“What are you doing?” I asked him. It probably came out louder than anticipated because of the ringing in my ears.
“My job,” he replied. “Now, I’m going to need you to come with me.”
My eyes darted from the end of the gun to my phone that laid just behind Franco. If I could grab it and hit call on any number, at least someone would know what was going on.
“Don’t do anything st—”
Franco didn’t finish that thought as I rushed past him. The shot that followed missed me and hit the kitchen table, shattering the glass it hit and sending shards of it flying and wine spilling to the floor. I stepped into the liquid and slipped, hitting the deck for a second time, and this time Franco was quicker. He twisted a hand behind my back and caught the other, nails digging into me and making me hiss.
The monitor crackled to life again. The gunshot had been loud enough to be heard throughout the house, and Link had woken up again.
Struggling against Franco’s grip, I pleaded with him, “Please! Please! Franco, Link needs me.”
“Everyone’s replaceable,” he said cruelly, and I felt the bite of the rope against my wrists as he started to tie them behind my back. When I twisted and struggled, Franco pushed me against the floor, face flat against the cold tiles. I could feel the pain run through my cheek as small shards of glass cut through my skin.
“Get off me!” I screamed at him, but I couldn’t overpower him. Despite recovering from his injury, Franco was in the best position and my hands drew together as he tied them tight. Sucking in a deep breath, I let out a piercing scream.
He pulled me so that I was upright and slapped my face so hard that I was knocked off my balance again. Franco stuffed something in my mouth from behind and knotted it securely, catching my hair in the knot in a process and muffling all my protests.
Pulling me back onto my feet, I dug my heels in, trying my hardest not to be removed from my house and my son who was still crying but Franco hoisted me off the ground and walked with some difficulty. There was no way he’d fully recovered from what had happened and I tried desperately to hit him where he’d been shot, but with my hands bound, it was a near impossibility.
The cool air hit me as Franco exited the house with me kicking my legs in every direction I could. With some struggle on his behalf, Franco shoved me into the passenger seat of the car, and I craned my head back towards the house, screaming against the gag as he buckled me into position.
He raced around to the other side and started up the engine before pulling away at speed. All I could do was writhe in the seat as the house grew into a pinprick. My heart broke for Link who was left alone, crying and wondering why I wasn’t there to soothe him. My son needed me, and I’d failed him. I’d failed to find the strength to get to him. My heart beat painfully in my chest.
My throat was raw from screaming and my mouth was dry, thanks to the gag that had been placed there. The floury taste from it told me Franco had improvised using the dishcloth I’d been using all afternoon. Despite the fact my feet were unbound, I couldn’t do much from the position I was in as Franco sped along roads, breaking the speed limit.
“We’re nearly there. Won’t be long,” he assured me after a while, eyes staring out at the road.
But it felt like we had been driving for an age. The smooth roads soon became rocky and unsteady and the pain in my shoulders was pronounced by all the jostling. The ache in my head from where Franco had attacked me had dulled considerably, which was the only silver lining I could see in all the mess. That and the fact that Link was at home. He would be in his Moses basket, but Luc and Dante would get to him when they came back home.
The thought made my eyes burn with tears. Link would be okay with Luc and Dante, but he needed me. I bit down on the gag in an attempt to compose myself. I’d misjudged the situation. My compass had been tampered with and I placed my trust where I should have proceeded with caution.
The car jolted to a stop and I ricocheted violently against the belt, letting out a muffled groan. Franco left the car, slamming his door shut before he opened mine, letting in a rush of cold air. As he unbuckled the belt, I made myself a dead weight, wanting to stall as much as I could. Franco’s fingers gripped the soft flesh of my arms as he hauled me out of the seat. The moment I was out in the open, I kicked out and the shock of the action caused Franco to drop me from his grip.
“Fuck,” he hissed.
The brain fog from the attack and the fact my arms weren’t free made running more difficult than I’d anticipated. I stumbled over my feet and barely made it three steps before Franco grabbed me around the waist, stopping my escape. My feet connected with Franco’s solid frame and a scream ripped from my throat, stifled from its true visceral nature by the gag and Franco’s large hand clamping over my mouth.
“No one around for a few miles, Mia,” Franco informed me. “I wouldn’t waste my energy.”
My eyes darted around the place, trying to find something familiar that would tell me where I was but there was barely anything around except for an old house that had some stables adjacent to it, backing out onto fields. Where had Franco bought me?
I jerked my head back violently, connecting my skull to Franco’s face, and he hissed. Just when I thought I could make another break for it, a fist connected with the side of my head and I reeled from the blow, dropping to the ground as Franco let me go.
“You’ve always been more trouble than you looked, Mia.”
From the ground, blinking through the tears that had rushed to my eyes from the pain, I saw Xavier standing over me before my vision blacked.
∞∞∞
“Hello, son.”
Xavier’s voice was somewhere nearby. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see the ground, no longer grass and frost but solid dirt. My mouth felt dry and when I tried to speak, the gag remained in place. The smell of damp and something else, something strong, made my head pulse painfully.
“I’ll send the location to you now,” Xavier continued. Any words I had were muffled and black boots came into view. The pain resonated through my head as I looked up to see Franco standing above me.
“Now, Gabriel. I’ll explain when you get here,” Xavier said down the phone. My heart pounded knowing that he was talking to Gabriel. “Is that Vittoria? Bring her with you. No. Not Chasity. Just you and Vittoria, if she’s willing to join us.”
