Chapter-11-"My Phoenix"

Gabriel Hernandez's POV

My Tigress just chose Dare and walked out of the room like a fucking Queen. I just broke her whole world. I just broke all the illusion to give her and myself the truth. None of us knew the extent of the lies, but they needed to be let out.

She is ANGELICA DEVINA!!! The girl I was supposed to marry once she turned twenty one! The girl they said had died when she was ten!!!

FUCKING HELL!!! This is so fucked up!

That's why we couldn't find anything on her. No name, no identity. Is that why they didn't let her out of the house? They kept her a prisoner just so they can marry her off to someone else?

The moment they said her father name everything started falling into place except for her being his niece. When she said her name, the puzzle came together. I couldn't stop looking at her. I am holding the girl I was supposed to marry. I am so obsessed with the girl I was supposed to marry. I wanted to claim her even before I knew all that. Even I am still reeling from the information.

Ryan followed my girl to wherever she went to in the mansion. My gun is empty. The angry holes she put in my office wall stare back at me along with all the eyes of the people in the room. Once of my men gives me the bullets as I load them.

"Tell me the name of the guy they arranged her marriage to?" My gun taps against my thigh as I stand in front of Julia. She looks at me.

"I really don't know." Fear is clear in her eyes. Her friend is not in the room and there is no one to save her from me. "I only ever heard of the demands he made of them for her. They wanted her untainted, tamed and submissive. That's all they talked about when they spoke of her."

"Who could be that crazy motherfucker?" Simon stands up. This is fucked up! "He must be dangerous. Deranged even to want someone like that. To train someone like that. We have to know who it is." My gun goes right to her head and she shakes.

"Please. I don't know anything about him. I-I... " She fumbles trying to think. "I only ever heard that he is over forty years old." Each information she gives fucking blows my mind.

"This keeps getting worse. When was the wedding supposed to be?"

"In less than two weeks from now."

"FUCK!!!" This time I shoot a hole into my wall. It takes a few breathes for me to calm down. "How much does her mother know? What part does she play?" We never spoke of her.

"She knows everything. She... She is very devoted to her husband and whatever he says she does."

FUCKED. UP!!! My girl literally grew up with no proper emotional support just like me. No family that understands or treated her well. Just like me. Just trained to be used as a family legacy. JUST LIKE ME!!! Here I was thinking we are polar opposites!!! Our wounds are same! Unloved, Unseen, Prisoners of the cause we are born into! Just that I licked mine clean a long time ago and her's just opened!

The fact that her life is in danger fills me with rage. Her light needs to shine brighter. No one will dim it ever again. I will give her everything. EVERY FUCING THING SHE EVER WANTED!!! I will give her a family. I can make her whoever she wants to be. I will protect her. When she looked at me with those tears in her asking as I held her, it nearly made me stop this. But the truth has to come to light.

"One last question." My gun moves away from her forehead. "What did she want to become?" Julia looks at me like I just lost my mind.

"She-She likes to cook. It helps her clear her head. She never spoke to me about what she wants to become. She cooks really well. They made her take classes and it's the only thing she enjoys."

Ah! My beautiful girl can cook then. When was the last time I had a proper homemade meal made by someone I love or someone that loves me? Probably when my mother was alive? Maybe when I was five. Hmm!!!

"She wanted a family. Someone she can love without limits. She thought she can love her future husband, but..." She trails off. We both know that's not possible. Must one sick fucker to have such requests for his wife.

"Do you know why I left you unharmed and alive?" She looks at me and shakes her head. "Not because you are her friend. Because you are Loyal to her. You never left her. You followed her for more than just duty." She could have informed David by now if she wanted to. She could have climbed that ladder, not that she could get any far, but she could have made that choice which she didn't. That's gold!!!

"We never take it for granted." Simon speaks from behind me. I knew met anyone more loyal than him. That's the reason where he is today. My brother from another mother!!! "You didn't even answer some questions just for the sake of your loyalty to her. That takes some fucking guts." Well, it's safe to say Simon is impressed and that's something from the way he can't shut up.

"You." My gun goes under her chin. She trembles. "Will live as long as your loyalty lies with my girl. She is mine now. No more escape hatches." Although I doubt she would want to escape now. "You chose my girl over the duty. I will let you live this once." I let go and she breathes. A few sobs escape from her finally understanding that we won't kill her.

"T-Thank you."

"You know what to do with them." I speak to Simon as I point to the three men. He nods. They won't see the light of another day. They have committed crimes that could scare a normal person. "No need to search anymore about her. We won't find anything."

I walk out of the office and saw Ryan messaged that she is in my room. Our Room! It made me happy that she did. She didn't go to her friend's room. She went right to ours. As fucked up as it is, it made me feel happy. Climbing up two stairs at a time, I reach the room and slowly push it open.

Why am I so obsessed with her?! I just need her with me all the time! I want her smell on me all the time! I want HER on me all the time!!!

She is lying there on my bed curled up into a ball. My heart breaks for her. Her whole world crumbled apart and I was the reason why.

It doesn't matter to me who she is. Bella and Angelica. Both are mine.

I will put you together, my Little Dove! I will protect you!

Bella Devina's POV

"Don't call her Angelica anymore! She will be Bella now! Don't you dare question me!"

"Bella, sit straight! Don't hunch!"

"Bella, never yell at a man. Your future husband would not appreciate that!"

"Bella, learn to cook properly. You cannot make a mistake. They way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"Stop! STOP!!! STOOOOPPPPPP!!!!" I yell and suddenly a pair of hands surround me pulling me into the warmth of their body. I am being cradled. I want to push away, but I needed that familiar smell and warmth. I know who it is. It is the man who gave me the truth. It hurts like a fucking bitch! But I know I needed to know that. "Go away." I murmur but don't pull away.

