Chapter 34
SCARLETT
I WAKE UP WITH MY HEAD pounding and my wrists burning. When I try to move, I realize I’m tied to a chair. The rope cuts into my skin, tight enough that I can barely shift my arms.
The room is dark and looks like some kind of basement. Concrete walls surround me, and a single light bulb hangs from the ceiling. There are no windows, and the air smells damp and musty.
I try to stay calm, because panicking won’t help. I need to think.
Where am I? How long have I been here? Does Gabriel know what happened?
My mouth is dry, and my head throbs with every heartbeat. I try to remember what happened after the men grabbed me. The cloth over my face. The chemical smell. Then nothing.
I test the ropes around my wrists, trying to get free, but they’re tied tight, cutting into my skin every time I move. My ankles are the same, bound to the chair legs.
Breathe. Just breathe.
Footsteps echo from somewhere above me. Then a door opens, and a man appears. He’s in his late twenties and wearing a suit. His hair is slicked back.
He stops in front of me and tilts his head, studying me. “Impressive. You’re not crying or begging.”
I don’t say anything. My heart is racing, but I force myself to meet his eyes.
“Where’s Gabriel?” he asks.
“I don’t know.”
“You’re his girlfriend.”
“We only got together recently, and he was sick. Who are you? Why am I here?”
The man smiles, and it doesn’t reach his eyes. “My name is Niccolò. I’m part of a mafia organization that operates in this area.”
I grind my teeth. “What do you want from me?”
“I need you to help me find Gabriel. Our rivals seem to think we have him, and I’m wondering why. They’ve been moving around a lot, and I don’t know what they’re doing.”
Wait, I can work with this. These aren’t the same guys that are controlling Gabriel. They’re the rivals we were trying to frame for his kidnapping.
“Let me go and I’ll tell you everything,” I say.
“Okay. Done.”
“No. I want it in writing.” Too easy. Way too easy.
He laughs, amusement flashing through his eyes. “Why? We can just tear the paper.”
“Yeah, but there goes your honor and your code, right? If you didn’t have one, your men would never trust you and your word would be meaningless.”
He stops laughing. His eyes narrow slightly, and then he nods. “Okay. Whatever.”
One of his men leaves and returns a few minutes later with a piece of paper and a pen. Niccolò writes something quickly, then slides it over to me along with the pen. The rope around my wrists loosens just enough for me to sign, but not enough to escape.
The contract says they’ll let me go in exchange for information and that I won’t tell anyone about this. It’s simple and straightforward. Definitely not legally binding, but I don’t think this guy’s parents would be happy if they heard he couldn’t honor a simple deal with a college kid.
I sign it, and then I take a breath and start talking.
I tell him everything about Gabriel and his parents in prison. The debt that transferred to him. How the other mafia group has been using Gabriel to fix games and control the hockey team. The gambling network they’re running and about the students they’ve been recruiting to help them.
Niccolò listens carefully, his expression unreadable. When I finish, he scratches his chin. “Hockey. Wow. So someone actually cares about college hockey?”
“Yeah, plenty of people do. Or I guess the mafia wouldn’t be in it otherwise. But you can see the potential, right? College sports, gambling, controlling the outcomes... It’s a good setup.”
He nods, his eyes distant like he’s thinking through something. “Our rivals sneaked in where they shouldn’t have, and no one noticed.” He looks at me. “You brought my attention to it.”
He gestures to his men. “Let her go.”
I hope they’re not just going to kill me and melt my body in acid or something. “What are you going to do?”
“That’s none of your business. Just keep Gabriel hidden, and your problems will go away.”
“What about his parents?”
“I’ll handle it.”
“Is there a price?” There’s always something with these guys.
“If everything works out, there won’t be. And if it doesn’t...” The corners of his lips lift up.
Uh oh. That doesn’t sound good, but all I can do is nod and hope that it won’t come to that.
They untie me, and I rub my wrists where the rope left deep red marks. One of the men grabs my arm and leads me upstairs through a hallway, and then out to a dark car parked in an alley.
They push me into the back seat and blindfold me before the car starts moving. I have no idea where we’re going or how long we drive.
When the car finally stops and they remove the blindfold, I realize we’re at the edge of the campus. As soon as I’m out of the car, I break into a run.
I don’t stop until I reach the center of campus. My gaze immediately lands on a familiar figure.
Gabriel!
He’s near the library with a hood pulled low over his face.
He’s here. He’s okay.
I didn’t know if I’d see him again, but now...
I dash to him and wrap my arms tightly around him. Our lips crash together, and I grip his jacket. His hands tighten on my waist, and for a moment, everything else fades away.
But then I pull back and grab his hand. “We need to go. Now.”
“What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’ll explain inside. Come on.”
I drag him toward my dorm, glancing over my shoulder every few seconds. Niccolò is going to pretend he has Gabriel and lure his rivals somewhere. And if anyone sees Gabriel now, walking around the campus like nothing happened, it’ll ruin everything.
When we get to my dorm, I unlock the door, pull Gabriel inside, and lock it behind us.
I lean against the door and sigh. Gabriel is staring at me, his face pale and his eyes wide with worry.
“Did anyone see you?” I ask.
“No. I don’t think so.”
“Good. They took me. The mafia. But not the same ones who have been controlling you. A different group. The guy’s name is Niccolò. He wanted to know where you were since his rivals think he has you, and he didn’t know why they believe that, so I told him everything.”
Gabriel’s face goes even paler. “You what?”
“I made him sign a contract first. He let me go in exchange for information. He said if we keep you hidden, our problems will go away. He’s going to make sure your parents are safe too.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. But I think he’s going to use your kidnapping and lure your mafia guys somewhere.”
Gabriel runs a hand through his hair, his fingers trembling. “Unbelievable.”
“Yeah, I know. But we just have to stay hidden and hope it works, since it’s not like we can fight the mafia on our own.”
“I told the team everything,” he suddenly says.
It’s my turn to gape at him.
“I wanted their help to find you. I couldn’t just sit and do nothing.”
“Oh fuck.”
“It doesn’t matter. They understood everything. I’ll tell them I found you and that they should say we’re both gone if anyone asks. And they can also tell us if anyone suspicious shows up on campus.”
“Huh. That could actually work.”
He pulls me into his arms again, holding me tight. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”
“It’s not.”
“It is. If I hadn’t dragged you into this—”
“Stop.” I pull back and look at him. “We’re going to get through this.”
He nods, but his jaw is tight and his eyes are red. “What did they do to you? The men who kidnapped you?”
“They tied me up and asked questions. That’s it.”
“Did they hurt you?”
“No. Not really.” I show him my wrists. “Just this.”
He takes my hands gently and examines the marks. “I’m going to kill them.”
“No, you’re not. You’re going to stay here with me. That’s the plan.”
“What if Niccolò doesn’t keep his word?”
“Then we’ll figure something else out. But right now, this is our best shot. The mafia guys need to solve each other.”
He leans his head against mine. I hope Niccolò succeeds in whatever he’s planning against his rivals. Because if he doesn’t, Gabriel and I will be in some serious trouble.