He’d certainly give Alex a pay raise, though. Without saying anything, Chase walked up to the house, being careful of the broken steps.
“There’s a brown envelope in the kitchen with your name on it, and also a gift in the back bedroom,” Alex said in way of greeting. “Let me know when you are done, and I’ll clean up.”
“Go home, Alex,” Chase said with a tired pat on the younger man’s shoulder. “Help Jack. Anything. I’ll clean up here.”
Chase didn’t want to frighten Alex, although he was tough. Chase knew this place would be burnt down to the ground, and he was more than capable of taking care of it. It should have been burnt to ashes already as it was.
“Thanks,” Alex said, relieved. He just wanted out of his wet boxers he wore. Luckily, he was able to find a dry shirt to put on and his pants had been saved since he did kick them off before cleaning up his sister. “Take care of the room before the packet Black Spy left. It’ll answer a few things.”
Chase nodded, entering the house, Carter wisely planting himself against the wall after closing the door behind him.
Looking at the run down house, Chase took in how lived in it looked. He knew for a fact that there had been nothing left a couple of weeks ago as he had personally seen to this house being clear and everything out.
Now, in the living room sat a couple of wooden chairs and a makeshift bed on the floor, the blankets rumpled. It still smelt like bleach, but a coating of dust covered the non-used floor that hadn’t been touched.
There was also a line of blood, thicker in spots, from the living room to the back bedroom. It was almost like someone had tried to escape, but didn’t make it as far as they had hoped.
Chase’s heart fell once more, praying that wasn’t Summer’s blood on the floor.
Taking in a deep, long breath, Chase took the few steps to the room that he knew held whatever was left for him to deal with.
The closer he got, he could hear whimpers from a man that was inside, and that alone piqued his interest. What had been left for him? Who?
Grasping the cold doorknob, Chase turned it, hearing the muffled sounds inside stop. Without another thought, Chase threw the door open, watching as it banged against the wall and bouncing back and stopping against his booted foot.
“Huh,” Chase muttered to himself, not expecting what he saw in the room. That would certainly explain the blood he saw as he stepped around the mess.
Saul Rodrigo, one of the men that was a pain in his ass ever since Trent divorced Valerie, lay against the wall closest to him, knees went from being shot out. His shoulder was also bleeding, and it wouldn’t be much longer before he bled to death.
In the middle of the room under the bright light, tied to the metal table, was one of his best men.
Ignoring that man, for now, Chase knelt off to the side of Saul, wanting to get a few things answered sooner rather than later.
“Well, hello,” Chase said, a glint in his eyes. “And here, I thought you were still looking for your slutty daughter.”
Saul had the guts to spit at Chase’s face.
“Always full of bark, but no bite,” Chase said, wiping the spit from his cheek. “Valerie won’t be found so easily.”
“I know where she is,” Saul seethed.
“No you don’t,” Chase laughed. “She’s right where I put her.” And she was. He had called to make sure of that just that morning.
“But the question is; why are you here?” he then asked, tilting his head to the side. “You have made threats upon threats, but here you are.” He made a grand gesture around the room. “You are here with no knees, and bleeding to death.” He even gave out a bark of laughter.
“Alex shot me,” Saul bluffed, not really sure who had shot him.
“Someone did,” Chase said with a sniff. “And you pissed your pants.”
Saul only shrugged his good shoulder with a grimace. He was smart enough to not mention the other man with a gun. Not like the Prince would believe him as it was.
“Alex came barging in here, shooting everyone before he took my girl,” Saul spoke, his breath labored.
“Who’s girl?” Chase said, daring him to tell lies.
“Summer. Such a pretty thing,” he said with a smirk.
“My wife!” Chase shouted, but kept his hands to himself.
“It was his idea,” Saul said, cowering back and nodded towards the table across the room as Chase’s look darkened.
Chase flat out ignored the other men that were no longer breathing in the room and had shit in their pants. Conner nor Ben was no longer of a concern, and glad that the men were out of their misery and not someone Chase had to deal with.
“I highly doubt he did this all himself,” Chase seethed, still crouched. “Too bad you are taking your last breaths.”
“Valerie?” Saul asked out, feeling his lungs begin to fill with blood.
“Is as good as dead, Rodrigo. Just like you,” Chase laughed, watching the man struggle to breathe. “Waste of air.”
He then stood, letting the man suffer. He deserved it.
Turning to Sean, Chase was glad his father had told him to take a knife. He was going to make this man suffer for portraying someone he never was. He was going to play with the meat. It was after all time to show what he was capable of.
