64
Gianna (27 Years)
Gunfire sounded somewhere in the distance, and I had no idea if it were someone attacking this place or a practice run for the men that took me. All I could think of was my little boy and whether he was safe or not. No one here would speak to me and apart from a sandwich a glass of milk for the last four days that was left just inside the door, no one said a word to me. At least there was a toilet and a sink that I could use to wash the necessary parts of my body. No clothes or towel meant I had to wash and slip my current clothes on or risk being seen naked.
The sudden slam of the door against the wall as it shot open had me springing into action. As the first guy entered, I planted one foot firmly on the ground to keep me upright and kicked out the other leg, catching the guy by surprise. He staggered back into the man behind him, blood spurting from his nose.
“Fuck,” he screamed, cupping his nose while his friend charged me.
With a quick step forward, I karate chopped him on the back of his neck and as he stumbled, I kicked out a limber leg, catching him in the chest. He hit the ground hard. The first guy stared at his friend, looked confused for a second, and shot off down the passage. Stepping out of the room, I followed the man, figuring it was the way out. Loud voices floated down the halls. Either someone was having a party, or it was an attack.
I had only a moment’s notice of someone coming up behind me and before I could react, a bag was placed over my head at the same time strong arms banded around my stomach locking my hands at my sides. Squirming did nothing as the man pressed down so tight the breath whooshed out me, steaming the bag and making it difficult to breathe. I felt myself being lifted, moved then set down on a chair before my hands and feet were bound.
A second later the bag was whipped off my head and I blinked against the offending light shining directly in my eye. Then someone moved into the light, and I dropped my gaze waiting for the white spots to clear, lifted my gaze, and stared directly into the eyes of Cassius Mancini.
“What’s the meaning of this, Cassius,” I snarled, pulling at the binds.
Slipping his hands into the pockets of his black slacks, he took a step toward me. “I don’t think I’ve ever come across a girl that is harder to trap than you, Gianna and for a man like me, that is saying something.”
I frowned. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
He grinned. “You see, sweetheart, you were very important in my line of work. Not because of what you could do with this intelligent mind.” He touched my right temple and I jerked my head away. “But what you could offer with the rest of your body.”
Bile rose in my throat, and I forced it down with a hard swallow. To think this man was supposed to be my father. I remained silent, not wanting to poke the bear just in case he didn’t know I was aware of that detail.
He took my silence for an invite to further explain. “Let me tell you a story, Giana. Once upon a time, I signed a deal with a very prominent man, let’s call him Salvatore, in exchange for your services as a number genius.”
“You lost me on the word once.”
“Have you ever looked at long number sequences then remembered them and wondered how you could remember them down to the last digit?” he asked, and I nodded. “So, on with the story,” he mocked. “When you were five, I discovered that if I gave you a long number, you would read it and repeat it a second later. For two years, I used you to steal bank accounts, foreign papers, safe codes, anything we could get our hands on. You made me millions.” My shock must’ve registered because he laughed. “When you were seven, Salvatore and I signed a deal, and everything went well. Just before your ninth birthday, Salvatore’s brother, Leo offered me a better deal. Being a businessman, I asked Salvatore to renegotiate our existing contract. He didn’t want to. So, I put a gun in your hand and made you kill him.”
“Wait.” Horror slammed into me, stagnating the air to my lungs. “I killed Vincenzo’s father. Oh, my God.”
“Well, it was a foolish move on my part because after he died, you became traumatized and lost your ability. Then your mother stepped in, and she whisked you away, claiming the fairies had kidnapped you and I believed her.”
“Oh, my God.” The cold running through my blood made my teeth chatter and I tried to get a grip by slowing my breathing. It didn’t work.
