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My heart skips a beat when I hear the haunting limp of Giovanni Valentino ascend the stairs.
Fuck.
He’s murmuring something to his bodyguard. I can feel the reverberation of the cast-iron banister handling all of his weight.
I say a silent prayer even though I’m not religious.
I beg my late mother, my incarcerated father, even the universe to hear me.
His slimy voice beckons closer, until I see the doorknob twist.
“Ellie. Ellie. Ellie,” he says from the other side. “Didn’t my son tell you? No locked doors in this house. Not when Papa Gio is home. It’s okay. We’ll give you a pass this time.”
I curl my knees to my breasts and hold my legs.
Shutting my eyes tight and wishing him away is doing nothing to deafen his awful voice.
“Now, sweetheart. Wake up and come open the door for me. I don’t want to have to get my son a new lock. Do you know how annoying it is to get a handyman up in the sticks? Hah. C’mon, sweetheart. I won’t bite too hard.”
My eyes are scratchy from all the crying, and the new tears only sting them worse.
“Ellie. I know you’re in there. Ronny Shadow did this to you. He left you in the world to rot, just like he left the Valentinos. Think of it as a coming together.”
Bam!
The door flings open, and I scream.
The bodyguard’s boot lingers in the air. He kicked it open with one try. He’s a hulk.
But it’s not the hulk that scares me.
The old boss stalks slowly over to the bed, hunched and vile. Dry grin intact.
“Aw.” He tilts his head, pretending to be sympathetic. “Don’t be scared, Ellie. If you relax, I’ll bet you’ll enjoy it. I have a lot of experience, after all.”
A wave of fear crashes over my body.
“Get the fuck away from me!” I yell, inching toward the far corner of the bed.
“We can role-play too, sweetheart. It wouldn’t be the first time.” He snickers.
“Back the fuck up!” I say again.
Gio’s face turns serious, and my heart drops into my belly. “Seems you’re lacking some respect.” He snaps his finger, and the bodyguard draws a knife.
“Keep up the nonsense, and I’ll have Tiro here carve you a new face,” Gio threatens.
“Please, you need me for the Russians,” I say.
“Hey!” He dives and grabs my face with one hand. “I make the rules. No one else. Do you understand me? Huh?”
My whole body is numb.
All I can do is nod.
I don’t want to die.
“Good.” Gio slaps me lightly and unbuckles his belt. “Now be a good little birdy and open those legs for papa.”
