Don’t pass out. Stay awake, you need to stay awake.
Only I can’t.
—
Forcing my eyes open, I stare into the darkness. I’m so cold. I attempt to move my arms, which are cuffed behind my back, but it’s no use. Spreading my hands out, I press my palms down against the freezing concrete floor and try to reposition myself. I manage to move half an inch.
I have no idea what is happening. My memory is fuzzy. The last thing that’s clear to me is leaving my apartment that morning. Was it even today? Who knows how many days have passed since then.
Startled, I jerk upright at the sound of footsteps. My stomach clenches as they get louder. I wince as a flashlight is shined directly in my eyes, the brightness clouding my vision.
“Here. Eat up.”
He tosses something in my lap. It’s warm and wrapped, so I think it’s a burger. I cough, trying to find my voice.
“Can you uncuff me?” I ask, my voice trembling. He sighs, but stomps around me, bending over to unlock the cuffs. I ease my wrists free, rubbing them gently.
“Hurry up so I can secure you again,” he orders, kicking my calf. I jump, my hands shaking as I reach for the food. Unwrapping it, I see that it is a burger. I’m not hungry but I know I need to eat if I have any chance of getting out of this alive.
“Why am I here?” I ask. “What do you want? Is it money? Call my father and he’ll give you whatever you want.”
He laughs. “That’s the plan, honey. Don’t worry, okay? If big papa plays nice, then you’ll be fine.”
He shines the flashlight away from me and stomps away. My heart pounds as I listen, desperately trying to figure out anything about where I am. Stairs. Is he going up stairs? I hear a door thud shut and I squeeze my eyes closed. There’s no way out of this other than for Pietro to figure out I’m missing and call my dad.
Why the fuck didn’t I take this more seriously?
If I had, then maybe I wouldn’t be in this situation. Groaning, I hang my head forward. I ache everywhere. I try again to figure out how long I’ve been here, but it’s no use. Time blends into itself and I keep drifting in and out of consciousness.
Chapter 25
Pietro
Five minutes before the end of her day, I arrive at the studios. I make my way up to the floor where her classes are held, and wait outside. Time ticks away slowly. When it reaches six fifteen I begin to get nervous. Walking past the room, I peer through one of the windows, my vision mostly blocked with flyers and notices that have been stuck to the glass.
“Can I help you?”
I spin around and find a young man with sandy hair smiling at me. I stiffen, recognizing him as the guy Lucy went out with a few times. I narrow my eyes at him, trying to size him up. She told me he’s gay, but I’m wary of any competition.
“I’m here for my girlfriend, Lucy? She’s supposed to be in this class.”
“Right, they actually had today’s training over in the auditorium, but I’m pretty sure I saw her leave a few minutes ago,” he adds, his expression confused. “She was with some dude I didn’t recognize.”
“Where will I find the auditorium?” I ask, ignoring the pit forming in my stomach.
He directs me over to the other side of the campus. I thank him, then leave, breaking into a run as soon as I’m out of the building. Why wouldn’t she have waited for me? She knew how worried I was about all this. It didn’t make any sense.
I round the corner and head toward the huge towering building that could only be the auditorium. A few dancers mill around the outside entrance, but apart from that it’s pretty deserted. I walk inside, hoping to find her in there, waiting for me, but I don’t.
Pulling out my phone, I call her. It straightaway goes to voicemail.
Don’t panic. She probably just went home.
I walk around the back of the theater. I’m running out of places to look for her. There’s not much to see, other than a parking lot and a large patch of grass. Something catches my eye. I move closer and realize it’s a phone lying facedown in the grass. Leaning down, I pick it up. Lucy’s phone.
It’s too much of a coincidence for this not to be something serious. I scroll through her phone to see if she’d texted or called anyone. The last person open in her contacts was me.
Lucy: Sorry, forgot something. Be there in
Had she been texting me when something happened?
