Page 72 of Married to the Ruthless Mafia Heir

My lips trembled. The longer I stayed here, the higher my chances of dying. I didn't know if Dante had noticed I was missing. He'd gone back to New York. By the time he got here, my body would be cold.

"Calm down, Elena," I told myself.

At the critical moment, I thought of something. The knot was complex to untie, but I could use my teeth. I started trying different approaches. The dry, rough rope scraped against my lips and the skin around my mouth. Within moments, I tasted blood.

I changed angles, taking the knot into my mouth and biting with my molars. The rope soaked with my saliva, coarse hemp fibers digging into my gums. I bit down hard, teeth sinking into the rope's texture, then twisted.

I didn't dare stop. I had to save myself.

I don't know how long passed. The light through the holes in the roof slowly changed from white to yellow, yellow to gray. My shoulders ached into numbness. My lips cracked. My empty stomach cramped.

But I felt no pain. My movements were mechanical, tearing at the knot on my wrists with my teeth.

Finally, I caught the last thread of rope between my teeth, tilted my head back, and yanked hard—

It loosened.

In that instant, I didn't celebrate. Without pausing, I unwound the remaining rope from my wrists, then quickly untied my ankles. The rope fell at my feet. I pushed myself up against the wall. My knees were practically soft.

Standing in the middle of that abandoned warehouse, my hands shook, fingertips numb. But I didn't waste time processing any emotions. I quickly scanned my surroundings. Rusted frames piled in the corner. A crowbar near the wall. I grabbed it.

I moved to the door and pressed my ear against the crack, listening.

Outside, Javier was on the phone. I heard him cursing. Through the gap, I even saw him pacing back and forth nearby.

If I ran now, he'd spot me.

So—I had to knock him out.

I waited until Javier finished his call. He walked toward me. My heart jumped into my throat. I took the quietest step backward. When Javier unlocked the door and came in, he saw the empty corner where I'd been and froze for a split second.

That one second of hesitation was my only chance.

I threw my body against the metal frame beside me. As Javier got hit by the falling debris, I swung the crowbar down hard on the back of his head.

Javier let out a muffled groan. I seized the moment, bolted for the door, yanked it open, and ran like hell in one direction. Cold air scraped my throat, but I couldn't stop. I had to keep running.

But I hadn't gone far when a car came up behind me. Javier jumped out, grabbed my hair, and yanked me backward hard.

"Fucking bitch!"

"Ah!"

His force was so brutal I fell backward, my whole body tilting. My scalp felt like it was being ripped out. I slammed into the ground, my back hitting the pavement. I couldn't catch my breath.

Javier pinned me down, one hand in my hair, the other raised high.

When that slap landed, my vision exploded in white light.

Ringing drowned out everything.

I thought I'd cry, but I didn't. Tears slid uncontrollably from the corners of my eyes, but I didn't make a sound. My tongue tasted blood—my upper lip had split against my teeth.

Javier panted, dragging me up off the ground and back into the warehouse.

This time, he bound me tight to the chair, wrapping rope around my entire body. Loop after loop, so tight the rope bit into my flesh. Even my bones started to hurt.

I glared at him viciously. "Javier, if you hurt me, Dante will kill you!"