“What shall I do with you?” Chase asked, looking at the man who kept his eyes closed, his hands all ready to the point of being numb. A wet spot stood out in his dark pants, showing that he also pissed himself.
Not much scared this man, but Chase knew that whoever had tied Sean up was someone well known, and didn’t take life lightly.
Chase took off his leather coat, flinging it onto the wooden chair that was already set up nearby, then rolling up his white shirtsleeves. He took his time, not in any hurry.
Chase then pulled out his knife that Carter had handed him once they had been in the SUV. It was one of his most prized possessions, given to him by Sebastian years ago. It had a black stained wooden handle, easy to grip. The dark blade had a hook, causing the victim in more pain when used.
He swirled it around a few times, marveling out the beauty of such a device, he had always loved this knife. Taking the hardly used hunting knife, Chase slowly sank into the man’s leg without warning. His heart was still beating. Chase was waiting for the blood to be shed.
Sean yelled out, twisting, trying to free himself. “Mother fucker!” he screamed. He hadn’t expected that.
“You deserve more,” Chase said coldly, withdrawing the knife, watching as his blood oozed out of the wound. Muscle could be seen from the deep wound, but it was no concern to the Prince.
“Fuck!” he panted in pain.
“Who are you working for?” Chase barked out. He was impatient and he let it seep into his voice.
“You,” Sean panted out. “Only you. I swear. Just give me a chance.”
Before he could continue, Chase planted the knife into the other thigh, feeling how easily it was to bury the knife up to the handle, just barely missing the bone.
“Mothering fucking hey,” Sean gritted his teeth. The pain was unbearable. He once again, arched upward, trying to find some sort of relief.
“Who do you work for?” Chase repeated, withdrawing the knife slowly, watching how the skin split open, revealing the muscle in the leg again.
“John,” Sean grounded out in pain. “He . . . he said he’d kill me if I didn’t.”
“You didn’t think I would kill you for working with him?” Chase laughed darkly, not impressed.
“Please, I’m sorry,” Sean whispered out, still trying to get his hands loose. The prince was not letting him get his words out to plead his case like he had hoped.
“Too late,” Chase said with a shake of his head. “I am wondering, who tied you up?”
Chase noticed that his hands were tied too tightly above his head, on purpose. His feet were crossed over one another, tied in a similar fashion.
“Sebasti
an,” Sean huffed out.
“Is dead,” Chase seethed.
“He’s alive!” Sean shouted, determined.
“Where’s my wife?” Chase asked next, trailing the hunting knife along his skin, teasing on where he’d hit next.
“Sebastian took her. Alex was here too!” he was desperate.
“Alex is working for me,” Chase roared, slithering the knife into Sean’s gut, right into his belly button.
He cried out, breathing hard as words disappeared from his mind. All he could think of was the pain. The pain he never once thought he is on the receiving end of. He had watched time after time. He loved it. To be on this end of it was hell.
“So let me get this straight,” Chase said, taking his time to withdraw the knife once more, watching, fascinated, how the blood spilled out of the gut and down the sides of his toned stomach. “Sebastian, who is dead, tied you up. Tied the person up that was the head person of this fiasco to kidnap my wife! Then you go on to tell me that Alex helped Sebastian?”
Chase then slid the knife into Sean’s collar bone, right between the bones. Blood once more seeped from the deep wound. The sound of the blood from the other wounds dripped to the floor, creating a puddle of dark red liquid.
“Yes,” Sean huffed out, praying the pain would end. Tears leaked from his eyes.
“I don’t believe you,” Chase said, taking the knife out, seeing it stained with the man’s blood.
“It’s the truth!” he shouted, seeing Chase walking away.
“So you say,” Chase said, his voice threatening. “But Sebastian is dead.”
“Do you have proof of that?” Sean was brave enough to ask.
“Of course,” Chase lied. He didn’t have any sort of proof. He never even asked to see anything, as his fatherer surely wouldn’t lie to him.
With that, Chase left the door opened, walking from the room, giving Carter the go ahead to start preparing to make the mobile home gone forever.
Washing the blood from his knife and hands, Chase watched the water drain down the sink, captivated for a moment.
He felt slightly better knowing that one more person that was against him was dead, and another soon to be just as dead. He gave out a sick twisted smile, knowing he was one step closer to finding his wife.
He hadn’t bothered to ask where she was taken since this mystery person was most likely the one in charge now of her safety. For some reason, Chase knew she would be safe. Black Spy was just as good as his own personal spy.
