Marcel drove like a mad man back to the house with his heart stuck in his throat. He has been calling Arianna’s cell all to no avail, it was switched off and that wasn’t a good sign. Luca wasn’t responding to him either and though he had informed Victor of what was going on, his cousin was too far away to help quickly. In one word, he was the only one that could save Arianna right now.
Clara must have told Daniel about Arianna after he provoked her the day before. No, he was a fool to think that his father would never find out, he just never thought that it would happen this quickly. He was too careless and now Arianna was going to pay the price if he arrived late.
Altercations like this with his father were pretty common, but unlike the other times, Daniel’s purpose this time was to get rid of Arianna. Marcel felt a stabbing pain in his heart when he thought about what Arianna could be going through right now.
This was all his fault! He promised to keep her safe yet he failed that one promise. At this rate, he should have just let go of her as she wanted, and she would be safe at the very least. But then, he was too selfish. He didn’t want her with Elijah and thanks to that, she was in danger of being murdered by his own father.
Marcel clutched the wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white, making a swerve to the right as he drove into the compound with the gate already wide open. Marcel didn’t even park properly before he jumped out of the car.
There was chaos everywhere with his soldiers fighting off his father’s people. On other days, Marcel would have appreciated fights like this because, at the end of it, the fight helped him figure out the weak spots in his security and strengthened it, but not today.
He was going crazy with fear. His place was too large and Marcel didn’t know where to begin to search for her. It scared the hell out of him because every minute he wasted here could change her fate. It was equivalent to the amount of time Arianna spent at the hands of his father. Was she even here? What if Daniel had already taken her out of here just to punish him?
Marcel knocked everyone out of his path as he let his leg lead him anywhere. By luck, he spotted one of his men being beaten by his father’s soldier and he grabbed the asshole and slammed his fists to his face several times before pushing him away. He then pulled up his soldier, growling at his face, “Where is she?!”
The soldier didn’t need to ask twice whom his boss was talking about because there could only be one woman he was interested in.
.....
“The garden,” He answered immediately. The instant Daniel’s people attacked them, Luca had given out orders to the soldiers close by to protect the boss’ woman. Daniel had chosen a good time to attack them, when neither Marcel nor Victor was available.
And with that information, Marcel hurled him away and took to his heels. He had to save Arianna! However, something happened. Marcel was still running with all of his might when he heard shrieks and a great stomping of feet, and at the same moment, Samson ran past him with great ferocity, stunning him.
What the...?
However, Marcel didn’t have time to question what was going on and amped his speed instead. Unfortunately, the animal was faster and by the time Marcel could even get to his destination, there stood Arianna with Samson circling her, only to lurch forward and release a mighty roar that even he felt deep down to his bones.
Marcel knew that he couldn’t step forward because Samson was all animal at that moment and his instincts were telling him to protect his master’s woman, Arianna. It was risky at first but Marcel was grateful that he had gotten the lion familiar with her.
Lions were highly territorial and if any fool dared to make a move at that moment, he was as good as dead. Marcel raised Samson as a cub which explained their tight relationship however, they still established boundaries.
A great silence fell upon the environment and Arianna turned at that moment, their gaze connecting, and relief left his lips. She was fine. Arianna was alive and not dead. Nothing happened to her. Marcel swore to thank whoever released Sansom from his territory later.
Marcel took a step, he wanted to have Arianna in his arms and confirm that she was alive, when out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted Daniel and halted. Great anger filled him, how dare he infiltrates his place and try to murder his woman?! He would murder him today!
Daniel was a smart man, and knew that he couldn’t win this fight, not with that massive lion protecting the woman. So he ordered his men to retreat and they began to leave one after the other, careful not to startle the lion and lose a limb like the first fool.
Not only his son, but the lion was even close to the woman now? Daniel couldn’t believe it. He underestimated the little girl. With a pussy and breast, it was easy for a woman to tame a fool of a man, but a lion? It was a great feat.
Daniel gifted the lion as a cub to Marcel when he was younger so he could prove his capability, and his son didn’t fail him. Marcel was able to make him proud even though he worked with professional lion tamers to achieve it. However, had Daniel known that this was how he would use his gift, to protect his whore, then he would have killed the creature long ago.
No, Daniel was tempted to do just that. Four or five bullets would be able to put the creature down, however, this wasn’t the day for it and Marcel was too damn emotional, Daniel wouldn’t be surprised if his son turned against him and shot him dead instead.
Hence, by the time his people retreated, it was just Marcel, his whore, the lion, and a few of his soldiers remaining. In one word, Daniel was all alone yet there was not even a trace of fear on his face. He had faced a much worse scenario and feared Marcel was giving his son power over him.
Marcel strode over to Arianna and when he got to her, began to check her body for wounds, when he found a bruise on her arm where she was grabbed earlier, his eyes flashed and Samson released a low growl having sensed his owner’s discomfort.
Turning around immediately, Marcel pulled out his gun and aimed it at his father, “Give me one reason I shouldn’t blast off your head right now?!” His gaze was hard and cold.
But Daniel said, “That depends if you want to end my life because of a woman. I didn’t raise my son that way.”
“Just shut up! Don’t you dare try and use father authority on me because that’s not going to work!” Marcel ran his hands through his hair and ruffled it, “What the fuck is wrong with you?! Were you really planning on killing her?”
“Depends,”
“On what?!”
“If you were going to go on with the wedding or not,” Daniel told him.
“What?!” Marcel couldn’t believe him.
“I told you the other day, that the wedding must go on,”
“Chloe is gone, you have nothing on me, now,” Marcel reminded him, his gaze getting colder. He was forced into the engagement at first because of Chloe, but not anymore. Perhaps, his sister being with the Spencers was a good thing because even Daniel couldn’t lay a hand on her.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Marcel. I have her.” Daniel pointed at Arianna and his blood ran cold.
Marcel stepped forward defensively, “You would not dare,”
“Then don’t make me,” Daniel told him, “You have always been too emotional having inherited your mother’s soft side and unable to see the bigger picture. But that is why I’m here, I would not let you make the same mistake I almost did, ”
“The same mistake you almost made?” Marcel furrowed his brows, sensing there was something his father was not telling him.
However, Daniel had never been the type to reveal his plans to him. There weren’t just skeletons in his wardrobe, there was a graveyard of them.
He went ahead to say, “Today was just a demonstration of what would happen if you don’t step on that aisle with Clara, Marcel. I don’t care how you do it, but you have to give Clara the mushy wedding she wants and until she’s legally your wife, I don’t care if you...” His gaze strolled over Arianna with distaste, “keep a mistress for your extra fantasy called love. However, my next bloodline must be royalty. But do otherwise, then be prepared to go to war with me.”