Chapter 17 – Althea
ALTHEA
“Wake up, baby,” Enzo says. I moan, not ready to get up just yet.
“Fine. Have it your way.” Strong arms wrap around me, one under my knees, the other behind my back, scooping me up.
I start to squirm, realizing my wrists are still tied behind me.
In an unexpected move, I’m tossed over Enzo’s shoulder, hanging upside down with my head near his ass and my own on display.
My dress has scrunched up around my waist. My thong is doing nothing to ward off the chill of the garage from traipsing across my ass.
Enzo walks from the SUV to the garage elevator with me in tow.
I swear he’s put a little extra bounce in his step just to annoy me.
When I wiggle around in an attempt to get him to put me down, his large hand comes crashing down on my bare ass cheek with a loud slap that echoes throughout the elevator.
“Asshole,” I grumble.
Stavros stands beside us with Drew over his shoulder. His hands are tied, and a black cloth bag is tied around his head. Two things I never saw happen.
“Did I pass out or something?” I ask, talking to myself, but it’s Enzo who answers.
“Your adrenaline crashed. Your body shut itself down. You weren’t out very long.” But it was long enough for us to arrive at The Mansion and for Drew to be tied up and covered, which means I was out about an hour at least.
Shit.
Losing consciousness around Enzo when he’s filled with such fury, most of which is currently aimed at me, is not safe. He could’ve done anything to me in my vulnerable state.
“Thank you,” I say softly. If Stavros hears me, he doesn’t let on.
“For what? Why are you thanking me?” Enzo asks, amused.
“For not taking advantage of me while I slept.” I swallow hard.
“You could’ve …” My voice drops off because I don’t know how to finish that sentence.
He could’ve done a lot of things. Some of which I highly suspect he’s already thought about and has called ahead to plan for.
Enzo Venatti is thorough in his work. He’s also very methodical with his planning.
He must be to do some of the shit I’ve heard about.
The elevator goes down instead of up, to my surprise.
“Where are we going?” Enzo doesn’t answer right away. He doesn’t have to. When the doors open, I can smell for myself where we are.
Stavros steps out with Drew still slung over his shoulder and asks, “Where do you want me to put him?”
“The fourth cell at the far end,” Enzo instructs. “I’ll be back to deal with him later.” The doors to the elevator close, and my heart plummets. I just sentenced Drew to his death for trying to protect me.
“Don’t hurt him, Enzo. He had nothing to do with what happened tonight. Drew didn’t even know I was going to the Landing Strip. He’s innocent in this matter,” I plead.
“He still disrespected the Don of the Venatti family. That in itself is enough for me to punish him.” Enzo says matter-of- factly.
He has a point. He is within his rights to punish him.
If he had disrespected Papa, he would’ve been taught a lesson, but if I hadn’t snuck off, Drew never would’ve been there in the first place.
He wouldn’t have felt the need to try to protect me, and none of this would’ve happened.
But I need to find Annanias.
Guilt, heavy as a boulder, sits in the pit of my stomach.
“Don’t kill him,” I beg softly. “Please.”
Enzo grunts.
The doors of the elevator open. This floor looks oddly familiar from this angle. I’m spun around slightly as Enzo fishes in his pocket and pulls out a key, then opens the door. He stalks over to the bed and unceremoniously drops me onto it.
He walks around to the side of the bed, and out of instinct, using my feet, I try to scoot myself to the other side. If I can get my feet over the edge, I can get myself up onto my feet. It wouldn’t stop him from coming for me, but I still feel an overwhelming need for space between us.
Enzo opens the drawer, and just as I’m about to drop my legs over the edge, he grabs my hip, hooking his arm around me and pulls me back to the center of the mattress, dragging me closer to him.
I let out a yelp and begin twisting and kicking my legs.
My knee comes up, hitting him in the side of the face.
Enzo grunts, then lets out a low growl of frustration, flipping me onto my stomach.
He climbs onto the bed, straddling my hips and leaning onto my back. Holding himself up with his arms, his body pins mine in place. That’s when I see the knife he’s holding in his hand. My heart rate skitters.
