Chapter Thirty-Seven Caterina
Agony. Anguish. Fear
All of those feelings swirled around in my mind as I slowly came into consciousness. A brass band pounded through my head and the oddest feeling of deja vu overcame me. I’d been unconscious before and woke up with a terrible headache after being kidnapped.
Trepidation sent icy prickles over my body when I realized I wasn’t going to open my eyes and see Callum or his brothers. Instead of being spirited away from the Sacred Heart, I’d been taken on the street by two unknown men. My chest constricted with fear at the thought that these men wouldn’t be treating me the way that the Kavanaugh men had.
After sucking in a few breaths, my eyelids fluttered open. My anxious gaze bounced around the room. Tall ceilings. Metal walls. Unmarked boxes.
I was in a warehouse of some kind. The uncomfortable wooden chair I’d been seated in was tucked away in the back behind a large forklift. My arms were pulled around the chair, and when I tried moving them, rope scratched against my wrists. My hands were tied together. In desperation, I tried to stand up, but I quickly found my legs were bound together.
“Hello, Caterina.”
Dread froze my movements. That voice had haunted my nightmares and dreams. Even after all this time had passed, I would know it anywhere.
The sound of shoes clicked across the floor behind me. As I tried regulating my breathing, the figure grew closer to me. The chair began to shake with my trembling.
When he stepped into my line of sight, nausea rolled through me. At the sight of Carmine’s face, bile rushed into my mouth. I didn’t bother turning my head. Instead, I vomited at his feet.
As I rubbed my mouth against my shoulder, Carmine sneered at me. “Even after three years in the order, I see you’re still a petulant cunt,” he hissed.
Despite being scared out of my mind, I had to be strong. I couldn’t fall apart. It wasn’t just about protecting me. I had to think of my baby. “What do you want with me?” I demanded.
A maniacal gleam burned in his eyes. “Silly bitch, the same thing I wanted from you three years ago.”
I swallowed hard. “Just like then, you can’t have me.”
“Is that right?”
“In case you missed it, I’m married,” I countered.
“Yes, I heard of your wedding to that mick bastard, Kavanaugh.”
I bit my tongue to keep from lashing out at him insulting Callum. “If you were aware of my marriage, then why would you kidnap and try to marry me?”
“Because I’m a man who gets what he fucking wants.”
Shaking my head, I argued, “Callum and I were married by a priest, and the marriage was consummated.”
Carmine backhanded me so hard his ring cut into my cheek, scraping along the flesh. Tears blinded my eyes at the pain. Blood dripped from my face onto my lap. Pinching my eyes shut, I counted my breaths and tried to keep myself from going over the edge.
“Do not remind me that you’re no longer pure. The fact you’d spread your legs for that piece of shit almost made me reconsider taking you for a wife. It’s only for the alliance with your father that I was willing to overlook it.
As I popped open my eyes, I stared at him in disbelief. Could he be possibly be this deluded. “What are you even talking about? My father’s regime is dying. Everyone knows the true power of the Neretti family lies with Rafe.”
Carmine tilted his head at me. “Oh, aren’t you the smart one? Let me tell you something. You don’t know shit.”
“I know that the Kavanaugh’s are stronger than they’ve ever been, not just in Boston, but on the East Coast. Part of their strength comes from being aligned with Rafe.”
“Don’t worry. Your cunt of a brother is going to get what’s coming to him. There’s still enough loyal men to take him out along with Leandro and Gianni. It’s Step Two of my plan.”
Fear gripped me at the thought of any harm coming to my brothers, but I quickly masked it. “It will never happen.”
That statement earned me another gash to my cheek. Once my eyes finished watering, Carmine grabbed me by the shoulders and sneered into my face. “I’m going to enjoy shutting your smart ass mouth by filling it with my cock.”
Glaring up at him, I shouted, “You try it, and you’ll end up maimed so badly you’ll never be able to use it again!”
After reaching into his suit pocket, Carmine produced a gun. Once he released the safety, he pressed the gleaming metal into my temple. “You can choose to suck my cock, or I can blow your pretty brains all over the floor.”
Before I could open my mouth to protest, a voice stunned me to silence. “You will not speak that way to my daughter, Carmine.”
Just like with Carmine, it had been three years since I’d heard that voice. All my life I had feared it. As a child, I’d run from it. The mere sound sent me burrowing under my bed or locking myself into my room. There had never been a single time in my life when it had possessed kindness or love.
When I’d entered the Sacred Heart, I’d hoped I’d never hear it again. After he’d been behind the hit on Callum’s life, I prayed I’d never hear it again. But here it was.
As my gaze bounced around the shadowy areas of the warehouse searching for him, Carmine growled, “With all due respect, Alessio, she threatened to bite my cock off.”
When he stepped into the light, a cruel smile curved on my father’s lips. “Ciao, mi ragazza vivace.”
“Don’t you dare call me your spirited girl!” I spat.
“It’s the truth, isn’t it?” he questioned as he moved in front of me. Instead of replying, I merely glared at him. His eyes narrowed on my face. “Is this your handiwork, or did the soldiers do this?” he questioned Carmine.
“It’s mine,” he hissed in reply.
“I took you for a smarter man.” He tore his gaze from mine over to Carmine. “Only an uomo pazzo would marr what was valuable to him.”
Satisfaction flooded me at Carmine squirming under my father’s remark. “My apologies, Alessio.”
After reaching into his pocket, my father produced a knife. Whimpering, I tried inching away from him as best I could. “This is also no way to treat your future wife,” he said as he began to cut through my binds.
At the mention of Carmine’s future wife, I recoiled. “I’m a married woman, Father. Although I wasn’t married in a church, it was by a priest, and it was consummated,” I countered.
