by Penelope Sky
He was trying to control me with another threat, but I wouldn’t fall for it. “I told Damien to kill you, so go after him if you want. I know he’ll win.”
I knew Damien would rescue me.
I just didn’t know when.
I barricaded myself in my bedroom and didn’t leave. Liam tried to lure me downstairs with food, and when I refused, he said he would let me starve until I changed my attitude. But I never did, not even taking my medication because of it, so he caved.
He left my food outside the door so I could grab it once he was gone.
I had no phone and no means of escape. Liam was always at the house, and he set the alarm at night so I couldn’t slip out the back door. The cars were in the garage, which had its own alarm system, and there was no phone in sight. Sometimes I stared at his jeans to see if his phone was in his pocket, but he didn’t carry anything at all.
The only way I was getting out of here was if Damien set me free.
I sat on my bed and stared out the window because I had no idea what else to do with my time. I was just letting it pass, allowing my wound to heal. All I was supposed to do was rest, so I was at least doing that.
But I should be resting at home…with Damien. He was probably so worried about me. When he realized I was gone from the hospital room, he probably figured out who took me within a few seconds. Now he would comb the streets, asking anyone who knew Liam where he could be hiding.
I wasn’t sure who knew about our Tuscan home, so I didn’t know what kind of information Damien would find. But if he looked up our asset information with the province, he would find the deed to this house under Liam’s name.
I was certain Damien would figure it out…eventually.
I took comfort knowing he would never give up on me. It was only a matter of time before he broke down that front door and took me away.
There was a knock at my door.
Liam always announced the tray by tapping his knuckles against the wood. When I resisted conversation, Liam didn’t force it. Maybe he assumed I would have a change in attitude on my own.
Never going to happen.
I opened the door and looked at the tray on the floor. It was always a nutritional home-cooked meal, the perfect ingredients to help me heal and get the inflammation down. I bent down and picked it up.
He appeared in the doorway, catching me off guard.
I flinched at his appearance, my hands still gripping the handles of the tray. My heart skipped a beat before I turned away and carried the tray to the bed. I could hear his footsteps behind me. “I still don’t want to talk to you, Liam. I’ll never want to talk to you.”
He helped himself to the armchair by my window. His massive body lowered until he took up the entire seat. One ankle rested on the opposite knee, and his hands got comfortable in his lap.
I sat on the bed with my tray in front of me. I was hungry and had nothing else to do, so I grabbed the sandwich and took a bite, ignoring him by the window. We hadn’t spoken much in the last week. Every time he tried, I ignored him. Nothing that came out of his mouth would change my mind about anything.
He watched me with those blue eyes, watching me take little bites of my sandwich before moving to the bag of chips. He was in a relaxed position, so even-keeled and calm, he didn’t seem like the man who’d tried to kill Damien and shot me instead.
I didn’t bother asking him to leave. I knew he would never listen.
“Anna.” He stared at me until I met his look. “I’m so sorry for what I did to you. You have no idea how horrible I feel. Sometimes I want to take my own life just to make the suffering stop.”
“No matter how bad you feel, it’ll never feel as bad as being shot in the stomach.” I brushed off his apology, cold as ice, and kept eating. I used to melt every time Liam became vulnerable, but now, those days were long gone. I’d learned my lesson—finally.
He dropped his gaze.
“And if you were truly sorry, you wouldn’t be keeping me here as a goddamn prisoner.” I grabbed the bread and took another bite. The only thing I enjoyed about being with Liam was his cooking. He was no Patricia, but he was pretty damn good. “I understand you’re hurting, but I’m with Damien now, and that’s where I should be.”
He lifted his gaze again, this time unapologetic. “That man sabotaged our marriage—”
“No, bitch. I did.” I dropped the food onto the plate. “I was in love with another man while I was married, and that was wrong. Even if I was honest about it, it was wrong. I put us both in a bad situation, made us both do things we regret. You fucked around and broke our vows time and time again, but my heart broke those vows too. We were never going to make it, Liam. And we’re definitely not gonna make it now, trapped in this fucking house.”
His expression remained calm as he listened to every word.
“We both need to move on.”
He straightened in the chair, his knees stretching apart. “That’s what you don’t understand. I can’t move on. You’re the only woman I love, will ever love, and I’ve always imagined us growing old together. Yes, I fucked up with those other women, but they never meant anything to me. I want you to have my money, have my ring, to be buried next to me when we’re gone.”
I shook my head. “Stop it.”
His deep voice was defiant. “No.”
I started to get so angry. I looked into his eyes and felt my frame begin to shake, my temples throbbing with blood. “You can’t keep me here forever, Liam. I’ll either kill you, or Damien will find me. And then he’ll kill you.”
With confidence in his gaze, he said, “You would never hurt me.”
I shook my head slowly. “After what you tried to do to Damien, fuck yes, I will hurt you. You could’ve killed him. My loyalty belongs to one man, not the psychopath that kidnapped me from a hospital bed and boarded me up in the middle of the vineyards. This isn’t normal, Liam. Let me go.”
