Chapter 22
A blindfold slipped from my eyes, and pain lanced through my temple. Something warm trickled down the side of my face blood from where the crash had thrown me against the window.
My vision swam, doubling and trebling before settling into focus.
“Valentina! Val, look at me.” Lorenzo’s voice cut through the fog in my
head.
I tried to reach up to touch my bleeding temple, but my hands wouldn’t move. Rough rope bit into my wrists, binding them behind the hard wooden chair I sat on. My shoulders ached from the awkward position.
“I’m here,” I managed, my voice raw. My eyes found Lorenzo across the room, tied to a chair like mine. His suit was torn, blood staining the collar of his white shirt. A bruise darkened his jaw.
Weak light filtered through broken windows high above us. The abandoned building smelled of rust and decay, metal beams stretching up into shadows. Water dripped somewhere in the darkness, each drop echoing through the empty space.
“Are you hurt?” Lorenzo’s eyes scanned me, checking for injuries. Even bound and bleeding, he radiated that fierce protective energy that made me feel safer just being near him.
“Just my head.” I tested the ropes, but they only dug deeper into my skin. “The crash-”
“Was planned.” Lorenzo’s voice dropped low, dangerous. “They had a team. waiting. Professional. I should have seen it coming.”
My stomach twisted as I remembered Dominic’s smile through the windshield. The messages from Camilla. This wasn’t random – they’d orchestrated every moment.
A door creaked somewhere behind me. Footsteps echoed off concrete, getting closer. Lorenzo’s expression hardened, his eyes fixed on something – or someone – I couldn’t see.
–
“Well, well.” Camilla’s heels clicked against the floor as she circled into view. “Look who finally decided to join us.”
Dominic strode in behind Camilla, pulling her into a deep kiss that made my stomach turn. She melted against him, shooting me a triumphant smirk
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over his shoulder.
Dark figures emerged from the shadows – at least six men in tactical gear, weapons strapped to their sides. Professional hitmen, just like the ones who’d run us off the road. My heart hammered against my ribs.
“Excellent work with the intel.” Dominic nodded to the men. “Right where you said they’d be.”
He crossed the room toward me, each step deliberate. My muscles tensed as he leaned down, his cologne choking me. That familiar cruel smile spread across his face the one I’d seen so many times before he’d hurt me.
–
“Remember what I promised you, Val?” His fingers gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him. “About making sure you’d meet the same end as your parents?”
Ice flooded my veins.
“Don’t you dare touch her.” Lorenzo’s voice was pure steel.
Dominic’s grip tightened painfully. “I’ve been planning this for a long time. Watching. Waiting. Did you really think you could just walk away from me?”
“The police will-” I started.
“The police?” Camilla’s laugh echoed through the warehouse. “They’re already writing this off as another tragic car accident. No one’s coming to save you.”
Pain exploded across my cheek as Dominic’s hand struck me. The force snapped my head to the side, making my vision blur again. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
Lorenzo’s roar of rage echoed through the warehouse. The ropes creaked as he strained against them, his face transformed by fury.
Dominic threw his head back and laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls. “Look at him the mighty Lorenzo Constantine, reduced to this.” His fingers dug into my jaw again, forcing me to face him. “Did you really think running to a mafia boss would keep you safe from me?”
I tried to jerk away from his grip, but he held tight enough to bruise. “You have no idea how long I’ve been building this network.” He leaned closer, his breath hot against my face. “Every crime family, every underground connection – I have my fingers in all of them. That’s how we managed to unite them against your precious Lorenzo.”
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His knuckles cracked across my cheekbone. Stars burst behind my eyes. “I’ll kill you!” Lorenzo’s voice was raw with rage. “I swear on my life, Ricci, I will tear you apart piece by piece-”
“You’ll do nothing.” Dominic grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back. “You’re going to watch while I finish what I started with her. Then you’ll get to join her parents- another tragic accident. Such a shame.”
“Touch her again and there won’t be a place on earth where you can hide from me,” Lorenzo snarled. “I’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth. Everything you’ve built, everyone you love – I’ll destroy it all.”
Dominic’s grip tightened in my hair. “Big words from a man in ropes. Should we show him how powerless he really is?”
