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I look around the room, sweeping the space with my eyes and looking for potential weapons. There’s a shelf behind Tony with some folders on it, but it looks bolted to the wall. There’s the desk, which is of no use and is bare. There’s the chair I’m sitting on, which is bulky and would be hard to maneuver.

My eyes continue to scan for anything that could be useful, but I don’t find anything. Even the shitty little window on the one side is barred so I can’t even break out of it, and even if I did, how would I get Gio out of the cell and to safety?

Tony looks up at me with that creepy-looking smirk of his. When Matteo smirks, he looks handsome and mischievous. Tony looks gross, like a predator watching his prey.

I’m so angry, and I tremble, but I ball my hands into fists to not give away how I’m feeling, or how weak I may be.

Tony watches me for the longest moment. It isn’t the same way Matteo watches me. Matteo looks at me like I’m all that matters. Tony looks at me like I’m a thing he can possess.

He gets up, and I avert my eyes, ignoring him on purpose. I keep staring straight ahead as he slowly walks around me toward the back of my chair. I don’t turn; I don’t move. I sense him stopping behind me, but I don’t jump when he suddenly starts speaking.

“What should I ask of your brother?” he murmurs. “Money? His businesses? Should I ruin him?” He pauses. “What is the most important thing to Andrea?”

I don’t answer him. I refuse to give him any satisfaction.

“I have all the leverage now. Because I know one thing your brother definitely treasures, and that’s you. He values family above everything.”

I bite my tongue, my nostrils flaring with anger.

Suddenly his hands are on my shoulders, massaging them roughly. “Come on, Guilia, help me here.”

I squirm away from his touch; it grosses me out. I don’t want him anywhere near me or my body. He grabs my shoulders more roughly; he’s going to leave bruises. He isn’t gentle at all. He hurts me as he holds me in place.

After a moment of rough ‘massages’, he leans down to my ear. “You’re mine now, Guilia Bianchi. The entire Bianchi empire will kneel before me.”

He sniffs my hair, which makes me shiver, and he chuckles before he runs his tongue up the back of my neck. I can’t hold myself back anymore. Quick as a flash, I shift my head forward, then throw it back, appreciating the loud crack his nose makes.

He staggers back. “You fucking bitch.”

I spring out of the chair and run around the desk, keeping my eyes on him. He comes after me, and I run further around the desk when suddenly he jumps on top of it, snarling like a wild animal.

I sprint for the door, slam into it, and grab the handle, but it’s locked. The handle won’t turn. I don’t have a chance to run again when Tony suddenly grabs me by my arm from behind and yanks me to him.

The sudden body-to-body closeness makes my reflexes kick in.

I drop my center of gravity, turn my shoulder in, and sweep his legs out from under him. He hits the floor with a thud. The air rushes from his lungs in a harsh gasp.

Tony sprawling on the floor, helpless, is almost as satisfying as the crunch his nose made. I hope it’s broken, but just in case it isn’t, I take his momentary dazed state to punch him in the nose again, which hurts my hand.

I back up against the window and watch Tony writhe on the floor. It isn’t long, though, before he gets to his feet, his teeth bared. Blood streams from his nose. I don’t smile, even though on the inside, I am.

I know Tony will punish me for this.

“You little slut. You fucking bitch. I’ll have your fucking head.” Curses stream from his lips like a waterfall, unending. After a moment, Tony bangs on the door.

“Lip, get in here,” he yells, wiping his nose.

The tall goon that brought me from the cell unlocks the door and comes in, staring at Tony’s bleeding face. Tony glares at him.

“Take her back to the cell, leave her there.”

I lift my chin defiantly and stride toward the door. Lip grabs my arm, but I don’t resist. I walk with him back to the cell, where he pushes me in, which is wholly unnecessary, and I immediately go to a crying Gio.

“It’s okay, I’m here.” I take him in my arms and cradle him.

I must do everything to protect him. My head hurts where it smashed against Tony’s nose. I need to focus on Gio and keeping him calm and his hopes up because if I don’t, my brain will think about what that fucking monster wanted to do to me, to my body.

What is it with men thinking they can take me if they want to? I’ll be damned before I let that happen. Michael didn’t get it right, and neither will this fucking gangbanger.