by J. L. Drake
“It’s customary to have wine with dinner in my country. We don’t get drunk like you Americans. We only drink enough to enhance our meals and enjoy our company.”
She forced a smile. “Thank you. I’m sorry. I’m just confused. It seems odd to give that to someone you’re holding captive. Why would you want me to enjoy anything?”
“Let’s just say I’ve had a good day. I’m feeling generous.”
“Does your good day have anything to do with the cut on your lip?”
She felt the sting on her face before she even registered the hand moving to hit her. Her head jolted to the left, causing a sharp pain in the right side of her neck. She reached her hand up to her cheek, feeling the warmth from where the green-eyed monster’s hand had been.
“I thought I made it perfectly clear about you being respectful. I’d hate to have to take this dinner away.”
“You-You’re right. I apologize. I don’t know where my manners went. I won’t let it happen again.” She bowed her head and folded her hands in her lap.
“That’s better. Now eat!”
She picked up the fork, resisting the urge to stab it in the monster's neck. Instead, she took a bite of the salad. “It’s delicious. Thank you.”
“You should try the pasta. It’s from a local restaurant, but I think you’ll be pleased with it.”
She cut a small portion of the spaghetti with her fork. It was amazingly delicious. Of course, anything at this point would probably be considered a five-star feast in her mind.
“This…it’s so good.” Katherine continued to devour the food as he spoke.
“Yes. They use locally raised meat. It’s a combination of beef and pork. I personally think it’s one of the best around. It reminds me of when my grandmother used to make family dinners.”
She needed to find out more about this man. If she had a chance of escaping, she wanted to know as much as possible to help the authorities track him down. “I’d love to hear more about your grandmother.”
The green-eyed monster grew silent and paced the room. After a couple moments, he began to speak. “She was a wonderful woman. She was so compassionate and full of life, although it was hard. She and my grandfather were farmers and didn’t have a lot of money. They would eat off the land. My grandmother always wanted a big family, but she almost died giving birth to my dad. As a result, she wasn’t able to have any more children. She poured all of the love she had into her two sons and eventually her grandchildren. We visited her at least once a week to have dinner with our entire family. It was fun getting together with everyone; the cousins played games out in the pastures while the adults talked about their week in the house.”
“She sounds like an incredible woman.”
The green-eyed monster put his head down. “She died of a broken heart.”
Katherine almost spit out her wine. His comment seemed to have come from left field.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“My dad and uncle began quarreling about the family business. My great grandfather helped my grandfather start up an olive oil production company. It was small at first because they didn’t have much land. They planted olive trees on the farm, and purchased the equipment needed with the profits from selling livestock and various crops throughout the year. It slowly began to grow. When my uncle became old enough, he began helping on the farm. Eventually, he was my grandfather’s right-hand man. They wanted my dad to be a part of the company but instead, he refused, wanting to find his own way in the world. He didn’t want to be a poor farmer. He wanted to be a wealthy businessman. I remember many heated arguments as a kid between the three of them. They always ended up with my dad leaving. Finally, we stopped going to my grandparents’ altogether. I think it broke my grandmother’s heart because she died shortly after.”
“That’s awful. It sounds like you missed out.”
“I did. On my dad’s side, we became the black sheep of the family. No one would talk to us. We weren’t invited to holiday celebrations, so most of the holiday’s were spent with just me and my mom. My dad was always away on business.”
“So, what got you into the business of kidnapping?”
“Watch it!” The green-eyed monster gritted his teeth and locked his jaw.
She had finished all her food and took a sip of wine. Even though she only had half the glass, she was lightheaded. She needed to stay in control, and getting a buzz wasn’t going to help the situation.
Why Ray, or the green-eyed monster, decided to open up to her, she didn’t know, but she needed to find a way to use it against him. She was angry; it seemed he was trying to justify his behavior as an adult with what happened to him as a youth. He clearly thought it was okay.
Ray reappeared from his memories. He was wild-eyed, and looked as though he was ready to lash out at her. That was until his phone rang.
“What?”
“Good…No…No…Stay there tonight. I don’t want you on the road. We don’t need a reason for them to search the car…Okay, nine o’clock tomorrow. Take the train. I’ll have someone pick you up at the station.”
The green-eyed monster hung up his phone. “It looks like your Prince Charming was smart and directed my people to the documents. Too bad he wasn’t able to make it there with them. Unfortunately, he wasn’t smart enough to figure out he wasn’t going to make it out of this situation.”
“You…you said if you got what you needed, you would let me go.”
The green-eyed monster smiled. “You’re right, but I haven’t gotten what I need as far as you’re concerned.”
Fear coursed through her body as her hands started shaking. Her captors had never made a move on her, and she never once thought she could be sexually assaulted until this very minute. “Wha…what is it you need from me?”
“I want the five million dollars from your father. Then, you’ll be free to go. In fact, I’ll have one of the men drive you directly to the U.S. Embassy. No harm, no foul done. We can both go our separate ways.”
“Except your walking away with my family’s money.”
“From what I understand, your family is in no shortage of it.”
