MassimoledMatiasdownthe stairs and into the basement. He wasn’t prepared for the rage that consumed him as he stepped into the room.
“Control your anger. We still need to know where Dmitri is.”
“Tell me, Jorge. Where is he hiding?” Vincenzo sneered as he flipped a serrated blade in his hand.
Just seeing him wield the metal drew a shiver down Matias’ spine. Even in Chile he’d heard rumors of the infamous Lama—he was one of the scariest hitmen out there… well, other than Mr. X.
“Look who it is. The boyfriend.” Jorge spat onto the floor, causing Matias to tense. The muscles in his neck flexed and tightened as he restrained himself from lashing back. “How’s that pretty little woman? Mmmmm… Every time I drove my fist into her, I relished as she cried out for you. Her cries finally stopped when she realized you weren’t coming. It gives me great pleasure knowing I ruined that bitch for any man who follows behind me.”
Matias saw red. His vision clouded as he leapt past Massimo. His body hit Jorge with such force, they both fell to the floor in a tangle. The wooden chair splintered beneath Jorge as he laid gasping for air. Matias’ fists connected with his face. The sound of shattering bones filled the room. Jorge didn’t stand a chance against Matias’s rage as he pummeled him over and over again.
“You will never touch anyone again,” Matias grunted as his knuckles connected, tearing into the tender flesh along Jorge’s cheekbone. Matias wrapped his hand around his throat, cutting off the air supply. Jorge clawed at his binds, trying to get his hands free with no luck.
“You didn’t break her. She told me to tell you, you didn’t win. You’re just Dmitri’s bitch—a bitch he left behind to die.” Matias applied more pressure. “I want you near death, then I will turn you over to The Lama. In your weakened state, you’ll be forced to watch as he slices into your body. You don’t deserve death—that’s too easy. No. I want you to suffer. I want you to feel an ounce of the fear that Katya felt every time you put your hands on her.”
“Matias.” Massimo placed his hand on his shoulder. “That’s enough. Let go.”
Matias came back to himself, realizing Jorge had gone unconscious. “Shit. Did I kill him?”
“No. He passed out. Let’s get him in that chair over there.” Massimo pointed to another chair off to the side. Vincenzo leaned against the wall, watching them as they dragged him onto the wooden perch. “Wake up.” Massimo backhanded Jorge, rousing him from his unconscious state. “Tell me where Dmitri is.”
“Fuck you,” Jorge mumbled. His body giving out on him from the beating Matias had unleashed.
“Vincenzo,” Massimo called to his brother, who pushed off the wall and stalked toward them. “If he doesn’t answer you, kill him. I don’t have time for his pathetic ass. You fucking had my brother. You tried to ruin a woman. I don’t have sympathy for people like you.”
“You think I care about death? There is nothing left for me now. Dmitri will kill me anyway,” Jorge mumbled between the pained breaths he was taking.
Vincenzo yanked him off the floor and tossed him against the table. He wedged his body against Jorge’s back and pressed his head to the surface. “Matias. Do you want this quick or should I make it last?”
Matias looked at Jorge and grunted. “I don’t care what you do to him. He doesn’t deserve death, but Katya deserves a life free of fear. Do your worst on him.”
Massimo nodded to his brother and then waved Matias toward the door. “You should go home to Katya. This motherfucker is going to get what he deserves, I promise.”
“Jorge,” Matias called out to the man before leaving the room. “Tell Dmitri hello when you meet him in hell.”
Matias cringed as the sounds of Jorge’s screams filled the room. He pulled the door closed and followed Massimo up the stairs and into the main bar area.
“Thank you, Massimo.”
“No need to thank me. You saved my brother and for that, we will always be indebted to you and your family.”
Massimo walked Matias outside to where his SUV was parked. “Freddy will take you back to Antonio’s. Can I give you some advice?”
“I don’t think I can say no to free advice.”
“Your girl is going to need time to heal. What she’s suffered is more than any one person should have to overcome. Are you sure you can wait for her to be ready for what you want to give her?”
Matias mulled over his words as he pulled open the door to the SUV. Massimo was right, Katya was going to need time to come to terms with what she went through.
“Yes. She is it for me. I’ll wait a lifetime for her to be ready. And if she never gets there, well—we will cross that bridge then. I’d set her free if it means it would help her heal.”
Massimo patted him on the back. “You’re a good man. Stay as long as you need. When you're ready to go back to Chile, I’ll have my jet ready for you.”
“Thank you.”
Matias climbed into the backseat and rested his head against the leather headrest. He needed to come up with a plan to get Katya back to Chile. He worried that staying here would just keep her a prisoner in her head.
Katyastaredoutthewindow into the sky. The warmth of the sun bearing down on her skin reminded her she was alive and that her father hadn’t won. Matias was giving her the space she asked for and had not brought up anything that had transpired over the last forty-eight hours. She knew he wanted to go home, but he wasn’t pushing her to return.
