Enemy of my Enemy

𝕰𝖑𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓

Bianca's head pounded and ached all through the night, but it turned out to be worth it, because at around noon, Reyes came to her and told her that her living situations had been modified. He took her to a nice, large bedroom upstairs, which had a bathroom attached to it. Bianca noted there wasn't a single window in here, which had been smart of Reyes or whoever it was that had chosen this room for her, because the first thing Bianca would've done would've been trying to jump out. Clean clothes hung in the closet, and there was even a television in the room. She spent most of the afternoon flicking through channels she never watched. As far as hostage situations went, hers didn't seem so bad.

She would've kept count of the days with the meals she received, but she wasn't sure how many meals a day they were bringing her. Her wristwatch was of no use, too, because at some point in the second day, she fell asleep and couldn't figure out whether it was eleven in the morning or eleven at night.

Bianca guessed about four to five days had passed, when guards stormed inside with guns- Real guns with actual bullets- Leveled at her head. And as not even the daughter of an alpha was capable of surviving a shot to the head, she reluctantly didn't fight back when Reyes grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room.

It didn't take her long to figure out there was tension in the air. A whole lot of it, at that.

She was taken to a part of the house she had never been to before. The halls weren't as bare, and there were plenty of windows letting in the light of the setting sun from outside. This whole place seemed very peaceful and friendly, minus the lethal weapon-wielding guards. Bianca wondered if there had ever been a time her childhood home had looked this way.

Then came the sound of shattering glass. Followed by a series of shouts that involved no small number of cursing.

Bianca glanced up at the man holding her by her arm. Reyes's somewhat easygoing attitude from the last time they'd spoken had completely disappeared. Not a glint of humor in his eyes. Was this his real self? Or was his other self his real self, and this self an act?

She frowned, not being able to keep up with her own thoughts.

A guard stepped forward and opened the door for Reyes. He marched inside, dragging Bianca in with him. Pacing behind his desk with the broken neck of a bottle was Grayson. Blood was dripping out of his hand, but he appeared not to notice or care. When he looked up at her, Bianca felt a sudden shock travel up her spine. His eyes were glowing red, but what startled her more than that was how unhinged his gaze was. Was this the Grayson Briare the rumors spoke of, the one who would go so far as to kill his own father with his two bare hands?

"Sit down," Grayson spoke to Bianca, his voice too calm for his crazed state.

Bianca contemplated not doing what he said, just to see what would happen, but decided against it. She wasn't scared, not exactly, but he'd definitely managed to put her in a state of unease.

She slid into the chair in front of his desk. She heard the guards who'd followed her and Reyes here enter the room, but she didn't turn her head to look at them. Bianca kept her total attention focused on Grayson.

"I just talked with your father, Bianca," Grayson slowly began. "I couldn't reach him at all after I called him the first night. Then, out of the blue, he decides to contact me. We shared an... Interesting conversation."

Bianca held her breath. Whereas Grayson was at least somewhat predictable, her father wasn't. He'd surprised her by not showing up as soon as she'd gotten abducted. Now, she really had absolutely no idea as to what his plan was to get her back.

Lorenzo was planning on getting her back. Wasn't he?

Grayson placed a burner phone on his desk for all to see, then pulled out a recording device from his pocket. "Would you like to listen to what your father said, Bianca?"

Grayson sounded like he was using every last bit of his effort to remain composed.

"Not really," Bianca mumbled.

Grayson laughed- No, he let out a mad cackle. He pressed a button on the recorder, and out of it came her father's voice.

"Grayson Briare. You have nerve, I'll give you that much."

"You know, your daughter told me that exact same thing five days ago."

"My daughter knows how to spot a formidable opponent when she sees one."

"I'm flattered."

A pause.

"Speaking of, where is Bianca?"

"Safe with me. And if you'd like things to stay this way, I recommend you hear me out instead of abruptly cutting me off like last time."

"I'll humor you."

"I want your assets, I want your territory, and I want your pack."

"Is that it?"

"In return, I'll make sure Bianca remains under perfect care," Grayson replied, completely ignoring her father's sarcasm.

"I'm impressed. I know Bianca and what she's capable of. Abducting her couldn't have been easy."

Grayson didn't reply.

"What happens if I don't agree to your... Demands?" Her father sounded amused.

"I'll torture her to the brink of death, wait until she heals up, then repeat it all over again the next day."

Another pause.

"Thank you for that, Mister Briare. You've just given me confirmation that you have no intentions of killing my daughter. And as long as she remains alive, I don't see why I should have to give up my life's work to you."

A stunned silence filled the room when these words came flowing out of the recorder. Bianca could tell everyone in the room- Reyes, the guards, all of them- Were stunned at her father's response.

"I don't think you understand, Blackburn," Grayson laughed in the recording. "I will carve her up until she is begging me for the sweet relief of death. Are you really saying you don't care?"

"About my daughter? I do care. I care enough not to want her dead. But other than that, I have no worries about what is in store for her. She's managed to live in the same house as me for this long, hasn't she?"

"What are you-"

"Give her all you've got, Grayson. But if I couldn't put a dent in her for eighteen years, I very much doubt a nineteen year old boy with high ambitions and no proper way of achieving them can."