Paid In Full (Vitale Brothers Book 2)

Chapter 32

“Look,boss. He’s starting to smile.”

Another blow landed in the middle of the stomach. The little air I was able to suck in rushed out of me as white-hot pain took over. Every inch of me screamed in agony. It was all familiar, like a distant nightmare. This had been life at one point; pain, yelling, threats, and an endless cycle of despair, but it all changed when loud mouth obnoxious Giancarlo bought me.

“Why are you smiling?” Able grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head up. “Know something I don’t?”

“No.” My smile wouldn’t waver no matter how hard I tried. It was easier to show them that I was okay than to become nothing. Whenever I used to smile at my dad, he’d let up.

That wasn’t the case here.

“You like getting beat? That’s your kink, huh?” Able reached between my legs, and a wave of nausea rocked through me. I gagged, and he quickly pulled away. I’d already puked a few times. My stomach burned. I doubted I had anything left inside of me.

I wanted to get out of here. My only positive thought was that at least Giancarlo was safe.

Someone’s phone started ringing, the shrill sound bouncing off the walls. Able let me go, pins and needles dancing along my scalp. My head fell forward, and I was left mentally begging for it to be over.

“Looks like we got a two-for-one special tonight. I knew he’d go for that phone,” Able said.

I had no idea what he was talking about or if he was talking to me. All I knew was I wanted him far away. Every touch filled me with disgust. They gave me a break from the onslaught of hits, and I took it as a chance to rest. If I learned anything from being abused all my life, it was I needed to rest any chance I got. My eyes closed as I attempted to even out my breathing. I knew what fate awaited me. I’d been lucky so far. No one had raped me yet, but it would happen eventually.

My father had always dangled it over my head, and now it was going to happen, and it wasn’t even at his hand. I wanted to laugh, but my ribs burned. Any extra effort, and I would pass out from the pain.

The only door in the drafty basement opened up. Floodlights were set up around the room. At first, I couldn’t make out the tall figure they walked in.

“So glad you could be here,” Able said.

I jerked up as much as my restrained wrists let me. Everything screamed in pain as I stared up at the one man I was secretly hoping would come to save me. “Gin.”

“Ash.” Giancarlo punched one of the men holding him and moved toward me.

A real smile tugged at the corners of my lips for a short moment until reality weighed down on me. Able gripped my shoulder, and I winced as the pain intensified. Cool metal pressed against my temple. I glanced over as much as I could. Able held a gun to my head. Fear raced through my veins, drying out my mouth. It was impossible to swallow as I sat there, my death seconds away.

“Sit the fuck down,” Able said.

Giancarlo ground his teeth, his dark brown eyes never wavering from me. “If you hurt him, there is nothing on this Earth that will keep me from bashing your skull in and pissing in the hole.”

The gun was pulled away from my temple. Relief only lasted for a short second before it was whipped across my face. White spots blinded me as pain erupted over the lower half of my face. Blood gushed out of my split lip, dripping down my chin.

“Tie him to the fucking chair,” Able said.

He grabbed my hair righting me. I blinked rapidly, attempting to clear my blurry vision. I needed to see Giancarlo. Fuck the pain as long as he was okay. I needed him to get out of here.

“Good thing Weston left the phone behind. Knew you’d go looking for your whore. We were going to get started without you if you took any longer.” Able smacked both of my sore cheeks. “I wouldn’t have thought you’re into the innocent thing, Giancarlo. We are similar in so many ways—”

“Yeah, similar in the way that we were both in your mom’s pussy. The only difference is she wanted me there,” Giancarlo spat.

What is he saying?Giancarlo laughed and relaxed in the chair as if he wasn’t bound and surrounded by men who wanted to hurt him. How in the fuck was he so calm? Even now, faced with enemies, he was still Giancarlo.

“Don’t believe me, huh? I can see it on your face.” He laughed. “Fat ass, thick thighs, gets her hair dyed on the fifth of every month faithfully. Rusty red.” Giancarlo rocked in the chair, jotting off random facts about Abel’s mother. “Oh, I can even tell you what’s in the kitchen. We broke the table. It was a round wooden one, but what made it special was the legs. They were custom-made. Mary-Ann said her son got it for her.” Giancarlo slammed his feet down and glared at Able. “I have to say I can see why you’re worthless. Your mom’s pussy wasn’t shit. Her ass, on the other hand.” He smirked. “Didn’t know she was into anal, did you? She takes it better than most men. Begs for it like a porn star.”

