The Assassin's Destiny: The Confradia Assassins VII

Chapter 3 Continued

A stray tear slips from the corner of her eye as she opens and closes her lips. “Please, if I don’t please you, they said they’d kill us. I have to please you.” She croaks out in a mumbled sob.

I wipe the tear and caress her cheek, feeling my jaw clench with my escalated fury. She looks so lost, and now I know why.

“It’s alright, little one. No one is going to hurt you.” I ask. “Where’s your friend?” Penelope gestures to the door. “She’s being sold.” I nod my head, glance around the room, and press the communicator behind my ear. Mateo’s voice instantly responds. “What do you need, Apollo?”

I look at Penelope before I reply. “There are at least twenty men in the building. Some of them are armed with weapons. There are also women. Tell the men to be careful. I’m going to search around, so tell Rogue to keep an eye out for Sebastian. If he finds him, bag him.”

I didn’t realize until that moment that I replied in English. Penelope’s brow furrows. “You speak English? Are you speaking to the police?” She asks in perfect English.

“No, I’m talking to my men. Are you American?” She nods her head. “Yeah, we came here because I was offered a job working with indigenous botanical plants in Brazil. I’m a Botanist, and Lyria is in Grad school. They kidnapped us two days ago” She sobs out miserably.

I don’t know what to say. Thankfully, I’m saved from this conversation when Mateo comes back on the communicator. “Sebastian has been spotted. The men are going in.”

I sigh with relief. “Kill every man. I’ll meet you outside.”

Without another word, I remove my knife from a hidden sheath in my jacket. The man who checked me at the door wasn’t very good at searching for weapons. I didn’t push it through, which means I have to procure a gun as soon as I get out of the room. I don’t care if my men kill these men. They all signed their death sentences the moment they walked into the house.

Penelope silently watches as I search the room. “I just talked to my men. They’re about to raid this house in a minute, which means the whole place is about to explode into pandemonium. I need you to remain with me. Here take this.” I hand her a bottle of wine. “It’s not a very good weapon, but use it if you need to.” Penelope takes the bottle off my hands and holds it up by the neck.

As carefully as I can, I open the door. A man is standing in front of it, his back to me. Before he can turn, I wrap an arm around his head and break his neck. The man drops like a stone. I don’t wait for him to die. Instead, I take his weapon, toss his dead body inside the room, and close the door.

“Come on,” I mutter as I make my way down the hallway. Just then, the sound of gunshots echoes down the stairs. Men are shooting at us. How did they know I was here? Unfortunately, there’s no more time to think about it. Right now, we have to survive.

Shooting back at the men approaching me, I hear the sound of loud voices below. My men are in the house. Penelope flinches in panic, but I hold up a finger to silence her cry. Just then, two other men step out of the room in various states of dress, and four armed guards run down the hallway. I kick at a few men who move to attack and continue to move. I can feel Penelope following behind me as I slowly stride down the hall. One of the guards stops in front of me and aims his gun at my chest, but before he can, I grip the gun, break his hand, and headbutt him. The man falls to his knees on the floor, holding his broken nose, and moves to get up, but I punch him in the head and stab him in the neck before he can make another move.

Holding the gun, I shoot another armed man and throw my knife at another one. The knife embeds in the man’s shoulder with a thump. Moving forward, I kick the man’s stomach, elbow him in the back of the head, and shoot him. Another man runs at me, weapon drawn and shoots. Using the dead man as a shield, I shoot at the man until he falls dead too.

Penelope’s panicked cry erupts from her lips, distracting me for a moment. To my surprise, I find her bashing another man over the head with the wine bottle. She looks like an avenging angel with her hair flowing wildly around her as she pounds the man until he’s unconscious.

Breathing wildly, she looks up at me and nudges her chin to the room where she was auctioned. I give her an admiring look, then turn around and continue down the hall. The upstairs is nearly empty at this point. Screaming girls are milling around, and I can still hear the sound of gunshots coming from down the stairs, but my path is clearer than it was a minute ago.

Once we reach the door, I carefully pry it open. The door’s frame breaks apart from the impact of a bullet striking it. Before it can hit Penelope, I cover her with my body and drop down to the floor. The shots keep coming, muffling the mournful cries of the girls in the room. Without another word, I kick the door open, crab crawl into the room as I avoid getting hit by bullets, and find shelter behind a turned-over chair. I see two men from my peripheral vision, but I don’t shoot. I don’t want to hit the women. One of the men moves forward but quickly recoils when I shoot him in the chest.

