Chapter 29
JADE
As soon as my hand hits the doorknob, my throat closes, tightening with every slam of my pulse, fear ramming in my throat so heavily, I almost run back into Enzo’s arms.
Shuddering with a long, strained breath, I pull the door open. The loud squealing as it parts crawls up my arms, dotting my skin with terror.
I tiptoe inside the cold, darkened room. Even through my hoodie and the shirt beneath, the hairs on my arms stand up, pinching at my skin.
My breathing is louder than the cautious footsteps I take as I continue inside, looking around against the speckle of light peeking from my left. There’s not a person here.
The bastard must’ve thought I wouldn’t come now that Robby is safe. My stomach drops with disappointment, but relief too.
I don’t want to die. I don’t want to leave Robby or the man I love. I only just got Elliot back. How could I abandon all that?
But as I start back to the door, a blaring creak pummels through the silence. Abruptly, the entire room erupts with glaring lights, as though the sun has risen from eternal sleep, burning at my eyes.
I shroud my gaze behind my arm, slowly adjusting to the brightness, my body waking with a shiver, knowing the man I despise is here after all.
“I didn’t think you’d show,” that voice that always managed to fill my blood with contempt says. “I underestimated how stupid you are.”
I lower my hand, my glare narrowed at the short man who’s spent years tormenting me, the top of his head now bald, the sides sprinkled with tiny, gray strands.
But he’s not alone. There are at least a dozen men here, including the one Enzo has been looking for.
The Bianchi lawyer, Joey Russo is beside him, strapped in a navy suit as though he’s heading to the courtroom right after he’s done here.
He’s nothing but a sick, perverted man. His hand glides through his thick black hair, the sides of his deep brown eyes crinkling as he smirks, probably picturing doing the things he’s done to me every chance he got.
Their appetites are as depraved as they are, but looking at Joey, one would never know it. He appears put together, attractive even, a lot better looking than his cousin Carlito. But that means little. He makes my skin crawl.
I never told Enzo what he did to me—the knife he used to prick my thighs while he raped me. The blood. He enjoys it. He especially loved to hear us scream. So I stopped screaming. I did what I could to keep fighting in the only way I had left.
Enzo will rip him limb by limb if he finds out, but I’ve tormented him enough with the details of what I’ve been through. Joey will die today. I know he will. And that’ll be enough.
“I’m here for Kayla and Elsie. I know they’re here. Get them.”
Agnelo snickers as his men form a semicircle behind Joey and him.
“You think you’re making demands here, little girl?
” His upper lip curls with a sadistic snarl, his feet prodding toward me, and I unconsciously move back a step.
“Where’s your boyfriend and his pack of puppies?
I can’t believe he’d let you come here all alone. ”
The corner of my mouth lifts into a taunting smile as I reach under my shirt.
“Taking off her clothes for us already, boys.” Agnelo rocks with a sinister chuckle, the men all joining in. “We’re going to have a show.”
But I ignore them, ripping off the wire I have taped to my stomach. That causes them all to shut the hell up for once.
I stomp on the wire, knowing Enzo probably figured out what I’m doing, so it won’t be long until he comes rushing in.
“Wired, huh? I should’ve known,” he says, his chest lifting with a heavy, amused sigh. “Are they here?”
“Not yet. But they will be soon. Give me Elsie and Kayla, and you can go before they kill you and your men.”
His guys burst into a fit of laughter.
“You think I’m scared of those punks? You think you could make me give them up?” he roars, the anger seething over every part of his face. “Weren’t you happy with stealing our boy? Had to be greedy and come back for more? You stupid bitches never learn.”
“He isn’t our boy,” I bellow. “He’s mine.”
A chuckle boils out of him. “That’s where you’re wrong. Did you forget how he was made because I could remind you. Right here.”
They all laugh cruelly, and my stomach drops as I watch them mocking me. The wave of those memories floods into me until my heart squeezes too tight.
“You can have me. In exchange for their freedom. Isn’t that what you always wanted? For me to be—”
His shrill cackle of laughter interrupts the rest of my words. “You think you’re worth that much to me?” He catches his breath. “You aren’t worth shit.”
This isn’t working. What have I done? He’s going to kill me. I’m going to die and so will my friends.
“You don’t recognize this place, do you?” His question hangs in the air, thick as the grayed-out beard lining his round jaw. “I guess you wouldn’t. You were never up here. Most of your time was spent below, doing everything I made you do.”
I gasp at what he’s admitting.
We’re here. At the club.
