The Bridal Swap |book 2|

85.Luka

🎵Listen to Graduation by Juice Wrld🎶

***

"Oh ! My ! God ! Luka !"

Is the last thing I hear before disappearing into the dark warehouse. It has been exactly thirteen minutes since I've been in here looking for Cece but still... there is no sign of anyone at all. Not even Heather and her team.

Taking out my phone, I go to the tracker app and put in Talia's details.

Why ?

Because, the car outside isn't Iglesias', its Talia's. My dad gifted her the car from his own personal collection as our engagement gift and I doubt Talia gave it back.

I wanted to tell Heather that particular detail but I didn't, and I hate to admit it but, I wanted to protect Talia.

The beeping of the tracker app indicates that Talia indeed is here. In this very warehouse where my dad is and I guess Cece also is. This isn't going to end well cause the last I checked, neither Talia, nor Iglesias are fans of Cece. So them having something to do with her disappearance is starting to make much more sense.

"Mr Andres."

Great.

"My instructions were clear. You were to step down, not actually act heroic but here you are. Ev-"

I don't let Heather finish scolding me like a child because I sprint towards Talia's location. If anyone knows where Cece is... its definitely is her.

Heather follows, but this time, she is not yelling obscenities towards me. A couple of dark corners later, I find Talia's exact location and not because of the Andres Tech tracking app, but because of the hideous cry she's letting out.

"Talia !" I call out, slowly walking towards a rusty, grey, metallic door but before I'm even there, someone pushes past me.

Heather !

"Mr Andres, stay back. I don't think you should be in here."

As usual, I don't listen to her. Now I'm the one pushing past her and the scene before me is horrifying.

The scene makes me want to gag, and by looking at Heather's expression, I know she feels the same.

***

I've never been the one to pity people, but right now, standing in this room, seeing Talia on her knees crying her heart out, holding an Andres family 38. caliber hand gun... I  feel pity.

Sigh.

Too bad that all goes away after seeing my dad's lifeless body sprawled to the ground loosing blood and Cece's unconscious body a distance away, blood covering her abdominal area.

My heart stops.

***

"You lied to me."

"It was the only way to make you come with Ash."

"I had to Cece. Please understand."

"So this means your dad knows ?"

"F*ck you Luka !"

"You had one job Luka ! One job ! Not to tell anyone, yet you did..."

"Cece"

"...if something happens to me or Ash, count yourself responsible."

***

She warned me.

Cece warned me and I didn't listen. This is all my fault. I'm the one who convinced her to come back here, if I didn't, none of this would have ever happened, and maybe, just maybe... Cece would be safe and Ashlyn would be in her mother's arms.

A tear threatens to fall but I don't let it happen because Cece deserves better. Better than me. All this time I've been hating on Talia for hurting Cece numerous times when I've been the thorn in Cece's life.

I'm her poison.

Me.

"Mr Andres..."

Taking in a deep sigh, I crouch to where Cece is and hold on to her, tight. I can't lift her cause both her legs are chained together. She has lost a lot of weight, and a lot of blood too. That can be seen.

Remembering that she's pregnant only makes me sick. She never deserved any of this.

"The medics will be here in a minute." Heather says as she handcuffs Talia.

"Luka I'm sorry, I don't know  what got into me. Luka please !" Talia's loud screams come out as nothing but noise as she's being taken away.

Enrique comes in a minute later with the medics. He gently and carefully gets me away from Cece's body as Heather's team untie her legs. Her body is laid on a stretcher and I walk out with her.

My dad's body is directly taken to the morgue because he died on the spot,  way before we even got here. It has been almost two weeks that Cece has been missing and all it took is my dad dying to find her.

***

The drive to the hospital is one of the longest rides I've ever been on. Cece has been kept on all types of machines and all I can do is watch as the medics rush with time to save her, or what's left of her.

Watching her in this form brings all types of images in my head.

"Luka..."

Cece.

"We have a pulse !"

Crouching to her level, Cece gets hold of my blood stained shirt and brings my ears to her pale lips.

"I love yo..." She tries to whisper before one of the machines starts beeping loudly and I'm being pushed back.

"We're loosing her !"

"Cece no!"

"Cece !"

"Cece !"

"Cece !"

What follows is I fall into an abyss of nothingness because all I see is darkness.

Nothing but pure darkness.

The End.

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Epilogue will be out tomorrow.