Chapter 6
Something clenched in my chest, a mixture of relief and dread washing over me as Luna and her brother made it outside without anyone stopping them. She was safe.
But at what cost?
I turned back to Gino. His eyes glinted with sadistic glee, reveling in my surrender. ”Well, well, well,” he sneered. ”So there is a heart in there, after all.”
I remained silent, steeling myself for the inevitable terrors that awaited me. Gino stepped closer, his breath hot against my face. ”You know what this means, don”t you, boy? You”re mine now. Just like old times.”
Old times.The words echoed in my mind, conjuring a flood of painful memories. The beatings, the rapes, the humiliation, the scars that marred my body and soul. I had escaped that hell once before, vowing never to return. Yet here I stood, willingly offering myself up to the devil himself.
For her.
For Luna.
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I”d just sacrificed everything—my body, my freedom, my sanity, possibly even my life—for a woman I barely knew if you really thought about it. A woman who had somehow managed to pierce through the impenetrable walls I had built around myself.
Jesus Christ. What the fuck was wrong with me?
She was beautiful, and fierce, and I couldn”t get enough of her body. But was that all it took for me to sacrifice myself? Or was it the way she looked at me, as if she saw past the monster and glimpsed the broken man beneath?
I didn”t have time to ponder the answers. Gino”s men surrounded me, their guns trained on my every move. ”Take him to the car,” Gino commanded. ”And don”t trust him for a second. è furbo, questo qui.” He”s smart, this one.
As they dragged me away, the weight of my decision settled heavily upon my shoulders, threatening to crush me under its burden.
But a flicker of something else burned within me. Something I had thought long dead.
Hope.
Hope that, somehow, I would find my way back to her. That I would survive whatever Gino had planned for me until either Luca and Enzo could find me or I could escape.
Until then, I would endure. For Luna, it seemed, I would endure anything.
The car ride was a blur of pain. Gino”s men had taken his words to heart and decided to do what they could to incapacitate me before they threw me into the back seat of one of the cars. Every bump in the road sent a sharp jolt of agony to my aching head, where the butt of one of their pistols had smashed into my temple. For a few minutes, I drifted in and out of consciousness, my mind conjuring images of Luna to keep me sane.
Her smile. The little sounds of pleasure she made when I touched her. The way she looked at me with those piercing blue eyes, as if she could see into the darkest, ugliest depths of my soul.
I clung to those memories like a lifeline as Gino took me farther and farther away from her.
The car finally came to a stop, and two of Gino”s men dragged me unceremoniously out of the back seat. I had no idea how long we”d been driving, but I”d been fully conscious for a while now. I blinked against the harsh glare of the sun, trying to get my bearings. We were at a large ranch house, surrounded by nothing but barren Texas desert as far as the eye could see. There were no trees, no hills. Just dirt and scrub brush. There was nowhere anyone could hide. And even if they could, the dust clouds it would kick up would give away any vehicles heading this way, if by some miracle the guys on top of the house didn”t spot them first.
There was no way Luca and Enzo would be able to get anywhere near this place. They”d have to bring an army with them to even have a chance.
I was hauled across the dirt yard and thrown into a dank, musty outbuilding. The door slammed shut behind me, plunging me into darkness. I lay there on the hard concrete floor, shivering from the cold, my shoulders throbbing with pain from my hands being tied so tight behind my back as a fucking freight train ran through my head.
Now that I had a moment to myself, the weight of what I’d done truly began to hit me. Did I regret giving up my life for hers? Honestly, I couldn”t say. In that moment, all I could think about was doing whatever I had to do to get Luna the fuck out of there.
In the short time I”d had with Luna, I”d felt something I never thought possible. I felt alive for the first time in my life. Really, truly alive. Like there was something in life to look forward to.
And it appeared I would endure a thousand lifetimes of pain and suffering just to feel that way again.
My peace was shattered when the door opened and a bulky figure filled the doorway. I blinked against the sunlight, but I knew who it was before he even opened his mouth.
