Chapter seventeen

"Wake up."

A soft slap brought my attention to Frankie, who sat in a chair across from me. I looked over to Tia, who was still unconscious.

"Welcome back, princess," he said with an evil smile.

My heart rate spiked the moment Frankie stood right in front of me.

"How long do you think you've been here?" he asked.

"I don't…I don't know," I admitted.

Days, weeks, months? Who fucking knows. I'm hungry, dirty, and in need of a shower. Frankie beat me badly when I couldn't hold my bladder.

He tucked my hair behind my ears and trailed his fingers down my neck until they landed in the middle of my chest. He gave me an arrogant smile and looked over his shoulder to Christian who stormed his way over to us.

"Don't," Christian warned Frankie.

Don't what?

Frankie turned back to face me, giving me a wide, creepy smile that doesn't sit well with me.

God, he really is fucked in the head.

He wrapped his hands around my neck. But not tight enough to constrain my breathing. "I want to play with her for a bit. And I'm going to make you watch, my brother."

My heart beats frantically inside my chest. Sweat began to pool at the back of my neck. I trembled with fear. I've seen that dark look in his eyes before.

"Get the fuck away from her, Frankie!" Christian bellowed.

Christian swung his left fist and slammed it into Frankie's jaw. Frankie swung back around and kicked him in the stomach. Christian stammers out a curse word and falls to the ground.

"You stupid motherfucker!" Frankie lifts Christian up by the collar, backing him up against the wall. "I told you to get rid of her that night, but you couldn't even finish the job!"

The job? What the hell is he talking about?

"Fuck you," Christian sneers through gritted teeth.

"No, fuck you," he snarls. "You're not calling the shots no more. The boss put me in charge."

Christian's eyes widen.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Christian asked, trying to get loose from Frankie's grasp, but Frankie is stronger than him.

"You thought you were still in charge? The moment you were put behind bars, I was promoted. We hoped that once you were out, you would handle business, but…"

Frankie looked over his shoulder at me and said, "Because she's still alive." He turned back to Christian. "The moment you kidnapped her at the club, you weren't going to kill her, were you?"

Christian's eyes bounced between me and Frankie with a look of shock, as if Frankie just figured out his deepest secret.

What the hell is going on?

"That's what I thought. Well, guess what, brother? You get to watch me kill her."

What?!?

Frankie threw Christian against the wall and pulled out his gun. He pointed directly at Christian. "Sorry cuz, but you have to go. There's a new king in town."

Christian grabbed his wrist, knocking the gun out of his hand.

"What the fu—"

Christian punched Frankie square in the nose before he could finish and shoves him away. Christian gripped his chin and pummels his face. Blood dripped from Frankie's nose.

"You're not going to touch her! She's mine!" Christian shouted, but before he could land another blow, Frankie's guys ran into the room, yanking Christian off Frankie and knocking him out cold.

Frankie rose to his feet, staggered backward, and spit a wad of blood to the ground. He used the back of his hand to wipe his mouth.

"You stupid bitch," he snarled, making his way toward me, and punched me in the face until everything went dark.

I wake up to the sound of my name and a throbbing pain in my skull.

"Sadie."

I blink a few times until the room comes into focus and my gaze collides with Christian.

"Wh-what happened?"

"Frankie. He fucking betrayed me." Christian shook his head, and after a short pause, he added, "Sadie, he was going to do things to you and…" He shudders.

Why was he tied up?

"Tell me why you never told me I had a daughter." Christian demanded softly, but I could see the pain whirling inside him.

I close my eyes, sucking in a deep breath, trying not to fall apart by reliving the memories that almost cost my and Sophia's lives.

"I thought…I…you had a miscarriage." Christian sounded hurt. I glanced up and saw desperation and regret in his eyes.

"I was protecting her." I choke the words out. There's a sharp pain in my heart, like a heart attack waiting to happen.

"I wouldn't hurt her."

I snapped my head back at him and laughed. "Really? You don't remember beating the hell out of me? Almost leaving me for dead when I was seven months pregnant? I had her two months early, Christian!" I snap.

I think back to all the times he hurt me, and not just physically. He mentally broke me, forcing me to turn my heart to stone so I would never allow anyone near me. I felt unlovable, the way my father made me feel. Dad always said I wasn't worth it.

"I—" Christian quietly cried. He sucked in a breath. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."

What the hell is happening right now?

A beat of silence.

He stared at me with eyes full of anguish.

"I'm sorry," is all he said on repeat.

For the first time in a long time, I saw the vulnerability in his face, and a sign of the innocent boy he once was.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a whisper.

I'm not okay. I don't think I'll ever be okay, not after what happened here today.

"How did you find out about Sophia?" I asked, ignoring his question.

He shifts in the chair. "I always knew where you were. I kept tabs on you by having one of my guys follow you. One day he saw you holding a baby that was three months old. I knew then she was mine."

I didn't respond. This boy made my life a living hell my junior year and has tried to kill me twice since he was released from jail. Why is he acting like he wants to save me? I mean, seriously. What the hell is going on?

"What happened to you when you came back from that job, Christian? You weren't the same when you came back. Did it have anything to do with what Frankie was talking about? About a new boss?"

I remember Christian's moods and behavior would change in an instant. One minute he'd be acting like a normal boyfriend, and the next he'd be ready to kill me.

He wasn't given the chance to explain when the sound of the metal door slamming jolted me out of my skin.

Christian looked at me with a pained expression. "Don't fight him."

Frankie and his guys walked straight toward me with vengeance in their eyes.

"No!" I screamed and thrashed against Frankie's hold. He unhooked me from the wall and threw me on the ground. I landed right in front of Christian. Christian fought against his restraints.

"Hold him down!" Frankie bellowed to one of the guys standing by the door. He placed a strip of duct tape over Christian's mouth and landed a punch to his gut. Christian wheezed, hunched over. He looked at me with pity and so much guilt.

Frankie pushed me down on my back and straddled my hips. I cried, screamed, kicked, anything to fight him off, but he was too strong. I closed my eyes and images of my happiest memories flashed before me:

The first time I met Donnie.

Mom singing with a big smile on her face, and dancing in the living room.

The first time I held my daughter.

Abuelita.

Josiah.

Tia.

I shut off my emotions and think of Donnie and his blue eyes. "I will keep you safe." In my mind, he does just that. That's what I hold on to.

Christian's muffled pleas sounded far away.

I gave up the fight and gave into the darkness.