by G. D. Madsen
In the moment of surprise where Beltrani has nothing to say, I turn to her. "Don't do this. Please, let me help you."
"I am sorry, but I have made my decision to return to my...," there is a millisecond pause I grasp, "…father. I do not want to run anymore."
"You heard her." Silvio stands up. "Now let us enjoy our reconciliation dinner."
"You should have talked to me first." I ignore the snorting beast beside me. "I saw the painting, but don't you think I deserved a personal explanation?"
"I explained everything to Lucas. You should have called him before coming here. Please, leave now and dial his number. He will confirm my words – I chose to return to where I belong."
I frown, looking at her. Why would she tell me to call him?
Unless...
Her eyes gleam brighter as she looks at me now. "I will call him," I say, stepping aside from Beltrani and coming closer to her. I extend my arm to her, my eyes fixed on her left wrist, adorned with a bracelet, partially sticking from under the sleeve. "Can't I convince you to walk out of here with me? Your decision is killing me, and I fear it will kill you too."
She stands up and squeezes my hand. "I am sorry. I pray the rest of your night is more fortunate. My leaving is for the best. The moment I vanish from your world, new doors might open for you, and you will finally find what you are looking for. But it will not be me." Her grip tightens.
"David!" A distant voice calls my name.
I nod, acknowledging the man approaching us, my fingers reluctantly releasing Kahina's hand. I look at her one last time. "I'm not giving up on you!"
Her eyes shimmer with moisture before she lowers her gaze to the table. "Goodbye, David."
I say nothing. This is not goodbye.
"Uncle Claude," I walk to meet him halfway.
The man bear-hugs me. "David, whatever you're up to, I am on your side, but I wish you could warn me next time," he whispers into my ear, guiding me out of the hall, with Greg behind.
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect any of this," I apologize as we reach the hallway. "Claude, I need your help. I take a piece of paper and a pen from the manager's desk and write my number. "Call me when this fucker leaves the restaurant."
Uncle Claude winks at me. "I never liked him, you know. And the girl, she means something to you?"
"She means everything to me..." And with that, I admit to myself what I was trying to ignore.
I love her!
And I never got the chance to tell her that.
Once we step out the door, Greg breaks his silence. "What the hell, David? Are you going to leave her there? You don't seriously believe—"
"Of course not!" I get my phone and call Aurelia. "She is giving us time to get Lea out!" Lucas answers immediately. "Track your number again."
Greg frowns, but then he understands it too. "Fuck, she's a genius! But we can't leave her with this man!"
"I don't intend to! As soon as Lea is safe, I am coming after that bastard. I am not letting Kahina risk her life!"
And I am not going to lose my chance to tell her what I feel.
Chapter 26
Kahina
"One hell of a performance again…" Silvio lifts the glass of the most expensive wine he could find to order here. "…Lavinia."
Chills stream down my spine.
Silvio's deep laughter rumbles across the room, causing people at the closest tables to flinch. "Can you guess why I would be mad at you?" He puts the glass on the table and leans back in his chair. "Come on, I am waiting. And you know I'm not a patient man, Lavinia."
The sharp gaze paralyzes my body. I should respond, I should say something, but all I manage is a tiny nod. His every word is like a kick to my stomach. Worse. I didn't need to throw up this bad during any of Silvio's physical assaults.
"Is it because of David?" My mouth feels like somebody stuffed it with cotton balls. "I had no idea he would find me, I swear. And I asked him to leave. I told him I chose you. What else could I have done?" I try to sound calm, but my lips tremble too much to go unnoticed.
His ice-cold stare glides to my mouth, and a corner of his lips rears up. Silvio leans forward and places his hand on the table, palm up. "Give me your hand."
This is not a request, it's an order I have no luxury to disobey, although my mind is screaming against it. All I want is to run after David and remain in his arms until the chill Silvio's stare spreads through me dissolves. But I can't. Not until Lea is safe.