Gino left the door open as he came inside, followed by two of his men. I wasn”t surprised when they stayed near the doorway, watching but not participating. They were there to make sure I didn”t get loose while Gino did…whatever the fuck he was going to do to me. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Pain exploded across my jaw as his fist connected with my jaw. The taste of blood, metallic and coppery, filled my mouth. He grabbed a fistful of my hair, wrenching my head back. ”You always were a pain in my ass,” he growled, his breath hot and fetid against my cheek. ”Killing my men. Stealing my daughter!” His upper lip lifted into a sneer. ”I knew you had her. You think you”re above me now. But I”ll break you again, boy. Just like I did before.”
I spat a mouthful of blood into his face. ”Fuck you,” I rasped.
He laughed, a cruel, mirthless sound that sent chills down my spine as he wiped at his face with the sleeve of his jacket without letting go of my hair. ”I”m glad you haven”t lost your spirit,” he told me. ”It”ll make this so much more fun.”
Releasing me, he ambled over to a weathered wooden table I hadn”t noticed when they”d thrown me in here. They”d closed the door, shutting off the light, before I”d had a chance to really look around. He picked something up off the table and turned to face me. The crackle of electricity filled the air, blue sparks dancing along two metal prongs. The acrid stench of ozone assaulted my nostrils.
I was well acquainted with the cattle prod in his hands. Narrowing my eyes, I cocked my head, waiting for the fear that would paralyze a normal man. But although I wasn”t looking forward to being shocked, immobilizing terror never came. ”You won”t break me,” I told him. ”At least not before I kill you.”
”We”ll see about that, boy.” He pressed the prod against my side and white-hot agony ripped through me. My body convulsed, muscles seizing and spasming as the current tore through me. I bit back a scream, determined not to give him the satisfaction. Pain, I could handle. Pain was home.
When it was over, I rolled to my side and sat up, breathing hard. Gino”s eyes were bright with excitement, and a large bulge stretched out the front of his pants. This was what he lived for. I wondered how many other boys, or men, he”d tortured like this for no other reason except that it got him off. Causing pain was foreplay to someone as sick as Gino.
He shocked me again and again, until my body went slack from the pain. When he didn”t get the reaction from me he hoped for, he decided he was bored and threw the cattle prod back onto the table. Every muscle in my body was sore and my nerve endings were on fire. My mouth hung open as I sucked in air and spit ran down my chin. Turning my head, I wiped my beard on my shoulder.
I wasn’t so foolish to think he was done with me. But when my eyes caught his, I smiled, imagining the way he would scream like a woman when I carved open his stomach, reached through his guts, and pulled out his balls.
Gino drew back for a moment before his expression hardened. Stalking toward me, he grabbed the collar of my shirt. I reacted violently to the touch of his fingers on my bare skin, jerking backward so hard the material ripped.
No. No. NO!
I could take pain. I could take torture. But his hands on my body…his dick in my ass…his fat body fucking me in front of his men as they laughed and spit in my face…
The memories of my past burst into my conscience and I was suddenly a child once again. My entire body began to tremble violently. I couldn”t stop it. I couldn”t stop him. I was too small. Too weak.
Just as the screams I”d suppressed welled up in my throat, the sound of gunfire shattered the air. Shouts and screams followed, along with the unmistakable staccato of semi-automatic weapons.
Releasing my shirt, Gino whirled around, his eyes widening in shock and rage. ”What the hell is going on out there?” he roared. ”Go! Go!” he shouted to the guards at the door. He pulled his gun from inside his jacket and ran out of the building, leaving me sagging against my bonds.
Closing my eyes, I swallowed hard.
More gunfire, closer this time. Fighting the demons in my head who at last had decided to come out and play, I struggled to get to my feet, but kept falling over.
Tires crunched on gravel outside and dust floated through the open doorway. A flicker of hope sparked in my chest when I heard my name. Luca and Enzo. It had to be.
Perhaps I”d underestimated my friends.
After a few anxious seconds, Luca charged in, his gun drawn. Relief crashed over me at the sight of him and my breath hitched as something caught in my chest.
”Tristan!” Luca”s eyes widened in horror as he took in my battered state. ”Jesus Christ. Are you all right?”
I nodded, unable to find the words to speak.