"Shh." He whispers. "Anything except that."

Ah! This overbearing man! I didn't know where to run in this huge mansion to calm down. My legs took me to this room while my mind wandered with all the information that has just been forced on to me. Tears won't stop falling. Was that all? Is there more to find? I can't take anymore for now! I have to deal with this first!

"Do you know what I do when I am pissed?" He asks and I stay silent. He kisses my temple. "I fuck so fucking rough." I don't even shudder. "Or I shoot some fucking bullets off." Like I did a few minutes ago.

"It seems like the only thing we have in common." I comment trying to distract myself. He chuckles.

"Far from it, Little Dove. We have a lot in common." I look at him like he is crazy. "Come." He lifts me up from the bed. I don't even ask where we are going.

"Nothing will help me distract now."

"I am not going to help you distract. You are going to live it. You are going to live through this truth right now."

This man surprises me every minute. It has been less than two days and so much has happened. He carries me down the stairs to the back of the mansion. This mansion is like a maze when I saw it yesterday. It looks the same from all the sides when seen from outside. My hands are around his neck. I don't protest. I just give in.

Once we reach where he is taking me, he places me down. I look around and it is a huge clearing. There is a target at the far end. Behind me there is a resting area with shades. There are walls with stacks of guns placed. All types of guns are available. He comes back and puts a thick coat on me. It is cold outside. I don't know where he brought it from and I am not questioning his magic right now.

I go to the wall and look through the guns.

"Choose one, chica." He comes with me. I choose the one that is big hoping it would have more bullets. I have never seen a display of guns like this. I never expected it to be out here. "Good one. Come. " He takes my hand and makes me stand on an X mark. "I would urge you to get the target. But for now. Just shoot it out, my Princess." He kisses my cheek from behind with his hands on my waist.

Once he moves a step back, I aim at the target and shoot.

Boom!

"Listen to your father, Bella! Only he can protect you!"

Boom! Boom!

"Don't wear short dresses. You look like a whore!"

"Sorry, Dad!"

Boom! Boom!! BOOM!!!

I keep shooting it out. Once the bullets are out, Gabriel gives me another gun filled with bullets and I shoot some more. I don't know when, but I stop. Tears no more burn my eyes. My rage took over somewhere in the middle and I let all of it go.

My whole life! It was all to please someone! It was all a set up! Just because I was a woman!!!

Once I am done, I turn back and point my gun at him. He is standing there leaning against a table. He sees me turn the gun on him, but just stands there with his hands in his pocket. I go to him and the end of the gun touches his chest.

"Tell me why I shouldn't shoot you?" I could end it here. I could run away and no one would know. No one would stop me.

"It's not that you shouldn't." He starts. "You couldn't." His steel grey eyes meet my baby blues. "There is a lot you don't know yet, my Little Dove. You feel like nothing in the world is yours." A pit forms in my stomach. "But I am yours. I belong to you. I am yours." The sincerity in his eyes rips my heart open. "I. AM. YOUR. TRUTH!!!"

HE FUCKING IS!!!

"I imagined many ways I would die, but fuck!" He smiles like he is about to get the best gift. "If I die at your hands, that's the best fucking way to go and the best fucking thing that ever happens to me-" I let go of the gun and it falls down the floor. My lips meet his as I close the gap between us. But I pull away before he can respond.

He lifts me up again and carries me to the lounging area, placing me on his lap and adjusting me comfortably like me usually does. I don't have the energy anymore. My body and mind are tired. My heart needs to heal.

"You can be whoever you want to me, Little Dove. Angelica, Bella or even someone new." He speaks. "You belong here. No matter who you are. I need your light. As long as you choose you, you can be anything fucking thing you want to be and do any fucking thing you want."

"Like I have a place to go." I comment and he chuckles again.

"Just keep sassing me like this, that's all I need."

How can an obsession be this beautiful?

I want to ask about Julia. I want to know what they did to the other three guys. He made me shoot one of the three guys in the knee to blackmail Julia. Is he okay?

"You said there is a lot more I don't know."

"Not today. Some other day." He is right! I can't process anymore information today.

"What's the dare?" I ask. He holds my chin and makes me look at him.

"I dare you to find yourself and be yourself." I thought I ran out of tears for the day and there... Another one falls out. "I will help you." He kisses my forehead. I rest my head on his chest.

This man! This tall dark man!!!

I remember losing myself once I became Bella. All my likes and dislikes have been forced out of me. It became suffocating. I became an illusion of myself. Everything I was was ANGELICA. She loved life.

"I think I want to be ANGELICA." I say to myself. He pats my hair lovingly.

"Whatever you want, my Phoenix." I understand the meaning behind his new name for me. Burnt down and rising from the ashes. The same Phoenix, but a new life.

How amazing is it? That's it?! I get to be me?! Just like that?!!! I just have to choose it? Like he says?!!!

It is just Tuesday. It has been only two days since we met and it feels like it's been years. So much has happened. I believe a lot is yet to come. This is just the beginning!

My eyes feel heavy and I fall asleep to the rhythm of his heartbeat.

So he does have a heart!

I hear him say something before I fall deep asleep.

"Sleep now, my Wife."

I brush it off as my imagination. But I knew one thing for sure.

This is just the beginning!!!

A/N:

Hey my cute dumplings!

So, she was supposed to be his WIFE!!!! I mean, the fun has just begun!

A lot more to unleash.

Tell me! Tell me what you think!!!

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