Page 240 of Unleashed
"I thought you were my friend," I say as I drift off.
I can hear her shouting at me to stay awake. Her hand reaching back, gripping mine, squeezing hard. It’d almost think she actually cares about me.
And all I can see is Ace.
The smile he had on his face while talking about baby names.
And I hope, wherever I wake up next, I'm with them. My baby and my man.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
Ace
I don't say a word as I'm dragged into an underground cellar. Water drips from the ceiling onto the concrete floor. Warm blood runs down my forehead.
The pain in my arm is almost too much. I've never felt pain this excruciating.
But the pain in my heart? Of not knowing where Harper is? Whether she's alive? Whether our baby made it?
That's worse than anything they could do to me down here.
They shove me into a chair. I can't fight back. I can barely fuckin' walk. So I sit. I let them cuff me.
"Fuck you," I spit.
One of them pulls off his balaclava. I don't recognize him to start with, although I can’t see that well; it’s hazy as hell. Dark hair. Olive skin. Expensive watch. "You knew the rules, Mr. Sterling. LA is a warzone. My sister couldn't agree on a deal with your brother. So you are fair game."
And there it is, the Italian accent.
I blink, trying to piece it all together. This asshole didn’t say a word at the meeting. Fabio.
My sister.A Milano. Gianna's own blood. Her brother, who sat two feet away from me.
I don't react. I just stare.
"Don't you want to know what we plan to do with you?"
I don't flinch.
I know the drill. They know I won't give up information on my family. They know I won't go to Enzo and bring them into our organization. So I'll become a message to Hunter and Enzo. A warning about the power the Milano family holds in LA.
Perhaps the Greeks weren’t our real problem this entire time. Our real enemies are the Milano family.
The man laughs.
"Ah. You think we're going to kill you?"
I blink at him.
"Not very talkative, are you?"
I grit my teeth. I want to kill him. I'm cataloging everything. The watch, the ring on his right hand, the way he favors his left leg, the exits, the dripping pipe, the loose cuff on my broken arm that they didn't tighten properly because they assumed a man this damaged couldn't use it.
Mistake.
"Well, let me tell you. First, we use you to manipulate a deal with Hunter. So you stay alive for a few days while negotiations begin. How that goes depends on how much your brother loves you. Is he willing to give up everything to save you?"
I clench my good fist. Fuck.