Using a shard of glass from a broken mirror, I check to see the other man’s position. The coward is standing in the corner of the room, holding the other girl in front of him as a shield. The girl’s face is red with tears, her mouth gaping open. I look towards the door to see Penelope.

The man isn’t stupid; I’ll give him that. He’s standing there, gun poised and ready to shoot me as soon as I show my face. His beady eyes are bouncing back and forth from the corner of the chair that I’m hiding behind to the door. Not wasting another moment, I bounce up and shoot him between the eyes. I would have preferred not to kill anyone in front of these innocent girls, but I couldn’t chance that he wouldn’t try to kill any of them during the shootout. Watching as the man’s body falls to the floor, I approach the girls calmly. Penelope rushes past me and enfolds her friend in her arms, making calming sounds as she rocks her in place.

I turn, ready to shoot but lower my weapon as soon as I see that it’s Hex. “We’ve cleared the house. The other women are downstairs, waiting for further instruction. Rogue heard that Sebastian was nearby and ran after him. He’s in pursuit as we speak.”

Hex’s eyes hone in on Penelope and heat up as soon as he sees her near-naked body, which makes a spark of jealousy ignite inside of me. I don’t know why, though. Penelope is not mine. In fact, she’s probably closer to Hex’s age than mine.

Turning back, I take off my suit jacket and wrap it around Penelope’s shoulder. “We need to leave,” I mutter evenly.

Penelope nods her head and leads her friend out of the room. Both girls keep their faces averted but have difficulty walking out the door due to all dead bodies.

Approaching both women, I clear my throat and mutter. “Hex, help..?” I look at Penelope’s friend in question.

Penelope answers my unspoken question. “Lyria. Her name is Lyria.”

I nod my head with a respectful bow and continue. “How about we help you ladies get out of here?”

Lyria gives her friend a wild look. “It’s okay, Lyria. He saved you and me. He’s a good guy.” Penelope mutters reassuringly.

Lyria warily looks at me but reluctantly nods. Without hesitation, Hex pulls her close and leads her away. Penelope leans close to me, tucks her head under my chin, and lets me lead her too. She should not be here. This girl should be at home with her friends. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t work that way. I just hope it doesn’t affect them.

Penelope walks silently beside me, keeping a wary eye on her friend as we make our way down the stairs. There are young women huddled together in the middle of the entrance’s room, clinging tightly to each other and crying. Most of them look as young as Penelope or younger. I look at Hex and my other men, who stand and wait for my next order as I usher Penelope to her friend, who instantly jumps into her embrace.

We spend most of the night and morning trying to sort out what to do with the women. Some tell me that they have family nearby, and others refuse to say a word. Thankfully, we have counselors who help those women.

Lyria and Penelope are the only ones left. “I wanted to thank you.” She mumbles shyly. Her silken hair falls like a curtain around her face as she gazes into my eyes. “You saved our lives, and I don’t even know your name.”

I nod my head in consensus. “My name’s Argent. Argent Storm. Is there anyone we can call for you?” I ask Penelope.

Penelope shakes her head. “There’s no one. We’re both alone.”

My heart breaks at her hopeless tone. “Okay, how about we do this. I’ll have my men acquire your belongings so we can get you on the next flight to…”

“We were from Las Vegas.” Penelope answers. “But we don’t live there anymore. I’m supposed to start work next month, and Lyria is supposed to start her first term at the local university. We were renting a house near Rio while Lyria freelanced her photographs to earn half of our rent.”

I think for a moment. It would be a mistake to do what I’m thinking, but they need help. “Alright. How about you both stay at my home until everything is settled. Hopefully, it will only be a day or two.”

Penelope gives me a watery smile. “Thank you, Argent. That’s very kind of you.”

That night we head to my home. I live in a large, traditional, Spanish-style mansion with an indoor terrarium. Isadora, my housekeeper, her husband, Lauro, and their son, Gio, live in their own home within the property. However, they spend most of their time in my home, where my most trusted men are always coming in and out all of the time.

Mateo practically lives here. I always find Gio playing football in the backyard and will sometimes even play with him.

Gio usually wins.

