It takes me a minute to open my eyes, everything feels hard. My brain is foggy, and not in the just-woken-up way.I’ve been drugged. Fucking hell.Slowly, things start coming back to me: the Council’s decision, Lio and I going with Ten and Keegan to give the old Bosses the news, being ambushed by the fucking cops, and Cecily Dowing standing arrogantly in front of us after shooting Tennant and Keegan.Fuck.They better be fucking okay.
I try to sit up and the world spins, the drugs still running rampant through my system. I remember being knocked out after Lio mouthed off, so they didn’t have to fuckingdrugus on top of it.
The chains around my arms and legs scrape against the floor as I move once more—good thing I finally got the cast on my hand off. Once I’m sitting up, I look at the manacles around mywrists, frowning at the thick metal—not ones I can easily break out of.Fuckers.
Staring at the metal encircling my arms, my missing pointer finger catches my attention, and it becomes hard to breathe.
“Did you hear that, Roman? He refuses to negotiate with me. I guess he cares more about the man he’s fucking than his own flesh and blood.” Julian De Luca tsks. “Such a shame I have to ruin you…you’d bring in a pretty penny… Though, maybe we can find you an owner who doesn’t mind that you’re not pristine…” His men hold me steady while Julian takes out his knife. “Try not to move too much. I’d hate to ruin you any more than I have to…”
My scream echoes off the cement walls, and Julian laughs as he cuts through bone, severing my finger.
My head spins, and it’s not from the drugs this time. I swear, my heart is going to beat out of my chest, and I’m shaking so hard my chains rattle.Not again. I can’t do this again…
The door to my cell opens, and I hope it’s Leandro. Even though it’s dangerous for both of us, he is the only bright spot in this hell. My finger is throbbing—the Tylenol he gave me wore off hours ago—but it was the thought that counted more than anything.
Unfortunately, the person who steps into the room isn’t who I want to see, but one of the assholes who held me down while Julian took my finger. He smiles at me, an expression that makes my skin crawl.
“You’re a pretty one… Boss wants to sell you, but most of the guys want to kill you…”
I glare at him. “And you?”
His grin widens. “I think you know what I want, Little Boy.”
My stomach churns and fear rushes through me, but I don’t let it show on my face. Raising my chin, I make sure to remain expressionless, pulling on all of the lessons Dad and Tennant gave me. “I’m not scared of you.”
He laughs. “You will be once I’m done with you.” He stands over me and reaches for his pants, undoing the zipper and belt.
I look from his eyes to his crotch. “Are you even hard? I can’t tell. Maybe you’re a grower? Or…maybe this is why you need to take people against their will, because your cock is too small for anyone to want you.”
Pain explodes through my face from where he punches me. My eyes water and I have to blink rapidly a few times as the pain radiates through my right eye. That’s going to fucking bruise.
I smile at him. “Aww… Did I hurt your feelings?”
“Shut up!” he snarls. He hits me again, this time in the mouth. Gathering the saliva and blood together, I spit it in his face when he kneels in front of me. He growls and wipes his face, before backhanding me. “Fucking little shit!”
Shoving me onto the ground, I barely avoid hitting my head on the cement floor—I don’t want another fucking concussion. He sits on my legs, looming over me.
I fight not to squirm, as nausea rolls through me at how close he is. His face hovers over mine. “I’m going to enjoy this,” he says.
He slams his mouth over mine, and I fight not to gasp as he tries to shove his slimy tongue into my mouth.
Tears leak from the corners of my eyes, and before I lose my nerve, quick as can be, I bring both arms up, crossing them behind his neck. He tries to rear back, and I bring my arms toward me. He tries to escape my hold, but instead, ends up tangling the chains around his throat.
It takes all my strength, but I use the floor I’m lying on as leverage and keep pulling, watching as his face turns red, then purple, before his struggles die down.
It takes a long fucking time, but eventually, he stops moving. I don’t relax though, even as his deadweight makes it harder to keep choking him, but still, I continue holding on until I absolutely can’t anymore.
I’m sobbing uncontrollably as I scramble to get out from underneath him. The chains are tangled, and I start to panic as I extract myself from him, but finally, I’m able to move as far from the body as possible.
Please, I silently beg. Please, Dad, Ten…come get me. Because I don’t think I can survive this much longer.
“Roman! Roman, breathe. It’s okay. You’re okay… I got you, Amico Mio. Come on, you’re scaring me.”
Gasping for breath, I meet green eyes almost as dark as my own. “Lio… Fuck, Lio…”
“It’s okay, Caro Mio. You’re okay. I’m here. I got you.”
I can’t stop the tears that run down my face. I reach for him, needing to make sure he’s real. Our chains are long enough for us to reach out and hold each other’s hands—thank fuck. I don’t know what I would have done had I not had this connection.