Hate simmered within the sneer he shot at me. “Marriages are easily annulled.”
When he finished with my hands, he handed the knife to Carmine. It didn’t surprise me at all that my father saw it beneath him to kneel before me. He still saw himself as the all-powerful capo. Carmine’s expression told me he felt the same way, but he was left with no choice.
Wincing, I brought my arms around my body from the back of the chair before I rubbed my aching wrists. Once Carmine finished with my legs, I rolled my feet, trying to get some feeling back in them.
Before I could get my bearings, Carmine grabbed me by the waist and dragged me to my feet. Although I swayed, I refused to reach out for Carmine. He dipped his head to where his rancid cigar breath scorched against my cheek. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to skip the nuptials and go straight for the consummation.”
I stared past him to my father. “You can’t seriously be supporting him in this madness.”
“Carmine needs a son and heir. While we work on getting your marriage annulled, he can get you pregnant. Then you’ll marry him.”
Oh God. This couldn’t be happening. How could both of them be so delusional? The thoughts of enduring Carmine raping me repeatedly sent bile rushing to my throat. “There’s no way you can make any of this legal. Neither Callum nor I would agree to ending our marriage.”
My father’s brows shot up. “Surely you don’t doubt my abilities or the power of my alliances?” When I didn’t respond, he took a handkerchief from his pocket. Although I tried jerking away from him, he brought the fabric to my cheek to clean my wounds. “Forging signatures is child’s play for a man like me. Despite what you think, my name still holds respect and power. There are still judges and law enforcement in my pocket.”
He jerked a chin at Carmine. “Not only am I still a very powerful man, so is my underboss. With the marriage of his daughter to the pakhan of the Jersey Bratva’s son, we’ve unified a very strong and lucrative alliance.”
I recoiled in horror as I thought about the teenage girl who was once to be my step-daughter. “But Allegra isn’t even eighteen yet.”
Carmine gave me a shark-like grin. “It doesn’t matter if a parent gives consent.”
My lips curled in disgust at his response. “She deserves better.”
“I’m glad to see you’re caring for your future daughter,” Carmine retorted.
I tore my gaze from his back to my father. “If you marry me off to him in this hairbrained scheme, whatever was fractured between you and Rafe will never be mended.”
“I have no use for Rafe or his traitorous brothers...” He pointed to my stomach. “Your son will inherit the Neretti legacy.”
My hands protectively flew to cover my abdomen to try and shield my baby from his heinous plot. Trembling wildly, I tried to think of any way out of the current hell I faced. I hoped and prayed that Callum had managed to track me down, and that he would somehow save me.
Carmine licked his lips while staring down at me. “Can I take her now, Alessio?”
“Be quick about it. After the shipment arrives for Mikita, we’re heading to the safe house in New York.”
With a lecherous grin, Carmine grabbed my arm and began to drag me away. My stomach churned when I imagined him putting his hands on other parts of my body. I wanted to save myself, but at the same time, I didn’t want any harm to come to my baby. Although I tried clamping my hand down on my mouth, the panicked scream tore through me and echoed off the walls. “I’m already pregnant!”
Carmine froze. “You lie.”
A part of me wanted to tell him I had. That I could endure him violating me if it meant my baby would remain safe. But instead, I furiously shook my head. “You can call the Kavanaugh’s OBGYN. I was there today. I’m six weeks pregnant.”
Carmine whirled us around to where we faced my father. Disgust radiated off of him. Although it pained me to do so, I sank to my knees. “Please, Father, if you let me go and abandon this terrible idea, I’ll ensure that no harm comes to you. On the life of my child, I swear to you that I’ll broker a peace between you and Callum. Regardless of how you feel about Rafe and my brothers, there can be a peace and alliance with the Kavanaugh’s. Think of the power you’d hold then. You’ll truly be unstoppable.”
For a moment, he appeared to be weighing my words. I prayed with everything within me that he would accept my offer. When he closed the gap between us, I held my breath. “I want nothing to do with any alliance that involves that mick son of a bitch you’ve spread your legs for.”
As the hope drained from my body, my chest caved in agony. Tears stung my eyes. “Please, Father.”
After grabbing me by the arm, he jerked me to my feet. His cruel sneer caused my stomach to clench. “I suppose we’ll just have to ensure you lose the baby, won’t we?”
Terror the likes I’d never known cascaded over me as my arms wound around my abdomen. Why had I been so stupid and revealed my pregnancy? I could’ve endured the rape to ensure my child was safe. I would’ve endured anything. But now, my father–my own flesh and blood–was going to kill the child within me.
He shoved me into Carmine’s arms. “Take care of it.”
“Coward!” I spat. The words had barely escaped my lips when Carmine’s fist connected with my abdomen. A scream tore from me as I sank to my knees. Desperately, I tried to shield my stomach from Carmine’s fists. My defensive exertions left both of us panting.
I prayed for my child’s safety.
I prayed for Callum to rescue us.
I prayed for forgiveness for allowing my child to be put in danger.
At Carmine’s harsh kick, I groaned as my breath was sucked from my body. Pain, like I had never known, ricocheted through me. As darkness threatened to sweep me under. I fought to keep my eyes open. I knew once I was unconscious, there would be no saving my unborn child.
Just when I thought I couldn’t hold on a moment longer, an explosion detonated from the far wall. Time seemed to crawl to a standstill as debris rained down. Smoke filled the air as Carmine abandoned me to draw his gun out of his jacket. He and my father moved forward to hide behind a few boxes.
As my vision clouded, I desperately peered into the smoke. At the emergence of men, my heart surged. It was Callum and his brothers.
I was safe.