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Justice glared at him. "No, Hassan, run–"
Vito whipped the side of her head with his gun. Despite his age, he was terrifying. Her scream of pain sent a jolt through me. I gritted my teeth, the phone trembling in my hand as Vito sneered at Justice.
"Shut up," he snarled at her before turning his attention back to me on the screen. "Now, Hassan...let's not make this harder than it has to be."
I clenched my fist, the edges of Lee's Polaroid digging into my palm. "You hurt Justice, and I swear–"
"Swear what?" He interrupted me with a laugh. It was harsh and grating, scraping against my nerves like sandpaper. "You're going to do what exactly? Call the cops? They can't help you now."
I could hear the implication in his words–the threat cloaked in false concern, the undisguised glee when he spoke about Bash. He was enjoying this, reveling in the power he held over us.
I hadn’t felt this helpless since...since the assault. All those years ago, when Jez had come after me and I'd been too young, too scared to fight back. But now, I wasn't that helpless little boy anymore. I was a member of the Miami Knives, and we were a brotherhood. We protected our own, no matter what.
"You touch any of them again and you'll wish you were in the ground with Lee," I shot back.
Vito grinned at my threat, a wicked smile spreading across his face. "Oh, is that so?" He sounded far too amused for my liking.
My mind raced as I tried to figure out my next move. Justice's eyes met mine through the screen, the fear in her gaze making my heart drop with guilt. How had things gone so wrong?
Suddenly, Vito’s grin dropped as fast as it appeared and his voice turned cold, serious. "Enough talk," he spat out. "Bring me Sebastian or I kill Skylar next. And then I'll kill your sweet little Justice. But I think..."
He took a step toward her, dipping his head down, sniffing her deeply. "Maybe I'll sample the goods first."
"No!" The word erupted from my mouth before I could stop it, raw and blistered. "Don't you dare lay a finger on her."
Vito only cackled, that sickening laugh I wanted to rip from his throat. He was a predator, toying with his prey. My heart pounded in my chest as if it were trying to keep up with the maddening chaos unfolding before me.
"Or what?" Vito sneered, his eyes glinting darkly. He moved a stray lock of hair from Justice's tear-streaked face, letting his fingers dance down her cheek. "Or what, pretty boy?"
Skylar rose to his feet from behind him, and I could see the shadow of another man pointing a gun at him.
"I want the boy," Vito said. "Bring me the boy. And I might let them live."
And then the screen went black.
