I pulled the collar of my coat up around my ears as I stalked forward. Come on, I urged myself. Just a little bit longer. I kept whirling around and looking behind me, but the man was thankfully nowhere to be seen.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched.
My phone buzzed in my purse and I paused, reaching and trying to dig for it at the bottom. People jostled and crowded around me – some even barked commands at me to get out of the way – and I took comfort in that, almost like I had a human armor.
Someone grabbed my arm and yanked.
“Hey,” I snapped. “I’ll be out of the way in a second, god! Just wait!”
The person yanked me backwards. My phone fell from my hands and clattered onto the pavement. I screamed as my body flew through the air. The hand gripping my shoulder was strong and muscular and I tried to fight it off but the grip only intensified. When my feet touched the ground again, I realized I was being pulled away from the street and towards an alley.
“Help!” I screamed. “Somebody, help me! I’m being attacked!”
“Shut the fuck up,” a voice hissed in my ear. Before I could react, the hand left my shoulder and I heard a hard punch. I whirled around and saw a man dressed all in black, leaning over another man on the ground and threatening him with a fist.
“You leave her alone,” the man in black growled. “You stay the fuck away from this one!”
Before I could react, the man in black grabbed me and dragged me to the side. I cried out in protest but he was strong – even stronger than the first man who had grabbed me – and he tossed me around with ease, like I was a rag doll.
Suddenly I flew through the air. My back slammed hard against a solid brick wall, knocking the air out of my lungs. I gasped and coughed and covered my mouth with my hand as a large figure loomed in front of me.
“Hey bitch,” the man said. He grinned. “Long time, no see.”
“Oh my god,” I muttered softly. “It’s you.”
Alessio grinned. “Didn’t think it would be so easy for me to find you, huh?”
That was when everything turned black.
--
“Hey, wake up.”
Groggily, I opened my eyes. My head ached, and there was the scent of something strong and faintly alcoholic under my nostrils.
“You’re up,” Alessio said. He grinned in smug satisfaction. I coughed and blinked, glancing around. I tried to lift my hands but they were so heavy – finally, I looked down and realized they were tied together in my lap.
“Why…” I trailed off. My throat was killing me. “What are you doing?”
Alessio smirked. “I’m here to make sure you don’t do anything stupid,” he said. He raised his eyebrows and gestured towards my ankles.
I groaned when I realized my ankles were taped loosely together. I was sitting on a plus
h bench.
“We’re in my car,” Alessio said. He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, bitch. I know white limos are tacky. That’s why I only ride in black ones.”
I bit my lip, tasting blood. “How…how long was I out?”
Alessio leaned forward. He shook his head. Somehow, he looked even more handsome and scary than he had before. His dark hair was pushed away from his head with pomade and his dark eyes glittered in the semi dark of the limo. He was wearing a white shirt that made his tan look deep and tropical, and he smelled expensive – like cigars and smoke and cologne.
“It doesn’t matter.” Alessio bared his teeth. He moved closer and I shivered when his hand landed on my shoulder. “The thing that matters is you, girlie. You ain’t gonna say nothin’ against me, now are you?”
I flared my nostrils. “That’s exactly what I’m planning to do.” My heart thumped as fast as a drum.
Alessio grabbed me and pulled me close. A thrill of fear and something else, something moist and hot and unrecognizable, soared through me. Suddenly, I was very aware of his deep, dark eyes.
You hate this man, I thought as I blinked and blushed. You can’t stand him. He murdered your fiancé. You want him dead, don’t you?