Shoving the phone in my pocket, I break into a run. I need to check her apartment. It’s the only other place I can think of that she might be. But I’m not holding out hope. To make matters worse, I still haven’t heard back from Lucca. Whatever Giovanni was afraid of, I’m convinced it’s happened.
Only now I’m sure it’s my fault.
—
“Lucy?” I call out, pounding on the door. Silence greets me. I bang again, the force of my fist hitting the door radiating through my arm. I wince but keep knocking. Answer, dammit.
“Fuck,” I growl. “Where the hell are you?”
I reach into my pocket and pull out the spare key to her apartment. I’d been hesitant to accept it when Giovanni had given it to me, but right now I was thankful. I slide the key into the door and turn, opening the door. The place appears undisturbed. I walk in and look around. Nothing is out of place. It’s almost too neat, but then that’s Lucy.
Shit. Something’s happened, I can feel it.
My stomach twists as I try to figure out my next move. I pull out her phone and study it, as if it holds the key to where she is. My mind is blank. I have no idea how serious the situation might be. I know I have no choice but to get Giovanni involved. It’s just seven o’clock, and maybe I’m overreacting, but the longer I leave it, the worse it will be if she is in danger.
And it doesn’t help that still I have no idea what the fuck this is all about.
My hands shake as I sit down on her sofa. I have no idea what I’m going to tell Giovanni, but I hope he has some idea of what I need to do. I scroll through my contacts until I find his name and press CALL.
“Pietro.”
“I think Lucy might be in trouble.”
“You what? What happened?” he asks, instantly concerned. “Why weren’t you watching her?”
“She was supposed to meet me after her class but she didn’t show and I haven’t heard from her since.” I run my hand through my hair, panicked. “I followed her to the studio, then waited for her where we arranged to meet, but she never showed.”
“Meet you? What the hell happened? How did she find out you were there?”
Oh shit.
“I, uh—”
I have no idea what to say. “She’s known about me being in New York for a while,” I say, my voice weak.
Giovanni sighs. “I’m coming there. I’ll take the earliest flight I can and you’ll meet me at the airport. You can explain everything to me when I get there. And I mean everything, Pietro. In the meantime, I have a few men in New York who I’ll have start on things immediately. Her phone is in her apartment?” he adds suddenly.
I’m about to explain that I have her phone when I remember she has two—the one her father knows about and the one he doesn’t. She must have the other phone stashed away.
“Yes.”
“Okay.” He sighs. “Keep thinking of where she could be. I’ll call you if I hear anything.”
—
It’s just before six the following morning. I’ve been up all night trying to think of anywhere she might be, but I’ve come up empty. I’m really hoping Giovanni has more leads than I do. My hands twitch in my pockets as I glance through the crowd again. Finally I spot him. Giovanni rushes toward me, Mark, one of his lackeys, at his side carrying his luggage.
“You haven’t heard from her?” he asks me.
“No, so can you please tell me what this is all about?” I’m frustrated, angry, and I need answers now.
“I told you I would. Take me to your place and we will talk there.”
&
nbsp; —
The cab ride back to my apartment drags. My anger is at boiling point. All we seem to be doing is wasting time when we could be looking for her. The taxi pulls up in front of my building, and I help Mark with the bags while Giovanni takes a phone call.
Upstairs, I dump the bags in the spare bedroom while Giovanni continues his phone call. I’m getting more impatient by the second, and the only thing stopping me from taking that damn phone and throwing it out the window is the fact that it might be about Lucy.
“Please, Giovanni. I need to know what the fuck is going on,” I growl as soon as he hangs up the phone. Sighing, he nods.
“Mark, I need you to go to this address and pick something up for me.” He hands Mark a piece of paper. Mark studies it for a moment, then nods. After he leaves, Giovanni sits down at the dining table, motioning for me to join him.
I sit down, frowning at him while I wait for him to explain.
“I know where Lucia is,” he begins, wiping his brow.
“You know where she is?” I gasp. “Then why the fuck are we still sitting here?” I shout, jumping up. Giovanni doesn’t move.
