I wailed and raged against the tape and my constraints, but it did no good.
“I’m sorry again, sweet Alessia. I hope you understand, it’s nothing personal.” If there’d been any question the man was evil, it was dashed away when he winked before leaving the room.
My chest puffed up and down with unfettered rage until Rico came back into view, and my breathless pants turned into sobs of terror. The middle-aged man was so thin, his sallow cheeks indented below the bone. His mousy brown hair flopped to the side, just long enough for the greasy strands to cover his eyes. Those pale blue eyes were the worst part of all—soulless and empty. I could feel their filthy touch as they roved over my body, hungry for blood.
“It’s important when someone wrongs you to not only get your pound of flesh but to ensure a lesson is taught. Those filthy Luccianos must learn to never, ever fuck with the Gallos. Luca did an excellent job leading me straight to you. I watched you for days, but I wasn’t allowed to touch, not until Sal here made his offer. Now, we make things right.”
His eyes glowed with depravity, and when he lifted a knife where I could see it, warmth spread beneath me where I lost control of my bladder. He sniffed the air, then laughed at my fear, but embarrassment was the farthest thing from my mind. Humility was nonexistent when one was lost in abject terror.
My nostrils flared angrily as I tried to pull in the oxygen my lungs desperately needed to keep pace with my racing heart. My eyes stayed fixed on the small switchblade he gripped in his hand. Taking the hem of my shirt, he sliced through the fabric from my navel to my throat, cutting the blouse in half.
“Your skin is beautiful, such a perfect canvas,” he mused to himself as he trailed the knife down my chest and belly without so much as a single scratch. When he got to my slacks, he popped the button off and lowered the zipper.
I began to thrust my hips and squirm, fear taking control of my body.
“You know, this knife is very sharp. I wouldn’t want to do that if I were you. One slip of my hand, and this could all be over very quickly.” His words were spoken with an eerie calm that chilled me to my core.
Every muscle in my body clenched, locked down motionless—too scared to move, too terrified to relax. A twisted, vile grin spread across his face as he returned to his work.
I wished to God this was the moment where help came for me—that Luca or my father came bursting through the door and put a bullet between Rico’s eyes. I would have even celebrated if Uncle Sal had experienced a change of heart and had come back to save me, but that wasn’t the case.
This was the moment in the movie when the camera pans back, and everything fades to black. No one wants to see the details of what happens—the innuendo is enough. For me, there was no escape. I was forced to experience first-hand each sadistic detail, memories that would haunt me forever.
CHAPTER 23
LUCA
After Alessia tookoff with her driver, I jumped in my car and started to make the trek into Jersey to check on Arianna. I’d been so consumed with all things Alessia, I hadn’t provided adequate supervision of my little sister. A few weeks’ time on her own and there was no telling what kind of trouble she could get into.
Before I crossed over the GW bridge, I texted Alessia.Did you make it home?
Setting my phone back on its charger, I waited for a response. The tires passing over each section of bridge made a clicking sound that counted off theseconds as my text went unanswered. She swore she would answer me, and I was fairly certain she hadn’t been lying to appease me. With growing agitation, I grabbed the phone and dialed her number. Ring after ring came across the line before her voicemail picked up.
It was entirely possible she had jumped in the shower or had some other valid reason for not answering, but I couldn’t shake the feeling in my gut that something wasn’t right. As soon as I made it to the other side of the bridge, I flipped a U-turn and started back toward her Manhattan apartment.
By the time I reached the building over a half-hour later, she still hadn’t returned my text or answered my calls. My head filled with gruesome images as I went from concern to worry to all-out fear. I wasn’t normally the type to succumb to the emotion, but in this instance, I was drenched in the sticky substance.
I double-parked and tore off toward the entrance. The concierge attempted to stop me, but I blew past him and caught an elevator already waiting on the ground floor. Each agonizing rise between floors felt like a lifetime. When the elevator finally opened, I ran to her apartment and pounded on the door.
“Alessia, it’s me. Open up!” Hand flat against the door, I stood motionless and waited, listening for sound on the other side.
Nothing.
Pulling out my pocketknife, I jimmied the lock, and her door popped open, the deadbolt not in use. I scanned the room, instantly zeroing in on her purse set on the counter. Inside were her keys, phone, and wallet.
Shit! Fuck!
I didn’t have my gun with me, so I took a knife from thekitchen and slowly scoped out the apartment. It was empty, no signs of a struggle, nothing out of place. If I’d gone to the cops, which was never going to happen, they’d probably tell me she’d gone for a walk, but I knew that wasn’t the case.
Alessia had been taken.
Grabbing my phone, I dialed Enzo, thanking God her father had given me his number before I’d left his house.
“Yeah.”
“Enzo, this is Luca. We got a real problem—Alessia’s been taken.”
Silence. “How do you know?” His voice had gone steely. I was about to see a side of Enzo Genovese that had been dormant for a long time.
