“Please, Teddy. I need you.”
“Okay, baby. I’ll go with you.”
“Thank you…” Relief paints her face, and for a moment, the Ellie I know looks back at me.
For a brief moment.
Rising from her chair, she grabs my hand and pulls me toward the door with such haste that I struggle to gain my footing.
“How exactly do you plan on sneaking me into your house?”
“Well, for starters, you’ll have to ride with me. The windows are tinted, and the family cars are the only ones the guards aren’t searching right now.”
“Theguards?”
Yes! This is the perfect moment to bring up the elephant in the room…Our families. I’ve felt terrible throughout our whole relationship for not telling her about the Bratva I was apparently born into. I was too much of a coward, fearing both her response and what Mila might do to Ellie if she told anyone. It’s been so much of a shock to my own system, I couldn’t imagine what she would think. My soft, kind-hearted Ellie. I would have never guessed that she was a Mafia princess herself. No wonder she was so scared about her brother’s reactions to us…
“Um…You know after Leo, my parents have just been cautious about things is all…” She pauses, opening the back door of her SUV.“I think you should get in the back just to be careful.”
“Okay…”
I step into the vehicle and climb to the back row as Ellie closes the door. The sound of the locks engaging pierces the silence, and I expect she’s finally made it in as well. I barely have time to look up to see an empty driver’s seat when a strong arm wraps around me, covering both my mouth and nose with a damp cloth. Then everything goes black.
Fuck, why does everything hurt? Twisting my neck relieves some of the tension there, but damn, my head isthrobbing. I try to massage my temples, butI can’t lift my hands. My eyes shoot open to find that it makes no difference to the darkness that surrounds me. I test the restraints on my wrist first to find both secured by what must be handcuffs, then move to my feet. They’re tied up as well, but the material is lax and rough compared to the cool metal of the cuffs.
I’m tied to a fucking chair.
I try some of the breathing exercises Misha taught me to avoid panic and call forward my memory. I was getting packed up for an away game when Ellie texted me about meeting up. Then we had that super fucking awkward coffee date where she invited me to come home with her, which I accepted despite my better judgment. Then she insisted I ride with her and locked me in the back of her car where…
Fuck, I hope someone didn’t get her. If someone is after her family, she was just as dumb as I was not to bring any security detail to our date. Goddamnit, how could I be sostupid? She was probably being followed, and the minute I was out of the way, they took her and locked me in car…
“Ellie? Are you here? Are you okay? Baby, are you here? Please be okay…”
A maniacal laugh fills the dark room, bringing chills to my body…because I know who it belongs to.
“Gabri?”
“That’s right, you fucking piece of shit. And Nikki. Maybe you’re not as dumb as we thought you were after all.”
I pull at my restraints with fervor, but it’s no use. “Where’s Ellie? Is she okay?”
“Yes, she’s perfectly fine now that we have your sorry ass to torture. Although there’s no revenge that will ever heal what you took from us. Not even your pathetic death will be enough to cover his.”
“I didn’t do anything to him. You have to believe me! Ellie! Ellie, tell them it wasn’t me!”
A sharp slap across my cheek cuts me off. “This was her idea in the first place, you fool. She brought you right to us, and now you can pay for the pain you’ve caused our family.”
Bright lights flick on, blinding at first, but eventually revealing the love of my life. She stands by her brothers with an expressionless face. There’s no love left in her eyes as they tear into my heart. There’s only vengeance.
Chapter 31
“Ellie brought meright to you…what?”
Teddy’s disbelief that I had anything to do with his capture is so wholesome that for a moment, I forget my resolve. He’s coughing up blood now, his lips split, and a cut across his cheek is oozing. My nausea, forgotten in the glory of my revenge, roils in my gut again at the sight of blood. I’ve never been involved in this part of the business, and now that I’ve seen so much blood flowing out of Leo along with his life…I hope I never have to see much ever again.
Gabri and Nikki seem overcome by their bloodlust, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of my brothers is trying to crack his rib with how hard they’re punching. Teddy tries to maintain eye contact with me, and never once does his facade crack. He’s in pain, but it’s obvious that communicating with me is his priority, even as his energy wanes.
“Whatever it is that you think I did, baby—”
