Page 122 of Power & Punishment

A shard of fear dislodges from my side.

I keep my mouth shut, hoping he’ll become a real Bond villain and reveal his entire plan to me while I figure out my escape.

Adrian circles the bed, letting his finger drag along the comforter. My skin prickles watching the movement like a hawk.

“Here’s the thing, Emilia. I’ve known about Leo’s true intentions for a while now. Wasn’t hard to figure out after a quick background check. And I was content to let him continue his suicide mission. I even started rooting for him. Until I realized he wasn’t just after Enzo’s head—no, he wanted to burn the entire Caruso operation to the ground. The operation that I risked everything to protect.”

He stops, lifting his soulless eyes to me. “And then he decided to team up with Vince Russo—basically a neanderthal,” he explains. I break character for a moment, attempting to snap forward, but my restraints hold me back.

Adrian grins from ear to ear, looking pleased with himself. “I wasn’t planning on him being smart enough to uncover my identity. But it all worked out. I decided to kill Vince and frame Leo—killing two birds with one stone.”

I crane my neck, trying to line up all the information in my head. It’s hard to do when my head is pounding.

“Then why did you help him? I was already investigating him until you used your connections to stop me.”

He grips the wrought iron at the foot of the bed, using it to lean on. “Because he was helping me out in other ways. I couldn’t let my pet get locked up until I was done with him.”

Realization hits me, coming out of nowhere but still taking my breath away. “You wanted Leo to get rid of Enzo for you.”

“Exactly,” he grins. Then the corners of his mouth slip into a shape more suited for his face. “And enter the seductive detective that just had to steal his attention away.”

His knuckles turn white as he squeezes the bedpost tighter. “Leo used to be focused with an ego that was fueled by revenge. But then you came along, and suddenly he had something to lose. To protect.”

I glare at him. “You’re giving me too much credit.”

He lets go of his anchor and takes a few steps closer. My heart beats loudly inside my chest. Thankfully, he stops at the edge of the bed, but he’s still too close.

“Oh, no,” Adrian says. “You made him reckless, and now he’s a liability. One that I have to get rid of sooner than I expected.”

I lunge forward again—this time with enough force to shake the entire bed. The rope digs into my skin, but nothing beats the pain I feel when I think of losing Leo.

He chuckles to himself. “Relax, sweetheart. I’m not going to kill him. I have a much better plan in mind. As for you,” he says, leaning down and gripping my chin. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do with you. But you need to start playing nice, or your partner is going to pay for it.”

I open my mouth to tell him off. Anything to drown out the gut-wrenching feeling of loss I can’t bear to go through again. But his phone rings, cutting me off.

Adrian slides the device out of his pocket, smiling when he checks the screen. He must put the phone on speaker because I can hear Leo’s voice clear as day.

“Where is she?” Leo growls, a mix of fury and panic.

I want to scream out and tell him to stay away, but it’s no use because Shrek reappears just in time to reattach the duct tape on my mouth. Adrian winks, placing a finger over his lips.

“I thought you didn’t care about her.”

“If anything happens to her, I’ll carve this city apart until I find you.”

Adrian chuckles under his breath like the psycho he is. “No need. I’ll tell you exactly where I’m at.”

And then he hangs up.

My mouth goes dry, true fear taking over.

Because Leo is coming. Running headfirst into whatever trap Adrian has laid out.

Which is why I need to get Keith and me out of here before that happens.

35

LEO