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“And the girls you were talking about?”
“Women from their stable. Some are there willingly, some as punishment, some because they were forced, as a way to pay off their debts, though nine times out of ten, the debts were never theirs but their husband’s or father’s.”
I shake my head and step back. “When a client got too rough, I was called in. They respond better to a woman in those circumstances, you know? And Aldo, well, he was the worst.”
“How bad are we talking?”
I turn and glare at Isaac. “Is there a sliding scale that I should be measuring rape on? And yeah, even whores can be raped,” I snap.
He holds his hands up.
“Easy, Nova, that’s not what he meant,” Vice murmurs.
“Shit, no. I meant, has he killed any of them?” Isaac crosses his arms.
“I can’t say for sure. I’ve used the network to save a bunch, but—” I bite my lip.
“What?”
“Aldo likes to beat them while he rapes them. Killing them frees them, so I don’t think so. He likes to make them suffer, carrying his marks and shame for the world to see, like he’s proud of it. Maybe he has a reason too, because no fucker ever stood up to him before you,” I tell Vice.
“Bullshit. I beat the shit out of him but let my duty to my family hold me back from killing him. You stood up to him regardless of the consequences and found a way to make him pay.” He smooths his thumb over my cheek as if remembering the bruises Aldo gave me.
“Aldo is a nut job, but Gia… There’s something broken inside her. The last time I was called, it was to check on Petra. She was sent to Aldo, but she was late coming back. I was expecting him to have done a number on her, but I didn’t expect to find her dead and Gia masturbating in a pool of her blood. Gia killed her because, as far as she was concerned, Aldo is hers.”
“Holy shit,” Conner curses.
“Alright, we’ll come back to that. But Nova, if what you’re saying about Gia is true, if we put Aldo down, we might have to put her down, too.”
“Good. My heart breaks for Alessio because he never got to be her dad, but he’s already made peace with it. She needs to die.”
“You have proof of what she did?” Isaac asks.
“Yeah. I got access to the camera feed and downloaded it before it could be deleted. I also know a doctor who took several samples and had them tested, keeping the results on file in case we needed them.”
“First things first, I want to see if we can get Alessio transferred to another hospital.”
“Here?”
Vice shakes his head. “If he’s stable enough, I want him airlifted out of the state.”
“I know a doctor who works in a hospital in Seattle. If I explain that Alessio is in hiding, he’ll cover for us. He owes me a favor,” Isaac offers.
“Really?”
“No harm in asking, but we have to find out if he can be moved first. Can you get hold of the men loyal to him and see what you can find out?”
“Yeah,I’ll do it now.”
I look up at Vice. He thumbs away a stray tear. “We’ll get him out.”
“I love you.”
He jolts at my words, shock rendering him mute for a moment before his hands are in my hair, and he’s kissing me like I’m the answer to all his prayers when, in reality, he’s the answer to mine.
“Make your calls, then come find me,” he says against my lips.
I nod and kiss him one more time before pulling away. My phone is in my hand, and I’m dialing before I even leave the room.
