17. Dante
17
DANTE
I can’t feel my hands anymore. It’s been hours and I’ve still had no luck freeing myself.
My ass is killing me after sitting in this wooden chair for so long.
It’s been fucking awful trying to keep my mind on a leash. To stop myself from imagining what Angelo is doing to Victoria so that I have a shot at focusing and finding a way out of this mess.
A slim window near the ceiling is the only glimpse I have of the world beyond my prison. The sun has fully set, blanketing the world in darkness, but I’m wide awake despite the hour. I won’t be able to rest, will never find peace, until I can get out of here and find my wife.
The man at the door hasn’t moved from his post, unconcerned with my efforts to escape my restraints. He hasn’t even bothered telling me to stop.
He has a point.
It’s futile. The asshole bound me so tightly there’s not a chance in hell of me getting lose.
The curse words filling my head are endless, but they come to a screeching halt when the door swings open to reveal the motherfucker who sold my wife.
He doesn’t seem at all happy to see me.
The feeling is mutual.
All of this could’ve been avoided if he had stayed in his lane. I’m not sure what his plans are—at this point they could be anything, he has all the power after all—but all I want is to know what happened to Victoria. Whether she’s still in the house or if he’s already had her moved.
“Where’s my wife?” I snarl, furious that he’s responsible for this whole shitshow.
He’s the reason I’m not lying in bed with my wife safe in my arms.
“I think you need to start concentrating on yourself, Mors ,” he counters simply. “Now that I have you here, what am I going to do with you?”
“We all know that answer,” I retort. “Stop fucking around and let me see?—”
“She’s not up to entertaining visitors at the moment,” Angelo murmurs with a frown. “She’s had quite the ordeal.”
My stomach drops and my body stills. “What do you mean?” As I wait for Angelo’s answer, I realize that I’ve stopped working to free my hands. Quickly, I go back to twisting my wrists. If nothing else, the effort keeps me somewhat grounded.
Angelo pauses, his eyes staring off into space and his mouth gently curving as if recalling a particularly happy dream. “I finally see the appeal.”
Ice runs through my veins and I let the monster inside me peek out from my eyes. “You touch her, and I’ll kill you.”
“Oops.”
I lunge, but—fuck me—my legs and arms are bound and I barely get myself and the chair an inch off the floor before crashing back again.
“Calm down, Dante,” Angelo taunts. “She’s alive.”
“You think this is a fucking game?” I rage through clenched teeth. “You’re a dead man walking, Lombardi.”
“I can assure you I’m quite well.” He folds his hands together. “She, however…”
My heart slows at the thought of how scared she has to be. How hopeless she must be feeling right now. I will set her free if it’s the last thing I do. If Angelo really wanted me dead, he’d have offed me already.
There has to be something he wants more.
“Spit it out,” I demand. “Why are we still talking?”
“Freedom,” he deadpans with a lift of his pudgy shoulders. “Your anger is going to serve me well.”
“Explain.”
Angelo glowers at me and his mask of prissy manners falls. “I’ll explain when I’m good and fucking ready, dipshit. You don’t get to make the rules here. I do. Never forget who is in control.”
“There’s a large sum to be made from well-run underground fights,” Angelo elaborates, beginning to circle me like a shark. “I’ve been considering getting my feet wet.”
“I’m not your guy.”
“You are my guy,” Angelo counters flatly. “I have a proposition, Moretti. Let’s face it, working under me to clear your debt is no longer an option. I’d be an idiot to trust you with a gun in your hand. Instead, I’ll allow you to win back my money in the ring. Once your brother’s debt is paid, our business will be finished. You’ll be free.”
“Bullshit,” I sneer.
“I have nothing against you personally, Moretti. You never betrayed me. Never tried to fuck me over?—”
“Then why am I here ? Why sell my wife?—”
“You were taking too long, and I’ll admit, I grew impatient. I needed to get at least some of my money back.” He shrugs as he comes back into view, having circled behind me. “And I’m not so stupid as to think you don’t have useful connections.”
I’m not buying any of this.
However, if it gets me out of this chair, I’ll listen to whatever deal he wants to cut.
“You want me to fight for you?”
“I don’t simply want you to fight, Moretti. You need to win. These aren’t your civilized prize fights on primetime, no. This is life or death. Pay off your debt and then walk away.”
“And what’s to stop me from killing you after we’re through, Lombardi?” I smirk. “We both know I’m more than capable.”
Angelo spreads his hands as if it’s of no concern to him. “If that’s a risk you’re willing to take, so be it. However, if you try, then I will have a vendetta against you. My men and I will be more than happy to take our pound of flesh from your wife until we get our hands on you.”
“You sold my wife.”
He bobs his head in acknowledgment. “I did. But if you win me enough money, I’ll be able to buy her back. Or I’ll simply steal her.” He shrugs. “It’ll depend on my mood, really.”
“How many fights?” I finally ask, forcing all the rage out of my voice.
“Depends on how much each one is worth. They vary.”
“Bet big. I don’t plan on doing this for a year.”
Angelo’s lips curve in a smug smile. “So, you agree to my terms?”
“No,” I reply, wiping the haughty look from his face. “Not until I have shit in writing.”
He rolls his eyes. In the mob, your reputation, your word , is everything. It’s not like we’re known for hiring lawyers to enforce our contracts. “And what will a piece of paper accomplish?”
Nothing.
I just want to see if he’ll do it. What hoops will he jump through to get his money? Even though he’s made more than half of what my brother owed him on that damned auction.
Angelo is a greedy fucker.
His greed will be his downfall.
“It will reassure me that you’re serious about letting me go,” I say. “I don’t want some bullshit promise. Words are cheap. I want the name and address of the man who bought my wife.”
He stares at me for a long moment before shaking his head. “I can’t do that.”
“Then it looks like you’re short a fighter.”
Angelo’s brows knit together in fury. “Refuse to do this, Moretti, and I will kill you tonight. And here I planned to allow you one last glimpse of your wife before she leaves tomorrow.”
He turns to leave the room, taking my only hope of freedom with him. “I’m not finished with her yet,” Angelo goes on. “I plan on tasting her myself before shipping her off in the morning.”
I think I ball my fingers into fists—I can’t feel them at all anymore—and meet his glare with one of my own. “You’re such a tough guy, Lombardi. Forcing a woman to have sex with you… Well, I’m sure it’ll be the most exercise you’ve had all year.”
“I’m a generous man,” he says, ignoring my insults. “I offered you the opportunity to earn back your freedom, Moretti. That offer expires the moment I leave this room.”
“I’ll need to train,” I reply. “If you want me to win, you can’t keep me tied up in your basement forever.”
“With the proper supervision, I’ll allow it.” He lifts a brow. “Is that a yes?”
“I need to see my wife first.”
He scowls at me. “You’ll give me your answer first. If you want this deal, you’ll accept it now. Before I change my mind.”
He won’t. Not when there’s money involved.
“Fine,” I agree. “When can I see my wife?”
“In due time, Moretti.” He turns to the door, giving me his back. He opens the door and steps out, but not before throwing one last barb over his shoulder. “If she won’t cooperate and allow me to fuck her, I’ll do what I have to. I don’t need her conscious.”