“Sit back down,” he chastises. “I told you, I’m handling this.”
“You’re handling this?” I repeat with a laugh. “Forgive me, but your daughter is God knows where and you don’t seem to give a damn.”
“My daughter wouldn’t be in danger if you had just done your job,” he fires back, his eyes black.
“You can’t push the blame onto me,” I protest. “How about your daughter wouldn’t be in danger if you’d done your job as a father properly?”
I shut my mouth. My hand rises to wipe a thin film of sweat off my forehead. That was too far. Giovanni was a damn good father but he couldn’t blame me for this, and the only reason he was trying to was because he’s sensing Lucy and I are involved.
“Can you please tell me what happened?” I ask. I take a deep breath and sit back down. “Who do you think has her?”
“Three weeks ago I was informed that an associate of mine was running illegal activity without my permission. He was using my name to gain support for this, which naturally tarnished my reputation. So, I had to put a stop to it. They didn’t take it well.”
“Giovanni.” I sigh, rubbing my head. “That’s all you’re going to give me? You’re talking in riddles. Who are these people? What illegal activity are you talking about? You need to trust me, dammit.” I slam my fists down on the table with a bang.
“Trust you?” Giovanni laughs. “Like I trusted you to look after my daughter? Maybe what we should be discussing is how long you’ve been sleeping with Lucia?”
I freeze, unsure of how to play this. Is he guessing there is something going on, or does he know?
“I’m not an idiot, Pietro. I had a feeling I shouldn’t trust you and I was right. Be honest with me, all you wanted was a chance to get her into bed, wasn’t it?”
“You’re being ridiculous,” I growl.
“Am I?” he asks. “I saw you with her, Pietro. Did you think I wouldn’t have cameras in place when I was concerned about your ability to do what I asked of you?”
Anger rages inside of me. All that talk about not invading the privacy of family was just for show. I stand up and walk over to the other side of the room, not trusting myself to be so close to him when I’m so damn pissed off.
“I could’ve kept an eye on her myself, Pietro. This was a test to see where your loyalties lie and you failed. You failed me and you failed Lucy.”
“You want to know about Lucia and me?” I thunder, turning to face him. His eyes flash as he waits for me to continue. “Fine. I’ve been in love with her since the first day I walked into your home.” I pace the living room, my hands shoved deep in my pockets. “I’ve been fighting my feelings for her for years because I knew I’d never be good enough for your little girl.”
“Pietro—”
Giovanni hesitates. I turn around and glare at him. Is that pity in his eyes? The last thing I want is for him to feel sorry for me.
“Don’t,” I mutter, holding my hand up. “I know it’s the truth. You want more for her. More than you think I could offer her. And for a long time I convinced myself that she deserved better. When she came here and I followed her, our connection lifted up a notch. We were always close, but something changed. When I realized she wanted to be with me”—I laugh, the moment playing over in my head—“it was the best day of my life. The worst part is how bad I felt for betraying you. But now I get it.” I shake my head, willing myself to remain strong. It’s taking all my courage to finally stand up to him and I’m determined to see this through.
“You get what, Pietro?” he asks.
“All this time I just wanted you to accept me. I tried to replace the love I lost when my parents died with you. You’ve given me everything I could ever want, except acceptance.” I force myself to look him in the eye until he falters and glances away. “I was never good enough to be a part of your family, was I?”
He doesn’t confirm or deny my question. It hangs in the air over both of us, until he finally struggles to his feet, grabbing his jacket.
“We’d better go,” he mutters, walking for the door.
I stand there for a moment, my hands trembling. I don’t know what I was expecting from him, but it kills me that he’s given me nothing.
If he gives me nothing, then that’s exactly what I’ll give him in return.
Chapter 26
Lucy
“Wake up.”
I jolt awake, nearly jumping out of my skin as I’m wrenched from my dreams back into this nightmare. A plate of what looks like week-old scrambled eggs and cold toast is tossed onto the ground next to me. By some sheer miracle most of the food stays on the plate. Not that it matters. I won’t be touching it.