There was no interest in his eyes as he listened to me speak. “No.”
“Is that all you know how to say? No?”
Like a smartass, he said it again. “No.”
If I weren’t so hungry, I would throw my tray at him. “What do you hope to achieve, Liam?”
When he was given an open-ended question, he leaned forward slightly. “We always find a way to work things out. We just need to talk. Spend time together.”
This man was ludicrous, not romantic. “I don’t want to work it out with you, Liam. I’m in love with another man. I don’t know how to make that any clearer. I took a bullet for the man, for fuck’s sake. I’d rather die than live without him. That’s the bedrock of Romeo and Juliet.”
There was always a slight look of anger on his face when I spoke of Damien that way. Liam tried to ball it inside, but steam rose from the ears. “You’ve known me for years. You’ve known him for days. Your feelings will fade.”
“I was in love with him the entire time we were married. And it never faded. It will never fade.” I pushed aside the tray because I couldn’t eat another bite as I was sick to my stomach. “And even if I weren’t, I’ll never forgive you for cheating a second time. Your constant infidelity is unbearable. I don’t care if you have an excuse for it, there’s no excuse for disloyalty. And then you broke in to a man’s house with the intent of killing him because I’m in love with him, to get rid of him so I can’t have him. Do you think I’m just gonna forgive you for that? There was a bullet inside of me because of you.” I felt my rage rise like a phoenix from the ashes. “Do you think anyone would forgive you for that?”
He must’ve been rendered speechless because he didn’t say a single word. His eyes were focused on me, unable to blink.
“This is pointless.”
Still, nothing.
“We’re done, Liam. You can keep me locked in this room for years, and I’ll never change my mind. You can’t brainwash me.”
“I’m not brainwashing you. Just reminding you where you belong.”
&nbs
p; That comment pushed me into a blind rage. “There’s only one place I belong. And that’s with him. Not you.” I got off the bed and picked up the tray before I threw it down at his feet. All the dishes cracked and broke, and the food got all over the rug. Ants could swarm it, and I still wouldn’t pick it up. “Fuck you, Liam. Keep me hostage. Rape me. Brainwash me. But none of that will work. I know where I belong, and it’s definitely not with you.”
Seventeen
Damien
There was only one person in the world who knew exactly what I was going through.
And he was in my bedroom with me, pacing in front of the recently repaired window while he spoke on the phone. “Ask everyone we know. I want Liam de Luca’s head, and I’ll pay any price for it.” He hung up and stared out the window.
I couldn’t believe this was happening. It was like a bad dream that never ended, a nightmare that continued to torture me even though I tried desperately to wake myself up. When I’d come to in the hospital room, her bed empty beside me, I hoped none of it was real.
But it fucking was.
Liam took her. I knew it was him. He staged everything, paid off everyone at the hospital to pull it off.
I was too fucking stupid to prevent it.
I sat in the wooden chair at the table, staring at the stained wood beneath me. A bottle of scotch was in front of me, but I didn’t pour myself a drink because it felt too painful. Annabella wanted me to quit, and now that she wasn’t there, I couldn’t allow myself to have a drop.
I couldn’t begin to describe the emotions pounding in my chest. I was furious, bloodthirsty, murderous. But I was also stricken with grief, so upset that I even cried. I was supposed to protect her, and I’d failed twice in a row.
What kind of man was I?
Now I was tormented by the fear of what he was doing to her. Was he punishing her? Was he forcing her against her will? It was too much to handle, so I tried to think about something else. But since she was the only thing that mattered, I really had nothing else to think about.
Hades walked back to me and sat down. “I’ve got everyone looking. He hasn’t been on a plane, unless he chartered a private one, but I doubt that. I think he’s in the city.”
I maintained my blank stare.
“He couldn’t have gone far with her unconscious. And when she’s awake, it’ll be impossible to move her. She’ll fight like a dog.”
None of that made me feel better. “Doesn’t matter. We have no idea where she is…and no idea what he’s doing to her.”
Hades stared at me from his chair across the table, his expression a mixture of many different emotions. He was angry about what happened to Annabella, but he was also hopeful for a return and also concerned about my sadness. He knew exactly how it felt to be in my shoes, to feel the overwhelming fear. Some other man took my woman, and those memories were still fresh in his mind. “We’ll get her back.”
“I know.” I just had no idea when or how. I had to figure this out soon, because the longer I waited, the longer Annabella would be subjected to whatever Liam was doing to her. The thought of him… I couldn’t even think about it.
“Liam isn’t like other men. He wouldn’t hurt her. And I don’t think he would do anything else…that might upset her.” That was the most he was willing to say on the topic that was in both of our minds.
She’d been gone for a week, and I had no idea where she went. Their house was abandoned. Nothing had been touched, no clothes had been taken. I was only unconscious for a couple hours, and that was enough time for him to disappear with no trace. That was what made me wonder if he was nearby. We checked the activity on his bank account and his credit cards, and he hadn’t done anything that we could detect. That meant he was only using cash.
“Everyone’s a snitch for the right price. Someone will give us a clue.”
