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He looked amused. “I’ve had people following you all the time. What did you expect? Though that scan of yours certainly took me by surprise.”
I had the urge to close my hands protectively over my stomach, but they were tied behind my back. I curled my knees up over my belly instead.
He sighed. “I’ve no intention of harming your baby. What kind of man do you think I am?”
“A sicko who’s abducted me just because he wants to get rich.”
His mouth tightened. “You think this is about money?”
“Then what is it about?”
“Vittoria,” he said softly. “My beautiful Vittoria, who will never give up her son, even though he keeps us shackled to a life that will get us all killed.”
My eyes widened. His whole face had softened when he said her name.
“You love her,” I accused.
“And she loves me. And I plan on giving us the happy ending we deserve after all these years.”
He cut loose the zip ties on my wrists and I almost screamed at the pain as blood surged up my arms. I kept the sound tightly inside, not wanting to give him the satisfaction.
He walked to the basement door. “You be a good girl until we find Landry. Or I’ll put you in chains for the rest of your stay here.”
Chapter 34
BETH
Jacob left the basement, shutting the door and walking away. His footsteps faded to silence, and the house grew completely quiet.
The moment I was sure I was alone, I ran to the door and tried the handle, but no amount of jostling it would make the door budge.
I screamed and yanked it harder. A sudden bang on the other side made me yelp and step back.
“Keep it up,” said a mocking male voice, “and maybe I’ll open it and come in. Maybe you want a little fun, huh? That what you want?”
I gasped. I recognised that gravelly voice. It was the dirty cop who had attacked me in my apartment.
His implication made me feel sick. The bastard.
I wanted to scream at him that he was a piece of filth. But speaking to him might encourage him. Working at the club had taught me that. Some men took any little thing as an invitation.
I retreated back into the cellar, glad now for the door between us.
My God, how could Jacob be doing this? Jacob, who Marco trusted with his own life.
It was a slap in the face to realise Jacob must have given those videos of me to Vittoria. Made her think I was out to hurt her son. Jacob had been fully in control the entire time.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to control my panicked hyperventilating.
I looked around my underground prison. It was a large room, the walls bare stone from which a chill emanated. Light came from a single dim bulb. The only window was a narrow strip near the ceiling, but it was covered with metal bars. There was no other door, no way out.
Other than the mattress, there was a small table holding several large bottles of water and some snacks; bags of crisps, packets of peanuts and chocolate. Which made my panic reside a little bit. At least they hadn’t left me to die in here.
The bucket in the corner made me wince. No way was I going to use it.
A couple of awful days later, the urge to pee became stronger than my pride, and I broke my promise to myself. It was better than shouting for the man that I sometimes heard upstairs in the house. I didn’t want him to have to take me to a bathroom. I had realised I was safer here by myself by now.
The light had stayed on all day and night, and I only knew that two days had passed from the daylight through the narrow window. I had tested all the bars covering it, pulling and shoving them, but every one had held firm.
