What I needed was a way out.
No one was holding me down at the moment, and even though my hands were tied behind me and my ankles were bound together too, I was sure I was lying on a soft surface.
A bed, probably, which meant they’d taken me to a room.
If it was a room, then there had to be a way out. If no one was watching me and I got free, I could escape.
I shifted, hoping to loosen the zip ties on my wrists, but it was impossible because they were too tight and cutting into my skin. My arms already ached from the uncomfortable position they were in.
I rubbed my face against the bed to get the blindfold off so I could see something, but I was having trouble doing it.
My mind briefly flew to my sister and my father.
If only I’d asked more questions and pressed my sister to tell me the truth, especially after the incident with drugs.
I should’ve asked her about the expensive bags she’d claimed she’d gotten for herself because of the awesome internship she’d scored, with a rich boss who adored her.
But I’d been naive and believed every excuse and explanation she’d given me without further question.
It just hadn’t occurred to me my sister would be covering for our father. Somehow, he’d pulled her into his game and made her lie to me.
I should’ve gotten out of town instead of thinking I’d be safe in that damn motel. I’d thought I’d been overreacting, but now it seemed like I hadn’t taken the whole thing seriously enough.
But there was no way to change any of what I’d done, and I had to come up with some solution to get myself out of this mess.
Maybe these men were just someone my father had hired so they’d scare me into agreeing to do whatever my father wanted.
I could play along. I wouldn’t even need to pretend that I was terrified because my fear was all too real, and then they’d have to let me go.
What was it that my father actually wanted?
A wife for some shady business partner of his?
I’d sign whatever he wanted me to sign. Maybe I wouldn’t be required to actually be that man’s wife. That would be insane.
But I’d been kidnapped.
That was already insane enough.
I strained my ears as the sound of voices reached me, but they were talking in a language I couldn’t understand or I just had trouble understanding what they were saying.
I wished I’d taken a foreign language as an extra in school, but I’d already had too many classes that I’d wanted to attend, and I’d figured I could always learn another language on my own when I had the time.
Except, I no longer had the time.
If they were talking about me, I had no idea what they were saying.
But there were so many voices, which meant there were too many of them. It would make my escape plan more difficult.
My thoughts went back to their scary, drop-dead gorgeous boss.
I had no idea how I’d negotiate with him.
It seemed impossible.
Was he working for my father or someone else?
Or was he the one?
Was he the one my father had wanted my sister, and now me, to marry?
He didn’t seem all that much older than me, maybe a few years, but there was just something about him that made me think he was the one in charge of everything and not just someone for hire.
I didn’t want to marry him, but maybe it was the only way for me to get free. If they kidnapped me, they need me alive. It couldn’t be they had to do it just to finalize the deal, right?
But what could my husband-to-be want from me?
Did he expect me to be his wife in the full sense of the word? Or would he leave me alone?
The more I thought about it, the more worried I became.
I wouldn’t be too surprised if my father didn’t care about what happened to me, but would he really have agreed to destroy my sister’s life like this?
I’d always thought he genuinely loved her and cared about her. Would he really just hand her over to some monster while telling her lies about how awesome the whole thing would be for her?
The answer was obviously yes, even though my mind was trying to come up with some reasonable explanation so the whole thing would seem less horrifying and disturbing.
I didn’t think this had been done just to scare me and show me I was just my father’s pawn.
And if this man who held me captive, whoever he was, was decent and wanted a wife he could spend the rest of his life with, he wouldn’t have kidnapped me.
He would’ve come to talk to me instead and tried to convince me that marrying him was a good choice for me.
Maybe he would’ve said something like my father had told my sister and offered me all the riches of this world or something.
I wouldn’t be gagged and tied up in some room.
My stomach did a nervous flip.
Not knowing what was going to happen to me was making this whole thing even scarier, and even if my kidnapper agreed to talk to me, I didn’t know what angle to try first.
Could he be reasoned with?
What if my father had lied to him too?
If knowledge was power, I didn’t have any.
The feeling of helplessness wrapped itself tightly around my chest, making it hard to breathe.
How was I going to survive this?
Would I survive it at all?
I fought even harder against my binds, but all that did was cause my wrists to hurt even more. The disgusting taste of the cloth on my tongue made me feel like I was drowning.
I managed to roll over to the edge of the bed, but I was too afraid to let myself fall.
I didn’t know how high the bed was, or if I’d get a concussion if I ended up hitting my head on something. It was more likely I’d hurt myself than free myself.
I’d have to wait for my kidnapper and see what he’d do with me.
Every second was like an eternity.
And all I could do was just exist.
Chapter 6
“WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH the girl?” Vico asked, his dark brown eyes focused on me from under a mop of dark brown hair. He was my second-in-command.
“I’ll handle my wife.” I’d been thinking about her more than I’d expected.
