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16
ARIA
Consciousness breaks through the fog. With it comes overwhelming hopelessness. I don’t know how long I’ve been here. I was moved from the dingy place, and while this place isn’t the Ritz, it’s cleaner and doesn’t smell bad. Not that it matters. Whenever I wake up, someone is back to drug me again, and everything, including my environment, slips away. For that reason, I lie quietly with my eyes closed. As sensation returns to me, I reconsider going back to sleep. I’m hungry and thirsty. My wrists are raw and burning.
The door opens, and I can’t help instinctively flinching and tensing as my captor approaches. He pulls a chair next to the bed.
“Wake up!” He pokes at me.
“If you don’t want me to sleep, stop drugging me.” It occurs to me, once the words are out of my mouth, that I shouldn’t be so snarky. This man could kill me at any time. The fact that he hasn’t suggests he still thinks I have some value.
“Want to be treated like a princess? I can do that. But you have to do something for me.”
I only stare at him.
“Your brother is Don Niko Leone, right?”
I still don’t respond.
“You help me form an alliance with him to get rid of Conte and establish myself in New York?—”
I laugh even though I know it’s not smart. I blame the drugs for lack of control of my responses.
His eyes flare with heat. “You find that funny?”
“Do you know my brother? He won’t let you establish yourself in New York.”
His jaw tightens. “He was letting Conte?—”
“That’s a partnership.”
“Fine. Partnership.”
My brain is starting to clear. “What do you have to offer?”
He’s the one laughing this time. “You.”
I have no doubt that my brother loves me and will do what he needs to protect me, but he won’t go into business with someone who is holding his sister hostage.
“So, your plan is to use me to get my brother to kill Luca and become a partner with you?”
He nods.
“And once I’m released, you think my brother will still want to do business with you?”
“I’ve saved you from Conte. He’ll be grateful.”
I rattle my handcuffed arm. “This isn’t saving.”
“I haven’t forced myself on you or let my men touch you. I saved you from that. And you wanted away from Conte, right? I saved you from that.”
I decide that if I want to get free, my best bet is to go along. My brother will eventually kill him, but by then I’ll be free. Well, probably not free. Once I return to New York, Niko will likely lock me away. Or marry me off to one of his capos. My life won’t be much different than it is now except, of course, the restraints won’t dig into my wrists.
But if I go along, will Niko really help kill Luca? I imagine he will to save me. I can’t be a part of that. Luca didn’t turn out to be the man I thought he was, but that doesn’t mean he should die. He gave me a choice, and I was the one who impulsively ran off when he said he’d send me home if I wanted. I’m here because of me, not Luca.
“Have you contacted my brother?”
“That’s where you come in. You do your part, and everything will be okay. If not…” His eyes rake over my body. “Well, you’re a beautiful woman…”