Before we arrived at my home, I called Isadora and informed her of Penelope and Lyria’s circumstances. Being the sweet, compassionate woman I know, Isadora instantly took action by getting them a few things to wear and whatever they needed.

Lyria cleaves to Penelope the entire way to my home. Neither of them says a word or cries. They simply sit there in silence. Thankfully, Isadora is very warm and welcoming. She feeds both girls, who hungrily eat every bite. Penelope told me they were taken two days ago. I imagine that they ate very little during that time. Lyria remains silent, but I can feel the fear radiating off her. I imagine that what has occurred has scarred her emotionally. Penelope tries to be comforting and keep things light, but you can tell that the weight of her friend’s despair weighs heavily on her.

Once the ladies are fed, Isadora shows Penelope and Lyria to the guest room. They both take a bath and change into a fresh pair of nightclothes that Isadora gave them. Penelope is wearing a flannel jumper short set, and Lyria is wearing t-shirt pajamas. I hover near the door, observing them as Penelope lies next to her friend on the bed. It’s heartbreaking to hear their silent tears. From what I gathered, Lyria was not raped, but according to Penelope, she was always the fragile one.

As soon as I see that they’re settled, I head to the parlor. The house is large with high ceilings, amazing architectural features made up of natural wooden floors, neutral colored walls, and a large social area in the home center. The surrounding area has a large dining room with a large rustic table, wall-to-wall windows with sheer curtains, a simple Asian-inspired kitchen, and a study. Upstairs, there are five large bedrooms, including a large master suite with a large ensuite contemporary bathroom and guest lavatories. The best part of the house is the indoor garden behind the kitchen. Unfortunately, the garden has been neglected for nearly a year. My gardener, Carlos, passed in his sleep one night. He was ninety years old.

I’m sitting in my parlor waiting for an update from Rogue and having a sip of Cachaca when Penelope walks in. She looks beautiful with her string floral, flannel romper. Her long, firm pale legs and slim body look tempting. Clearing my throat, I take another swig of my drink in hopes of calming my libido. For christ’s sake, she’s a child, and I have to keep reminding myself of this matter.

Unaware of my lecherous thoughts, Penelope steps hesitantly into the room, twists her fingers together, and bites her bottom lip, which makes me groan inwardly. “Argent. I…I wanted to thank you for all that you’ve done. I don’t know what I would have done if it hadn’t been for you.” She mumbles softly.

I nod my head and cross my leg across my knee in hopes that she won’t notice my erection. “There’s no need to thank me, Penelope; it’s what I do.”

Penelope nods her head and gestures to the seat across from mine. “May I?” I nod my head and stifle another groan when she takes a seat. Her long brown hair falls in straight waves across one creamy shoulder. “You’re not American or Brazilian, yet you have sort of a British accent. Where are you from?” She asks with a curious frown.

I shake my head. “No, I’m neither of those things. I was born and raised in South Africa. Are you originally from Las Vegas?” I ask evenly. I don’t want to upset her.

“No, I’m not. My mother, is─was part Brazilian. She was an anthropologist. She died years ago, and I moved in with my uncle until he died last year. It’s just Lyria and me. We were celebrating my twenty-fifth

I lean back in the chair with a quirked brow. “You’re twenty-five. I would have thought you were much younger.”

Penelope shrugs her shoulders, loosening one of the strings as it glides haplessly down her arm. “I told the woman who took us that I was eighteen after I overheard her saying she wanted young, innocent girls. Have your men found her?”

I shake my head. “Not yet, but they’re searching for her. It shouldn’t be long before they find out where she is.”

Penelope’s face falls. “How could someone do that? Just sell people without a thought?” She mutters grimly.

“Unfortunately, the world has its respectable people, and there are immoral ones. All we can do is make sure that the good outweighs the bad. Is there anything else that you remember?”

“No, the woman kept Lyria and me locked inside an old rickety house before she moved us to the mansion. I only saw her, her men, and the doctor who inspected us, Dr. Xao.”

To my surprise, Penelope rises from her seat, stands in front of me, and takes my drink. I have to say I’m impressed by her ability to drink it down without an effort. Her eyes gleam with an untold emotion when she hands the empty glass back to me and takes a seat on the coffee table in front of me. “I saw you as soon as you walked into the auction room, you know? You didn’t look like the other men. I even hoped you’d bid on me.”

