Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
“No … I think he’ll just kill you, and I will happily watch as he drains the blood from your body.”
The guy who caught me drags me by my feet all the way back to where we started. When I kick and thrash, another one joins, each one hauling me by the ankles back into the house and across the threshold. The moment the door closes, panic takes hold of my heart.
“Hello, Ivy.”
My blood runs cold.
Stefano.
“Leave us.”
As the men drop me, I take a few breaths to pull out the residual courage from deep within. Then I grab the small table to my left and fling it toward Stefano, but he sidesteps to avoid it hitting him, and it crashes into the wall instead.
“Is that how you greet the man who welcomed you into his house?”
“You’re not a man. You’re a fucking monster!” I yell back.
He snorts. “The only monster here is you.”
“Where is Cora?!” I scream at him.
“Inside. Safe,” he says, going to his knees in front of me. The thick bristles of his mustache don’t hide the wicked smile on his face. “Away from you.”
My nostrils flare, and I spit in his face.
He wipes it off, then grasps me by the neck.
SLAP!
His flat hand hits me so hard my nose begins to bleed too.
“She’s. Not. Yours,” he growls, squeezing my throat so tightly I can’t breathe.
Then he shoves me away.
“You will never see her again,” he says.
I shake my head, rasping, “No.”
“Yes.” He throws me a devilish glance. “In fact, I think it’s about time you learned what it means to steal from a man like me.” He snaps his fingers, and the guys drag me farther into the hallway and into a room with just a bed and some machines bleeping away. Tubes are attached to the machine and lead all the way to a woman lying motionless in a bed.
And I hold my breath.
Perhaps forever.
As the tears I’ve been holding for so long finally begin to cascade down my cheeks.
“All this running, fighting, hiding, trying to escape my men, and for what?” he whispers into my ear.
And I whisper back, “Nothing.”
“That’s right.” He places a hand on my shoulder. “You did this.”
I shake my head, tears still marking my face with all the emotions I’ve kept bottled up for her sake. Cora always said I was strong, stronger than anyone she ever knew.
But this is where my greatest weakness lies.
The one thing that could shatter me into tiny little pieces.
Knowing that, after everything I did, it still wasn’t enough to keep everyone I love safe.
I whisper, “I’m sorry.”
Stefano wickedly sniggers behind me. “Sorry won’t save you now.”
CHAPTER 55
Heath
When the ambulances have finally arrived to help take care of the wounded and bring them to a hospital, I head upstairs to see where Silas has run off to. There’s ruckus in the weaponry, and when I peek inside, he’s throwing all the knives and guns into two big bags.
“What are you doing?” I ask, clutching the doorjamb.
“What the fuck does it look like?” Silas replies. “I’m gonna rescue Ivy.”
“What about Cora?” I ask. “Does she even need to be saved? Whoever has her must’ve taken her back to her real parents. That’s why they came for her.”
He pauses and looks at me like I’m the one being weird.
“Ivy stole her from that Stefano guy,” I add.
“I don’t fucking care what she did.” He stands up and looks me dead in the eyes. “Ivy belongs to me. Not him. And I’m taking back what’s mine, with or without anyone’s help. End of story.”
I frown. “But what are you gonna do with Cora? Leave her there?”
“I’ll figure that out when I get there.” He grabs his bags.
“Wait.”
“Why? So you can try to convince me to stay?”
“No, I—”
He pushes me aside. “Then get out of my way.”
I follow him down the stairs, unsure of what to do. I’m torn since I found out she stole Cora away from another family. Was she ever even truthful to begin with, or was everything, including us, a lie to keep them safe?
The medics downstairs are busy tending to the wounded, with Max aiding them as best as he can. Silas’s father has arrived along with a bunch of cops, keeping the scene free from curious onlookers, as well as marking down the scene of the crime.
“That’s a lot of people who got injured on your watch, Rivera,” a cop says.
“Trust me when I say it won’t fucking happen again,” the dean growls back. “I’ll run by each and every one of my guards to see where the weak point is.” He cracks his knuckles. “These fuckers slipped through the cracks.” He focuses his gaze on the cop. “I’d appreciate it if you’d let me solve this, Foley.”
Agent Foley scoffs, “Not a chance.” He opens his notebook. “This is going on the record. All of it.”