Alpha Loren
Chapter 199 Chapter 199

Max's POV

After leaving Blair and Luca searching in Caracas and keeping his men out all over South America,the Alpha recruited me on his hunt for Gustavo Escobar. After a long, torturous car journey toColombia in a car with a frustrated and angry Alpha, we finally arrived at the house on thecoordinates given to us by the Caracas head of police.

"I was joking when I said we should just ring the doorbell and ask politely, you know?" I said as westood on the doorstep of the house.

"Got a better idea?" Leo snapped. "And I don't think anyone's in."

"Either that or we're about to get shot,” he mumbled.

He ignored me and we stood there for a few minutes with no sound or movement coming fromwithin the house.

"Fucking hell,” I cursed. "Now what-?"

Before I could finish, he'd kicked down the door.

"Exactly what Ella would have done,” I said. "Do you two have some kind of breaking and enteringkink?"

"No, we have a get shit done kink," he replied, stepping into the house.

It seemed empty, totally quiet and still, but the faint smell of freshly cooked food lingered in the air.He stepped cautiously into the house, towards the kitchen where the smell was coming from.

"They can't have been gone long-" I began looking at the freshly chopped vegetables on the sideand pot on the hob.

Leo held his finger up to silence me and we stood in total quiet for a few moments.

"Do you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" I replied.

He suddenly marched forward and around the kitchen counter before reaching down.

I heard a high pitched whimper and a few seconds later, he pulled a young girl up from behind thekitchen surfaces.

She looked from him to me and then back to him, her lip shaking and a terrified expression on herface as Leo kept a tight grip on her arm.

"Do you work for Gustavo Escobar?" he asked.

She nodded quickly, "but he's not here.”

"When will he be back?" I asked.

"Tonight," she said. "Please, I am just the maid-"

"I'm not going to hurt you," Leo told her, finally releasing her arm. "I just need to speak to yourboss."

She nodded and stepped back, clutching her self.

He leant his elbows on the worktop for a few moments before taking a particularly red apple out ofthe fruit bowl and looking back up to her, "Mind if we wait here?" he asked taking a big bite fromthe apple.

She nervously shook her head, "There's a table on the patio. I will make you some coffee.”

Leo nodded and headed for the doors that lead out into the garden, "Max, help her with thecoffee.”

Once he was gone, she turned to a cupboard and opened it, her hands still shaking.

"Don't worry about him,” I said reaching over her getting the mugs out for her. "He's just a man thatcares for his mate."

"Who are you people?” she asked.

"He's Alpha Loren and I'm his Luna's cousin," I replied.

"..A-Alpha Loren? Leonardo Loren?" she questioned her voice turning hoarse.

"Again, don't worry about him," I reassured. "He won't hurt you and we're just here to speak toGustavo. Where do you keep coffee?"

"Top shelf on the right,” she replied and I got it out.

When I'd made the coffee, I began taking it outside, "When he arrives, tell him we're out here,okay?"

She nodded and I left her alone

"You scared her, Alpha,” I said pouring him a cup of coffee.

"Not sure I care,” he replied with a sigh. "Ella is my only priority right now.”

"Whatever," I said, sitting down at the little patio table. "Just saying what she would say if she washere."

"Don't piss me off, Maximus,” he growled closing his eyes and tilting his head back into the eveningsun. "I've been in the mood to kill someone for weeks and I don't want it to be you.”

"Killing someone got her in this mess,” I mumbled under my breath, referring to the murder of Ella'sbrother that triggered a whole chain of events leading to this.

He snapped his head back up and he glared, "You're one to speak. Remember when you almost gother killed...many times...one of which was deliberate?"

"We're doing this again, are we?" I asked rolling my eyes.

"Looks like it," he replied as he leant back into the chair.

"Then I should mention when I saved her life multiple times too,” I added.

"What about the time you lost our daughter at the park?" he questioned.

"She was hiding under the slide! Nothing bad happened,” I pointed out.

"But it took you an hour to replace her," he grumbled.

"Okay, but let's not forget who dropped Stefano's baby food on Zacharias's head and just scraped itoff and gave it to him anyway," I said.

"I bathed him the night before. His head was clean enough," he replied with a shrug.

"How about when you accidentally took Cato, Mathias and Silas for a nice Daddy and Sons dinnerout at a gay strip club?" I asked.

He opened his mouth defensively

"Okay, but who wouldn't mistake a place called "The Speedy Weiner" for a sausage restaurant?!" hequestioned with a scoff. "They even had a fucking menu on the website!"