“All set,” Carter said, setting the red gas tank on the floor loudly, ignoring the pleas from the room. He then turned on all the burners on the propane stove, opening the oven too.
“Perfect,” Chase said, sliding the brown envelope into his inside pocket of his jacket. He then followed Carter out of the house, but before going to the car, Chase produced matches.
Lighting one, he threw it into the house, watching as the flames instantly took along the path of the gasoline.
Chase closed the door behind him as he left, not looking back.
Chapter 32
Dear Chase Marcel,
I hope this package finds you well. Inside, you will find a list of men, some you know, some you don’t, that have been working alongside with John, and in turn Saul. I know you have been working on locating them all, but many have covered their tracks well to stay off your radar.
Each name has a phone number and place of residence for you to find easily. It is the least I can do to help you figure out who is truly on your side. You must take them all out before John’s clutches are in too deep.
By now, I am sure that the two wonderful gifts I left to you are long gone. So is the house, I presume. I am guaranteed that the two men paid for what they did, and you got some of your anger out.
I am absolutely sure you have questions now. Things that Sean or Saul no doubt said made you see things in a different light. Questions your own father will not answer, because he knows little about what I am doing.
I asked him to let me do this, as I have known that things would have gone about the way they have at some point and time, one way or another. I hoped it wouldn’t go about the way it did, but it has. And I will do everything I can to help you get things back in order.
But no big mafia family gets an ‘out’ from things like this. Everyone has someone wanting to bring them down in some form, but you are the strongest one out of all the other families there is. The Marcel Family will be the top family, changing the world one step at a time.
I have watched you grow, Chase. From a sweet innocent little boy who was born into a strong family. You were always meant to change the world, sweet boy. And you will.
I hated watching you have to learn the ropes; it was necessary. I hated your tears, as did your father when you had to do things to make you stronger in all ways.
I remember keeping you safe, taking a number of bullets for you when you thought you could sneak away to hang out with Trent and Ryder. Even Jackson a time or two.
I remember lying to your father, saying you were perfectly safe while I watched unnoticed, when in truth if I was killed, you would have been too.
My life was to protect you. Now, my life is to protect what is most important to you.
You are the Prince, though. And one day the world will bow down to you and your Princess, who is safe.
One day, there will be no more of these threats you now deal with, because everyone will know that you will burn the entire world down if they ever try to lay a single hand on anyone you hold dear again.
I watched everyone around you for over a year, knowing who was on your side and who wasn’t. I was watching when true colors were defined. I even took a few people out without anyone ever knowing. It really was all too easy, and boring for my tastes.
I watched you struggle with your choice, goading you on to make the right one. I knew you would, it was just a matter of time.
I planted the seed for you to keep your word to Summer from all those years ago. I told Trent to give you those pictures to tease you into the right choice. I knew it wouldn’t take much to push you in the right direction.
I made sure to stay behind the scene, not once making you think I was more than what I was.
You really have no idea what I am capable of, and you won’t find out, if ever. It is better for you to not know.
I am sure you are confused, which is understandable, my boy. You think I am dead, and for appearance's sake, I am. Dead, that is.
I made myself disappear, knowing my time was coming up to save you, once again.
That’s what I’m good at; saving the ones I care about.
I knew John was planning things, he’s been planning for years. He would strike after you wedded, and whoever you married would have been taken from right under you. It would have been Summer, or it could have been some other nameless bride. It would not have mattered to him.
But you spooked him slightly, marrying Jason’s daughter. It was perfect on your own part, there. The world is already so fascinated by her before she was a Princess, and she is even more known now.
So, since I knew what was coming, I disappeared, making it look like I passed away. Only your father and mother knew, but not the full extent of all the reasons. I kept that to myself. I am sure your father knows more than he says, as he should.
I have things in place for just about any possibility all over the world. I won’t be found unless I want to be.
Ryder is the only one that can get a hold of me if needed, but he won’t need to know, as Alex was helping me keep an eye on Summer this week while I found things that would be needed. Now that I have Summer with me, there is no longer a need to have any of your close men helping me to keep an eye on her or needed to give her a way out.
I know I should have gotten her out sooner, but I had to make sure everything was in place for what will surely happen.
There will be war, and only one person can come out victorious.
I will protect her with my own life, as I have always viewed her as a daughter, Chase. She will be safe. I will give her the means to take care of herself, to fight and use a gun like it is the second arm. She will be protected.
You have to find John. I have included a few things in this package that will assist you to find him. He covers his tracks well, but he learned from the best. He is, after all, my half-brother.
Becoming His Princess (The Dark Prince #2) Page 27
