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“None of your business.” She was taken aback when I snapped. “Sorry, but there are some things you can’t meddle in.”
“Fine,” she said, defeated. “I won’t ask any questions. But promise me, if you need help, come to me instead.”
“I promise.” The lie slipped off my tongue easily. My plans may not succeed; even if they did, it would require sacrifice. Rhea would not be a mere sacrifice in my schemes.
Fuck, I should’ve cut her off before I got attached. Not once did getting myself attached to people work out in my favor.
Hours passed in agony. As if we weren’t kidnapped and tied up, Rhea and I continued gossiping. As the gossip girl of New York, she had all the information and filled me in whilst trying to make time pass. However, the longer we chatted, the worse I felt.
Not only was I starving, but the sloppily patched arm ached insanely. Davorin did put some ointment on the carving on my chest, but it had long since stopped working. Now, I was both hungry and in pain, and that was a terrible combination.
“Stop talking.” I hushed Rhea, despite not listening for the past two minutes. “I hear footsteps. Remember what I told you. Keep your eyes shut.”
As she listened and leaned against the wall, a tear slipped down her cheek. I clenched my jaw in frustration, prepared for what was to come. I kept reminding myself that no matter what they did to me, it couldn’t be worse than what my father put me through. I survived hell, and this wasn’t going to break me.
The door swung open, and four men entered the room. The two in the back were the security. They locked the door and stood on each side, unmoving and unbothered. Their expressions lacked any emotions, as if they were porcelain dolls.
And not the pretty ones.
“Good afternoon, ladies.”
A nasty grin for a nasty man. He was in his late thirties, and, sadly, he was good looking. But that smile that he threw my way so innocently made my stomach twist and turn. He was bad news, and the light gaze was nothing but fake.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.” He sighed. “But duty called. You’re thirsty, I’m assuming.”
The other man who was close behind him approached me. His hand was on my jaw, and he tilted my head towards him before forcing water down my throat. It was as cold as ice, and the combination of hunger and cold water made me want to throw up.
Water dripped down my chin, and bile rose in my throat. The way he was looking at me, as if I were his next meal, made my body shake.
Rhea was next. Although her eyes were closed as I instructed, she didn’t stop crying. Half of the water ended up on the floor as she spit it out.
The man who was obviously the leader chuckled. “Let’s not be ungrateful. Don’t you know it’s impolite to reject someone’s kindness? And to keep your eyes closed when someone’s talking to you?”
I interjected before Rhea grabbed their attention further. “Your problem is with me, leave her out of it.”
He pulled the chair from the corner of the room and sat in front of me, legs crossed. He was looking down on me. This motherfucker had the audacity to look down on me. I pushed back the sudden bubble of fury that burst in my chest and left it for later when I’d have the opportunity to get rid of this motherfucker.
“Ah, so you’re protecting her?”
I cleared my throat. “The wheels are spinning, but the hamster's dead, huh?”
Millimeter by millimeter, the smile faltered from his face. Those cold eyes, filled with venom and spite, never wavered. Briefly, his eyes closed, and he released a deep sigh.
“As much as I’d like to entertain you and your jokes,” he said with a grin, then paused and snapped his fingers. His assistant whisked out a pocket knife and handed it to him before returning to his post behind the boss. “I sadly don’t have enough time. Let’s cut the chit-chat, shall we? Tell me the location of the two children.”
“I wish I could, but…”
He leaned a little bit. “But?”
I grinned. “I don’t want to.”
With a snap of his fingers, the two guards were by Rhea’s side. No matter how much she yelled and moved around, they held her by the forearm firmly. They brought her to her feet, and she screamed out in agony because of her broken ankle.
Fuck. For a moment, I completely forgot about Rhea’s presence.
“It’s best if you don’t test me, young lady.” His voice was harsh. “Let me try again. Where are the kids?”
“I don’t know,” I responded. His eyes squinted. “I’m telling you the truth. I’ve never seen them. Your questions should be directed to Antonio De Luca.”
