Chapter 10
Raine
"Leverage?" My voice cracks, raw and furious, echoing through the cabin like a gunshot.
Emmett turns, his expression darkening as he realizes what I heard. But I don’t give him a chance to explain. My pulse is a wild thing in my throat, my vision blurred with rage and something that feels too much like betrayal.
"Raine—"
"Don’t. Just don’t." My chest rises and falls too fast, my breath ragged, uneven. "That’s all I was to you? A problem you need handled?"
He takes a step toward me, and I step back just as fast. "It’s not what you think."
I bark out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "Funny, because what I think is that I’m just another pawn in whatever fucked-up game you’re playing."
His jaw tightens, his hands clenching into fists. "You don’t understand."
"Then make me understand."
Silence stretches between us, thick with everything unsaid. His eyes flicker with something—guilt, regret, maybe even something close to desperation—but he doesn’t say the words. Doesn’t tell me what I need to hear.
And that tells me everything.
I spin on my heel, storming toward the door, my body screaming at me to get out, to run.
He calls my name. I don’t stop.
He moves to follow. I slam the door behind me and take off into the night.
The wind howls through the trees as I run, my boots pounding against the damp ground. My mind is chaos, a storm of anger and pain and the crushing weight of my own stupidity.
I let myself believe Emmett was different. That he was more than another man who saw me as something to be used. That he meant the things he said. That the way he touched me was real.
The way he touched me.
God, I can still feel it. The way his hands framed my face like I was something precious.
The way his breath caught when I shivered beneath him, when I whispered his name like it meant something.
The way he held me after, his body still tangled with mine, like neither of us wanted to move, like we were afraid of what would happen if we did.
He looked at me like I was his. And for a second—a stupid, fleeting second—I wanted to be.
But it was all a lie.
Branches whip against my arms as I tear through the undergrowth. I don’t have a plan, no real direction, just the overwhelming need to get away. To run as far and as fast as I can before he realizes I’m gone.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I never should have trusted him. I never should have let my guard down.
I was his leverage. His problem to handle.
Tears sting my eyes, hot and unwelcome. I blink them back. I don’t cry. I don’t break. Not for men like Emmett Calloway. Not for anyone.
A rustle of movement cuts through the wind—a sound that doesn’t belong to the trees.
I slow, my instincts screaming too late. The second I turn, I see them.
Dante’s men.
A flash of movement. The glint of metal.
I barely have time to suck in a breath before the world goes black.
***
Cold. The first thing I register is the biting cold against my skin, a stark contrast to the heat of my rage. My wrists ache, bound together behind me, and my head throbs from where I must have hit the ground. The air is thick with the scent of damp concrete and cigarette smoke.
Then, the voice I never wanted to hear again.
"I expected you to be smarter than this, Raine. Running straight into my arms? I almost feel insulted."
Dante.
I force my eyes open, blinking past the pounding in my skull. He stands before me, looking as effortlessly composed as ever—tailored black suit, a lazy smirk curving his lips, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement.
Panic claws at my chest, but I shove it down. I won’t let him see it. I won’t let him win.
"Go to hell."
His smirk deepens. "Oh, sweetheart. I’ve been there. Built my empire in it. And look where it got me. Right back here. With you."
I yank at my restraints, but they don’t budge. His men are positioned at the corners of the dimly lit room, watching but staying silent. Waiting.
"Let me go."
Dante sighs, stepping closer, crouching in front of me. "Why would I do that? You’ve always been mine, Raine. You forgot that, but I didn’t."
I grit my teeth. "I was never yours."
"Weren’t you?" He tilts his head, studying me. "I gave you everything. Shelter. Protection. And what did you do? You ran."
I hold his stare, my jaw clenched so tight it aches. "Because you’re a monster."
Dante chuckles, reaching into his suit pocket. "That’s funny coming from you. You’ve been in bed with Calloway, haven’t you?"
My stomach clenches. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"No?" He pulls out his phone, swipes the screen, then turns it toward me. "Then explain this."
The screen flickers to life, showing a grainy security feed. Emmett. Talking to Vince. My blood runs cold as Dante presses play.
"Not like that. She’s leverage. A problem I need handled."
The air in my lungs vanishes. My throat tightens as the words repeat in my mind, over and over, each syllable cutting deeper.
Dante watches me, waiting, savoring my reaction. "See? I didn’t even have to lie, Raine. He played you perfectly. Just like I said he would."
No. No, it can’t be true. Emmett wouldn’t—
But he did. I heard him say it myself.
My body trembles, a different kind of betrayal sinking into my bones. This isn’t just about Dante. It’s about the fact that I thought I was safe. That for one stupid moment, I let myself believe Emmett was different. That he cared.
And now, I’m back in the hands of the devil himself.
Dante leans in, voice softer now, insidious. "But you don’t have to suffer for his mistakes. I’m willing to make a deal."
I tear my gaze away from the screen. "I’d rather die."
He tuts, shaking his head. "Dramatic, as always. You misunderstand. This isn’t about you, Raine. It’s about your sister."
My heart slams against my ribs. "What did you do?"
Dante grins. "Nothing. Yet. But let’s be honest, Mia isn’t built for this world. I, on the other hand, am very good at keeping people in line. If you come back willingly, I’ll make sure she’s taken care of. No harm will come to her."
I shake my head, my breathing ragged. "You’re lying."
"Am I?" He stands, straightening his sleeves. "You have twenty-four hours to decide. Either you accept your place at my side… or Mia pays the price."
The door swings open, two of his men stepping forward.
"Take her to the holding room," Dante orders. "Make sure she’s comfortable."
Rough hands grip my arms, dragging me up. I thrash, kicking out, but it’s useless.
"You son of a—"
Dante steps forward, gripping my chin between his fingers, forcing my gaze to his. "Tick-tock, sweetheart. Choose wisely."
I spit in his face.
His smirk doesn’t waver, but his grip tightens painfully before he finally releases me. "That’s what I always liked about you, Raine. You’ve got fight. Let’s see if you still have it after tomorrow."
They drag me away, my heart pounding in my chest.
I can’t break. I won’t break.
But I only have twenty-four hours before I lose everything.