." Max spits on Gabo's shoes. Gabo lunges to hit Max again, but Rocco and Mario hold him back this time.

Vicente approaches him with his aloof demeanor. He is the typical powerful billionaire: cool, calm, and collected.

"You caught us by surprise this time, Max. But make no mistake, the Godoy's and the Bianchi's are not to be messed with. We wouldn't want to take away anything your parents have been able to acquire since you all moved to Switzerland," Vicente says with a low growl, making everyone's hair stand on edge.

Max sneers but doesn't reply. He knows he's lost.

"And I was the one who shot you, in case you were wondering who took you down, asshole ," Luca says as he approaches Max and presses his thumb into Max's wound. Max's shriek of pain is deafening. I cover my ears as Gio hugs me tighter. The next thing I know, Max is on the floor, unconscious.

"Hmm, who would have thought that actually worked? I saw it in a couple of movies and always wanted to try it," Luca shares as he approaches us while cleaning his hands.

"Officer Dubois, what a pleasure to see you here," I hear Gabo greet a man in uniform. I wonder when they met. There's a lot for us to still talk about.

"I wish I could say the same, Mr. Godoy. I thought I had been clear enough when I said to wait at the hotel while my team worked on the case."

I laugh but try to cover it with a cough. This man should know Gabo has no chill, especially when I'm involved.

"I'm sorry, officer. I just couldn't sit there doing nothing."

The officer nods at Gabo and then motions for two officers behind him to get Max.

"I'm a Swiss citizen! You don't have jurisdiction over me," Max shouts as he is woken up by the officers' rough hold. He tries to break free but immediately winces in pain.

"Good thing we're Interpol. There's a warrant under your new name for stealing art from an English collector." Max's face goes pale, and he suddenly has no words.

"Karma is a bitch, huh, Max? Or should I say, Professor López?" I'm too excited to learn this man will spend a long time in jail. He glares at me as Interpol officers push him away.

"So am I to assume you came here with just your security team?" Dubois asks Gabo.

He presses his lips together, trying to hide a smile, but I can see it.

"Yes, officer. Mario, my security lead, is familiar with the area."

Mario nods.

"You all are lucky this didn't go sideways. Mario, please come with me. I'm assuming you're the one who shot von Willer?"

A silent understanding passes between Mario and Gabo as he puts a hand across Luca's chest to stop him from stepping forward.

"Yes, sir. Here's my gun." Mario disappears with the officer, and Gabo comes back to where I'm standing with Gio, Luca, and Vicente.

"I guess I'm glad Officer Dubois wasn't in earshot when I told Max I was the one who shot him," Luca whispers, and we all cackle. "Wait, is that why Mario lent me his gun?"

"Mario is a professional and won't be prosecuted like you would be. However, you shouldn't worry about that, brother-in-law. With our fortunes combined, we could easily get you out of jail this lifetime and all the rest," Gabo tells Luca, who glares at him and then dissolves into a fit of laughter.

"That brother-in-law title has a whole new meaning now, huh?" Luca asks, and it's Gabo's turn to chuckle.

"Let's go home," Gabo says as he kisses my hair.

Everyone falls into step with us. I breathe him in, and I don't think I've ever been more thankful to my guardian angels in heaven. I'm finally safe in my happy place.