16. Sergio
CHAPTER 16
SERGIO
I pace in front of the tall, floor-to-ceiling windows on the far end of the apartment, trying to dissect Jaelyn’s words about Nate.
“If you don’t tell him you have me, it’ll be too late for him to pay you anything.”
I shake my fists in the air, trying to keep from blowing like Old Faithful, but it’s hard. Tormentingly so. She’s so goddamn infuriating with all of her venomous words and cryptic warnings.
What in the hell is that supposed to mean?
And why do I even care?
She’s proven before that she’ll say and do just about anything to protect her brother, so why should I think there’s anything credible behind that statement, especially when she’s the one chained to a bed and is looking for any way to get out of here?
I pace for a few more minutes, my stomach growling.
Shit. I really didn’t plan very well at all.
I walk into the kitchen, push aside the tarp covering the refrigerator door, and pull it open. The appliances are still hooked up, so maybe there’s some food here.
I frown at the almost-empty space.
Stoli vodka and a jar of pickles.
Fantastic.
We can get drunk on vodka cocktails with pickle garnish.
I slam a hand down on a slab of plywood, sending it flying into the air.
My ears prickle after it crashes to the floor.
Is that…?
I step closer to the bedroom where Jaelyn is staying, my brow furrowing.
She’s crying?
I quietly push open the door and find her twisting around on the bed, her hair a mess of tangled strands around her face. She’s at battle with something as she sleeps very fitfully. Her mouth moves, only the faintest of sounds emerging, different than the whimpers I just heard from the kitchen. I can see the tears streak her cheeks as she flips left and right, seemingly trying to escape whatever is corrupting her mind.
I move toward the headboard, my fingers fumbling in my pocket for the handcuff key. I slip it into the lock and twist it to release the cuff. Her hand drops to the mattress and with a loud gasp, she sits straight up, bringing her hand to her heaving chest.
She looks around, her eyes unfocused as she takes in her surroundings.
That dream must have really fucked with her since she doesn’t seem to have any recollection that she’s here.
It isn’t until she turns her red-rimmed eyes toward me that I see what’s lurking within the depths. My breath hitches. It’s the first time I’ve seen her without the protective mask, the one that keeps everyone out and all of the pain inside.
She uses her free hand to wipe her eyes, her lips still trembling. Her labored breaths sound like shallow rasps, and she trembles as she sits in the center of the mattress, still staring at me.
I can see the anguish.
I can feel the grief.
And so I don’t think much in this moment.
I just act.
No questions, no lies.
I hold out my arms and she falls into them, the whimpers becoming full-fledged cries…pleas for forgiveness and mercy, apologies for not being the daughter they deserved.
My throat tightens as I stroke the back of her head.
This is bad. This is very fucking bad!
She’s still chained to the bed. I haven’t let her go completely, not that she seems to be in any shape to make false moves on me.
But I can’t be comforting her like this! Her brother tried to kill me, for fuck’s sake!
As far as I’m concerned, any ploy to bring me in here is one that’s gonna put my whole plan at risk.
I should let her go.
I should re-cuff her.
I should walk right out of this room and let her drown in her tears, dammit!
But I don’t do any of those things.
I stay right where I am as she nestles as far as she can into my chest, her other arm still suspended above the bed.
And this kind of shit is exactly the kind of thing Matteo would jump on me for because he doesn’t have blood running through his veins.
He has cyanide.
Pure poison.
Completely lethal.
We sit together as the minutes drag on, neither one of us making any moves, which, I guess for me, is good since both times I got too close, she nailed me with her flying limbs. This time she doesn’t seem too anxious to let go or to sterilize me.
Both are good signs, in my opinion.
It feels like we’ve been molded together for days by the time she lifts her head and pulls away to look up at me. Her eyes are still watery and a little bit puffy and her face is dotted with red splotches.
She’s never looked so gorgeous.
Or so broken.
I was shocked to see it the first time.
This time is plain surreal.
Little body.
Larger-than-life attitude.
And we can’t forget that huge chip sitting right on her shoulder.
I can’t help but ignore the question of why.
She sniffles, flexing her fingers. I instinctively move away from her, just in case she’s getting ready.
With a small smile on her face, she drops her hand to the mattress. “I’m not going to hit you.”
“I don’t know if I should believe you,” I say with a quirked eyebrow. “Past experience dictates something very different.”
“Yeah, I know.” Jaelyn lets out a sigh, pushing her hair, matted with tears, away from her face. “So why did you uncuff me?”
I shrug. “Because I was afraid I’d kill you if I kept you locked up that way. I took a chance that you wouldn’t run or attack me if I freed one of your arms.”
“Well, I appreciate you saving my life.”
“I, uh, also heard?—”
She holds up her free hand. “No. Don’t go there.”
I rake a hand through my hair. ‘Why? Because you don’t want it to get out that, contrary to popular opinion, you’re not a complete bitch twenty-four-seven and that you do actually have a sensitive side?”
With a roll of her eyes, she collapses back on the mattress. “You’re a big gangster-type guy. You know emotion is for the weak.”
“Yep, and the weak ones get the ice pick to the head. I know the story well.” I smirk.
“Good, so then let’s just agree to drop it.”
I nod. “Okay, it’s forgotten. Anything else off limits that I should know about?”
Her eyes take on a glower. “You’ve already made it clear that anything I say is worthless, so why even ask?”
“Look, Jaelyn,” I say, sliding off the bed and walking over to the far wall. Jesus, I really need to keep my distance from this girl, for a lot of reasons. “I know you don’t understand what’s happening, but there’s a good reason why you’re here. A very good reason.”
“What’s happening here?” she asks, her voice rising. “There is nothing happening here! You kidnapped me for this alleged ‘good reason’ but you seem to have no plan for what to do to me or with me. That tells me your ‘good reason’ is actually total crap.”
I clench my fists at my sides. “I know exactly what I’m doing! Don’t fucking challenge me!”
Jaelyn lets out a huff. “Okay, so first, you’re getting pretty defensive for a guy who has everything figured out. Second, I heard you on the phone with one of your idiot friends! So don’t feed me that garbage! Admit it, you don’t know what the hell you’re doing! Maybe you should just stick to running strip clubs into the ground! You’re fucking great at that!”
I stomp over to the bed and grab her chin so she has to look up at me. I also make sure I grab her free hand to keep myself alive and unmaimed. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!”
“Don’t I, though?” she snips, wrenching her face out of my grip. “You wouldn’t be so pissed off if I was wrong. You’d laugh it off, thinking the joke is on me. But it’s not, is it? You didn’t think this through and you don’t know what you’re going to do next!” she shrieks. “And my brother could die because of it!”
That’s when her feet flail, one of them coming dangerously close to my groin.
“I don’t really give a damn what sob story you think you can sell me. It won’t fucking work! And your brother’s death would be fucking justice served!” I thunder.
Her eyes widen and she gasps. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You play dumb pretty well, but I’m not that stupid, sweetheart.” I lean over her, our foreheads almost touching as I hiss my next and final words. “This is about taking an eye for an eye, Jaelyn. An eye for a fucking eye!” I grab the handcuffs and cuff both of her wrists again, this time together. At least she’s not being stretched apart again.
Although the cracks running through my merciful side are starting to spread, and pretty soon I’m gonna just give it all up and hang her out the window by her goddamn ankles to keep her mouth shut.
And to prove to her that I do have a plan.
To win!