I suck in a breath as his thumbs squeeze tighter. "I... I was thinking about leaving this place," I tell him quickly.
The pressure decreases, replaced by his thumbs rubbing circles against my wrist that actually feels good, soothing. "Why would you be thinking about such a thing?" he asks.
I take a swallow before clearing my throat. "Well... I did what I was supposed to, so there's no reason for Giovanni to keep me here now," I tell him. "I found the rat so he's going to let me go."
Maximo blinks and his lips twitch at the corner before he busts into a full belly laugh. The sound is way too light and joyous to belong to someone so dark. I only stare at him as he continues to laugh, trying to figure out what he finds so funny and why he's still rubbing my wrists.
Finally his laughs tamper down and he shakes his head as he meets my eyes. "He isn't going to let you go."
My heartbeat thunders in my ears and I frantically shake my head, "No... he... I..."
Maximo begins to laugh again. "Surely you don't think he really had you sign a year long contract for this little lousy job?" he asks, his eyes roaming over my face. "Fuck, that's exactly what you thought, isn't it?"
My head isn't only spinning from hitting it earlier now.
Maximo is lying, he's cruel and he wants to crush my hope.
He can't be telling the truth.
"You're lying."
"What is my brother lying about?" Giovanni's voice comes from the doorway and I turn to find him leaning against the frame. His eyes move to Maximo's grip on me before he looks up, meeting his brother's eyes. "Better question, what are you doing?"
Maximo squeezes my wrist for a moment before releasing me completely. He holds his hands up in surrender, smiling. "Don't worry, I didn't do anything. I was just checking in on the little mouse."
Giovanni continues to stare at him, his jaw tight. "Vito needs you outside."
Maximo rolls his eyes. "Sure he does." He gives me a look, his grin turning into a smirk. "See you later, mouse." He bumps into Giovanni as he passes him in the doorway.
"What was he lying to you about?" Givoanni asks after Maximo leaves. He steps further into the room until he's standing a few feet away from me.
I bring a hand up, rubbing my throat. I don't even have it in me to try to filter my speech, still hoping Maximo lied. "He said you're not going to let me go."
Giovanni's brow climbs a fraction higher. "I'm not."
It feels like a bucket of water is thrown over me and I shake my head frantically. "But... But I found Todd."
"And you signed a contract for a year."
"No." My breath stutters in my chest. "You have to let me go."
I gasp when his hand wraps around my throat and I'm thrown right back into the moment when I first came here and he choked me after breakfast. I gasp, my body growing hot as I stare into his brown eyes.
"Watch how you talk to me. I don't have to do shit except for keep you breathing. And I don't have to do that if you become inconvenient for me." He leans close, his warm breath blowing on my face. "And to be clear, you may have found my rat, but I'm far from finished with you, Winter Chastine."