Page 100 of Lust and Honor

“Maria.”

Despite everything, a faint smile tugs at my lips. “That’s the same name as one of my dearest friends.”

This time, it’s not just her chin, her eyes shimmer behind a veil of tears. “I’m so scared. Last night, they took two women away… and brought them back like that.”

I follow her trembling finger to the far side of the yard, where one woman lies barely recognizable, her face swollen and bloodied, and another slumped with her back to us, motionless. Terror seeps into me too, cold and deep, but I force myself to cling to whatever scrap of courage I’ve got left.

“How old are you, Maria?”

“Fourteen.”

I take her hand and squeeze gently. “My name’s Ava.”

She hesitates, studying me through wet lashes, then a tear slips down her cheek. “Can I...can I rest my head on your lap, Ava?”

Her request catches me off guard, but I nod softly.

A few minutes pass before the heavy thud of boots echoes through the space, filling the air. Maria pulls away from me in a panic, curling into a tight ball on the ground like she could disappear if she just made herself small enough.

In the faint light spilling in, I spot the man who snatched me from my house. When he sees me, the corner of his mouth curls up, and he mutters something to the burly guy next to him that I can’t make out.

They swing open the cell door, and the familiar man steps inside, pushing through the crowd. He grabs my arm so hard I yelp in pain. Ignoring it, he hauls me to my feet and drags me out. We weave through dark hallways until we reach a room with nothing but a large bed and a small couch inside. He shoves me into the middle of the floor and shuts the door.

Fear coils in my gut, but he just keeps smirking at me. I pull myself together, trying to look steady.

“Who are you?” I ask.

To my surprise, he answers right away. “Leonardo Scavia.”

My whole body freezes, like I’ve just been plunged into ice water. Oh God, this is Maxim’s father, the one Maxim’s been hunting high and low for weeks.

As I study his features closer, I see Maxim there, an older version, with the same eyes, the same jaw, the same broad build and height. He reads the recognition on my face, and his hateful smirk deepens.

“I see Maxim’s told you about me.”

I swallow hard. “Why did you kidnap me?”

“What do you think?”

“I have nothing to do with Maxim’s business. And I don’t mean anything to him.”

That second part hurts more than I expect.

A mocking laugh slips from him. “You popped out a kid with him, that means you’re connected. And you’ve been riding his cock for months now. That’s plenty for the man who wants to tie you to that bed and fill every hole you’ve got.”

My throat goes so dry that every breath feels like it’s scraping me raw. He wants to rape me? But he—my eyes flick down to his crotch without meaning to. Maxim told me he’d been mutilated, castrated.

The second he catches where I’m looking, something snaps inside him. He storms toward me and slaps me so hard I crash to the ground. Fisting my collar, he yanks me back up, his face twisted in rage.

“So that bastard told you what he did to me? God help you when Roberto’s finished with you,” he roars.

He hauls me even higher with ruthless force, a chilling smirk curling his lips.

“I’ll strap a knife to my waist and fuck you with that instead. Think about how Maxim will feel when he finds out.”

The door swings open again, followed by the calm voice of a man. “Let her go.”

Leonardo drops my collar and turns toward the sharply dressed man in the suit. “Sorry, Roberto. I lost it.”