by Lexi Cross
He came into the room and closed the door behind him. Pia crossed her arms and looked away. He was the last person she wanted to see right now. He was responsible for all of this.
“How are you?” he asked gently.
She didn’t answer. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“Did they hurt you at all?”
Did they hurt her? Oh no, she only had to watch them beat Ryder. They only dragged her away from him, locked her up in here like a criminal, and made him break up with her. Oh no, Daddy, I wasn’t hurt at all.
She felt him sit down on the edge of her bed. He put a hand on her leg and she moved it away from him so his hand fell to the bed.
“I know you’re upset,” he said. “But, please understand that I did this for your own good.”
He waited, and when she didn’t say anything, he continued.
“You didn’t really think things could ever work out with Ryder, did you? The boy from the ghetto who gets paid to kill people? Pia, Pia, you deserve someone far better than that. Someone with the resources to give you the life you want. Someone with connections, who can protect you.”
She was so mad, she wanted to smack him. What did he know about Ryder or them or anything? He didn’t. He thought he knew what she wanted and needed, like always. He’d planned out her whole life for her. Like always. Not this time. This time she was going to stand up for herself and get what she wanted.
“Ryder protects me,” she mumbled.
To her surprise, her father laughed. “Oh sure. Protected you real well when we broke into your hotel room, didn’t he? He sure stopped them from taking you away from him.”
Of course this was true. She couldn’t deny it. But they’d also been in bed. He hadn’t expected anything to go wrong. If his gun had been closer, it would have been a different story. He probably would have shot someone. Or all of them. They might even be gone right now, off somewhere alone.
“No response to that?” he asked.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she hissed. “Just go away.”
“Well, my Pia, that’s not possible. I’ve come to give you wonderful news.”
Whatever it was, it was certainly going to be the opposite of wonderful. Wonderful news would be a shoe designed by Valentino exclusively for her store. But whatever he was about to say would not be wonderful.
“I’ve found the perfect man for you. He’s got plenty of money, big name connections, and he’s very interested in you. He’s coming here in two days to marry you.”
She sat up fast enough to make her head spin. “What! I am not getting married.”
“Oh, yes, you are.” Her father smiled. “It’s already being planned. Paolo Solano is going to be your husband. He’s even good looking. I know how you like that. He’s got something of a reputation for being a little rough, so he should be just your style after that hoodlum you hooked up with.” His smile faded and he shook his head. “I had no idea you were capable of making such poor decisions. Honestly, Pia, what the hell were you thinking sleeping with Ryder? He’s so far beneath you, you’re not even on the same planet. But we’ve taken care of the Ryder issue. You’ll be happily married and off living in your new mansion by the end of the week.”
“No! I am not going to marry Paolo or anyone you try to make me marry!”
“Well”—he looked down to inspect his nails—“you actually don’t have a say in the matter.”
“You can’t force me to get married! You can’t! I won’t do it. I won’t agree. The minister won’t be able to marry us if I don’t agree.”
Her father dropped his head to the side slightly. “How have you made it this far in life and are still so blindly naive? Do you not think that just maybe I have a minister on my payroll? Someone who will do whatever I need? Come on, now. You’re not thinking this through.”
She shook her head. He was right, though. Of course. He always had someone on his side. Someone getting paid to do whatever he said. That’s just how life worked when you were a mob boss.
“Please, Daddy. Please don’t make me marry him.” Anytime she wanted something, she was always able to beg and get him to change his mind. She was his little princess and he would do anything for her. She just had to play him right. “I’m sorry about Ryder. I’ll find someone else. Someone good. But I don’t know this Paolo guy at all. I at least need to get to know him and love him before I marry him. I don’t want to marry someone I don’t love. I know you don’t want that for me. You want me to be happy like you and Mom were happy. Have a wonderful marriage and a nice family. I can’t have that with someone I’m not in love with.” She pleaded with her eyes and tried to look agreeable and innocent.
When it came to buying her something, this always worked. But this was much more than just a new car or purse.
Her father’s face changed. He grew dark and mean.
“Your mother?” He leaned closer and hissed his words. “I killed your mother. Strangled her with my own hands because she wouldn’t do what I wanted. I’ve painted a pretty picture for you your whole life because I needed you to stay innocent as long as possible. But now it’s time to grow up and face reality, Pia. You will marry Paolo. You will do what I say. You have no choice, and you have no say in the matter.”
Pia blinked in shock. He killed her mother? And was he now threatening her? She gulped and felt the tears run down her cheeks. Who was this man? She suddenly felt like she didn’t know him at all.