“Unless Liam didn’t tell anyone at all…”
Hades looked out the window, as if he feared the exact same thing but just didn’t want to say it. “I’m sorry, Damien.”
“Not your fault. It’s my fault.”
“If I’d been at the hospital with you the whole time, that wouldn’t have happened. They can’t take us both down.”
“Doesn’t matter. She’s my woman to take care of, not yours. I should’ve had you watch her while I went out and hunted him down. It would’ve been the last thing he expected. I would’ve taken him out so easily.”
“We’ll still take him out, Damien.”
“I know we will.” I couldn’t wait to aim the barrel between Liam’s eyes and pull the trigger. I couldn’t wait to get rid of the man who had been a fucking wedge in my relationship since the day I met her. When he was gone, we would have what we deserved.
Finally.
Days passed, and information didn’t turn up.
“Thanks. Call me if you hear anything.” Hades circled my bedroom before he hung up. His loud sigh said everything his voice didn’t need to. After his phone was shoved into his pocket, he planted his palms against his face and slowly dragged them down until his fingertips reached his chin. “Fuck.”
I stood at the window and looked outside. My eyes combed the buildings and streets, as if I were a hawk surveying his prey from a distance. With every passing day, hope dwindled and anger grew. I probably wouldn’t even kill Liam with a gun, choosing to use my bare hands instead.
Hades came to my side. “No one is rolling over on Liam.”
“Because he didn’t tell anybody.”
It was the middle of the day, and Hades looked out across the scenic view of Florence. “There has to be somebody…”
“As far as I can tell, he doesn’t have any friends.”
Hades crossed his arms over his chest, and his finger supported the bottom of his jaw. He was lost in thought for a long time, his eyes scanning the horizon.
I hadn’t given up, but this would be much harder than I’d ever realized.
“The Skull King.” Hades turned and stared at me, a vibrant look in his eyes like it was the answer we both needed. “He mentioned something to you. Brought up Liam and Anna.”
Yeah, he did. It was so random, so passive-aggressive. The only way Heath would’ve known about that was if Liam mentioned it, and it wasn’t a secret that Liam was one of the Skull King’s clients. When my body became rigid and I felt a sudden excitement in my veins, I realized we were finally on to something. “Shit.”
“Liam couldn’t have pulled that off alone. The only person who could do something like that is Heath.”
All the blood drained from my face and escaped to nowhere in particular. I felt like I was losing all my vitality, all my strength. The answer was right in front of me, but I was too upset to see it on my own. “He’s supposed to collect his monthly taxes tonight.”
“Perfect opportunity to ask him.”
“Even if we’re right, will he help me?”
“No. Not unless you make it worth his while.”
Heath preferred to meet on my territory. He never invited me to his, so he showed up at the lab that night with his to cronies to collect his cash. If I didn’t believe he was the key to finding Annabella, I wouldn’t be able to handle the meeting at all. Hades or one of my men would have had to do it on my behalf. Paying an asshole money wasn’t at the top of my priorities at the moment.
I leaned against the desk with my arms over my chest as I watched him walk in, carrying himself like he was a king presenting himself at court. And he wore the most obnoxious grin. I looked him up and down, noticed the bulge in the back of his pants where he kept his gun. He was in all black, his fair skin covered with dark tattoos.
“Why the long face?” He kneeled down and unzipped each bag to see the cash inside. Most of the time, he never checked the contents, but this time, he actually pulled out a bundle of cash just to examine the bills.
“You know exactly why.”
He dropped his smile and fingered the currency, checking the different denomination
s. “Looks like you had a good month…you know, despite everything.” He didn’t even have the audacity to play ignorant. He wanted me to know he was part of this, that it was payback after I’d defied him, humiliated him. “Take it away, boys.” He rose to his full height and snapped his fingers, like his men were dogs.
His henchmen came inside and picked up the heavy bags. They carried them back out into the main warehouse.
Heath stared at me like he knew something was coming, like the anger inside me was about to come out full force. He thrived on it, wanted to see me lose my shit.
“Tell me where he is.” I didn’t give any specifics because it was unnecessary. He knew exactly what I was talking about, and he was the kind of man that wanted to listen to me beg and plead. I had no pride at this moment, no vanity. I was willing to do anything to get my woman back.
A slow smile came over his expression. “I don’t betray my clients.”
“You’re betraying me, and I’m your client.”
He shook his head slightly. “No. You’re just my fuckboy.” He turned to walk out of my office.
Instead of getting angry at the comment, I was only disappointed. I was terrified I would never get Annabella out of this situation. And I was even more terrified that Heath was my only option. “I’ll give you anything you want.”
He stopped and turned around in the doorway.
“Take my business. Take my money. Take my house. Whatever the fuck you want.” Annabella and I could live in a tiny house with no money and be perfectly happy. I already knew she loved me for me, not the zeros in my bank account, and not just because the gypsy told me that.
He gave me a final look before he turned away. “There’s nothing I want more than revenge. And my revenge can’t be bought.”
Eighteen
Annabella
Two weeks had passed, and there was no sign of Damien.