I place my hand on top of his. Silvio locks it inside his grip and pulls me closer with such force, half of the wine I am still holding in my other hand ends up soaking into the white tablecloth.
"What gave you the impression of me being a blithe idiot? My beautiful Lavinia, did you honestly think I would fall for your repenting act without ever considering your potential treason? I never assumed you to be stupid enough to believe I would release my latest pet back into the wild. Not after I had played with it. Would you like to watch a movie of the little games she and I played? I believe it might find its place amongst my favorites. Right beside the little shower sessions you and I indulge in."
I cannot see myself, but I am sure any trace of blood is gone from my face. He watched me hide the phone and did nothing. Did he see what I did in the living room too? No... He was already outside when I got downstairs, and we left immediately after.
Yet my mistake was enough for the predator to set the trap, and I placed the bait right in the center of it.
I try to pull my hand away, but the grip only tightens. "Don't you fucking move; not if you want your little cop to continue breathing until we arrive."
Relief washes over me the moment his words reach past the terror, but another invisible kick to my stomach follows them. "Why?" I ask, but I fear I know the answer.
"Ah," Silvio says, releasing my hand, certain I would not run. I am at his mercy yet again, but the problem is he has none. "As soon as I saw you stash that phone, I considered ending him the moment he steps foot on my property, but then a better idea came to mind. Why not offer that idiot a front row seat to the spectacle of his life, before you, Lavinia, put a bullet through his brain."
"No." I blink fast, fighting tears treacherously pooling up. I will not grant him the pleasure of seeing me crushed again. "I'd rather shoot myself."
Silvio raises his glass casually and leans closer. "I am going to fuck you in front of your lover, and if you want him to experience a fast and relatively painless death, you will end his life at the end. You don't want him to end up downstairs, now do you?" The corner of his mouth lifts up again.
For the first time, and at the worst timing possible, I wish for nothing more than to slap that arrogant smirk off his face.
"Why don’t you persuade me of your willingness to spare your lover by eating this exquisite aphrodisiac oyster dish? But first, raise your glass as you give your father a smile for the world to see."
I lift my glass. "I fucking hate you," I say, exposing my clenched teeth.
Dinner begins and ends with those oysters because the prospect of executing his psychotic plan is too enticing for Silvio to wait longer than required.
He shoves me into the limo less than fifteen minutes later and leaves me kneeling on the floor, feeding off my helplessness. I have no idea how long we have been driving, yet long enough for the dread to subside and rage to take over my reason.
I can feel his black eyes on me. But I am done being his toy, not when he threatens to hurt the only man I love.
"If you hurt David, I swear, I will kill you."
Hundreds of steel arrows pierce my scalp as Silvio yanks my head back. Looming over me, his eyes pure rage, he snarls, "Decided to open your filthy mouth again? Why don't we find a more fitting use for it?" Silvio hauls me in between his thighs. "Open it wide!"
He undoes his trousers with a free hand, his hard cock jerking in front of my watering eyes, but my lips remain sealed. He grips my jaw to the point of crushing it, and my body surre
nders to avoid more pain.
Only my mind refuses to go along. Alien sounds leave my mouth when he pushes his way in, and they only grow louder as I continue fighting him off, ignoring sharp the sting in my scalp, yet I am too weak to stop the monster.
I am about to give up when the limo makes a sharp turn and then another. Silvio loses his grip on me.
"What the fuck!" he yells, slamming the glass and I seize the opportunity to crawl as far away from him as I can.
"Sorry, sir," the driver's voice responds via speakers. "There was a cat on the road."
"Then fucking run it over next time! Another stunt like this, and it will be you laying on that road!"
"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again."
"It better not!" Silvio looks back at me. "Now... Where were we?"
There is no escape. Not when I am stuck in the moving car with the monster; not when people who risked their lives for me are trapped inside the mansion. I watch him getting closer to me, my heart pounding like crazy, the promise I gave David resonating in my head... 'Only you...' 'Only you...' 'Only you...'
