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Anthony came back into the room, forced me to undress in front of him, ogled me the entire time, and then told me it was time to leave.
Lucky hugged me one last time and whispered, “Goodbye, Gia,” into my ear.
“Goodbye, Alexandria,” I whispered back, using her real name. “Never forget who you are.”
She held me at an arm's length and smiled. “You, too. I hope we see each other again.”
“Me, too,” I admitted.
I’d never had girlfriends. It was always Sonny and Angelo. They were my friends until Angelo later became my everything. Still, Sonny was my only true friend. I had female acquaintances, but it never amounted to more than polite discussion, mostly because of my connection to the Mafia. I couldn’t allow anyone who didn’t understand our world to get too close. But Lucky understood.
Our short moment ended with Anthony gripping my bicep in his big hand. “For old time’s sake,” he breathed against the shell of my ear. Then, he jammed a needle in my neck.
The last thing I remembered was Lucky waving at me with a bright smile on her face.
Chapter Twenty
Gia
I awoke on a mattress in a dark room lit by candles scattered around the perimeter. Twin mattresses were on the floor around me, at least twenty of them. My heart pounded against my rib cage, attempting to claw its way out of my chest. Overwhelmed by my new surroundings, the fear kicked in. Adrenaline shot through my veins, causing me to panic. I sat up and looked around the room.
Where am I?
The floor was tiled, the walls brick and painted with a white sealant. A chill ran through me from the cold air that blew through the large, open space. I was wearing the skimpy white dress Lucky gave me before I left the club. My stomach burned from the lack of food and the hunger pains that hit me all at once. I couldn’t keep down a meal to save my life. All I’d done for the past few weeks was vomit.
The acidic taste in the back of my throat mixed with the cottonmouth from the drugs made it hard for me to form any spit. I was thirsty, beyond dehydrated. Water was my friend. If I could find some. I got up from the bed and walked around the room, searching for something to drink. I dropped to the floor when I saw a bottle of Nestea next to a mattress in the corner. It was empty, not a single drop left.
Dammit.
I staggered over to the only door in the room and clutched the knob in my hand. To my surprise, it turned. My eyes and mouth widened in shock. It was too good to be true. I turned the knob slowly, careful not to make a sound. For all I knew, I was being set up. This was a test to see if I would pass. But I had to try to escape. I wasn’t Raven. I wasn’t a bird someone could cage.
The door made a tiny creak when I pulled it open. No one was waiting for me. I poked my head into the dark hallway, looking from left to right. To my right was a man who sat in a chair with his hands on his lap. He was wearing a suit and wingtips, definitely a Made man. They had a particular polished look about them which was a dead giveaway. His dark hair was gelled into place, his head tilted to the side. He had his eyes closed as if he was sleeping. For my sake, I hoped he was out cold.
There was only one way out, and it was past him. I released my grip on the doorknob and crept past him on my tip-toes. He stirred when I moved by, but didn’t open his eyes. This was too easy.
No way would a man pay nine million dollars for me and allow me to leave without a fight.
Nope, this had to be a trap.
I was free from my prison. My body burned from the ache in my weak bones, but I took off
down the hall and kept on running. The soles of my feet tore open as they scraped the cement floor, leaving bloody trails in my path. I blocked out the pain, so close to making my escape.
“Hey,” the man yelled from behind me.
I didn’t bother to look over my shoulder. He was on my tail. His musky cologne filled the air behind me, his stench choking me with each step he took in my direction. When I hit the end of the hall, he closed the distance between us, reaching for my arm he missed. I swerved around the corner, plunged myself further into the darkness.
The walls were made of unfinished brick that had wires hanging from it. The exposed ceiling was open, with wooden planks holding up the insulation. Camping lanterns were placed sporadically along the trail, the yellowish glow providing me with enough light to see.
I was so sure I’d hit a dead end when I turned another corner. But I was wrong. The door to my freedom was right in front of me. I picked up the pace, my body kicking into overdrive. Only a few more steps. Almost there.
With seconds to spare, I clutched the doorknob and swung it out. It hit the man behind me in the face, but that didn’t deter him one bit. He grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me into his chest.
I wasn’t going back to that room.
No fucking way.
Using every ounce of strength I had left, I planted my foot on the wall and pushed back into him. He lost his balance long enough to loosen his grip on my shirt, long enough for me to elbow him in the face.