He holstered his gun and drew a wicked-looking knife, slicing through my bonds with quick, efficient strokes. I collapsed forward and he caught me, lowering me gently to the floor as my shoulders screamed in agony.
”I got you, T,” he murmured. ”I got you. Let”s get you the fuck out of here.”
I tried once again to stand, but my knees buckled beneath me. Luca caught me before I hit the ground, his strong arms wrapping around my waist. A violent sound was wrenched from my throat and my body tried to jerk away, but he held me fast. ”I”m sorry,” he murmured, his voice low and soothing. ”I”m sorry, but I”ve got to get you out of here.”
He half-carried, half-dragged me from the building and into the waning sunlight. I squinted against the glare, my eyes watering from the sudden brightness. The scene that greeted me was one of utter chaos.
Bodies littered the ground, their blood staining the dusty earth a deep crimson. Enzo was behind the SUV, covering our escape. Blood stained his white shirt and black jacket, as it did Luca”s, but neither of them appeared injured. Bullets hit the vehicle and the dirt all around him, and he returned fire whenever he could.
He turned as we approached, his eyes widening at the sight of me. ”Cazzo,” he swore. ”What the hell did that bastardo do to you?”
I shook my head to let him know my injuries weren”t as bad as he thought. ”Gino,” I rasped, my voice hoarse and raw. ”Where is he?”
Enzo”s jaw clenched. ”I don”t know. I haven”t seen him.”
Rage surged through me, white-hot and all-consuming. I pushed away from Luca, staggering a few steps before finding my balance. ”I”m going after him,” I growled. ”I need to kill him.”
Ignoring the bullets flying around us, Luca stepped in front of me, appearing so suddenly I almost fell on my ass. ”We will, T. I promise you that. But right now, we need to get the fuck out of here and go somewhere safe. You”re in no condition to go after him like this. And we can”t hold these guys off much longer. There”s too many of them and we”re running out of bullets.”
I stiffened. The training that was so ingrained in me rising to the surface. I should be protecting him, not the other way around. I wanted to argue, but I knew he was right. I could barely stand up straight. Reluctantly, I nodded in agreement and got into the SUV.
”Luca! Get in!”
Enzo opened the passenger side door and climbed over to the driver”s side, with Luca right behind him. The SUV was built to withstand this kind of thing, but now that we were safe inside, we needed to get the fuck out of there before someone out there with half a brain decided to take out the tires.
As we sped away from the ranch, leaving the carnage behind us, I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes, trying not to think about what would”ve happened if they hadn”t shown up.
Suddenly, I jerked my head up. ”Luna?”
”She”s at the house with her brother,” Luca told me.
Enzo glanced into the rearview mirror. ”We”re being followed.”
”Just stay ahead of them,” Luca said. ”We”ll lose them once we get back to the highway.”
I tried to slow my racing heart. Every inch of my body ached, the aftershocks of the cattle prod still crackling through my muscles. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the rage that consumed me.
Gino had fucking escaped.
Again.
The man who had tortured me, broken me, turned me into the monster I was today, was still out there. And I now saw that as long as he drew breath, I would never be safe. Luna would never be safe. He”d gone rogue. Luca”s position in the family wouldn”t protect me anymore.
I clenched my fists, ignoring the sharp bite of my nails digging into my palms. I had to find him. I had to end this, once and for all.
But first, I needed to see her.
The tires squealed as Enzo took a sharp turn, throwing me against the door. I gritted my teeth against the fresh wave of pain that shot through me.
”Almost there,” Luca said from the front seat, his voice tight with tension.
I didn”t respond, my mind already racing ahead to the moment I would lay eyes on Luna again.
Once we made it to the highway, Enzo was able to lose the car following us before we hit rush hour traffic driving into Austin.
A hundred years later, the SUV finally rolled to a stop, and I was out the door before Enzo had even put it in park. I staggered, my legs nearly giving out beneath me, but I pushed forward, propelled by the desperate need to see her.
I burst through the front door, my heart hammering in my chest as Luca and Enzo yelled at me to wait.
And then she was there, her face a little battered but still beautiful, and I could breathe again.