“Why?” she squeaked out. “Why are you doing this to me? It’s over with Ryder and me. You got what you wanted. Why make me marry this man I don’t even know?”
Matteo shrugged and stood. “It’s business. Nothing personal.”
“What do you mean?”
“I owe Solano a lot of money. Luckily, he’s seen you and fancies you. It worked out perfectly for us both. He gets the hot young wife he wants, and I get to not only eliminate my debt, but also to make sure my slut daughter doesn’t end with some hood rat from across town. The only one who loses in this scenario is you, my dear.”
He went to the door and turned to her before walking out. “Don’t worry, though. He’ll keep you nice and safe. He’s promised me that much.”
He closed the door hard, making her jump.
She was stunned. He had said so many things to her that just didn’t add up. He’d killed her mother? Really? What about all the stories he’d told her? How much he loved her and how beautiful she was and what a great mother she’d been. He talked about them dancing and laughing together. Said how miserable he’d been when she died and how he was so heartbroken he’d never marry again. Was it all a lie? Had he made up those things about her mother to trick her? To make her think he was someone else?
Because if he was capable of strangling his own wife and the mother of his child, then he was capable of nearly anything. And if he was going to force her to marry some horrible man to get rid of his debt, then what would stop him from killing her if she fought against him? She was afraid of this man now, who she’d called father her whole life. Who’d taken care of her and who, she thought, loved her more than anything. Was it all just a game? Make her think she was safe and loved when she was really just a pawn?
Two days. This man, this Paolo person, was really going to be there in two days to marry her? Where was Ryder? Did he know about this? He had to figure something out to stop this from happening. They had to get out of there.
She needed her phone and bad. But she’d already tried begging for it, and no use. They had everything. Her purse, both phones, her keys. She couldn’t go anywhere or do anything. Though they had removed the handcuffs finally.
She got up and went into her bathroom. She was going to have to take matters into her own hands. She wished she knew where Ryder was. He could still be in the house. Could be in danger or hurting. Maybe he was a prisoner just like her.
She knocked quietly on the wall of her bathroom. This wall was the shared wall between her roo
m and the guest room where Ryder stayed when he was here. She waited, but there was no response. She knocked again, three times, then a pause, then three more times so that if someone heard it, they would know it wasn’t an accidental sound. She pressed her ear to the wall, but heard nothing.
Next, she went to the window. Her room was on the upper level, but maybe it wasn’t too high to jump. She could even make some kind of rope from her sheets. She’d seen that on TV somewhere. Tie it off and climb down it. Then she could run and find Ryder.
But she had no idea where he might be. She didn’t even know where he lived, which now seemed like a crazy thing. How had she never asked? Never gone to his place. That would have been a much better place to meet, right? Well, no matter. She couldn’t think about that now. She just had to get out. She’d find him somehow, or he’d find her. But whatever was going to happen, she had to be out of here before she could be married off.
She opened the window and looked down. It didn’t seem too high. Especially if she had some kind of rope thing.
“What are you doing?”
She jumped and turned to see the man who’d been guarding her room, Lu, come into the bathroom.
“Just getting some air,” she said. “It’s so stuffy in here.”
He walked over, shut the window, and locked it. “Nice try.”
“What do you mean?” She blinked at him and put on her innocent face. “I haven’t been outside in days. Is it so wrong to want to see the sun? Can you take me outside? Go for a walk or something?”
“Get back in there.” He pointed to her room. “Don’t make me lock the door and restrict your bathroom privileges. I can bring in a pot.”
“Geez, okay. Didn’t know you were so against fresh air.” She flounced back into her room.
“I’m against you trying to escape, and we both know that’s what you were doing.”
“Escape? Why in the world would I do that?”
He crossed his arms and glared at her. “Either to avoid marring Solano or to find Ryder or both. You think I don’t know you’ve been in here crying over him?”
How would he know that? She’d been careful to be quiet so no one would hear her. She didn’t want them to know how upset she was over him. She looked quickly around her room. Then she saw what she hadn’t noticed before.
In the corner of her room, there was a new painting hanging on the wall. She hadn’t even noticed it was there. She stormed over to it and ripped it from the wall. Behind it, a shiny lens stared back at her.
“You put a camera in here?” She threw the painting down.
Lu clapped slowly. “I can’t believe it took you this long to figure it out.” He shook his head. “Wow. You’re even dumber than they say you are.”
She glared at him and let the comment go. There was no use arguing with him. If anything, she needed to try to get him on her side. Maybe he’d help her.
“Are you the one who gets to watch me?” she asked.
“Sometimes. Me or Sergio. Obviously Sergio is in there now.”
“Good.” She smiled at him. “I kinda like the thought of being watched,” she said playfully.
