Chapter 63 - Dead

"Call your woman out or I will shoot you!" The lazy boss aka Matteo Normani warned Santiago. They weren't told by their supreme boss to kill Santiago Vitello. So they were only here to capture the woman. But if they had to kill him for ruining their plan, they wouldn't hesitate to finish him. 

Even if they killed Santiago, Joseph would bear all the consequences. After all, the Royal family was in a big mess. 

"I don't know what woman you are talking about,'' Santiago told him calmly. "If you don't believe me, ask your men to search the forest and see if I am lying." 

"Vitello, do you think that I am dumb? I clearly saw the woman with you. She deceived us and ran away with you," Matteo Normani hissed. Such a little thing had a deadly and big brain. She not only bickered with Covrado to distract all of them, but also helped Santiago to buy the time in throwing the smoke bomb. 

As a result, fifteen out of twenty men were killed. Now only, three soldiers, he and Covrado we're alive. How he wished that it was that clown to be dead than the useful soldiers! 

"Throw your weapon," Matteo ordered. Since he had his gun pointed at Santiago, it was clear to the latter that he wouldn't hesitate before pulling the trigger. Santiago threw the weapon on the ground and strode ahead as ordered by him. "Wherever you are, woman, come out. We will spare you man if you come out." 

Matteo didn't see Persephone anywhere. In the deep forest, all he could see and hear were huge trees and the voices of birds and insects. 

"Since you don't want to come out…. Then, don't blame me for killing your man," Matteo shouted, his fingers on the trigger. "I will count to five. If you still didn't come out…"

"1..."

"2…"

"3…"

Persephone, who was hiding on the tree, was sweating badly. She could clearly see Santiago grinning even when Matteo had his gun pointed at his skull. She knew that the devil wouldn't think before pulling the trigger. She had seen two deaths in front of her… she was responsible for both. She couldn't see him die in front of his eyes. 

Again, she would be the reason for his death. 

Even if he was a criminal, a bad man, morally corrupt, she couldn't see him dying. 

"4…"

Shutting her eyes, he took several deep breaths before opening them. She was ready to show herself. 

However, as Persephone was about to call out Santiago's name to reveal her location, a gunshot rang, piercing Matteo's ear forcing the gun to fall from his head. Santiago immediately responded by kicking him in his crotch and grabbed the gun from the ground. 

"Who's gonna kill who?" Santiago said with a chuckle. 

Matteo tried to kick Santiago but failed to get hold of the gun. At the same moment, the three alive soldiers emerged pointing their guns at Santiago but they failed as he used Matteo's body as his armor and then shot them in the head. 

Matteo was dead and so were the three soldiers. 

Santiago, who was now relaxing his stiff muscles, looked at the south and spoke, "Come out, Emanuel. They are dead." 

When Matteo had caught Santiago in the bushes, he had seen Emanuel hiding a little away from him. 

Emanuel didn't come out when Santiago was at the tip of the gun. He only reacted when Matteo was about to shoot Santiago. He had intended to kill the assailant but since he was bad at shooting, the bullet hit Matteo's ear only. But it was enough to catch him off guard. His moment of loss of controlled was taken advantage of by Santiago. 

Next, Santiago helped Persephone to climb down the tree. As her feet touched the ground, she pulled him in a bear hug. "You stupid man! What if something were happened to you?! Can't you respect your life by not putting it in danger?!" 

Awkwardly, Santiago rubbed her back. He didn't know why she burst like an explosive. Wasn't he just trying to save his life? 

Still, he said, "Your life is more important." 

Emanuel who was standing right beside them shook his head in helplessness. "And they say that they aren't a couple." 

"I'm telling you, Villain, next time don't put your life in danger," Persephone said, breaking the hug. Pointing her finger at him, she reminded him. "Do you get it?"

Santiago nodded only to calm her down. 

"Emanuel, we should check their bodies. Maybe, we will find something useful," Persephone said immediately. It was good that she had watched and read a number of thrillers. And the knowledge was now helping them. 

