by Bella J.
For some reason, I expected to see Karina in the car, prepared myself to give her the world’s biggest goddamn hug ever. But she wasn’t there. Instead, I turned, only to stare into the crystal blue eyes of the devil himself.
“Vadik.” His name left my mouth with nothing more than a breath.
“My dear Nessuno.” His lips curved. “Finally, you’re back where you belong.”
He leaned across the seat, and I still tried to fight…until it went dark.
Chapter 17
Antonio
There was nothing but broken glass inside my chest, shards slicing my heart into pieces. I was gutted as if my body and soul had been turned inside out.
I wasn’t a weak man. Far from it. But when she held that blade against her wrist, I felt like the weakest man alive. Every ounce of strength instantly drained from my body. Every beat of my heart only spread the fear further through my veins. It scared the shit out of me. The thought of her taking her own life, of her no longer breathing, was the most pain I had ever experienced. I knew she wasn’t bluffing. It was in her eyes. The desperation. The resolve. Something was driving her. Something or someone had her in a corner, and she had no choice. But what?
Think, Antonio. Think.
There was no doubt Vadik was behind this, but she wouldn’t go to him willingly. There was no way she would just up and run back to the devil she feared the most. Something didn’t make sense. If there was something going on, she would have come to me. Confided in me. Unless…unless something was at stake. Like the night at Vertigo. She was willing to go with that son of a bitch solely to save Karina. And when he threatened my little sister, Doe finally snapped, made a complete one-eighty and killed the fucker…in order to save Karina.
“Jesus,” I muttered. “Fuck. Lorik, where’s Karina?”
“She’s upstairs in our room. Why?”
“How sure are you that she’s there?”
“Fuck, man.” He pulled out his phone, his fingers swiping across the screen. “Jesus fucking Christ.” He froze, staring at the phone.
“What? What is it?”
He looked up. “A black heart.”
I frowned. “A what?”
“A black heart. Ever since she got kidnapped by Enzio, we decided to have a secret SOS in case one of us was in trouble.”
I pulled my hand through my hair. “Let me guess, a black fucking heart.”
Lorik didn’t stick around to hear my full sentence. He ran up the stairs and into the house in record time. I didn’t bother following. I already knew Karina wasn’t going to be in the bedroom.
Dante cursed. “What the fuck do we do now?”
I plucked out my phone and called Lucio. He answered on the first ring.
“Track her,” was all I said before I hung up.
There was no need to explain. Dante already knew what was happening.
“I’ll get the car.” He rushed into the house just as Lorik came back out, screaming like a maniac.
“That fucking son of a fucking bitch. I’m going to kill him. If he harms one hair on her stubborn little head, I will fucking kill him. I swear to fucking—”
“Lorik!” I yelled. “Calm the fuck down.”
“How the fuck can you tell me to calm the fuck down when this psycho pervert has my woman, and your woman just ran straight fucking to him?”
I couldn’t think. I couldn’t focus. Everything that was happening felt like a fucking blur, and for the first time in my entire goddamn life, I felt helpless as shit.
My phone rang. “Lucio?”
“We got her.”
“Send it to my GPS.”
Dante pulled up with the Audi, got out, and popped the trunk.
“Jesus, did you rob the military?” Lorik stared at the guns while Dante and I stashed as many weapons on us as we could.
My phone rang, and I answered thinking it was Lucio, but it wasn’t.
“Hello, Mr. Valenti.”
I froze. “Who is this?”
“The man you stole from.”
“Vadik.” It wasn’t a question.
“So, you admit you stole from me?”
His accent was thick, the Russian fucker sounding as evil as I had imagined. I took a step back, clutching the phone. “I didn’t fucking steal anything from you.”
“You stole my most precious possession, Mr. Valenti.”
“You listen to me, you crazy son of a bitch,” the veins in my arms bulged, my heart beating a thousand beats per minute, “Doe is not a fucking possession.”
“Doe?” He sounded amused, letting out an irritating as fuck laugh. “You mean Nessuno.”
“No. That’s not her name. Not anymore.”
More laughing.
“Vadik, if you value your fucking life—”
“You had no right to steal her from me.”
“I did not steal her from you, you motherfucker!” I wanted to break the goddamn phone in my hands. Anger mixed with fear was something new to me. It wasn’t a feeling I was used to. I hated it.
“If you want your sister back alive, I’d suggest you be a little nicer, Mr. Valenti.”
“You mean my sister and Doe.”
“Oh, no. No, I don’t. See, you might be able to get your pretty little sister back. But there is not a chance in hell you’ll get my little, broken girl back.”
“She’s not yours!” I was teetering on the edge. My mind was about to fucking explode because I had never felt so goddamn helpless before in my life.
“Here’s my deal, Mr. Valenti. I’ll give you your pretty, little sister back in exchange—”
“In exchange for what?” I spat out the words, my insides feeling like there were ten demons clawing their way out of me.
He tsked. “It’s rude to interrupt—”
“You son of a bitch. In exchange for what?”
Silence.
“In exchange for you.”
“Done.” There wasn’t a moment of hesitation. I’d gladly trade myself if that meant saving Karina and Doe. “Name the place.”