“We have a potential problem,” he said, his brow furrowing. “Someone from that motel called the cops to complain about the noise. They said they heard screams.”
It wasn’t an unexpected complication or anything we couldn’t take care of.
“Make sure everyone knows that if they talk, they’re going to suffer the consequences,” I said, and lifted my glass to take a gulp of my whiskey.
Sometimes, people needed a little reminder of who was in charge of their lives.
Vico inclined his head. “But I also heard that Detective Sargetti might get involved.”
I snorted. “Of course. He’s always everywhere. But there’s nothing he can do. What’s his excuse to get involved now? The word of some drunks and addicts from that filthy place?”
“Our SUVs, apparently. Some street camera caught us, but it was far away enough from the motel that he can’t easily make a connection. There were no cameras anywhere close to the motel. We made sure of it.”
“He’s grasping at straws. He’s got nothing. Come up with an alibi, just in case. You can use some fake footage too. But I don’t think this will go anywhere. He’s already accused me of a lot of things, and he’s not just going to get a warrant because he wants one. Even his friends think he’s talking nonsense by now.”
Detective Sargetti had been after me for years, without much success.
He was going to drive himself crazy if he kept like this, which was good for me, because even if he was on to something, no one would take him seriously after all his failed attempts to have me arrested.
“There’s one more thing,” Vico said. “We caught the rat. He’s in the back.”
“I see.�
�� I downed the rest of my drink and got to my feet. “Then I’ll deal with him so we can get that pesky problem out of the way.”
Vico followed me out of the room.
The house we were in was just one of our temporary hideouts, but I liked it the most because it was cold, dark, and plain.
A nice little bunker.
It was easy to clean the floors too.
As we passed by the room where my wife was being held, an image of her all tied up filled my mind.
I’d get to her soon enough and figure out what was it about her that intrigued me so much.
Vico opened the door to a small, dim, windowless room.
A guy was tied to a chair in the middle of it. As soon as his gray eyes saw me, they widened.
“Please,” he said. “Don’t kill me! Please! I’ll do whatever you want, but please have mercy! I didn’t have a choice.”
Why did they always beg when they were perfectly aware they’d royally fucked up? What was the point? It was just a waste of breath.
No one was brought to any of my secret hideouts just for a chat. The guy was delusional if he thought I was going to spare his life. He was the reason why one of my drug shipments had been busted after he’d gotten a little too friendly with the wrong people.
“I don’t give second chances.” My lips pulled up into a smile, which I didn’t feel.
If I let anyone off the hook, even once, everyone would think they could mess with me and get away with the shit they did.
There should be no confusion about what the price of betrayal was.
“I’m begging you!” The guy was openly crying.
It was pathetic.
He should accept the consequences of his actions. I had no time to waste on his stupid whining, so I pulled my gun out of my holster and aimed it at him.
The guy didn’t even have a chance to react. His head jerked back from the impact of the bullet, his eyes turning empty.
“Finally. Some peace and quiet.” I tucked my gun back into my holster. “Clean up the mess.”
When I glanced down, I spotted a splash of blood on my pants and groaned.
Somehow, blood always found its way to me. Or maybe it was me who always found my way to it.
Before I paid a visit to my wife, I needed a change of clothes.
And a cold shower.
For the first time in a long time, I was looking forward to something.
She’d better not disappoint.
Chapter 7
THE SOUND OF FOOTSTEPS getting closer roused me from my slumber, and a surge of energy rushed through my veins as I tried to free myself again, even though I knew it was futile.
I’d been trying to get free for hours, maybe even more.
It was impossible to tell how much time had passed. It could be only a few hours or it could be an eternity.
My whole body ached, and my throat was dry.
When hands grabbed me, I struggled and gurgled. A strong masculine scent enveloped me as someone’s lips brushed my ear.
“Don’t struggle, and be quiet. If you don’t...” He yanked at my hair so hard pain spread through my skull. “Okay?”
All I could do was nod.
“Good.” He tugged the blindfold off my eyes, and I squinted because there was too much light all of a sudden.
The blindfold was so damn thick I had no clue if I’d been in the light all this time or if it had been switched on recently.
When I could see again without my eyes feeling like they were going to burst, I recognized the man in front of me.
The boss.
He pulled the gag out of my mouth next, and I pressed my lips together, licking them, as my jaw hurt.
“Who are you?” My voice was hoarse, and my throat raw.
“Sebastian Leoni,” he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m your husband.”
“No, I... I never agreed to marry you.” So my guess had been correct.
It was him.
“Your father did. You’re mine now, and you’re going to obey me.”
“Please.” I cleared my throat. “Please let me go. I don’t know what my father agreed to, but I don’t want to have any part of it. So please release me, and I promise I won’t tell anyone or report you to the cops for kidnapping me.”