He didn’t respond. He walked past her with a straight face and didn’t look back as he said, “Don’t try anything stupid. I don’t want to have to hurt you.”
When the door closed and she was alone, she looked into the camera. She wished she knew who was watching right now. She had an idea, but could she really go through with it?
She had to try something, though. She grinned into the camera and went back to her bed. She was going to take off her top, but she’d noticed that she had the slightest bump in her stomach. Rather than take the chance of someone wondering if she was pregnant, she left her top on, but slid out of her pants.
She stood on her bed in her panties, dancing around seductively. She turned her ass to the camera, bent over, and slowly pulled down her panties. She turned back around and lay on her bed. Spreading her legs wide apart so they could see everything, she sucked on her finger, then ran it down her body until she reached her clit. She bit her lip and made a face like she was feeling the greatest pleasure imaginable as she rubbed herself.
She moved farther down and slid her finger inside herself, then she looked up at the camera and licked her lips slowly.
In seconds, the door flew open. Lu was there, his face red and angry. “Get your clothes on now and stop this.”
She giggled and stuck her finger back inside her pussy. “Don’t you like the show?”
He glared at her, stormed over, and threw her blankets over her body. He leaned down close to her and growled in her ear. “If you don’t stop this, I can make no promises about what might happen to you. But I’m sure whatever you get won’t be what you want.”
He stormed out of the room and slammed the door.
She felt embarrassed now. She’d thought they would like it. Maybe even come in the room and try to sleep with her and she could work that to her advantage. Use them somehow. But if he reacted like that, then it wouldn’t work.
She couldn’t escape. It didn’t seem like she’d be able to get them on her side. She was stuck.
Chapter 16
Ryder took notes and thought until his brain hurt. His body still ached so badly, even after he’d gotten a few hours of sleep. He’d come no closer to figuring out what the deal was with Matteo. Why he could possibly be marrying his daughter off like this. But he did have a plan to get answers.
He popped a handful of painkillers into his mouth. As soon as they started working, he’d be able to move without too much pain. Right now, just walking was a problem. He’d forced himself to sleep and eat, knowing that his body needed that to heal.
Now, darkness had fallen and it was time to put his plan into action. He was going to Solano’s headquarters and would kill whoever he had to in order to get some answers. He had no time and was in no mood to mess around. Someone was going to start talking and now. He had far too much on the line.
Every thought of Pia and the baby sent another wave of panic and pain through him. Were they okay? He wanted so badly to be able to call her, to hear her voice and make sure she was okay. And that the baby was okay. Soon enough. He kept telling himself that. Soon enough, he would take care of all of this and they would be together and everything would be fine. But right now, he had work to do.
He dressed in all black, the pain pills starting to kick in and allow him to move without too much agony or restriction. Then he got in his car and drove to where Solano’s headquarters were. It didn’t take longer than a half hour, but every minute away from Pia was starting to feel like too long.
As he sat across the street from the house, he patted himself on the back. Ryder had always been one to pay attention to the locations of people and know who was who and what was what. Years ago, when the name Paolo Solano first appeared on the scene, Matteo had mentioned where Solano headquarters were. At the time, he didn’t think much of it, but since this was another mob family, he’d made note of it. He’d never had reason to use the information until now. And no one would guess that he knew where Solano’s crew was holed up. They wouldn’t expect him.
The house appeared to be dark, but Ryder knew better than to assume no one was home or awake. They probably had people all over the place at all times of the day. Matteo had people outside twenty-four seven. Someone was in there. It was just a matter of finding them and making them talk.
He sat in the shadows, watching, for a long time. When he didn’t see any movement, he got out and approached the house. He crept along, staying hidden in case someone was outside keeping watch or was looking out from inside the house. When he got close enough to the house, he stalked around the perimeter, checking each of the windows that he could see in.
On a lower floor, he was able to see one man sitting at a table. He watched for a long while, and after a few minutes, another man came into the room. Ryder circled the house again, getting an idea of the lower floor layout
. He also needed to find the best way in. After looking at each of the doors and windows, the back door looked like the easiest to break open.
He walked slowly up to the back door and looked through the small window for several minutes. It seemed to lead into some sort of living room where no one was at the time. He turned the knob slowly, but it didn’t budge. Of course it was locked. Would be stupid to not have it locked.
As he continued to watch through the window, one of the men got up and came right toward him. Crap. Had he made noise? He didn’t think so. He flattened himself against the wall beside the door and held his gun up, ready.
The guy unlocked the door and stepped outside. He didn’t even bother to look around before he bent his head to light his cigarette. What an amateur. His cigarette lit as he closed the door behind him.