Emanuel glanced at Santiago to ask for permission. After all, he was their supreme boss. 

Santiago again nodded his head. 

When Emanuel and Persephone were checking the pockets of dead soldiers, Santiago was trying to nurse his bleeding arm. He didn't inform them that his vision was blurring and he had started feeling dizzy. Although he was strong, his hypoglycemia was not letting the bleeding to stop. 

"I found some money, cards, cellphones, and few other useful things," Emanuel shouted. 

"I found car keys, dude," Persephone shouted in excitement. 

"Let's leave immediately. I'm afraid more people will come soon" Santiago informed them. 

Emanuel and Persephone started marching behind Villain with the stuff in their hands. 

When they were thinking that all of the enemy's men were dead, the clown named Covrado emerged with a revolver in his hand. 

"Weapons down. Hands up. Or you all die."

The three of them froze. 

"Do as I say or you all will die" 

The stuff that the three was carrying in their hands fell down as their raised their head in the air as per the orders. 

"Good. Good," Covrodo murmured. Pointing his gun at Persephone, he said, "You come ahead." Without looking left or right, Persephone stepped ahead. When there was only a few inches gap between the two of them, Covrado leaned forward and slapped her hard. Her lips starter bleeding due to the force of the slap. "This is for using me, bitch." 

"You---" Santiago marched ahead to kill him but stopper when a gunshot rang near his ear. 

"Come ahead and see how I kill your little bitch," Covrado threatened him. 

"Don't come ahead, Villain. He is a freak, " Persephone shouted. 

Colorado shot another bullet near Persephone's foot to scare her. 

She shrieked and stepped back subconsciously. To stop her from jumping like a rabbit, he shot another bullet behind her feet. "Stop jumping or another bullet will be targeted at your head." 

"Why are you doing this?" Tears streamed down her face. "Why am I getting targetted?"

Covrado laughed evilly. "It is your fault for messing with my godfather. You are to be blamed for your misfortune." 

_____

Hundred of kilometers away…. 

"Your Majesty!!" Sir Andreas's anxious voice was heard inside His Majesty's private chamber. 

"What happened?!" The King could guess something grave must have happened to affect his assistant this much. 

"The country's in chaos right now. PM Joseph is dead," Sir Andreas said with a bewildered expression. 

"What?!!!" King Leonardo was left stunned. 

About thirty minutes ago, PM Joseph was found brutally murdered in Prime Minister's residence. The security cameras were not working. He was found naked, his balls brutally crushed with a sharp weapon, his neck was stabbed by what seemed like a fork, his chest had marks of teeth and his head was banged on the wall again and again. From the looks of the corpse, it couldn't be said that the killer was professional. 

"It couldn't be any of the dark horse," King Leonard murmured, collapsing on the divan. 

"They can't be. It was a messy kill," Sir Andreas found himself replying. "The public is going berserk. The royal family is getting blamed for his murder. Curfew is needed to be imposed to control the destruction, Your Majesty." 

"Call an emergency meeting immediately, " King Leonardo ordered. "And keep my children safe as soon as possible. No one other than their appointed knights and trusted maids to come near them." 

Sir Andreas nodded. He hesitated before asking, "What about Miss Giselle?" 

"What about her?"King Leonardo furrowed his brow. 

"She was last seen in the infirmary."

King Leonardo cursed Santiago before saying, "Keep her safe with my children." 

"And inform Callum, Nash, and Killian immediately." 

_____

A woman dressed in a white wedding gown could be seen running in the middle of a pistachio orchard. Black tears were leaking out from her eyes, dark hairs were peeking out of what seemed like a fancy bun, splashes of red were marring the expensive ivory fabric. 

"Your grace…." A whisper escaped Jane's mouth as she saw her mistress running towards her in a bloody attire. 

"I killed him, Jane. I killed him. I have become a murderer in law's eyes." 

"Shh…"the old servant they the basket full of green pistachios on the ground and embraced the woman in her arms.