Page 101 of Reckless Desires

“Standard procedure, ma’am,” the nurse reassures.

“I’ll wait for you here, hunny.” My mom takes a seat and grabs the magazine. “By the time you get back, I’ll have some inspiration pictures for you.”

I roll my eyes. “Please take your time.” I smile at the nurse.

The nurse helps me into a wheelchair and off we go. The floor is busy with medical staff and patients; I’m surprised we get into an empty elevator. Just as our elevator door is about to shut, the one across opens. Stasia steps out, and when she sees me, there’s a look of confusion.

Right as the doors shut, I feel something stab me, and the room begins to spin before it all goes black.

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Killian

There’s a first time for everything, and today, it’s getting my ass kicked. I put up a fight, but when I have two large men holding me in place while another three throw punches and kicks like I’m a weight-training bag, it’s not that easy.

“Enough,” Alessio commands for the third time.

The men let me go, and this time I fall to my knees. My hands are cuffed behind my back, and my ankles are bound together.

“Finally, he bows,” Alessio says, looking down at me.

When I look up, I put on a big smile. “Too scared to get your hands dirty? Or are you scared to just pull the trigger, little boy?”

He kicks my head, sending me down to the ground. “Why were you following, Lily?”

I spit blood out of my mouth. “Well, you should know, once an Andretti sister digs her claws into a man, it’s hard to get out of their grip.” I chuckle. “Oh, wait, you wouldn’t know anything about being a man.” I get back up onto my knees, sitting back on my feet as I try to untie the rope around my ankles without Alessio or his men noticing.

“You’re a sicko, aren’t you? You became obsessed with Lily.”

“Less talking.” I continue to provoke him. “More shooting.”

“Shut the fuck up!” he spits out. He holds out his hand. “Gun.”

His right-hand man, Tito, steps forward and hands him a Sig Sauer P365.

My fingers work as quickly as possible, and I get the knot out just as the gun is placed into Alessio’s hand. I wait for him to point it at me, and when he does, I make my move. Quickly and simultaneously, I balance on my hands so my feet land in front of my bound wrists and stand up as I grab the gun, point it up, spin Alessio around, and now have the gun in my possession and pointing at Alessio’s temple.

The sound of guns being drawn around us sends adrenaline through my veins. Alessio holds out his arm, telling them not to shoot. No one puts their gun down, but no one fires either.

“You think you’re slick,” Alessio says. “I’ll give you that. But I have the girl and this city. You can’t change that.”

“Are you forgetting I have a gun in my hand?” I shoot back.

“Less talking, more shooting,” he mocks, throwing my own words in my face.

I can see where I need to exit. It is simple enough—hold the gun to Alessio’s head and keep him in front of me as a shield till I’m out of danger. But I don’t have a chance to move when Cameron comes busting through the door.

“Alessio!!” he shouts and then stops at the scene before him.

His expression is solid, but I can see a hint of relief that I’m still alive. Still, he draws his gun at me. “Let him go, Killian.”

“You know I won’t do that,” I reply.

“Listen. She’s gone. They took her again.” Cameron’s voice is steady, but I know he isn’t lying.

“How?” I question. There’s no way Nico would have done that again and gone off plan.

“A nurse snuck her out of the hospital in an ambulance.” Cameron drops his gun and looks to Alessio to command the rest of the men to do the same.