Cameron

I had never felt rage equal to that which rose in me watching that slob of a man trying to grab my Alara.

"Touch her, and you're dead," I gritted out, my voice deadly serious. I rushed forward, grabbing the man from behind and slamming him against the nearest wall, a sickening crack resounded through the room as he connected with the hard surface. He let out a grunt of pain, trying to overpower me but there was nothing like the rage of a man who knew someone he cared about was hurt.

He tried to weasel his way out of my grasp but my anger was insurmountable, I only stopped when I heard the distinctive click of a gun being cocked.

"Let him go, or I'll blow her brains out," Cole Mason snarled, his thin hands clasping a gun that was aimed right at Alara's temple.

Her gaze was muted, she looked neither afraid or relived, her eyes never leaving mine. All her concentration on me, with a melting pot of emotions unspoken in the air and an effortless sigh that dropped from her lips.

"You won't shoot me Cole, you need me," she was calm and composed in her response. Her features schooled to be unreadable, not an ounce of fear in those honeyed eyes.

"No, Alara, I need your body," fury raged through me at the statement, though I didn't know what he meant by that the thought of any other man doing anything at all to Alara's body made my blood boil. But more so, anything happening to Alara at all made me see red.

"Go on then, shoot me," she turned to face him eyes wild with defiance, and against what anyone thought was going to happen. She stepped forward until the metal of the gun was pressed firmly between her eyes.

She glared deeply into Cole's dead grey eyes, I watched as his fingers twitched around the trigger.

"Shoot me." she repeated with resolve.

It was then I spotted why she had stepped forward, whilst Cole was completely focused on her and the gun being pressed against her flesh, his eyes were away from her hands, her right arm, snaking behind her to grab the pistol on the counter.

Smart.

It was just me here, Dane and Leo had gone to scout out the rest of the forest, to see if there were any other people roaming around, and I silently prayed they would come soon. If Alara's plan didn't work.

Then I noticed, the man in my grasp's beady eyes, dart to Alara's wavering hand, he was about to shout to Cole but I was quick to silence him pressing my hand against his mouth and slamming my knee into his back. His muffled cry of pain enough to distract Cole and make him turn, giving Alara the time she needed to grab the gun and fire.

Without hesitation she shot Cole, she shot him in the shoulder and I knew immediately why, she didn't want to kill him, only incapacitate.

"You bitch," he spat clutching his shoulder as blood pooled out of it.

"You're the one writhing on the floor," she snapped back still clutching onto her pistol. Cole reached for his own gun that he had dropped and Alara noticed, kicking it out of his reach.

He glared at her but soon his eyes snapped to the doorway where Dane and Leo rushed in.

"Fuck, I missed all the fun," Leo commented as his eyes zeroed in on Cole and his gunshot wound.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side, Alara, you're a deadly shot," the statement brought a slight smile to her face.

"I may be a good shot but we can't just leave him here," she glanced over at the gushing wound and without thinking too much about it bent down to be level with the wound. The look of surprise on Cole's face was the focus of everyone attention.

She knelt so she was eye level with the wound, tearing off a portion of her dress she began to wipe away the blood he hissed in pain, as she used one of her elongated nails to pull the bullet from the wound.

"Not very sanitary but it will have to do," she murmured to herself.

"So you shoot me and then dress the wound,"

She steeled her gaze at him, "Would you rather I stop, and leave you to bleed out?"

That shut him up.

I paced over to Alara, once she was done lifting her to her feet, and pulling her close.

"You've got to stop doing this," I whispered into her ear, "I don't think I could take it if you disappear again."

She laughed lightly the sweet sound calming my racing heart, "Like I'm doing this on purpose,"

That was when she spotted Dane, her eyes narrowing with contempt, "What are you doing here?"

"Is that anyway to greet a man Ma chérie?" Dane leaned against the frame of the door, the picture of calm a completely different man to the one terrified in the helicopter.

"You destroyed my bookshop, kidnapped me not even a week ago and you got everyone riled up about this stupid Blood Diamond, so I'm sorry if I'm not happy to see you,"

"Touché."

I stared down at Cole's body slumped to the side and sheen of sweat forming on his brow, "So much for telling me not to worry and that she was safe."

"I wasn't going to hurt her," he ground out.

"No you were just going to let that sleaze cut off my birthmark," I stalled at the statement my brow furrowing in confusion.

"They were going to do what?" a fresh wave of anger rippled through me.

Alara, took my hands in hers, and gazed deeply into my eyes, her soft breathing a constant rhythm in my ears, "It's ok, I'm fine. We're fine."

All I could do was nod, she had stolen my voice and she didn't even know it.

The man who I had come to learn was Morris, grunted from the floor, "This is not what I signed up for Mason, you promised me riches,"

My thumb glided over the bare skin of her shoulder, resting lightly on this birthmark everyone wanted to get their hands on. The texture beneath the pad of my thumb was slightly different to the rest of her skin there were indeed more grooves between the layers of skin almost like braille.

"There really is something there," I mused aloud as Alara's eyes followed my hands.

"Who would've known I was a walking map," she tried to put a light spin on the situation as she always did.

"Who would've known?"

She turned back to Cole momentarily, "Should we take him to the hospital?"

"His friends a surgeon, why doesn't he help him," Dane suddenly interjected.

His gaze was cool as he looked at his second in command, "Why did you go against me Cole?"

Cole remained silent pressing his lips together, "Didn't I tell you I would get the Mortello girl myself and we would both be powerful with the Blood Diamond."

"You better not turn on me Laurier," I was already reaching for my gun after hearing his words, "None of you are laying a finger on Alara,"

Leo placed himself behind Dane, his pistol held up and ready to shoot at a moments notice, "You're not going to do anything to Cam's girl," he threatened, and it shouldn't be taken lightly.

Dane raised his hand in surrender, "I wouldn't dream of it, mon ami, I don't need the map on Alara not if she organises a meeting with her Grandfather."

"Not gonna happen, he's got Alzheimer's I'm not going to stress him out more by bringing you to him, I'd rather you cut this damn birthmark off of me," she responded completely serious.

"That can be arranged."

"Don't even fucking think about it Laurier, no one and I mean no one is going anywhere near Alara, no one but me."

"Strong words from you Grayson, could it be you have finally found someone you care about. Someone who has thawed that ever so cold heart of yours," he quirked a brow and even though the answer was yes I couldn't bring myself to say it.

"You'll find out how cold my heart can be if you ever cross me again Laurier, " then turning towards the door with Leo and Alara in toll, I added, "Find your own way home."