Savage Christmas (The Moretti Crime Family 3)

“You didn’t turn me into anything. You just helped show me the way.” She giggles softly, and I smile.

“As badly as I want to stay in here with you all night, showing you just how much you, and you alone, matter to me, I think we should get back to the fundraiser.”

“I need to use the restroom first and freshen up a bit. I’m a little sweaty, and in case you forgot, you ripped my thong.” Her button nose wrinkles in distaste.

“You liked it.” I grab her hand in mine and turn and open the door with a smile. “We’ll stop at the restroom on the way back to the table though. However, you better keep that sticky release inside you. I’ve marked you, and you’re mine.” I can’t help that the words come out as a growl. Popping my head out into the hallway, I find it empty.

I don’t care what anyone thinks of me, but I don’t want anyone looking at Elena like she is less than perfect. I’d have to murder them.

“I would never do such a thing,” Elena whispers behind me as we walk down the dark hallway before turning down another.

“Of course not. I know you like my scent on your skin and my seed in your womb.”

We reach the restrooms, and I release her hand to let her go inside and clean up. She walks in with a sedated look in her eyes while I lean against the exterior wall, waiting like a gentleman beside the door.

My mind drifts as I wait… Like always, she gets me, she knows what I need. She feeds the monster inside me, giving me just enough darkness to feed the beast. Best of all, she still loves me even after seeing all those ugly pieces, and that makes her one of a kind to me.

4

Elena

Relieved that no one is in the bathroom when I enter, I clean up quickly and attempt to pin my hair back in place. I giggle into the silent space. Not even on our one night out at a fundraiser can we manage to keep our hands off each other.

Using a paper towel, I wipe my smeared lipstick off before washing my hands. I can’t believe we actually did that. Being married to Julian usually means always watching your back and never taking your eyes off the ball. It was nice to be able to act like a normal couple for once. Peering down into the sink for a few seconds, I feel something move behind me.

I don’t hear anything. It’s a simple shift in the air, letting me know someone is entering the room. I didn’t even hear the door.

I look up, half expecting Julian to waltz in and take me yet again. I wouldn’t be at all surprised, but what I see instead has the blood freezing in my veins and my heart constricting in my chest.

A huge man is standing behind me. He’s dressed in black from head to toe, a ski mask pulled over his face, only leaving his eyes visible.

Which are dark and piercing, like the night.

My lips part and a scream threatens to escape, but he moves at a lightning-fast pace, wrapping his tree trunk arms around me while slapping his meaty hand over my mouth to silence me.

I struggle in his hold, bucking like a wild bronco and screaming into his hand until my lungs hurt. My voice is nothing more than a whisper as he shoves me out of the bathroom through a narrow side door I hadn’t even noticed was there. So that’s how he got it undetected.

Oh God.

Things get worse when we step into the adjoining room, and two more masked men are waiting there for us. They take me down an empty hallway, ignoring my struggles to get away. To them, I am nothing but an annoying fly that can easily be swatted. I’ll never win in a fight against them, but I can’t not fight either.

Frantically, I look around, hoping someone might see us, but it seems we are alone.

They continue dragging me farther and farther away from the bathroom, and soon we’re heading down a staircase. Darkness blankets me, and the temperature of the air drops. I know instantly we’re somewhere beneath the building.

No one speaks to me until we enter a large room that doesn’t seem to be used for anything besides storing some larger items. Tables and chairs are stacked up on one side with a wedding arch and a minibar on the other.

Scanning the space, I take note of two doors. One we just came through and another to the far right. I don’t know where it leads, so I can only count on the way we came in as an exit. There are no windows or other avenues of escape.