Page 113 of Royal Desire

I know that voice.

That voice has haunted me.

And still, I can’t believe he’s here.

In Winslet.

At the manor.

My neck constricts to confirm what my brain already knows.

Enzo Caruso is here in the flesh. And he’s got me wrapped tight against him in a way I can’t pull free.

But I can fight, and I can scream.

I do both.

It doesn’t matter how many hours I’ve been singing and entertaining, my vocal cords are strong. It’s like all my years of singing have trained me for this exact moment.

My blood-curdling screech rises above the chatter of the crowd and mood music that’s pumped through the speakers while we’re not performing.

Enzo’s hand lands on my mouth to muffle me. He’s big enough and strong enough to drag me along as he heads for the emergency exit of The Speakeasy.

One of the waitstaff notices. She drops her tray and starts to run my way, but that’s when Enzo raises a gun and points it at the ceiling. Three shots blast through the original library of the manor. People scream and hit the floor. My ears ring. Enzo points the gun toward the crowd.

Everyone gives us a wide berth, and it doesn’t matter how much I fight and struggle. The last thing I see is Blake and the bartender pushing their way to me from the other side of the room. But it’s too crowded, they’re too far, and Enzo has dragged me too close to the exit.

The cool night air hits me as he drags me through the door and slams it behind us. He shoots three more times into the night sky. A car with an open trunk is waiting in the loading dock area. I lost my heels between the stage and the emergency exit.

I can only fight so long before he tosses me into the trunk of his Mercedes. My head bounces off the floorboards, and my hip takes all my weight.

The last thing I see is Enzo and the big, wide moon glaring down at me. Enzo grips the trunk. “Fucking bitch. To think I gave you a way out. All you had to do was keep your mouth shut and marry me.”

I ignore the pain shooting through my body and try to climb out. “I didn’t tell them anything. I swear. I only wanted you to leave me alone.”

“All I needed you to do was cooperate. Crossing me will be the last thing you do. I’ll make sure of it. Say goodbye to your small town and your pathetic life.”

The trunk slams and darkness envelops me like an eerie nightmare coming back to haunt my reality.

I pound on the roof of the trunk and scream one more time as the car screeches off.

Only then do I allow my screams to morph into sobs.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

DESPERATION IS AN INTERESTING BITCH

Payne

We both lurch toward the weapon at the same time. Dad is on the ground and closer. I dive past him and land on the asphalt with a humph.

I grab the gun a split second before him, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get a hand on it.

He does.

With his grip over mine, he tries to wrench it away. He slams himself on my back and rolls.

“I’ll kill you for what you did,” he growls. “You don’t deserve anything. Especially my name.”