45

My heart was beating in my throat while the scissors almost slipped out of my sweaty hands several times, but somehow I managed to free myself and immediately ripped the tape from my mouth to take a deep breath.

"Mhhhmhhhh!" Odran yelled at me and I immediately ripped the tape from his mouth too, making him want to scream with anger, but I quickly put my hand over his mouth and silenced his accumulated anger.

"Shut up! I know how angry you are, but he can't hear us!" I warned him and he rolled his eyes and took a step back to turn his back to me, which I then untied him from as well.

"That son of a bitch shot me in the foot," he hissed in disbelief, then hobbled to Keeva on the sofa. While he carefully freed her from the bonds and tape, I took care of Rian's hands and we were free and still trapped.

"What's the plan?", Odran asked in the group and automatically we all looked at Rian, who stared and seemed to think about what would happen next.

"We'll cut off his balls," Keeva said angrily and Rian immediately looked at her in shock, but also impressed, which made her blush despite the situation.

"Not a bad idea at all," he said quietly and finally walked slowly towards the door to listen to her for a brief moment when we all held our breath and watched him. "I don't think there's anyone in front of the door."

When he whispered these words, Odran immediately wanted to approach him, but Rian raised his hand in warning and then pointed his finger to the couch.

"You stay here!" he whispered sternly, but Odran just hobbled on towards him without pausing for a second.

"Forget it! Chiara is here somewhere! I'm going to rip open his fucking Spanish ass so much that he'll wish he was dead!"

"You're hurt!" Rian retorted, stunned, and while I stared at them impatiently, since my mind was only on Mandy, Keeva suddenly raised her voice.

"Odran," she breathed, running up to him to glance down at his shoe, which was still dripping with blood. "Please stay here. I beg you," she begged and you could literally see how worried she was about our fighter. The two had become something of a unit. Not only here, also at home. Almost like brother and sister and that's exactly why Odran immediately put on a tormented expression with her pleading expression.

"Keeva," he said, staring at her with a puzzled expression and then rolling his eyes slightly. "Okay! I'll give you 10 minutes! If I don't hear anything, I'll follow!"

He limped over to the sofa in a huff, grabbed the scissors and stood by the door against the wall, giving us all another warning look.

"Don't fuck up!"

"You haven't been that talkative in a long time. Maybe you should be shot in the foot more often," I said casually and he immediately gave me a death look, and I apologetically raised my hands to calm him down. "It's okay! I was kidding!"

"Quiet now!", Rian interrupted us and rolled up his shirt to put his hands carefully on the doorknob.

"Wait!" Keeva blurted out, immediately running towards him as he eyed her questioningly. "I love you," she breathed when he reached him and stood on her tiptoes to give him such a loving kiss on his lips that even Odran had to smile about it.

"And I love you," Rian retorted after their kiss, losing himself in her eyes for a fleeting moment before composing himself and turning to me. "Ready?"

I looked around and grabbed a bedside lamp to at least have something to defend myself with if I had to.

"Yes," I whispered tensely, and when Rian looked at Keeva again and she nodded in agreement, he slowly turned the handle and peered out into the dark hallway while I felt the adrenaline rushing through my body.

"There's really no one here," Rian said, turning to face us briefly, adjusting his white shirt and disappearing into the hallway ahead of us. Keeva boldly ran after him after blowing a kiss on Odran's cheek and when I was about to leave the office, Odran suddenly grabbed my hand to pull me close to him.

"You were never there when Rian and I were in trouble," he whispered, looking at me seriously. "If anything, just make sure Keeva, Esme and Chiara get out of here. We're not important."

"Shut up," I snapped at him, stunned, noticing how pale he already looked. "All or none," I replied, and he smiled and shook his head.

"All or none," he repeated, and after several encouraging pats on his shoulder, I followed the other two into the hallway, quietly closing the door behind me.

"Don't move," Rian said quietly while holding Keeva's arm, which struck me as more than just strange. Confused, I looked around and only saw outlines of the long, dark hallway with several doors.

My gaze slid back to Rian, who was barely breathing and staring at the floor in concentration.

"Was-"

"Shut up!" he hissed again and then looked at me. "There are motion detectors here."

Keeva and I were also looking down at our feet now and I guess he was right. Very faintly, almost imperceptibly, I saw what looked like thin green threads running the length of the hallway.

"Did Mandy mention what this Fiore is doing?" Rian wanted to know, but I couldn't think straight anymore because of the stress. I started shaking uncontrollably and already felt like I was having another panic attack, which could mean I was about to pass out. My breathing became so rapid that my chest rose and fell rapidly and just as I was about to reach for my painfully pounding heart, I felt a hand on mine and, gasping, stared at Keeva, who smiled lovingly at me and gently brushed the back of my hand stroked.

"Everything will be fine. Take the time you need," she whispered, and I closed my eyes to breathe a few times with my thoughts on Mandy...