Green eyes glared at me. The same ones from my nightmares.
Chapter 16
My throat tightened, and it felt like my lungs were filling up with water.
No.
I couldn’t afford to go down this route.
I was okay, I could breathe.
I repeated the words in my mind asLuca Amato strode up the room, tension evident in histinyarms.
Iswallowed someair and attempted to steady my thoughts. Numbness. That was an emotion I could handle.
Just focus on the present. You aren’t there anymore. You’re safe.Focus.
Two men with machine guns shadowed behind Luca. Their fingers were inches from the trigger.I wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing I hadn’t brought any weapons. If I had, there’d already be a bullet racing towardsthe don of the Amato family.
Okay, maybe notcompletelynumb.
“What are you doing here?” Sebastian asked his older brother, confusion lacing his voice. Luca sat in the chair next to his brother, and I began to compare them. Comparison was a neutral and numb thought process. It wouldn’t tilt me over the edge. Hopefully.
Lucastooda few inches shorter thanSebastian, andhismuscles were nonexistent compared tohis brother. He shared the same sharp jawline and cheekbones as Sebastian, but there was a hint of senseless cruelty in his face which I had never sensed within Sebastian. Although, maybe I was sensing cruelty since Luca looked like he wanted to rip my jaw from my face. The feeling was mutual.
Luca ignored his brother, his attention focused on me as he drew closer.“Ten grand? So that’s what you owe today,” Luca said.
Fuck. He knew about the debt collectors’ deadline. Not only was I close to blacking out into a storm of nightmares, my leverage was also quickly evaporating.
“What are you talking about?” Sebastian asked, standing up from his chair and moving towards Luca.
Luca continued to ignore his brother, his green eyes narrowed as hespat, “Whatdidthey threaten you with? Are they going to force you to work on your knees in order to put a little dent in that debt you owe?”
“Fuck you,” I ground out, wishing that there had been fire poker so I could stab it through hisskeletalthroat.
A cruel smile crawled across Luca’s thin lips. “You’ll be doing that soon if you don’t get themoney.”
“Luc,” Sebastian growled in warning.
“I don’t have to listen to this,” I said standing up, my hands unable to keep from balling into a fist. “There are plenty of other people who will pay me for my information.”
Luca’s smile deepened.“Too bad you don’t have time to arrange it. You only have a few more hours until Ray shows up, and drags you off tothelocal brothel. I wonder what your new nickname will be?”
“Shut the fuck up!” I yelled, pushing past his men.
“Grab her,” Luca ordered.
Two rough hands grabbed me. I swung my head back and connected with themafioso’s face. Cold liquid seeped down into my hair.
“Fucking bitch!”aman growled in my ear, then I felt a gun biting into mycheek. The hands tightened on my arms.
“Luc, what the fuck are you doing?” Sebastian growled.
“Her father killed our dad. Don’t fucking pity her.”Lucaturned his cruel eyes back on me. “This is how it’s going to go. You are going to tell me every single secret I could possibly want to hear. If I’ve everwondered something aboutyour father’s business, you’ll tell me. If you behave, I’ll giveyou tengrand.”
He stepped closer to me, andrevulsion twisted around my stomach at his presence.Luca’s angryeyes stareddown at me as hesaid,“If I find out you are lying to me, or withholding anything you get nothing. Either way, I don’t want to ever hear from you again."
Sebastian’s chair scraped backwards as he jumped up from his seat, but I ignored him.