“I think it’s only fitting if we finish this where it all started. Boston Harbor. Twenty minutes. I suggest you keep your little entourage of Valentis at home. We wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt.”
He hung up, and it took every ounce of control I had not to smash my goddamn phone. But I took a deep breath, trying to focus on what was important. And that was making sure the two most important women in my life stayed safe.
“Yo, bro.” Dante called. “Let’s hustle.”
There wasn’t any time for me to think anything through. I had twenty minutes. Twenty minutes to get to the harbor and fucking pray like hell my girls were safe.
“Dante,” I said as I rushed toward the car, “give me the keys. I’m driving.”
Dante tossed me the keys, and the second I got into the car I locked the doors.
“What the fuck, man?” Lorik bashed against the passenger side window. “Open the fucking door.”
I started the ignition and pumped the gas, tires screeching across the asphalt. Looking in my rearview mirror, I saw Dante and Lorik running after me. It felt like shit leaving them behind. But I had no choice. All I could do was hope they would somehow figure it out, and that I’d be able to save both my sister and the woman I loved.
Speeding off the estate grounds, I swerved into the street. The full moon was high, the night not so completely dark. But there was something ominous in the air, the yellow glow of the moon making it seem as if the gates of hell had opened, flames casting the jaundiced shade in the night sky. For the first time in my life, I didn’t have a fucking plan. Shit was happening too fast. I was so sure we would have more time—that the security around Doe and the rest of my family would buy me enough time to get that motherfucking chip out of her neck.
Fuck!
I gripped the steering wheel tight, my knuckles turning white. It all made fucking sense now—why Doe was so determined to go to Vadik. Why she was prepared t
o do something drastic just to make sure I’d let her leave. I knew when she held the blade against her skin that I didn’t have a choice, which was why I had the estate gates opened so she could leave. And the fact that there was a tracker hidden within in the necklace, disguised as a bloodstone, gave me a sliver of hope that I’d still be able to find her wherever she went. Unfortunately, Vadik tossed me a giant curveball by taking Karina as well.
Goddammit!
Taking out my phone, I dialed Lucio.
“Antonio,” he answered, “Dante just called. What the fuck man?”
“He’s got her.”
“I know.”
I pulled my hand down my face. “The fucker’s got Karina too.”
“Jesus,” Lucio cursed.
“It has to be an inside job. There’s no other way Vadik’s guys managed to get inside the house.”
Lucio dropped more f-bombs. “That would also explain how Renato’s goddamn corpse disappeared then reappeared at the house.”
I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger. “It doesn’t matter now. We need to get them back.”
“What’s the plan, cous?”
“Vadik agreed to a trade.”
“What trade?”
“Karina, for me.”
It took Lucio all of three seconds to figure it out. “That’s why you left Dante and Lorik behind.”
“Yeah. I can’t risk it.”
“From the looks of things, you’re on your way to the harbor.”
“Somehow I knew you’d fucking know that.”
“Hey, just because you told me to stop tracking your ass doesn’t mean I did.”
I let out a halfhearted laugh. “I never thought the day would come where I’d be thankful for you not doing what you’re told.”
A few seconds passed. “Antonio, I can have our guys all over the goddamn harbor in twenty. Just say the word.”
I bit my lower lip, wishing like hell what lay ahead would be that simple. But I knew it wouldn’t be. “Not tonight, cousin.”
“You can’t go there alone, with zero backup.”
“I don’t have a choice. If I want to get Karina out of there alive, I have to play this fucking game his way.”
“What about Doe?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, fear digging its claws into my chest. “I dunno.”
Lucio didn’t say anything. Fucker always had something to say. Hopefully, his silence wasn’t a foreshadow of what lay ahead.
“Listen,” I started, “I need you to do something for me.”
“Name it.”
Chapter 18
Doe
I felt nauseated. My brain throbbed against my skull, my tongue feeling like sandpaper inside my mouth.
I still smelled it, the sweet stench of chloroform stuck in my nostrils. The smell made me want to hurl, bringing back bad memories. Amazing how the human brain worked, connecting scents to certain memories. It sucked, having that negative connotation—which was probably why I had the need to puke.
Little by little, reality started to seep in as I gradually regained consciousness. There was no need for me to be fully aware of my surroundings to know I was back—back with him. I knew it by the ice that occupied my bones, the chill that spread through my veins, and the fear that stemmed from my soul. I felt him. I felt him all around me. His wickedness. His power. His heavy presence that consumed all the oxygen around me. Before I even opened my eyes, I saw his. The blue depths of endless evil—the cold, hard irises of the devil. He was back. He came for me.
I pushed myself up and groaned as my arms trembled. Every muscle in my body ached. It always did after I was chloroformed and manhandled by Vadik’s men. They were never gentle.
“I was wondering when my girl will wake up.”
The sound of that familiar thick Russian accent along with his grating voice was enough to push bile up the back of my throat. I didn’t want to open my eyes, but I knew I had no choice.
With my stomach turned upside down, fear running rampant with every breath, I finally gathered the courage to open my eyes while I kept myself upright with my arms.
