26. Gia

26

GIA

T he rope bites into my wrists as I twist against the bindings, each movement making them dig deeper into my skin. I scan the large, dim area. It’s a warehouse of some sort, but it’s empty. The chair creaks beneath me with each attempt to loosen the ropes.

"Help!" I try to scream, but my voice comes out hoarse through my parched throat. The echo bounces off the concrete, mocking me.

I’m terrified, of course. I think of my mother, presumed dead although she was never found. Many women in my world have died or disappeared. It appears that I’m the next in a long line of casualties.

The kids. Oh, God, the kids. Will anyone know to pick them up from school? Will they be scared when I'm not there?

A fresh wave of panic surges through me as I think of their faces. I need to get back to them. I yank harder against the restraints. I try to focus, to think clearly through the panic clouding my mind. There has to be a way out of this.

I hear a door open. My breath holds, hoping for rescue but knowing it’s more likely my captor.

"Getting comfortable?" Ricardo’s lips curl into a sneer as he steps into the light. "You should try to relax. We’ll be here a while."

I force myself to study his face, to memorize every detail. Dark eyes, set deep beneath thick brows. A thin scar cuts through his left eyebrow. His nose has been broken at least once, leaving it slightly crooked. Clean-shaven, but I can see the shadow of stubble along his jaw.

"My brother will find me." My voice shakes more than I want it to.

Ricky circles behind my chair. "Good. It will save me the time to call him.” His fingers brush against my shoulder, and I jerk away. “For now, let him stew and wonder what happened to you.”

He moves back into view, loosening his tie. Sweat beads at his temples despite the basement chill. His hands twitch slightly as he rolls up his sleeves, making me wonder if maybe he's not as confident as he wants to appear.

"You really think you can take down Nic?" I lift my chin, meeting his gaze. “Not even my father could do it."

His face darkens, and for a moment, raw anger flashes in his eyes. He catches himself, smoothing his features back into that mocking smile. “Your father was a great man, but old and past his peak. I’ll succeed where he failed.”

"Why involve me in this? If your issue is with Nic, why drag me into it?"

Ricky stops pacing and laughs. "You Nardones really don't get it, do you?" He stands before me, crossing his arms. "Your brother didn't just take over. He destroyed a very successful business enterprise that your father built with my father’s help."

"The trafficking." The word tastes foul on my tongue.

"Among other things. Your brother somehow thinks getting rid of the girls makes him better than the rest of us.” He spits the last words like they're poison.

“He’s still raking in the money, money you’re making.”

He leans toward me menacingly. “This isn’t about money, sweetheart.”

“You’re the one saying he destroyed part of the business.”

“This is about power and sweet, sweet revenge.”

“So I’m bait?”

He nods. “Now you’re getting it. Nic is going to feel what it’s like to worry, like I worried when my father went missing. Then he’s going to know the pain of death and of losing like his father and my father had to endure. And you…” He steps closer, his cologne mixing with the musty basement air in a toxic scent that makes me want to puke. "You’ll be the first sale when I reopen the sex business.” His hand reaches out to brush my cheek, and I jerk away.

“Who’ll run the family?” I ask, although I suspect I know the answer.

“Me. When I take Nic down, they’ll see who really has the power and the vision. And those that don’t, well, they’ll join Nic in hell.” He gives me a self-satisfied grin and steps back.

I hold my silence. What’s there to say, anyway?

“You do know that Nic killed your husband, don’t you? The father of those precious brats of yours. By the way, you should thank me that I’ve spared those kids out of respect for Aldo. I always liked him.”

I didn’t know Nic had killed Aldo, but I’d suspected it.

“Nic has no respect for his elders. For the past. My father helped your father build something real. And Nic? He destroyed it all. Piece by piece. Called it 'cleaning up the family'. But really, he was just eliminating anyone who stood in his way."

“Isn’t that how it works?” Nic isn’t the first made man to kill those who got in his way. Ricardo was planning on doing it himself.

He crouches in front of my chair, his face inches from mine. His breath smells of expensive scotch and desperation. "Yes, and now I'm going to give him a taste of his own medicine. I’m going to take everything from him. Just like he took everything from me." His eyes bore into mine, dark with promised violence. "Starting with his beloved sister. He’ll know that once he’s dead, you’ll be sold. Do you know how many men would pay for a turn with you?” He sucks in a breath like he’s experiencing euphoria. “Fucking Nic’s sister will be a satisfying, big fuck you to him. Of course, his wife will be next unless her father wants her back and is willing to pay."

The intensity of his hatred and depravity makes my skin crawl. This isn't just about using me as leverage. He wants to break Nic completely.