“From what I can tell, you don’t need the money. You seem to be doing all right for yourself with your custom-made suits.”
Ray smiled. “Yes, I do very well, but who wouldn’t want a little extra cushion? That’s where your family comes in. Don’t worry. I’m sure dear old Dad will pay up soon enough.”
This man was untrustworthy. Could she honestly believe he was just going to let her go as soon as he received the money? Of course not. She could identify him. There was no way she was going to get out alive unless she escaped. Now she had to put on a show; he had to believe she thought she would be released. Then Katherine could escape when Ray least expected it. “How do I know you’ll keep your word and let me go?”
“You don’t. However, if I fail to keep up my end of the bargain, I’ll have a whole other set of circumstances to worry about. I’d prefer to keep this clean and easy.”
“You call this clean and easy? You think kidnapping, assault, and torture is clean and easy?”
His smug laugh returned. “Now, my dear, this isn’t torture. If you want to experience torture, I can arrange that. I wouldn’t call a few minor bruises assault. Every woman could use a little reminder here and there on just how to behave. Unfortunately, you’re not a quick learner. Perhaps, in the future, you’ll think before you speak.” The green-eyed monster smiled as he lifted her chin with two fingers and looked into her eyes. “I can definitely think of some other things that pretty little face could do for me. Every woman needs to earn her keep.”
Katherine attempted to pull her head away, but Ray grabbed her face, preventing her from moving.
“You’ll have eye contact with me until I’m finished looking at you. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir.” She was scared stiff. Literally. There were endless possibilities of what this man could do
to her. None of which sounded remotely pleasant.
“Good. That’s what I like to hear. Now, I’m going to release your face, and I intend to have one of my men bring you a cot to sleep on tonight. If you do anything rash, I’ll tie your ass back in the chair instead. Do you understand?”
“Yes. Just one question. Why did you open up to me about your grandmother? It almost made you seem human. I thought I saw a flicker of humanity.”
“Clearly, it was a momentary lapse of judgment. Trust me when I say it won’t happen again. But make no mistake, I don’t give a shit about you or anyone else. The only thing that matters to me is my freedom and your money.” The green-eyed monster started to walk toward the stairs.
“Pig!” she barked.
Before she could scramble to protect herself, the monster was only inches from her. His fist slammed into her face, causing her to crash to the floor into an unconscious, motionless heap.
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
The trunk was dark and stuffy, and it was becoming harder to breathe. Tony tried to remain calm and take slow, deep breaths, but every time the car hit a pothole, he bounced against the hard objects inside. Since his hands were bound together, he was unable to move the things from underneath him. His already badly beaten body was becoming more bruised with each bump in the road.
Shortly after they left the factory, Leo began asking where the documents were and how they were going to retrieve them. Without thinking it through, he told the man everything he needed to know to retrieve the documents alone. Within minutes, Leo had him pull over and get out of the car as another car pulled in behind them. His heart rate surged as adrenaline raced through his veins. Something bad was going to happen, but hopefully, he would make it out alive.
Three men got out of the other car and proceeded to beat the crap out him. The first blow to the stomach wasn’t too bad. Sure it knocked the wind out of him, but he could handle it. It was the kick to his knees that had him falling to the ground where they continued to kick him repetitively. He guarded his face and head hoping to prevent a death blow. The men screamed in Italian. They were laughing and seemed to be enjoying the brutal assault. Dirt was kicked into his face and mouth. He tried to fight back but each time he used an arm or leg to defend himself, it made that part of his body more vulnerable to the attack. The last thing he remembered was spitting blood at one of the men before he was kicked in the head.
He had no idea how long he’d been in the trunk. He could be in Switzerland for all he knew. He shouldn’t have underestimated his cousin. He should’ve gone for the gun and shot him right then and there. The false sense of security from being wired, and the desire to find Kate left Tony vulnerable. I’m a fucking idiot.
The car rolled to a stop. Were they at an intersection, or were they parking? He prayed that if they were parking, he wouldn’t be left in the car to suffocate and die from the heat.
The car door opened, and footsteps approached the trunk. The best thing he could do was pretend he was still knocked out until he figured out where he was and find an option to escape.
The trunk opened and sunlight bounced off his skin. The cool air was refreshing, but he focused on his breathing and fought against the urge to take a big gasp of air even though that was what he wanted—needed more than anything in that moment.
The man shook him like a rag doll, attempting to wake him up. He refused to open his eyes until the ice water was poured onto his face.
“Huh…what? What’s going on?” he mumbled.
“Wake up, you parasite.” The man grabbed Tony’s arm and pulled him into a sitting position. “Get out of this trunk before I have someone remove you. Trust me, you don’t want that.”
Tony struggled to shimmy himself out of the cramped space. It shouldn’t have been too difficult but with his hands and feet bound together, it was a challenge. When Tony finally got to the edge of the trunk, he lost his balance and fell to the ground, landing on his already badly bruised side.
“Ha! Not such a tough guy, now are you?”
Tony grimaced. “Fuck you.”