Able pointed the gun at Giancarlo, and my heart lodged firmly in my throat. No.

“Gin, shut up,” I said.

“Why? He’s nothing more than a mama’s boy who wasn’t told no enough in his life. He doesn’t have the balls to get his hands dirty.”

Fuck. Gin was crazy enough he was willing to test death. I bet everything I had he’d laugh in death’s face and crack some stupid joke. I glanced around the room, and everyone’s eyes were on Able and Giancarlo.

“Able, killing him is a life sentence.” Weston looked stressed as he tugged at his thinning hair. “I can’t be a part of this. Getting back at him for what he did, okay. But this—” Weston scrambled back, hitting the door in his retreat. “I want no part of this. I’m pulling out.”

“The hell you are. Sit down, Weston.”

Weston shook his head, his cheeks jiggling with the force. He bolted out of the door before Able could get another word out.

“Go get him.”

“But—”

“Giancarlo’s tied up, and he’s about to be full of bullets. Go get him.”

The other men in the room ran after Weston leaving the three of us behind. Giancarlo wouldn’t look at me, his eyes focused on Able as he continued to run his mouth.

“Shit, I feel bad for you. Got into bed with a worm.” Giancarlo’s head tilted. “Is that what happened? You fucked him like I fucked your mom? Or was it the other way around?”

“Shut up!” Able took a step toward Giancarlo.

I swallowed back my scream, my fingers burning as I tugged and tore at the rope binding my wrists. Giancarlo, of course, didn’t shut up; he kept telling Able how he’d fucked his mother. If we got out of this alive, I was going to slap the shit out of him.

“You won’t be able to talk once you’re dead.” Abel’s stance was rigid. His shoulders nearly pressed against his ears, his hand trembling as he aimed the gun at Gin.

Fuck, come on. Please.The moment the rope caved, I met Gin’s gaze.

“Your mom loves pillow talk, and the bitch wouldn’t shut up. Only thing that made her silent was my dick buried down her throat.”

I didn’t think as I charged at Able. I slammed all of my weight into his side. He shouted as he lost his footing. The gun went off, and the bang rattled through me. My ears rang as I scrambled up Abel’s body. His lips were moving, but I could hear nothing past the ringing in my ears. I balled both of my fists together and brought them down on his face.

Cartilage and bone crunched under the weight of my fists. I did it again and again. His glasses cut into my hand as I brought my fists down again.

“Ash!” Giancarlo’s voice penetrated the hazy fog. I froze with my hands raised above my head, poised to slam down again.

My chest tightened as I realized what was happening. “What have I done?”

“Ash, look at me,” Giancarlo demanded. “Now.”

I forced my head to turn. I was met with the deep brown eyes that I’d fallen in love with. He shouldn’t be here.

“You’re okay?”

I nodded, unable to form words for a second. Reality slammed into me like a ton of bricks. I shook my head as I got off Able. He groaned, but his eyes were closed. A strange relief filled me knowing I hadn’t killed him, but I’d been willing to for Giancarlo. I wouldn’t have stopped myself if it came down to me becoming a killer or Giancarlo dying.

“I’m going to untie you.”

“Fuck, he nearly shot my dick off,” Giancarlo shouted.

“Really, that’s what’s important here? He nearly blew a hole in your head.” I groaned as I worked faster.

“Better that than my dick.”

I groaned as I untied Gin as fast as I could. “Why are you like this?”

“Come on, baby. You wouldn’t want me any other way. You love that I’m insane.”

My movements froze for a second at the mention of love. I did love Giancarlo down to the insanity that seemed engraved into his bones.

“Hey, and why the fuck did you call me annoying so many times in that note?”

“You read it?” I went back to untying him, ignoring the burning in my fingers as I did so. My nail bent back and tore. Blood rushed to the surface, soaking into the rope. I cursed under my breath.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“Ash, breathe.”

“Did you really fuck his mom?” I asked, distracting myself.

“I had to get his attention off of you after he hit you with that fucking gun. Better for it to be aimed at me.”

My heart faltered. “We have to hurry up. If they come back, they will hurt you.” Blood pounded in my ears, battling with my erratic breaths as I tried to hurry. My stupid fingers were numb and kept slipping.