Shit. He’s really going to go through with this.
No, I’m not going to let him flay me like he does his other victims. Not without a fight. I push up with my ass, uselessly trying to move him off me, but he’s too heavy. Enzo sits up. I lose the warmth of his body and his weight, then he grabs my wrists and cuts them loose.
What?
I don’t waste the opportunity and immediately push my torso up, but it’s no use.
Enzo bands his arm across my belly and rolls us both so he’s under me, my back to his torso and his legs engulf mine, pinning me down.
I’m struggling to move his arm off me, but the bastard lifts his arm, then with the other, grips my wrist, pulling my arm up over my head and locks it into a handcuff that I never saw dangling from the headboard.
I continue to push and pull and scratch at his arms, fighting to get loose. He reaches up with both hands. One gripping my other wrist and the other grabbing the matching cuff. It takes him mere seconds to have me locked down with his body still underneath mine.
I lift my head and drop it back, but he expects the move and blocks his face with his hand.
“Stop fucking fighting, dammit.”
“No!” I yell. “I will not stop fighting. I’m not just going to lie here and let you kill me!
” Enzo’s arms wrap tightly around my chest. His hand on my throat keeping me from trying to headbutt him again.
In this position, I can’t move at all. I’m completely at his mercy, and some fucked-up part of me likes it.
The wet gush between my legs is proof of my insanity.
“Relax, little devil. I didn’t bring you here to kill you.” Enzo tilts my head to the side and bites my neck hard. A moan escapes before I can stop it, and the asshole chuckles. “I’m going to slide out from under you, and you’re going to be still and stop trying to get free. Do you understand?”
I nod as much as his hold on my throat will allow. He releases my throat and moves his legs off mine.
“Bend your knees and lift your ass for me.” He commands. For some fucked-up reason I can’t explain, I do as I’m told, and Enzo slides himself out from under me and rolls himself until he’s sitting on the side of the bed next to me.
“Don’t move.” He stands up and moves to the closet. When he comes back out, he’s holding the spreader bar. I start to scoot myself back up toward the headboard only to have his big, meaty hand grip my ankle and pull me back. “I said don’t move.”
He grabs my right leg and attaches the spreader bar to my ankle, then grabs the left leg and does the same. I’m locked down and spread wide for him to do with as he pleases.
My arousal spikes. My panties are soaked. My pulse is thrumming in anticipation of what’s to come.
Me. I hope.
No, he isn’t here to fuck me. He was ordered to handle me.
Nazario Venatti wants me dead. He believes I’m a traitor.
A spy. That I had a hand in his brother’s being shot.
No matter how much I wish Enzo would punish me physically in a way that would relieve both our stress and frustration, I know that’s not why he brought me here.
Right?
Enzo stands back admiring his work, rubbing his hand across his chin.
With a tip of his chin, he seems to have made a decision.
He walks to the side of the bed, picking up the knife he dropped earlier, and without warning he grips the top of my dress, cutting it down the middle, exposing my body to him.
The cool air hits my skin, and I shiver.
Goosebumps break out across my skin, and he smiles that wicked smile.
“I like the garters. They can stay. But everything else must go.” With that, he starts cutting and pulling until all that’s left is my naked body spread-eagle on his bed. The only piece of clothing remaining is my garter belt.
Enzo steps between my legs, tracing the garters with his fingers, then snaps them against my skin. “Just making sure you’re not hiding any other weapons I need to confiscate.”
I glare at the bastard, which only makes him smile more.
He slaps my thigh hard, then he steps back away from the bed, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He slides his fingers across the screen, then types rapidly. When he’s done with whatever he’s doing on his phone, he spins for the door.
“Wait. Where are you going?” Is he going to leave me here like this? Tied up and naked.
You mean hot and bothered.
He glances over his shoulder, then shrugs. “I need to go have a chat with your friend in the basement. But I’ll be back … eventually.” He steps out of the room, closing the door behind him. I hear the lock click into place and growl into the empty room.
“Asshole!”