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No one is watching.
No one is listening.
I could run back inside and tell what I know. My mother’s face pops into my mind along with my sisters. It’s too late for that. It would put them all in jeopardy. I’m doing this in everyone’s best interest. Even my father’s.
I walk past the guards. “I’m going for a short walk,” I inform them.
“Who’s going with you?” one questions.
“He’s watching from the sky.” I nod to the tower where Luca practices his shots from time to time. He’s able to see everything from that one spot.
The guards squint, trying to see my guard up there. One has his hand on his phone, ready to confirm what I’m saying.
“Where did Luca go by himself?” I try to distract them.
The guard picks up his phone and calls my brother’s best friend, Vinny, and I slip out of the compound.
From what Theo explained to me, each step, I’m being watched. Mancini plans to kidnap me at the first opportunity. I’m a pawn in their game of violence and power. This is the opportunity Theo and I discussed. It’s better that we’re in control of me being taken, and Theo is here to make sure I stay safe. I can’t feel eyes on me, making it scarier. I’m trusting that Theo knows what he’s talking about.
It takes less than half a mile before a car follows behind me. I close my eyes, letting out an uneasy breath. It’s hard to tell yourself you are about to be taken and allow it to happen. My heart spikes at an alarming rate.
I’ve never had to put this much faith in anyone before. Especially someone who I don’t like. I guess the most important question is, do I trust Theo to do his job? The answer is yes. The way he looked into my eyes and told me he never fails, I believed him. He’s the last person I should trust, but I do with my life.
I can hear doors opening behind me and count to three, waiting for the moment. It feels like my heart is levitating out of my body with its rapid beating. Each pound has turned into one big, long thump until I can’t feel it anymore.
It happens faster than I expect. My ponytail is being pulled, and my steps falter as I’m being dragged backward. I forget to breathe, even though Theo has walked me through this part.
The men have black hoods over their faces. I struggle, my fight instincts kicking in automatically. My hands are bound, and I’m slapped across the face. The sting of it has my tongue getting clamped between my teeth, and I whimper.Someone could have punched me in the face; it could be worse, I promise myself. The Mancini men make me watch my father leave our compound with his guards.
Unlike what Theo said, I’m being brought back into my home, made to watch everything before my own eyes.
Our home is unprotected, leaving the women behind. Never in our almost two-decades-long war against each other has one of us attempted our revenge in the middle of our hearts. At our homes.
I stare in horror, never truly prepared for what I’ve gotten myself into. Mancini’s men make an entrance, killing two guards before shooting the two who were playing dice earlier. The guards were able to pull their guns but not fast enough to get a shot out.
Our family’s greatest rival, Pierre Mancini, holds me by the hair, walking us in with a gun placed on my temple. There is no regard for my safety, no worry for any stray bullets accidentally hitting me. My heart and mind scream that I’ve done the wrong thing. I should have gone to my family. The pounding in my chest vibrates down my entire body. I have to keep reminding myself I need to breathe.
Mancini is laughing as he pulls me harder. My feet tangle over themselves, and I fall to the ground. He yanks me up by my hair to stand closer to him. The burn of my scalp stays once I’ve been righted.
“You’re a pretty one. Romeo is going to enjoy breaking you in,” he says, referring to his middle son. “You are to be his birthday present when he turns eighteen.”
His evil smile glares down at me. The thickness in my throat makes it hard to swallow. He leans in, biting me on the cheek. I can feel my skin break and scream out in pain, tears following my shriek. My hands want to push him away, to smooth the burn, but they’re tied behind my back. My body squirms with the compulsion to free myself. Mancini is watching me, needing to thrive on the hurt he’s inflicting. The pain radiates into my core.
I wait for Theo to step in, making his cruelty stop. My eyes dart around, wanting the reassurance he’s here. All I see are Mancini’s men killing the guards we have on duty. As more men come out of the house, they get shot. No one is ready, and our men are being killed. I allowed these men to die because I thought I needed to prove something.My death and everyone else’s will be in vain.I’m forced to watch Mancini lick his lips, smiling at the taste of my blood on them. My body shudders.
I almost laugh at my stupidity. Theo Fox didn’t want to help us; he wanted to use us. He used my naïveté against my family. I shouldn’t have been so stupid. More tears flood my eyes, but I refuse to let them drop. The surrounding men died for my family. I won’t dishonor them by crying when this is my fault.
I hear gunfire around as more guards come to defend our home. In horror, I watch them fall to the ground. I pray the rest of my family hides in the panic room. They would be safe there. I try to stand taller, being brave, knowing my family is watching this right now if they’re in a secure location. I willingly put myself in this position. I should have known better than to trust outside the family.
What if Theo doesn’t come? I shake my head—he’s not coming. My mind believes this, but my heart refuses to allow the hope to be dropped.
What if I allowed myself to be used? Again, my stupidity. He used me. He doesn’t care if I’m collateral damage.
Did I want recognition so badly I allowed myself to become a sinful daughter who cooperated with the police? I brought the war here. My gut drops at the realization.
One of Mancini’s men holds out a phone, taking a video of me. I try to stop my tears, not wanting them to be used against whoever is on the other line.
“Luca!” Mancini’s voice is firm as he yells my brother’s name. I guess no one told him he isn’t here. He pulls me once again, showing the force he has against me. I’m happy Luca isn’t here to see this. He would do everything in his power to save me, even if it means risking his life.