A deep laugh rumbled from his throat. “I don’t think you understand what’s going on here, princess. I don’t give a fuck what you want. You belong to me, and you’re going to do as I say. If you don’t, there will be consequences.”
I didn’t like the cold look in his eyes. He wasn’t joking or trying to mess with me. He was serious about this.
Oh shit.
“I’m going to untie you now. You need to get cleaned up. If you scream or try anything, you’re going to regret it. Got it?” His eyes bored into mine.
I watched him carefully and slowly nodded.
He was clearly insane, and I couldn’t negotiate with him or try to talk him into letting me go.
My only option was to try to find a way to escape, and maybe I could do that if he took me to a bathroom. I really needed to pee too.
Maybe I could find out where I was and plan my escape better.
Once he released my wrists and ankles, I had trouble getting up because my knees felt weak. The floor was cold under my bare feet.
Sebastian caught my arm, keeping me up, his grip tight.
I looked around the room that consisted only of the bed I’d been lying on.
There were no windows either.
He led me to the door, and when we exited into a narrow, dim hallway, a bunch of armed men stared back at me.
Shit.
What the hell was this place?
A prison?
Actually, there were probably fewer guards at a prison.
Sebastian took me in the opposite direction, toward an open door. We entered a spacious bathroom that actually had stalls and a shower area.
“I need to—” I said as I looked in the direction of the stalls.
“Go.” Sebastian released me, and I hurried into the first stall.
At least it was clean and there was more than enough toilet paper.
I lowered my head into my hands. This was an actual nightmare from hell. How was I going to get past all those men?
Would Sebastian really keep me in that empty room all the time? What would he do to me?
I had so many questions, but I doubted he’d answer them.
When I was done, I found him lounging against the wall near the sinks and watching me like a hungry wolf.
After washing my hands, I splashed some water over my face and took a few large gulps to soothe my throat.
“Undress,” Sebastian said, and my head snapped to him. “Shower, now.”
I glanced at the showers. There was nothing shielding the view.
No curtain or anything.
Seriously, this place was a prison.
He tilted his head at me. “What are you waiting for? It’s not like you have much to take off.”
“Um, can you—” Maybe he could at least avert his gaze.
“I’m your husband. You don’t get to hide from me.”
I bit down on my lip.
Shit.
But as I glanced at the showers again, I spotted something I hadn’t noticed before. A window.
It was just at the end of the shower area, and even though it was covered by a curtain, I thought I could see some light coming through it.
A way to escape.
But how could I get to it?
Sebastian had his eyes on me all the time. Was there a chance he’d leave if I did as he asked? Maybe he’d think I’d given up and wouldn’t keep such a close eye on me.
I padded over to the showers and pulled my nightgown over my head. My gaze flitted to Sebastian, who kept staring at me as I undid my bra.
My hair hid my breasts from view, and when I lowered down my panties, I angled away from him so he’d see as little as possible
.
I turned on the shower and pressed a button to get some shower gel out. As I soaped my body, the warm water sliding down my skin, I couldn’t stop feeling Sebastian’s intent gaze on me.
“Boss!” Some guy appeared at the door, but before he could look at me, Sebastian got in his way, blocking the guy’s view of me, and pushed him back through the door.
As soon as he and Sebastian were no longer in sight, I waited for a few moments. Then I grabbed the towel that was on a rail and rushed to the window while wrapping the towel around me.
I yanked the curtain and was thrilled to see that the window looked onto a yard. Just as I opened the window, hands wound around my waist and pulled me back.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Sebastian’s voice was like thunder.
I tried to elbow him, but I couldn’t get free. His arms were like steel around me.
“What did I tell you?” He hissed, and then he dragged me to the corner of the room and zip-tied my wrists to a rail that was just above my head.
I faced the wall, so I couldn’t see what he was doing, but I heard him turn off the shower I’d left on, and then I heard a strange whooshing sound.
Like a belt being pulled out of the loops.
I craned my neck, but Sebastian’s fingers buried in my hair.
“You’ll never, ever try to run away, do you understand?” He tugged my head back.
“Okay,” I choked out because I was afraid he’d rip my hair out. “Please don’t hurt me.”
“But I have to hurt you. You deserve to be punished.” He pressed himself against my back, his hand slipping out of my hair and sliding down my neck.
“Wait—” I gasped when he yanked the towel off me, leaving me completely naked.
My heart jumped into my throat.
What was he going to do to me?
The first blow struck my ass so unexpectedly that I jumped and cried out. He didn’t give me time to recover, just kept bringing down his belt on my bottom.
No matter how much I wiggled, I couldn’t get away from the punishing strokes that made my skin burn and sting like hell.
“Please,” I gasped out.
But he didn’t seem to care about my pleas at all.
The blows kept falling on my tender flesh until my knees were shaking.
Only His: A Dark Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance Page 3
