Like last night, the man was crying. He wasn’t pleading for his life, however, but only because he couldn’t.
The duct tape covering his mouth prevented his screams from ever reaching the air around them. The ropes tied around his wrists and ankles kept him from trying to escape.
She whirled around, desperate to run, but her uncle’s hands cinched down onto shoulders, keeping her in place.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“W-what…” She swallowed. “What’s going on? I don’t understand.”
Tony raised a knowing brow. “Don’t you?”
He knows.The giant knot stuck inside her throat kept the words from forming, so Abigail shook her head.
“I think you know exactly what’s going on.” He turned her around. Forced her to look at the man. “After all, you’re the one who interrupted last night’s meeting with Mr. Shaeffer.”
“I-I didn’t—”
A hard push from behind caused her to fly forward. She threw her hands out to catch herself, but her knees still hit the cold, unforgiving concrete with a loud thud.
Abigail swallowed the pain, refusing to cry out and appear weak. If her uncle was going to kill her, she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear while he did it.
“You’ll find it in your best interest not to lie to me right now, sweet niece.”
Abigail raised her head. Her eyes locked with the man on his knees in front of her. Tears fell from his eyes, running down over the slick, gray tape and onto the floor below him. Her heart ripped in two, knowing this time, there would be no saving him.
“I must say, I’m impressed.” Her uncle came to stand beside her. “You tailed me without my knowledge the entire way to Shaeffer’s home. I wouldn’t have even known you’d been there had it not been for the tracking device Luca, here, installed in your phone.”
Her eyes shot up to his. “What?”
“Didn’t know about that, did you?” His lips curled into a sick grin. “Technology is just one of Luca’s many talents.”
Abigail glared at the tall, dark-haired man. Keeping the gun steady, Luca reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out her phone. She didn’t know when he’d had access to it, but the smug look on the asshole’s face said her uncle was telling the truth.
“Since you are so interested in what I really do, I figured I’d give you an up close and personal view. A private showing, if you will. After all, you’re sixteen now. The same age I was when my father…your grandfather…took me to my first execution.”
Abigail gagged. Oh, Jesus. Her family was insane. Not her parents, though. They’d never—
“I can see the wheels turning, Abigail. And yes, your father was in the business, too.”
“No.” She faced him. She’d finally found her voice again, and it was steady and sure. “You’re lying.”
“No, Abigail.” Tony’s expression turned to pitying sympathy. “I’m not. In fact, your father was in charge up to the day he and your mother drove off that cliff.”
“You’re.Lying!” She shot to her feet and rammed her body into his. Unfortunately for her, he was much larger. Stronger.
“I’m not.” He grabbed her flailing wrists to keep her from hitting him. “Your father, our father, his father…it’s a family business, Abigail. One we were born into. Just like you.”
Shock reverberated through her, causing her to flinch. “I will never be a part of this. You hear me?Never!”
“You already are. But you do have a choice.” This halted her jerky movements. “It’s simple, really. Either you’re with us”—he glanced down at the sobbing man behind her—“or you’re against us. That decision is up to you.”
Understanding filtered through her ice-cold veins. She either chose to stand beside her uncle, or she’d end up below him. As in, six-feet-under, below him.
“I’ll give you some time to think about it. Until then…”
He jerked his chin toward Luca, and Abigail knew exactly what the motion meant. As he had last night, her uncle had given his lackey the order to kill the other man.
She began fighting to free herself again. “Uncle Tony, please. Please don’t do this!”
