Finally, it clicked. My gaze darted back to the black-haired man. Remo Falcone, Capo of the Camorra. I jerked violently, a new wave of panic giving me strength. I arched up but Remo didn’t budge.
“Calm down,” Fabiano said. One of his hands bled from where I’d bitten him. Calm down? Calm down? The Camorra was trying to kidnap me!
Opening my mouth, I tried to scream again. This time Remo covered my mouth before I got the chance to hurt him. “Give her the tranquilizer,” he ordered.
I shook my head frantically but something pricked the inside of my elbow and pierced my skin. My muscles became heavy, but I didn’t black out completely. I was released and Remo Falcone slid his hands under me, straightening up with me in his arms. My limbs hung limply down at my sides, but my eyes remained open and on my captor. His dark eyes settled on me briefly before he started running. Trees and sky rushed by as I peered up.
“Fina!” I heard Samuel in the distance.
“Sam,” I wheezed, barely a sound.
Then Dad. “Fina? Fina, where are you?”
More male voices rang out, coming to save me.
“Faster!” Fabiano shouted. “To the right!” Twigs snapped under foot. Remo breathed heavier, but his grip on me remained firm. We burst out of the forest and onto a street.
Suddenly, tires screeched and hope filled me, but it crashed when I was put inside a vehicle in the backseat, and Remo slipped in beside me.
“Drive!”
I stared up at the gray ceiling of the car, my breathing ragged.
“My, what a beautiful bride you are,” Remo said. I raised my eyes and met his, wishing I hadn’t because the twisted smile on his face burned through me like a thunderstorm of terror. Then I passed out.
REMO
Serafina passed out beside me. I regarded her closely. Now that she wasn’t thrashing or screaming, I could admire her like a bride deserved. Dots of blood splattered her dress like rubies and marred the creamy skin of her neckline. Pure perfection.
“We seem to have shaken them off,” Fabiano muttered.
My eyes were drawn to the back window, but nobody was following us for the moment. We had injured, not killed Serafina’s two companions, so part of the forces would waste time tending to their injuries.
“She is a nice piece of ass,” Simeone commented from behind the steering wheel.
I leaned forward. “And you will never look at her again unless you want me to rip your eyeballs out and shove them up your ass. One more fucking disrespectful word from you and your tongue will keep your eyeballs company, understood?”
Simeone gave a jerky nod.
Fabiano caught my gaze with a curious expression. I leaned back and returned my gaze to the woman curled up beside me on the seat. Her hair was pinned tightly to her head as if even that part of her needed to be tamed and under control, but one wayward strand had freed itself and curled wildly over her temple. I wrapped it around my finger. I couldn’t wait to find out how tame Serafina really was.
I carried a limp Serafina into the motel room and set her down on one of the two beds. Reaching for a twig that had tangled itself in her hair, I removed it before undoing her updo, letting her hair spill out on the pillow. I straightened.
Fabiano sighed. “Cavallaro will seek retribution.”
“He won’t attack us as long as we have her. She’s vulnerable and he knows he can’t get her out of Vegas alive.”
Fabiano nodded, his eyes moving to Serafina who lay limply on the bed, her face tilted to the side, her long elegant neck on display. My gaze lowered to the fine lace above the soft swell of her breast. A high-collared dress. Modest and elegant, nothing vulgar or overly sexy about Dante’s niece, and yet she would have brought many men to their knees. She looked like a fucking angel with her blond hair and pale skin, and the white dress only emphasized that impression. The epitome of innocence and purity. I had to bite back a laugh.
“What are you thinking?” Fabiano asked warily as he followed my gaze toward the bride.
“That they couldn’t have emphasized her innocence more if they’d tried.” I moved closer, my gaze trailing over her narrow hips. “I prefer the blood stains on her dress.”
“It was her wedding. Of course they would emphasize her purity. You know how it is. Girls in our circles are kept protected until they enter marriage. They must lose their innocence on their wedding night. Cavallaro and her fiancé will probably do anything to make sure she returns to them untouched. Danilo is Underboss. Her father is Underboss. Dante fucking Cavallaro is her uncle. No matter what you ask of them, they will deliver. If you ask them to hand over my father now, they will do it and we will be rid of her.”