I gripped Rayden’s arm, urging him to lie. He shook his head. “You can’t threaten us,” he bit back. “I’ll go to the police, if you don’t back the fuck away from me.”
This time, Remo’s eyes widened then he threw his head back with a loud laugh. “Fuck, this boy’s got more fucking balls than half my men. Did you hear him?” He looked over his shoulder at Lorenzo.
I internally cringed for Rayden’s sake. My stomach churning with the need to puke. Lorenzo didn’t reply. With his gaze locked on Rayden, I wondered what was coming.
“Take them back to the estate, Dario,” Remo ordered.
“We’re not going anywhere.” Rayden threw himself in front of me, arms spread out, his stance defensive.
“What the fuck did you say, boy?” Remo’s gun slipped so fast into his hand, neither of us saw it coming. He placed the muzzle to Rayden’s brow, shoving backward until Rayden was leaning against the Escalade.
Still the fight refused to leave him. He glowered at Remo. Cursing, Remo raised his gun with the intention of hitting Rayden and a cold shiver ran down my spine. I slapped a hand to my mouth to keep from screaming, it would only cause more trouble for us.
“Remo,” Lorenzo’s stern reproach stopped his gun mid-air.
I glanced over my shoulder to see Lorenzo moving. He stepped in front of his brother. His casual stance with one hand in his pocket didn’t match the rigid expression on his face as he lifted a hand and curved it around Rayden’s throat. It wasn’t a tight squeeze since Rayden appeared to be breathing normally and his eyes weren’t bulging with the pressure. My heart ached to go to him, but I feared if I moved Lorenzo would do something worse.
“I could snap your neck with a flick of my fingers,” Lorenzo said in that same quiet tone I’d heard when he first spoke, back in the bar. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
Rayden shrugged. “A cold-blooded killer?”
Remo snorted out a laugh. “Kill him, Lorenzo or let me do it. He’s disrespecting you—”
“Shut up, Remo,” Lorenzo growled still maintaining eye contact with Rayden. “You might want to think about controlling that tongue of yours, boy.” Rayden’s sudden inhale told me Lorenzo had pressed down on his throat. He inched closer until his nose touched Rayden’s. “Unless you want to go home in a body bag, or perhaps melt in a drum of acid with no trace of your existence. Would you prefer that?”
I panicked, having felt this kind of crippling fear before, more than once. I tried to think of something to diffuse the tension, to get him to stop. “Please, we’ll go with you,” the second I blurted the words, I regretted them.
Lorenzo’s gaze shifted, his cold stare pinning me to the spot as if I had no business talking. I would’ve done well to shut up. Icy tentacles of dread wrapped around my chest, squeezing hard, slowly suffocating me and drawing the air from my lungs in a gradual taunt. I didn’t move, nor did I try to inhale lest I angered him further, but I did pray—prayed for some cloaked miracle that would swoop down and save us, in the process wipe our minds clean like none of this had happened.
No such luck. I tried to step back but he released Rayden and wrapped his fingers around my neck so fast, I had no time to blink let alone cry out. Expression stone, his brow furrowed in a deep frown. “Don’t ever,” his grip tightened, and this time, fear sucked the air out of my lungs, “speak when not spoken to,” he sneered. I opened my mouth to let him know I understood. Nothing but tiny gasps slipped past my lips. He squeezed harder, strong fingers biting into my flesh. I clawed at his hand, my lungs burning as he slowly suffocated me. Then he looked at Rayden as though waiting for him to do something, to challenged him. Rayden, thankfully, did nothing. “Until I say different, you’re mine to do with as I please. Do you understand that, boy?” Lorenzo’s words were a whisper. A hiss. The threat, however, unmistakable. He cocked a brow, letting Rayden know he was waiting for an answer.
Rayden’s nod was slight, and I gasped for air the second Lorenzo released his hold. Hands on my knees, I bent over, breathing hard to swallow oxygen greedily. I could feel Rayden’s eyes on me, willing me to look up. I didn’t dare to. Slowly, I massaged my neck until the ache in my throat stung less.
“What the fuck, Renz? Let’s just kill them both and get it over with.” Remo’s voice was thick with irritation. “You’re going soft, brother.” He stomped off when he got no response.
As soon as Lorenzo headed for his car, Rayden crouched next to me. “Are you okay?” He rubbed my back as I straightened.
Dario moved forward, gesturing to the Escalade. “Get in.”
Even though I tried, my legs suddenly refused to work. Rayden’s warm grip on my arms gave me the strength I needed. He helped me into the vehicle then slid in next to me.
“Did he hurt you?” I rasped as soon as the vehicle began moving.
He merely looked at me, his eyes red and moist with unshed tears then he puffed out a frustrated breath. “I’m fine,” he muttered, irritation pouring out of him as he stared out the window.
I figured it was a guy thing. Maybe he was annoyed he couldn’t do anything to help us. Sliding closer, my hands were still shaking when I took his hand and sandwiched it between mine. “You’re in this shit because of me. I shouldn’t have sent you down there. I’m sorry.”
Sighing, he turned to look at me then smiled. “It’s not your fault. I was stupid to think I’d get away with witnessing a crime.”
“I don’t think they plan to kill us,” I lied, not knowing what else to say.
“What gave you that idea?” he scoffed, rubbing his neck. “How are you so much calmer than me?”
My laugh lacked mirth, it sounded more like a squeak. If only he could see what my insides resembled, he’d probably cave into a full-blown anxiety attack. “I work with these people, remember. As silly as it may sound, I keep telling myself that it’s just a dream, it has to be, and I’ll wake up in a minute and it will all be over.” I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “I guess having you here, makes it seem a little less scary.”
“Whatever they do to us, I’m just glad I came back for you.”
I frowned. “Why didn’t you leave like I asked you to?”
