“Where is she!” Clay barks, struggling to keep his temper in check. I put a hand on his shoulder, reminding him to keep his focus.
Visibly more anxious, Martin whispers harshly to his father, “We need to get out of here. They have us cornered.”
Ignoring his son, Detective Del Moro steps forward, his voice dripping with feigned sincerity. “Captain, there’s been a misunderstanding. We were here trying to save the girls. Taylor called us, concerned about their safety.”
Captain Swanson’s face remains hard. “Taylor confessed everything, Del Moro. He’s cooperating with us. We know you were the one behind all this.”
Del Moro’s confident façade falters for a moment. His eyes dart around, likely searching for an escape route, but it’s clear they’re cornered.
Seeing the change in his father, Martin, in a desperate move, reaches for his gun. Yet, before his fingers can even graze the weapon, sharpshooters swiftly align their sights, their laser dots converging on his chest. He freezes, realizing any further movements might be his last.
“Enough of this!” Swanson shouts. “Both of you, on the ground,now!”
After a tense moment, they slowly lower themselves to the ground and place their hands on their heads.
As the officers move in to handcuff the two, Detective Del Moro’s eyes meet Captain Swanson’s. “You’re a disgrace to the badge,” Swanson remarks, his voice filled with disgust.
FORTY-EIGHT
Matteo springs into action,crouching behind me as soon as the Del Moros are out of the room. “I’m sorry,carina.I didn’t know they were going to kill you, I swear,” he whispers, undoing the ties on my hands behind my back.
“What did you think they were going to do, bake me a cake?” I hiss back at him when I feel the ties go limp around my wrists, but I grip them and keep my hands behind my back just as the door opens.
Matteo steps quickly to the side so he is standing back against the wall when Roberto comes in.
Of course, thatbastardohas to be here too.
“Well, look at that,” he laments, coming over and grinning at me. He has a black eye from where Xander pummeled his face into the ground, and it gives me a little bit of satisfaction. “All alone today? No big guy to rescue you?” He huffs a laugh.
I just give him a bored look, although I have started sweating.
This is not going to end well for me.
“Martin told me on his way out that I could have some fun with you until they get back,” he shares, standing before me and taking out his butterfly knife. A shudder runs down my back when I see it’s the same knife he used to carve up my arm. “Whatdo you think,pig?Are you going to scream for me?” he taunts as he thrusts the knife into the side of my right thigh, and I clench my teeth and breathe deep through my nose.
The blade sends waves of agony coursing through me, but I force myself to remain silent, my entire being trembling with the effort to hold back the scream that threatens to escape.
It hurts like a motherfucker.
The ironic thing is, if he hadn’t tortured me for the past five years, he would have gotten the screams he wanted. But he was the one who made me build those walls and taught me to endure, so now, instead, I laugh in his face.
“Come on, you’re losing your edge,” I taunt, panting. “Remember that time you broke my collarbone with the shower head? Well, that was at least original.”
He sneers at me. “Now we have a big mouth? Where is that backbone coming from?”
“It’s what happens when you have nothing left to lose,” I press out.
He huffs a laugh. “Your sweet little sister not worth it anymore? You know you’re going to die, and in the end, she isn’t as important anymore?”
“Oh, I am going to die, but so are you.” I smile at him with gritted teeth, trying to keep my cool while my thigh screams in pain.
“Did you hear that?” Roberto turns to Matteo. “What is she going to do, tied up to a chair? Scowl me to death?” he taunts.
“I am not the one going to do it. Either the Del Moros are going to get rid of you first, or my guys are going to kill you for killing me. My bet is on Daddy Del Moro, though, and you should be thankful for that since he will make it quick.”
“You have no fucking clue. I am back in. I am the fucking third in command. Why the fuck would they want to get rid ofme? I did everything they wanted, and now I am going to get rid of you for them too,” he promises, stepping closer.
Fuck, I need more time.
