Caged: A Dark Mafia Romance

I struggled against the rope at my wrists, but already knew I wouldn’t be able to break free. “Did you try to cut a deal with them? We have a lot of power,” I said, thinking of what exactly we could offer.

“I told them they could have whatever they wanted,” Dylan said. “They have yet to reveal what that is.” Dylan released a sob. “We’re going to die, Nayla. We’re going to die in the most painful of ways, have our bodies disposed of to where no one finds us, and there’s nothing we can do.”

“Stop, Dylan!” I snapped, not willing to just give up. “We’re both really smart. We need to stay calm and figure out a way out of this. Like you said, they haven’t told you or me what they want. So, we just have to figure that out. But we can’t give up. We can’t just accept death. We have to fight.”

The door opening at the top of the stairs shut us both up. Every step of the monster approaching sent a bolt of heart-stopping fear through me. Eddie wanted something…

Chapter Six

Eddie Vasco

I marched over to where Nayla sat and began untying the knots in the rope at her wrists. This was a bad idea, and I suddenly regretted having her down here with this piece of shit. I wanted her to know we had him as well, but I should have… fuck. I should have thought this one through a little better. I considered gouging out his eyes as penance for looking upon her beauty. The possessive need to protect her from his stare sent a blinding rage through me.

“You haven’t told us why we’re here yet,” she said calmly.

I glanced at the weak shithead, Dylan, who did nothing but sit there, shake, and allow Nayla to take the lead.

I undid the last knot and lifted her to standing. “You’re coming with me.”

Nayla’s body stiffened, and I prepared myself for another battle of wills. “Can’t you tell us what you want?” she asked. “Both Dylan and I have access to money and—”

“Don’t you think I have enough fucking money?” I bit out.

“Do you want us to drop the investigation and case against you? Is that it?” she asked.

I took hold of her upper arm and led her toward the stairs without saying another word.

“If that’s it, then allow us to make that happen. Dylan and I—”

I snapped my head to glare at her, trying to bite back my fury. “There is no Dylan and you. You are not a pair or a partnership. There is no fucking we in this sentence.” I stole a quick glance at Dylan and resisted the urge to go over and beat on the piece of shit some more. “You will both be handled… but not in the same way.”

For the first time, Nayla resisted my pull and tried to break free from my grasp. “Wait, stop. Where are you taking me? What about Dylan?”

I ignored her questions and pulled harder. I needed to get out of that damn room before I showed Nayla a side of me that no woman—or man—should have to witness.

Luckily for her, Nayla followed me upstairs to the living room, and then continued to walk upstairs to my bedroom.

Tommy met us on the walkway. “It’s all set,” he said. “What do you want me to do about the weasel?”

“Get rid of him. We have her now,” I answered.

“No!” Nayla screamed, her voice ricocheting off the concrete walls around us. “Please. Don’t kill him.”

Tommy looked at her, then at me to see if her reaction changed my order at all.

“Kill him,” I commanded again. It wasn’t my first death sentence issued, and it most certainly wouldn’t be my last.

Nayla reached for my arm—not in an act of violence but in desperation. “I beg you. He doesn’t deserve to die. Just because he was doing his job. Please.”

“You have no idea what he deserves.”

“No one deserves to die.”

“And that is where we disagree, Miss Bell.”

I could see that Tommy was losing patience. He wasn’t a man to not do anything and stand around and shoot the shit.

I nodded at Tommy. “Save the killing.” I glanced at Nayla, who released a visible sigh of relief. “For now.”

Not to allow this momentary reprieve to go on any longer, I tugged on Nayla’s arm with a little more force this time to show her that I meant business and led her to my room. Tommy didn’t have to say the words, but I was pretty sure he was happy to be removed from the presence of Nayla and all that it entailed. It would be hard not to tease his ass for the fact that he never once really looked at her body. I could tell how uncomfortable her nudity made him, and I would be sure to hassle him in good nature later. But that was one of the reasons I trusted Tommy completely. The ruthless killing machine still had a mama like mine who had taught him how to treat a lady. Though my mother would be chasing me down with a broomstick right about now if she saw what I was doing… and what I was about to do.