When Silvio grabs my hair again, I draw the blade from its sheath and strike.
It all happens too fast, or perhaps I am too shocked that I actually attacked him to register a fist flying my way, and a heavy punch lands me on the floor. The blow cuts through my skin. I scream in agony when the heel of his polished shoe cracks the bones of my wrist. I release the dagger, but I don't stop hitting his leg with my free hand, clawing through the fabric into his skin.
"You little bitch!" Silvio pulls me to my knees, and I fear he would still fuck my mouth. Instead, he delivers a second blow, and my head hits something so hard that stars burst out all around me.
I should have known it!
Chapter 27
David
Kahina was wrong; it takes less than an hour to reach the bastard's lair. A little over half an hour to be exact.
Bryan provided us with detailed satellite images and pinpointed plausible blind spots, which are less than a few, but pictures tell us nothing about the possible alarm triggers. The only way to be prepared for an attack is to go through the main gate.
We leave the car off the road, close to the sign notifying of a dead-end ahead, turn our phones to silent, and begin to fight our way through the dense vegetation sprawled in between tall fir trees. A seven-foot high concrete wall cuts the greenery in half. This place is like a fucking Fort Knox, razor wire spread on the ground in front of the barricade as well as on top of it.
We prowl along the wall until a clearing appears in front. Nobody is at the gate. Why would they be when it is as impressive as the rest of the barricade?
"Let's see how advanced his locksmiths were," Greg mutters before stepping out of the shadow, but I grab his arm, a sudden revelation bursting my heart with pride. I would love to hug her and tell my queen how amazing she is.
"I think I know the code," I whisper. "I believe it's the day Judith Orlova vanished from the face of the earth."
"The moment I vanish from your world, new doors might open for you." Greg recites her words. "Those words puzzled me, but now…" he adds, watching me press the digits.
"Sick motherfucker," Greg mutters when the gate begins to move. Beltrani indeed used the date he robbed the girl of her innocence and life. Which means, she was not just a random child he picked. Kahina was right yet again – Beltrani indeed erased Judith, and he, most likely, erased her father too. The dread in my stomach for leaving her alone with the devil only doubles.
I cannot tell exactly how we get to the mansion, my mind still inside that restaurant. I need to concentrate on getting the doctor out of here.
We hide behind some thorny bushes to stalk the entrance of a red-brick Victorian mansion, ivy crawling up to the first-floor balcony above the main entrance. It is exceptionally quiet. I am sure Silvio had some of his men follow him to the restaurant, but it is unlikely there would be no other.
Sure enough, just as I think of it, the door opens.
A guy about my height, dressed in black, his clean shaved head shiny from the lamp above the door, lights up a cigarette and kicks some stones around.
I pick up a rock, the size of my fist, and toss it a few yards to the right from our hideout, where the driveway lamps cannot reach. The crescent moon is our best ally tonight.
The man pulls his gun out, cigarette still in his mouth, and prowls toward the darkness. As soon as he steps his foot off the driveway, Greg is behind him, knocking the baldy unconscious with a single punch – something he learned from his Muay Thai boxer father. Outside the boxing ring, unfortunately.
Greg picks up his gun, and we drag the unconscious guard further into the darkness.
Plastered to the brick wall, we work our way toward the door the guy left open, closing it carefully once we step inside.
The sight in front takes us by surprise. The dimly lit hallway is impressive, with burgundy walls, mahogany hardwood floors, and massive central staircase, occupying most of the space. I cannot push away the gloomy speculations of how much fear and desperation this polished mahogany soaked in through the years. How many screams and cries have bounced off those dark walls?
I am a grown man, and still, find this place intimidating. For a fragile teenager like Kahina, or even Mauro, this place must have felt like a haunted mansion. Only the ghosts were far from the true menace of this place.
A fitting lair for the predator like Silvio Beltrani.