First, I saw the steel bars in front of me. I didn’t have to look around to know I was stuck in a cage.
“Nessuno. Look at me.”
I closed my eyes again, my entire body starting to tremble. The name, the way he said it with such false tenderness, scraped pieces of bone from my spine. I took a deep breath.
“I said look at me, Nessuno.”
With a sideways glance, I peered over my shoulder. I wasn’t ready to turn all the way around to face him.
“Here.” He held out his hand just in reach from the cage. “I know how chloroform makes your head hurt.” There were two aspirins in his palm, but I refused to take it. I wanted nothing from him.
After a few seconds, he pulled his hand back. “Turn around and look at me.”
My rapid heartbeat echoed in my ear, my body completely frozen.
“I said turn around and fucking look at me!” His voice boomed through the empty space around me, causing me to jolt. Tears stung my eyes, but I clenched my jaw, refusing to show weakness.
The cage rocked gently from side to side. It was barely noticeable, but I felt it. We were on a boat. I was sure of it.
Hesitantly, I shifted, unable to stand up straight in the cage. I only managed to move my body around until finally…I looked at him.
To look into those ice blue eyes which reflected the cold rime of his soul was more horrifying than I ever could have imagined. Even though I knew this day would come, I wasn’t prepared. I wasn’t prepared at all. Antonio had spent weeks building me up, uncovering the strength he saw inside me, doing everything he could to bring it to the surface. Antonio helped me build walls around my fragile soul, and all it took was one look into Vadik’s eyes for it all to crumble into nothing but dust.
“My sweet Nessuno. You have no idea how I’ve missed you.” He reached out through the steel bars to touch a strand of my hair, but I jerked back. His thin lips curved into a wicked grin. “I wondered if you changed during our time apart. Seems like you have.”
I remained silent in fear I might vomit if I attempted to open my mouth.
Vadik leaned his head to the side, glancing at the side of my neck covered with my hair hanging over my shoulder. I shuddered, hating the way his gaze scratched across my skin. The urge to look down, to not look him in the eye, was strong. It was, after all, how I had been taught, to not look at my master without permission. But he wasn’t my master anymore. And I was no longer the slave who did what she had been taught to do.
“He had no right to take you from me.” Vadik’s voice was laced with venom. “You belong to me. You are mine.”
“I don’t belong to you,” I gritted out between clenched teeth.
He grinned. “Oh, you do, my sweet Nessuno. You do. You just need to be reminded.”
“My name is not Nessuno.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Doe, is it?” The sly grin on his face told me all I needed to know. Vadik was a powerful man; he had spies and contacts everywhere. During the last couple of months, I was never really free of him. He was still close. He was just biding his time…until now.
My heart pounded like a jackhammer against my ribs, the fear threatening to break me in half. But I refused to show it. With sheer determination, I raised my chin. “Where is Karina?”
The grin on his face faltered, anger causing the skin of his neck to flush. “It seems that the time spent with the Valenti heir made you forget your manners.”
“No,” I countered. “My time spent with the Valenti heir made me realize I was so much more than what you made me.”
The grooves on his forehead was always a telltale sign of his anger. Whenever they appeared on his face, I knew I was one mistake away from regretting my own existence.
The blond strands of his shoulder-length hair hung down the sides of his face, his skin pale—not like Antonio’s year-around tan.
If I didn’t know how wretched he was, I would have thought he was an attractive man. But I knew better. There was no end to the grotesque soul he carried around inside him.
His eyes lingered on me, and it felt like insects crawling over my skin. Seconds ticked by—tick-tock—and I knew his gaze alone was enough to drive me insane.
Unable to look at him any longer, I dropped my gaze, and he let out a laugh. “You’ll always just be Nessuno, the girl who existed solely to be used. To serve and obey.”
I bit my bottom lip before whispering, “Where is Karina?”
He slowly paced around the cage. One leisurely step in front of the other, I listened to the sound of his black, shiny, polished shoes against the wooden floors. “She’s safe.”
“Is she hurt?”
He stopped pacing. “Not yet.”
The threat was there. The possibility that he might do Karina harm. It hurt, thinking about it. Thinking Karina might be the next victim of Vadik’s madness.
“Please don’t hurt her,” I begged. “I did as you asked. I came freely, without anyone following me. Just let her go. It’s me you want.”
I finally braved it to look up at him in time to see him shrug. “True. But before I can let her go, I have one more use for the Valenti girl.”
“What? What are you talking about? Use her for what?”
He started pacing again, holding his hands behind his back as if he was sophistication personified. “To trade.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “Trade for what?”
“Who. Trade for who?”
With narrowed eyes and a racing heart, I stared at him, into the depths of his soulless eyes. I couldn’t get myself to ask, because I already knew what the answer might be. “Vadik—”
“Master!” he yelled, grabbing steel bars in his fists, rattling the cage. “I am still your fucking master, and you will address me as such.” Blue eyes blazed with rage, his cheeks red. The more I stared at his angered face, the more memories started to play off inside my head like flashcards straight from the pits of hell.
Pain.
Punishment.