"Yeh, with the first item on it being "the big and juicy’ and the second being “the small but powerful’with every portion coming in a “tight succulent bun’ and served on a fucking pole,” I said.

"I thought it meant like a kebab sausage,” he mumbled. "And that was almost as traumatic for me asit was for the boys. At least they were too young to either understand or remember. I've been tryingto block what I saw that night from my memory for the past two years."

I couldn't help but laugh before another taunting point came into my mind.

"Or when you used a tampon to-"

"Don't you dare bring that up,” he interrupted. "We had an agreement that in exchange for menever telling Ella how you nearly put Lili in with the laundry, we would never mention that again,especially not to Ella. She can never know where her last tampon went, okay?"

"Truce?" I asked holding my hand out.

He shook it and we sat quietly enjoying the coffee for a few moments. He seemed in a slightlylighter mood now than earlier but still stared straight ahead brooding.

Half an hour or so and another pot of coffee later, we heard the front door open from inside.

The maid scurried straight to the door presumably to explain the situation because a few minuteslater, a man came out onto the patio.

He was neither old nor young with the odd grey hair and wrinkle but otherwise in perfect health. Hestood tall, dressed in a smart suit, no tie, top three buttons undone. His eyes set on us and he stoodmotionless for a few moments.

"Good afternoon, Gustavo,” Leo called looking over his shoulder. "Please sit."

He slowly approached and hesitantly sat down at the table as Leo smiled but also held anintimidating level of eye contact.

"I can't say I was expecting to have Alpha Leonardo Loren on my patio when I arrived home," hesaid. "I've heard a lot about you."

Leo smiled and nodded, "All good, I presume?”

"Coffee?" I asked picking up the pot and a mug.

He looked down at the coffee and eyed me suspiciously, “I'm okay, thank you."

"We pose no threat," Leo said. "I am unarmed," he added holding up his hands. "We just havesomething important to discuss.”

He leant back in his chair, his face relaxing

"I look up to you, I must say," he then said, turning to Leo. "But to what do I owe the pleasure of thisabrupt visit?"

"Andrea Martinez," Leo said.

His face curled into a loathing frown.

"That name is poison to my ears," he replied, disgust in his voice.

"You and me alike," Leo answered.

"One day I will murder that kid," he said. "I've lost too many men, too much money and too muchsleep to him already.”

"He is holding my Luna hostage,” he said.

"Your Luna, huh?" he asked. "I've heard about this. Are you aware that he has recently taken yourgirl as his wife?"

His little beady black eyes seemed to enjoy watching us as we processed what he had just said. As Iheard Leo's heart skip, his lips twitched up into a smile for a split second and as I raised an eyebrow,he let out a short scoff.

"What?" I asked after Leo had done nothing but sat as still and rigid as an iron rod for a fewmoments.

"Ella Loren is now Ella Martinez," he confirmed.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Leo's jaw clench before he sat forward, stared Gustavo directly inthe eye and took a deep breath, "He has married my mate?"

His tone was still strong and deep but the battle he was fighting to keep calm was evident.

"It appears so," Gustavo replied with a shrug.

"Why would he do that?!" I asked.

"Well, it certainly hasn't been kept a secret meaning he wants people to know. So probably to pissyou off. He's childish like that. It's a side effect of being 19,” he told me.

"Well he has successfully pissed me off,” Leo growled.

"Forgive me, Alpha,” Gustavo began. "What has all this got to do with me.”

"My mate is in danger and I need to get her back," he began. "I have tried but I can't replace her alone,not even with my pack backing me.”

Gustavo laughed, "What do you think I can do? I may be his biggest rival but I only know what hewants me to know, just like everyone else. I hate to admit it but that boy has a flawless operationgoing.”

"Yes, that's what people keep saying,” Leo replied with a twinge of frustration. "But nothing isperfect and there's always a flaw."

Gustavo smiled and leant closer, "I'm interested. What are you proposing, Mr Alpha?"

"That we join forces to replace that flaw,” I said. "Together, I believe we have the capacity and that youknow more than you are letting on."

Gustavo leant forward so that his face was close to Leo's, "What's in it for me, Sefior?"

"Martinez's death and an alliance with the most powerful Alpha in the world," he replied. "Of course,Martinez's death also carries a whole host of benefits. South America would be yours. I have nointerest in taking a cut.”

Gustavo remained quiet and thought for a few moments, "Okay. I'm in."

"Wonderful," Leo said shaking his hand. "How about we begin this by you telling me everything youknow about this overachieving teenager?”