“Run, kid. I can get out by myself.”

“Fuck no.”

The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder. They were coming back. Shit, shit.

“Ash, I said leave.”

“Shut the fuck up for once, Gin. I’m not leaving you, ever!” I yanked the knot out. A cry of relief left me, but it was short-lived as the door opened.

Giancarlo rolled out of the chair and threw it at the men. Weston screamed and fell back. The other three dodged the chair.

“Move it, Ash.”

I scrambled up and moved with him. Giancarlo snatched up the gun as we headed for another door. We slipped past a room and then another. Lumber and construction equipment was scattered everywhere.

“They all seemed shocked Able had a gun on him, going to use that to my advantage. While I take care of them, I need you to get out of here.”

“No.”

“Ash, I’m not asking.”

“And I don’t belong to you anymore. Remember? You tossed your money at me.” It hurt worse than being beaten to remember the way Gin threw me out.

He groaned. “Ash, about that.”

“I don’t want to hear it right now.”

Giancarlo’s big hand covered my mouth. I glared up at him, but his gaze was focused on the entrance of the room. Sweat coated my forehead as the tense seconds ticked by.

A foot came into view before one of Abel’s guys appeared before us. Giancarlo sprung up and moved around him without making a sound. He was silent, a predator waiting to grab his kill. The entire time we’d lived together, I’d only ever known Giancarlo to be loud and scary. However, this side of him was far more terrifying.

The man’s eyes landed on me. “There you are. You little bitch.” He lunged, but his hands fell short as Giancarlo slammed him down to the ground.

“Mine!”

Giancarlo’s fists cut through the air. The sound of flesh colliding together was sickening, added to the wet sound of blood gushing out. Giancarlo grabbed the guy’s head and smashed it into the floor repeatedly. A puddle of blood grew as Gin slammed it down one more time. Blood splashed up, a few warm droplets splattered on my face.

“Gin.”

His head whipped around. A wild beast stared back at me, blood splattered all over his face, his teeth bared. I didn’t look at the lifeless body under Gin or acknowledge the blood under my hands and knees as I moved toward him. I cupped his face.

“He’s dead. You can stop. It’s okay.” For the first time, I truly felt like it would be. As long as I had Giancarlo, things would get better.

A visible shudder worked over Giancarlo. He grabbed my blood-covered hand and pulled me along as we moved from one room to the next. Shouts reached our ears as the guys looked for us.

“Find him yet?”

“No!”

“Get them! I don’t give a fuck what you have to do. That fucker dies. You can kill his whore too.” Able woke up.

We moved behind a large pile of cement bags. Thank goodness the basement was pretty much done. The walls gave us more cover as we moved about.

Giancarlo glanced over at me. “Told you to run.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t.” I grabbed his hand and gently wiped over his knuckles with the inside of my shirt. “You split one. Does it hurt?”

“How can you be worried about me right now?”

“You’re hurt. Of course, I’m worried.”

Giancarlo shook his head and pulled his hands free.

“You’re hurt because of me.”

“I don’t want to play the blame game.” I wanted more desperate seconds of holding his hand. Being connected to the warmth that radiated off of him effortlessly.

Giancarlo pulled out the red leather gloves I’d gotten him and slipped them on. “You need to listen to me, Ash.”

“No.”

“Ash.”

“If you tell me to leave you behind again to die, I will never fuck you again.” We weren’t together, and Gin had kicked me out, but I prayed he took my threat seriously. I wasn’t leaving without him. I couldn’t.

“If I die—”

“Then we die together.”

“Fuck,” Giancarlo moaned. “Did you just propose to me?”

“Gin,” I stressed.

Giancarlo grabbed the back of my neck, bringing our faces close together. “We have some talking to do later.” He pressed his lips to mine, and I fell apart, unable to deny him. It had been less than twenty-four hours, and I’d missed him so much. I didn’t even care about my split lip or the pain I was in. I never wanted the kiss to end.

“Now I have to go handle this so I can take you home.” Giancarlo let me go with one final kiss. “Be a good puppy and stay.” He was up and gone before I could stop him.

I touched my mouth, my heart racing for a different reason than the men hunting us down. Could we still be something after everything that had been said and done?

Fuck, I hope so.