Chapter 20
My mind reeled. Amanda wasn’t some old flame Ethan had rekindled things with. She was a mafia queen. The head of a crime. family that apparently wanted to destroy my brother.
Amanda leaned forward, her perfectly manicured nails drumming against the armrest. “Your brother’s been quite the thorn in my side, if you’ll excuse the pun.” Her laugh echoed off the warehouse walls. “But now? Now I have his precious baby sister right where I want her.”
The realization hit like a physical blow. I wasn’t just collateral damage in Ethan’s revenge plot. I was a pawn in a much bigger game – one that had been playing out for years while I remained blissfully ignorant.
My voice shook as I found my words. “You used me… all this time, just to get to my brother?”
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Amanda’s laugh cut through the air like broken glass. “Oh honey, you really thought Ethan loved you? That’s adorable. You were just convenient – the perfect way to keep tabs on Adam Thorne’s movements.”
She pulled out her phone, her red lips curving into a cruel smile as she dialed. The speaker crackled to life.
“Amanda.” My brother’s voice. Deep, controlled, but with an edge I’d never heard before.
“Adam, darling. Guess who I have here with me?” Amanda’s fingers traced along my jaw. I jerked away. “Your sweet baby sister Emma. She’s grown into quite the beauty. Would be a shame if anything happened to her.”
“If you touch her-”
“You’ll what? We both know you’re not in a position to make threats. Here’s the deal- surrender your territory to the Rossi family. All of it. And yourself, of course.
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Otherwise…” She pressed something cold and metallic against my temple. “Well, let’s just say family reunions will be rather lonely.”
“Let me speak to her.” Adam’s voice was tight with barely contained rage.
“Adam…” My voice cracked. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know-”
“Emma, listen to me. Everything’s going to
be-”
Amanda yanked the phone away. “Tick tock, Adam. You have one hour to decide – your empire, or your sister’s life. Choose wisely.”
Amanda ended the call with a flick of her finger, but I could still hear Adam’s desperate shouts through the speaker. My stomach churned as Ethan’s face split into a smug grin.
“Finally. After years of playing the doting boyfriend, I’ll take my place beside you in the Rossi family.” He stepped toward
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Amanda, chest puffed out. “Where Adam. Thorne stands now, that’ll be me.”
Amanda’s laugh started low, then built into something sharp and cruel. Her eyes glittered with malice as she raised her hand. “Boys.”
Two burly men walked towards him. Before Ethan could react, they grabbed his arms, twisting them behind his back. The zip tie bit into his wrists as he struggled.
“What- Amanda, we had a deal!”
A meaty fist connected with his jaw. Blood sprayed from his split lip. Another blow to his stomach doubled him over. The thugs forced him down beside me, his knees. cracking against the concrete.
“You stupid, pathetic little man.” Amanda circled him like a predator. “Did you really think I’d let someone like you into my family? You were just another pawn – useful for getting close to Emma, nothing
more.”
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The color drained from Ethan’s face as understanding dawned. He’d been played just as thoroughly as I had. His carefully constructed plan, all those years pretending to love me it had all been for nothing.
“But you promised-” Blood dribbled down. his chin as he spoke.
“I promise lots of things.” Amanda waved dismissively. “The difference is, I never
mean them.”
Ethan’s eyes darted between Amanda and me, his split lip quivering. “Emma, 1-”
Gunshots cracked through the air, echoing off the warehouse walls. I flinched at the sound of breaking glass and splintering wood.
Amanda’s manicured nails dug into my shoulder as she yanked me back against her. Cold metal pressed against my temple. My heart hammered in my chest as shouts and the thunder of gunfire erupted outside.
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“What the hell is going on?” Amanda’s voice carried an edge I hadn’t heard before.
The burly men in the room charged toward the door, weapons drawn. More shots rang out, followed by the distinct sounds of fists meeting flesh and bodies hitting concrete.
My breath caught in my throat as footsteps. approached. A familiar figure stepped through the doorway, gun raised, sleeves. rolled up to reveal muscled forearms. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he wiped it away with the back of his hand.
“Nolan?”
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e held that same mocking tone that made my skin crawl.
The van jerked to a stop. Rough hands grabbed my arms, dragging me across gravel. My feet stumbled, unable to find solid ground. The air shifted – we’d moved inside somewhere. They shoved me into a chair, the metal cold against my back.
The blindfold came off. I blinked against the harsh light, my heart pounding as I took in my surroundings. Broken windows lined the walls of what looked like an abandoned warehouse. Through one of them, I could see nothing but dense forest stretching into darkness. The middle of nowhere.
My gaze darted around the room, counting the men who surrounded me. Six? Seven? Their faces were hard, weathered, eyes gleaming with something that made me want to shrink into myself. One cracked his knuckles. Another cleaned dirt from under