“What do you want?” I demand, bringing my knees up to my chest. “If it’s money, I can give it to you. Just please let me go.”
He lets out a booming laugh. In the darkness I can make out the coldness in his eyes. “Not everything is about money, Lucia. Some things are about respect. Some people need to learn the hard way the importance of the code of honor.”
“Who the hell are you?” I ask, confused. “And why take me?”
He smiles, his dark eyes narrowing as he glares at me.
“Because you’re the only thing that matters to him.”
His words stick with me as he walks away. There’s so much truth in that. The only way to truly enact revenge on my father is through me. Upset, I pick up the food and throw it at the bars of my cage. How could I be so stupid? There would have to be hundreds of people who want revenge against my father and most of them would be hardened criminals who wouldn’t raise an eyebrow at the idea of hurting me. For the first time, I consider that I might not make it out of this alive.
And that scares the hell out of me.
—
Opening my eyes, I forget where I am. Light seeps through a window above me, giving me a glimpse of my surroundings. I’m in a basement of some kind. I breathe in the smell of grease and chemicals, which hurts my head. My thoughts are still hazy, but I’m feeling more alert than I have in a long time.
I try to move, the cuffs digging into my wrists. Are they even necessary? I’m locked in a cage in a basement God knows where. Am I really at risk of escaping? The urge to pee hits me suddenly. I squeeze my legs together, trying my best to hold it in.
Come on, someone come down here.
My stomach rumbles. How long has it been since I had that burger? I’m so hungry I’d even eat another one of them. My mind wanders to Pietro and my father. Has he called him yet? He would have had to by now. I shiver, thinking how angry my father must be at Pietro. There’s no way he could keep our relationship a secret now. He’d tell my father everything if it meant there was a better chance at finding me.
My heart jumps as I hear the door above me open. Footsteps file down the stairs and the familiar glow of the
flashlight comes toward me. I squint, trying to make out who it is. Whoever it is, he’s tall and wide.
My breath catches in my throat as a flashback hits me. The tattooed man from the studios. Is this him? Suddenly I remember being whacked on the back of the head. No wonder I have a headache.
“I need to use the toilet,” I whisper. My voice is hoarse and scratchy. “Can you leave the cuffs off me?” I ask as he unlocks them. “I’m in a cage, I have no way of escaping,” I plead.
He thinks about this for a moment, and then nods.
“I’ll get you a bucket to keep in here then.”
A bucket? I shudder. I guess it’s better than wetting myself. He comes back a few minutes later carrying a bucket and another fast-food bag, this time complete with a drink. I take the soda from him gratefully, drinking half of it down in one gulp. The rawness in my throat eases for a moment, allowing me to swallow the now-cold cheeseburger.
“Have you contacted my father yet?” I ask. I need to know what’s going on. This is driving me crazy.
“Don’t worry about it. This will all be over soon. You need to hurry up and eat.” He locks the door to the cage and wanders back over to the stairs. I listen for the sound of him leaving, but it doesn’t come. He’s still there. Hesitating, I call out for him. Silence greets me, but after a few seconds he appears from the shadows.
“What is it?” he asks. He sounds nervous, which gives me hope. I know I have no hope in breaking the other guy, but this one, just maybe I can get through to him. What I need is for him to feel sorry for me.
“Can you stay with me for a while?” I ask in a small voice. He hesitates but walks closer. “I don’t want to be any trouble, I promise. I’m just lonely down here by myself.”
“Look, I can’t help you, but I promise nobody is going to hurt you.”
“How can you promise me that?” I ask. “Your partner is crazy. How can you be sure he’s not going to crack? Kidnapping is one thing, but murder will land you in prison for life.”
“Nobody is going to murder anyone,” he mumbles, but I can see my comment has worried him. “Look, you’ll be out of here in a couple of days, okay?” He reaches behind him and grabs a blanket from off a chair. “Here,” he says, pushing it through the bars of the cage. “It’s going to be cold tonight.”
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