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I took him away from us all because I was selfish.
Garrix made it crystal clear we have to leave. I have no clue where he’s taking me or what we’re doing. Why does he even want me? I know JC is wrong—Garrix isn’t using me to get to my family—but the subtext of his words is true. Garrix doesn’t have to settle for me. He can have any woman he wants. He’ll realize soon how dangerous my life is, how I’ll never be his soft spot to land. Eventually, he’ll need that, especially when the day comes that he’s the leader of The Brigade.
I try to rise, but my knees are shaking. My entire body is shivering. It feels as if the light inside me has been snuffed out. The darkness is closing in on me, making it hard to keep a clear head. Everything is fuzzy.
There’s a knock at the door, and I wait for Garrix to answer it. There’s more knocking, except this time it’s turned into a frantic pounding.
“Maddie!” The voice on the other side of the door sounds familiar. “It’s about Don Vettore, open up!”
I spring up out of my chair. Max said he would send someone to give us an update. When I open the door, I’m met by the last person I expected to see.
“Gabriele? What are you doing here?”
“Come on, you have to come to the hospital. Your father only has a couple hours left, tops, and he wants to say goodbye to you.” He grabs my hand and tries to pull me out of the house.
I completely break down and my knees give out, hitting the floor. Tears cloud my vision as my heart breaks. Papà’s going to die, and it’s my fault.
When the light from the street lamp illuminates me, I realize I’m outside a car. When did I cross the house’s threshold?
“Gabe, we need to wait for Garrix.” I try to pull my arm from his grip, but it tightens.
“No, Maddie. We aren’t waiting for your psychotic, obsessive guard dog,” he snarls. “I’m fucking done seeing his face.” Gabe pulls a knife from his pocket, and I finally know what it’s like to be at the other end of the hilt.
“Excuse me?” The sad fog around me starts to dissipate.
“You were my ticket in, my way up the ranks. We got along fine, and you’re pretty enough. Why did you have to ruin it?!” he hisses.
Pretty enough? Please, I was out of this fucker’s league. But I don’t want to get stabbed, so I try to negotiate.
“Gabe, think about what you’re doing. Your family has been loyal to Nuova Notte for generations, all the way back to the old country. Think of how disappointed your father would be if he knew you were betraying us…”
“He was a fool,” he scoffs. “Working day in, day out and never moving up. Never taking a bigger slice of the pie. And what did he get for it? He died protecting your father!”
“And you think the Russians will give you something? You’re a traitor, Gabe. They’re not going to trust you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Dmitri said I could be his new second. He’s taking over the Yedinstvo, Maddie. Then the city, then the country! And getting you in line is the first step.” I used to find his crooked grin attractive, but now it’s alarming.
“You’re the mole.”
His confirming nod is the nail in my coffin. He truly believes the horse shit Dmitri fed him. The unhinged spark in his eyes only grows, and I start to panic. I try to wrench my arm out of his hold, but he pulls me closer and laughs in my face.
“Oh, the badass Maddalena Vettore can’t fight off her lowly security guard? I guess all those Krav Maga sessions and combat training were a waste, huh?”
He puts me in a chokehold as he drags me to his car. No matter how hard I thrash around or try to scream, I can’t get free. He only tightens his hold on me, to the point where his fingertips dig into my skin.
“Get off me!” I shout, but I doubt anyone will hear me. My voice is hoarse from crying like a fucking pathetic baby.
He leans me up against the car, then grabs my jaw and shoves a pill down my throat. When I try to spit it back at him, he slaps me. The shock forces me to swallow it.
“What did you just give me?!”
“A new designer pill the Russians sell. It’s a fast-acting date rape drug.” He smiles at me, and the blood drains from my face. The pieces start to fit together… Gabe is my stalker. “Calm down, Maddie. I’ve already sampled the goods, and since you’re whoring yourself out to The Brigade for protection, I’m not interested in a repeat. Unfortunately for you, Dmitri doesn’t care.”
I feel as if the earth is about to swallow me. My muscles feel like they’re melting off my bones. As the world around me spins, I think of how stupid I was to open the door without checking my phone or getting Garrix first.
“Surprise! Although I’m surprised it took you so long to figure it out.”
“Garrix knows…” I slur.