"And when he knows he’s lost everything he loves?" Ricky's lips curl into a cruel smile. "Then I'll kill him. Slowly. I’ll make him feel every second of pain my father felt."

I force myself not to vomit as his finger traces my cheek again. "Such beautiful skin," he murmurs. "The buyers will pay top-dollar for you. Maybe I'll even keep you for myself first." He cups himself and rubs until I can see his dick bulging through his slacks.

Bile rises in my throat. The way he looks at me, like I'm nothing more than merchandise to be sold and used, makes me want to scream. But I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear.

"You're disgusting," I spit out.

He laughs. "Feisty. That'll fetch an even better price. Some men like breaking that spirit."

His hand grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him. His eyes are dead, devoid of humanity as they rake over me like I'm cattle at auction.

"Maybe I'll take you now. Send videos to Nic of me fucking his sister’s pussy," he continues, thumb brushing across my lower lip. "Let him watch as I sample the merchandise before shipping you off." He drags his hand over his dick again.

He leans forward, his lips brushing over my ear. "When I'm done with you, you'll wish your brother had never crossed me."

His hand slides down my neck, across my collarbone. Each touch feels like acid. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to disconnect from the violation of his roaming fingers.

"Such perfect curves," he appraises clinically as he gropes my breast. "The clients will love this package."

I've never felt more objectified, more stripped of my humanity. Even when my father was arranging my marriage to Aldo.

My throat is raw from fear, but I force steel into my voice. "You really think you can take down my brother? The man who orchestrated our father's downfall?"

Ricky's hand freezes on my shoulder, his fingers digging into my skin.

“Nic isn’t a man to underestimate.”

"Shut up," Ricky snarls.

"How many loyal men do you have, Ricardo? Really loyal?” The fact that he’s the only man I’ve seen since he kidnapped me suggests he’s working alone. "Because Nic? His men would die for him."

He starts pacing again, faster now, his confident facade cracking slightly.

"And the other families?" I twist the knife deeper. "They respect Nic. He's brought prosperity, stability. What are you offering? Revenge? War? All for what? To get your rocks off?”

He whirls on me, pointing a gun I didn’t realize he had at me. "You've got a big mouth."

My pulse quickens as Ricardo presses the gun to my temple. I’ve pushed him too far. I close my eyes, waiting for darkness.

He laughs and pulls the gun away. "You think I haven't planned this? You see, sometimes, the simplest plans are the best. No elaborate schemes. Just good old-fashioned patience. Let Nic stew, wonder, worry where you’ve gone. Put him on edge. On the defensive.”

“His men?—”

“Okay, sure, he’s got good men. But he’d be dead if not for Giraldi, and he’s in Vegas. Everyone knows that it was Giraldi who helped Nic get the upper hand on your father.”

The mention of Max makes my heart ache even as I’m still angry at him for letting me and the kids go.

Ricardo’s chest puffs out, a new wave of confidence filling him. He truly believes he's outsmarted Nic, and who am I to say he hasn’t?

“Don’t worry, eventually, I’ll call him and let him know you’re safe and where to find you. And when he comes…” Ricardo holds up the gun and mimics firing it. “Bang, bang, Nic is dead.”

I test the ropes again. They're tight but not expertly tied. Amateur work, just like everything else about this plan. But even amateurs succeed sometimes. I can’t let myself forget that.

But I also know that when Nic comes, he won't come alone or unarmed. He's too smart for that. He'll have backup, strategy, firepower. Surely, Ricardo knows that. Does he think that by killing Nic, those men will suddenly switch allegiance? Does he have men ready to help that I simply haven’t seen?

“Hold tight, baby cakes. The fun will begin shortly.” He blows me a kiss and leaves the building.

It’s quite possible I’m going to die today. Tears burn behind my eyes as I picture my children. I never even knew my mother. How much worse will it be for my kids to have known me and then lose me?

At least they have Nic. My brother will move heaven and earth to protect them, to give them the love and security they deserve. I know Bella will love them like her own. Of course, that assumes Nic is able to kill Ricardo and not the other way around.

Max comes to mind again. If I die, will he step forward after all and claim the kids? Or would his fears and doubts keep him away, leaving our babies without either parent?

A sob catches in my throat as I picture Dario and Daniella waiting at school, growing worried as the minutes tick by. Will they be scared? Will they understand when Nic comes instead of me? My heart breaks thinking of their confusion, their fear.

I can’t give in to my fear. I can’t give up and assume death is all that awaits me. I have to survive this. Have to make it home to them. I have to believe that Nic will outmaneuver Ricardo.

Nic will come. Until then, I just need to survive. Keep my head clear. Watch for any chance to escape or signal for help. I won't let Ricardo win.