I c**k a brow at her words. “Did you?”

She nods. “Yeah, I know that it sounds shallow, but all I thought to myself was that at least you were handsome. I didn’t think I could take it if one of those old men touched me. I didn’t even care if you were some psycho. You must think that sounds stupid?” She mumbles absently.

Leaning forward on the table, I reach for the bottle beside her, pour another drink, and hand it back to her. “I don’t think you’re stupid, Penelope. I think you were trying to keep yourself from falling apart. Even if it meant thinking that I was handsome to get through your ordeal.”

I have to resist the urge to take her in my arms when she bites her bottom lip again. “Will we ever be okay again? Will Lyria be okay?” She asks somberly.

Taking her hand, I gaze intently into her eyes. “You will. It’ll just take time. As for Lyria… well, she’s got an amazing friend who’d do anything for her. I think with some help, she’ll get past all of this.”

Penelope entwines her fingers with mine and lowers her gaze to them. The heat of her small fingers caressing my large scarred ones burns through my senses. It reminds me of how good it felt to feel her tight sheath. f**k!

Ripping my hand from her grip, I sit back and mutter. “Listen, Penelope. I want to apologize for touching you so intimately at the auction. It was out of line, but I couldn’t blow my cover─.”

Penelope places her index finger against my lips to stop my words. Closing my eyes, I try not to react to her silken caress, but every part of me is screaming to touch her.

“Don’t, Argent, there’s no reason to apologize. You saved us, and that’s all that matters.”

I’m about to refute her claim at that moment, but before I can, Penelope slams her lips against mine. Unlike the kiss earlier, this one is filled with heat and passion. I know that I should resist because she’s vulnerable and fractured, but I can’t. Penelope’s looking for something to make her feel better after dealing with so much trauma, and I’m attracted. Unfortunately, my body has a mind of its own. A gasp escapes my lips when Penelope straddles my lap and swivels her hips against my thighs with a pleasurable moan. Wanting to touch her, I wrap my hands around her waist and deepen the kiss as she grinds her warm core against my zipper.

Penelope clings tightly to me as she slides her tongue inside my lips and curls it around mine. My chest heaves with every touch of her rounded breasts and stiff n*****s. Moving my hands down her small waist, I envelop her rounded ass and pull her closer.

I don’t know what I would have done if my phone hadn’t rung at that moment. It’s as if a bucket of ice-cold water was poured on my head. Pushing Penelope gently away, I breathlessly rise from my seat and reach for my phone. My heart is beating wildly, and my body is raging with frustration. Swallowing hard, I run my fingers through my hair and face Penelope. Her eyes are glazed with lust and confusion, her chest is rising and falling erratically, and her hair is tousled.

My phone rings again, but I don’t answer it. “I’m sorry, Penelope. We should have never done that.” I mutter grimly as my chest rises and falls with my heavy breaths.

Penelope’s face flushes with embarrassment, which makes me feel doubly ashamed about my behavior. Before I can say another word, she rises from her perch and rushes away. s**t, I embarrassed her. Damn it!

My phone rings again, startling me out of my guilty thoughts. “Rogue?” I answer.

“It’s not Rogue, Apollo. It’s Mateo. I’m calling you on Rogue’s phone because he was shot. One of the men found his vehicle near one of the private hangars. He was beaten up and shot in the chest. We took him to the Confradia hospital as soon as we found him. The doctors are working on him as we speak.”

“Did he say anything?” I ask.

“He was pretty out of it when we found him, but he was able to tell me that Sebastian was taking a flight out of the country. We checked with the private airport’s office, and they confirmed that a man matching Sebastian’s appearance flew out twenty minutes before we arrived. He was heading to the US. Should I call Ares and Hades to let them know?” He asks.

I take a deep breath and pace in place angrily. Goddamn, Sebastian wounded one of my best men and got away. The bastard is playing me, and I don’t like it. I’m going to kill him as soon as I get my hands on him.“Yes, and send them all of the information you have on Sebastian. I want them to contact me the moment they get any information on his whereabouts. Sebastian’s mine!”

Mateo disconnects the call a moment later, leaving me to my thoughts. Unfortunately, my thoughts turn back to Penelope and how good she felt in my arms. Yet, however good it felt, it can never happen again. Someone as sweet and innocent as Penelope is not for me.