At the place where evil was born, residing endlessly. The vileness seeped into its walls, marking them for eternity.
“Ahh, finally. She realizes the significance of all of us standing here.” He glances behind him, and at first, I don’t understand why, but as more footsteps shuffle forward, muffled crying filling the room, the fear, it grips me raw.
Who is that?
But my question doesn’t go unanswered too long. As the men separate, another comes toward Agnelo, and he’s not alone. Clutched within his grasp is Kayla, or what I recognize of her.
Her straight, brown hair is ragged now, worn down like the rest of her. The curves of her body have mostly disappeared, but my attention goes to the large red mark on her swollen cheek, her eyelids puffy from crying.
“What the fuck did you assholes do to her?”
“Whatever the hell I wanted.” Agnelo sneers. “Like I always do.
“It’s okay, Kayla.” I look at her, forgetting all of them. “I’ll get you out of this.”
Her chin trembles, more tears streaming down her face as she whimpers, but her eyes, they stay on mine. Pleading. Lost.
“Shut the fuck up!” The man who’s still got his grip on her jerks her hard.
“Don’t fucking touch her!”
“Or what?” Agnelo asks.
“I’ll kill you,” I spit through gritted teeth.
“Fucking adorable. Isn’t she, boys?” His chuckle twists with the evil rising from his soul.
“Where’s Elsie? What did you do to her?”
“I have no fucking clue.” He shrugs. “The little bitch ran off, and this one”—he points a thumb to Kayla—“still won’t tell me shit. I’ve tried, many times. Believe me.” He walks up to Kayla and runs his disgusting hand down between her breasts. “Isn’t that right, dollface?”
She recoils, sniveling as his hand falls away.
“All this one told me is that your little friend left, leaving her here alone to suffer. What a girl, huh?”
Elsie would never leave Kayla. That makes no sense. If she ran, she would’ve taken Kayla with her. If Elsie is still out there, how come she never contacted anyone?
Enzo and his brothers looked for both girls. There was not a trace of them. Something must’ve happened to her, maybe something even worse than this. I won’t rest until I get the answers. It’s not above Agnelo to lie.
“She’s probably dead somewhere,” he adds. “Good fucking riddance. Now, I’ll watch you, your friend, and all the others caged up downstairs burn alive. I have no use for this place anymore. I’ll find another. I’ll get more people. And this time, you won’t be joining us, I’m afraid.”
“What? No! You have to let the kids go. They’re just babies! You can’t kill them!” My voice slices with a sob, imagining it’s my Robby there. “Please,” I plead as I come closer. “Just take me. Kill me. Do whatever you want. Let the others go.”
Agnelo’s men could be setting a fire downstairs already. I have to do something to save them all. I can’t let any of them die. Now, I wish I hadn’t ripped the damn wire, so Enzo could come and rescue them.
“You’re not worth all that.” Agnelo snickers. “My only regret is that Robby isn’t here too. But I’ll find him, and I’ll end him like his whore mother.”
My hand sneaks under my hoodie, my palm wrapping around the handle of the gun. “You son of a b—” I never finish the rest of that sentence. Glass shatters from around us, the windows breaking, my world erupting in gunfire as I run to hide behind a large crate.
Enzo and more of their men swoop in from outside, their weapons blazing, taking out some of the Bianchi men one by one, before they could even aim their weapon.
Dante kicks one in the face, then puts a bullet in his chest, while Dom kills one more.
I look behind me, only a couple of yards away, finding Elliot shooting at a man in front, simultaneously fighting off someone else.
He doesn’t notice as another comes at him quick, a pistol pointed at my brother’s back.
Before I know what I’m doing, my gun is in my hand, and I pull the trigger.
Elliot’s eyes land on me as the asshole falls, and he mouths thank you before he finishes him off. I have no idea where I hit him. I just hoped it was somewhere good.
My heart rams in my rib cage as though ready to split right out of me.
I actually shot someone.
Kayla. Oh my God. Where is she?
My gaze darts around the room, hoping I can find her among the chaos. At first, I don’t, but then I see her. Agnelo is dragging her away, his forearm trapping her neck as she tries to fight him off.
With my weapon steady in my grip, I ignore everyone else, muffling the rampage, my focus on my friend and the man who thinks he’s invincible. It’s time to put an end to him once and for all. He doesn’t see me coming, not at first, not until I’m close enough to kill him.
His lips jerk with a sinister promise as he lifts the hand with his weapon clutched in it. He pulls her away little by little, trying to escape. But I won’t let him. He doesn’t get to come out of this alive.