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Why aren’t we leaving through the same way they snuck me in here? More questions are starting to fill my head, but I’m not getting any sorts of answers.
“Pull your hood up,” Dante orders next to me, happy to give me a few inches of space. Unfortunately, it’s hardly enough. I’m still struggling to keep my sanity.
I do as I’m told. It’s not like I have much of a choice here anyway.
Watching the number climb, I hear the roaring sound of the casino before the doors even open. I’m not prepared for the flashing lights and even wince when I’m tugged out by the elbow.
“Remember what I said,” he urges like he thinks I’m going to bolt the moment the opportunity comes my way.
“We both know this place is packed with members of your family. I’m not going anywhere.” Wincing, I cover my eyes as we walk. Even if I did want to run away, I can’t see a damn thing. Not with all these bright flashing lights.
He curses under his breath when I bump into a random guest, nearly spilling the drink in their hand. His grip on my elbow disappears, shifting to my opposite shoulder. Now he is guiding me through this place, touching my body wherever he pleases to get me to our next destination.
I don’t apologize for being an inconvenience, if anything, I laugh at the thought of giving this man a headache.
“Should’ve left me in your torture chamber,” I joke before shaking my head. A headache is forming faster with each step I take. “Where are we even going?”
“You’ll see.” Giving me nothing at all, he guides me right out of the building. The night air is crisp and smells so much better than what was going on in that casino.
Blinking until my vision clears, I almost want to thank him for rushing us out of there. I never want to return, not by choice.
Seeing the dark sky, I wonder how many hours have passed since I was taken from my home. The bag made it hard to tell, and once those twins tied my wrists together, I had no idea of the hour.
Our walk isn’t very far. He guides me to the tall building right next door. Another place owned by the Lombardi family. Though, I’ve never had a reason to look into the place. I’m going into unknown territory.
“If you want to live through the night and those to follow, you have to do as I say.” Dante talks as he walks. “I’m at risk now if you decide you want to be rebellious. So, for both of our sakes, just be good.”
Brows lifting, I nearly trip on my own feet. Had I heard that correctly?
Dante is not a man who takes risks. He’s decisive, thinking clearly and making smart decisions whenever a challenge comes his way.
“Why would you do that?” I ask, frowning. Feeling angered by the thought of this man putting himself in danger for my sake, I don’t have the time to even think about thanking him.
He looks my way for the first time since leaving the casino, but he doesn’t give me any answers. Instead, his eyes drift away and before I know it, we’re in another elevator.
“What is this place?” I ask once I realize that my previous question has been ignored.
Dante looks like he doesn’t want to answer this one either. He stares at our reflection before letting a sigh out.
“Housing.”
My brows lift in surprise. “The whole family?”
He grimaces and I quickly figure out why.
If this is someplace covering up such delicate information, it’s obvious how dangerous it is to let someone like me learn the truth. Information like this could be worth something depending on which members live here and where.
“It’s not all of the family, just those who work in the casino. There are innocents here too, people who would be at risk if unwanted people learn the truth.” His frown continues to grow. “That’s all you need to know.”
“I have nothing, Dante. You’ve trapped this rat. If it’s not already obvious, you’re not risking anything.” My shoulders sink as I state facts.
I’m still finding it hard to believe that he’s offering me the chance to survive through the night. Even if it’s at the cost of doing something still mysterious.
“Rat,” he repeats, shaking his head as if he disagrees. “You’ll know only what you need to soon enough.”
The doors slide open and once more, we’re off. I’m walking down a quiet hallway full of doors. If I didn’t know any better, I’d place this building as a normal hotel. We’ve already passed an ice machine with no signs of slowing down. Is this floor full of employees or regular people renting the rooms for the night?
I’m not surprised Nicola Lombardi bought out this place and took care of all of his family. While there are rumors about how ruthless the man can be, I also know family means everything to these groups of people. He’s good to them and is happy to hurt whoever gets in his way of happiness.