The stairs to the basement are easy to find, as the rail of the staircase continues spiraling farther into the hallway before sinking deeper. It chokes me to picture Kahina being hauled down these stairs two weeks ago because of me. The darkness and guilt suffocate me, and I need to grab the rail to keep myself steady.
Greg pats my shoulder, and I release the breath that's been stuck in my chest for far too long.
There is only one massive steel door separating us from the torture chamber. Against all the odds, the door moves when Greg pushes it. Beltrani didn't bother locking it.
The image, opening in front of our eyes as the hinges shriek, turns my body into one shaking mass.
"Fucking psycho," Greg exhales his words. For the man who rarely swears he sure as hell exceeded his yearly limit tonight.
With my heart resonating in my ears, I take in the exemplary image of an inquisition museum. I have never doubted this man was sick to the core, but never have I imagined it would be to this extent.
"Greg…" A feeble voice reaches us. We turn in the direction of the sound, and Greg curses again, immediately rushing toward a naked woman.
"You're safe now, Lea," he whispers, holding her bruised body tight. "David, help me free her."
Greg takes his shirt off and wraps Lea in it.
My eyes skim past the rows of whips, iron pokes, and restraints. My heart pounds as if I'd just completed a marathon when I spot a rope hanging from the ceiling.
'He would pull me up until my toes could hardly reach the floor...'
"David!" Greg glares at me. "Now, man."
Right. I shake my head, chasing the gruesome images away, and focus on finding something sharp and thin for Greg to pick the lock.
"Fucking psycho," I repeat Greg's earlier words as I spot the key hanging on the wooden board right above where Lea lies shackled, yet out of her reach. Another sick way of taunting his victims.
Of course, the key fits. Greg helps Lea slide her arms into his shirt sleeves and kisses her bruised wrists. Her eyes are wet, but no tear escapes. I cannot avoid noticing her thighs when my friend lifts her in his arms; the sight of dried blood and dark fingermarks squeezes my chest.
"Time to go." Greg's voice is hoarse. I look back at my friend. He is enraged and hurting at the same time. I should have guessed Lea was more than a casual date.
I nod as I walk past them, pulling my gun out, but Lea grabs my arm.
"David, she's with..." The tears finally roll down her cheeks. "I mean..."
<
br /> "Don't worry," I say, squeezing her hand. "She is alive. As soon as we are out of here, I am going for her!"
This is the precise moment when thunder strikes. The sound, bouncing off the concrete walls, slams into me with the realization of what caused it.
I sprint to the door to find it locked. "Fuck!" I hit and kick the metal in vain. We let our guard down in the worst possible place! And this time I am sure we won't find any key. I reach into my back pocket only to discover that my phone is not there. Damn it!
"The lock, Greg," I point at the door.
"It's fine, go, I can walk," Lea whispers, her face resembling a sheet of bleached paper.
Gregory releases her, but before any of us take another breath, shots on the other side of the door disrupt the eerie silence. The lock clicks, and a tall silhouette appears in the doorway.
"Mauro." I point my gun at him, aching to blow his brains out.
"You can shoot me later." Mauro doesn't even blink. "I deserve it. But first, we need to get her out of here. Come on!"
He runs off, jumping over two lifeless bodies on the floor, and we follow without questioning his motives. There is no time to hesitate. If Mauro wanted us dead, we would have already been gone.
Once in the hallway, Mauro turns right, past the staircase and into the dining room. We are right behind him as he crosses the room and swings the doors into the vast kitchen. He opens the glass door into a backyard when voices from the hallway reach us.
"Go past that building on the left, and turn right straight after you pass the garage. Continue until you reach the pond. You'll find a boat I pulled to the shore. The water is the only way out of here free from razor wires. Go!"
"No, you go with them. You're familiar with the place. We can't risk her life. I will keep the fuckers busy! Go, get Lea to safety!"
"I'll come back as soon as she's safe!" Greg promises, but I shake my head.
"Stay with her! She needs you now more than ever! Get out of here and call in the cavalry!"