Another blow landed on his stomach. He gasped for air as he searched for the breath that escaped him. The bones in his chest moved every time he took a breath. Tony was almost certain some of his ribs were broken. The acidic taste of blood took hold of his mouth and his spit only confirmed his suspicions.
“Come on, tough guy. Get up.” The thug bent over and removed the ties before helping Tony to stand.
As Tony stood, the blood rushed from his head leaving him dizzy and unsteady on his feet. As the unknown assailant dragged Tony by the arms, he willed his feet to move underneath as he clumsily took each step.
“Move it.”
“Maybe I could go faster if you and your goons hadn’t beaten the shit out of me.”
“If you didn’t wire yourself up and try to get Matteo arrested, you wouldn’t be in this predicament.”
He slouched and grimaced from the pain of the broken ribs. “If I hadn’t done that, I’d be dead now. Either way, I’m screwed.”
“Maybe you’re not such a fool after all.”
They approached the door to the familiar house. It had been forever since he was here last. The blue door opened and instantly he was face to face with the man who could’ve been his brother.
If the color could’ve washed from his face, he was sure it would. He was sure it was already a nice array of blue and purple. Instead, he swallowed and waited for the assault that was inevitable.
“The pretty boy isn’t so good-looking anymore, is he?”
He refused to buy into Matteo’s remarks. It was useless to indulge. It would only cause him more harm in the long run.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t figure out you were wired? What kind of stupid fuck do you take me for?”
Tony stood motionless, just hoping he could find a place to lay down and nurse his wounds. The pain was overwhelming as he struggled to stay alert and not pass out. Fortunately, the goon behind him was holding him up, or Tony would be a jumbled mess on the floor.
“What do you want, Matteo? I’ve given you everything you’ve asked for.”
“Ha! I hardly think that’s true. You’ve sent my men on a wild goose chase to obtain the packages you should’ve had in your possession when we met. I’m sure the papers you left at the Waldorf didn’t even touch what your father left for you. Until I get everything I want, you’re going to have to spend a little more time with me. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Good old cousin bonding.”
Tony coughed and spit more blood onto the floor. “Some—” The blow to his face was jarring, and his jaw felt as though it almost dislocated from the force of the impact.
“How dare you disrespect our grandmother’s house by spitting on the floor. Show some manners, you bastard.”
“I’m sure she’s looking down right now, frowning on the fact I spit blood out on her floor. I think her dismay comes from your cowardice.”
“You have a lot of nerve to call me the coward. You’re the one trying to run away instead of fighting for the woman you love. Did you really think the Guardia was going to come save her? Don’t you know they all work for me?”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t really give a shit what you believe. All you need to believe is your short time on this Earth has come to an end. You need to beg for any second of life I allow you to have.”
Matteo nodded and motioned to the guy supporting Tony. An arm slipped around his neck and applied pressure, trapping the air in his lungs. Tony struggled to free himself but to no avail; his body was too weak to fight, and gasping for air was futile. He was powerless. The broken ribs and difficulty breathing left his reserves minimal. Within seconds, his world went black.
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
The kink and tightness in her neck caused a spasm, waking Katherine up. She slowly rolled her neck from side to side, but her restrained hands made it imposs
ible to massage the ball of muscles causing discomfort.
Her eyes were heavy and the desire to sleep plagued her entire body. God, if only she could get out of this chair and lie down. This was unbearable; her joints ached from being in the same position for long periods of time, her bottom throbbed from the inability to shift her weight, and her muscles were stiff and began to rebel.
She willed herself to open her eyes, realizing that there was no blindfold. Light peered through the windows, leaving shadows on the floors. Katherine surveyed the room, searching for her captors. No sound of them anywhere. She looked to the stairs and caught her breath at the sight before her.
“Oh my God! Tony!” Her muscles instantly became alert and were ready to follow her command. All of a sudden, she seemed to possess superhero strength. She fought against the ropes to stand, but they were too tight. She used her feet to pull the chair an inch at a time across the floor toward Tony’s lifeless body, also bound to a chair. His head was dropped to his chest, and there was no movement except for the rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing.
“What happened to you?” The chair couldn’t cross the floor fast enough. He seemed to be a mile away, and she was like a snail trying to cross a road. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be hit by a car occupied by the green-eyed monster.
She had a renewed sense of energy; she needed to get to Tony. She needed to help him. How? She hadn’t yet figured that out. Katherine’s hands and feet were bound, so in reality, what could she do? It didn’t matter. She’d figure it out once she got to him.
Her determination grew by the moment. She wanted to holler at him—force him to wake up. But if she did, the green-eyed monster would hear and would come rushing down the stairs. She had to be quiet. Her muscles protested and even rioted with each movement she took. But it didn’t matter—she was in control now. Her mind was stronger than it had ever been. Nothing was going to stop her forward progression. Nothing.
When she finally reached Tony, she pulled on the ropes, hoping to free at least one arm so she could touch him. Katherine thrusted her body forward and nearly ripped her arm out of the socket with no success. These ropes weren’t budging no matter how much her mind wanted them to.