“So, I was right all along,” Gino Giavanni said.
He held her throat, crushing it, cutting off her air supply. Fear consumed her. He looked scary, worse than any other time she could remember.
How did he know where she was?
Don’t worry about that now. Attack.
She wasn’t his anymore.
Raphael had set her free.
She wasn’t a slave, forced to do any bidding.
Lashing out, she grabbed Giavanni’s balls and twisted them. The action shocked him enough to let her go. She gasped for air, trying to get away.
He slammed his foot against her ribs, sending her crashing through the air, falling in a heap.
Pain exploded in her body. She cried out as her hair was pulled and she had no choice but to get to her feet as he hurled her up onto her feet. “So, my pathetic nephew decided to take you from me. He should know better than to take my things.”
“I’m not yours.” She screamed as he tugged on her hair again. Tears filled her eyes and she whimpered at the pressure.
“You see, that’s where you’re wrong. You’re nothing.”
“You’re wrong.” She found the strength to spit in his face. “I’m someone. I’m stronger than you.”
The men who were with him, restraining Timothy, laughed.
Gino slammed her to the floor, punched her in the face, and repeatedly kicked her. She curled up in a ball, trying to protect herself.
“I wonder how my nephew will find you when I have you sold to the highest bidder.” He began to pull her out of the house by her hair. She believed her ankle was broken. She tried to get up but each time she did, she’d stumble. He kept on tugging at her hair and if he didn’t stop, he was going to pull it all the way out.
She found strength as he pulled her outside to finally get to her hands. The tarmac hurt.
She was slung into a trunk and this time, Gino spat at her.
Timothy was put in the trunk of the car as well. He screamed as it was slammed on his hand and she heard the sound of crunching. The trunk was opened and Timothy pulled his hand in.
Closing her eyes, she tried not to panic. Stuck in the trunk, anything could happen.
“Elenore, are you okay?” Timothy asked.
“I’m scared.”
“I know. That’s not Romeo.”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s going to kill us.”
“Yes.”
“How did he find us?”
“Raphael underestimated him and now we’re paying the price, honey.”
“I don’t want to die.”
“I know. I don’t want to die either.”
She sobbed. “But we’re going to?”
“I don’t want you to think like that. Okay?” He coughed and she heard something come out of his mouth.
“What was that?”
“Just a little blood. I’m fine.”
“That doesn’t sound fine.”
“It will all be fine. We’ve got to trust Raphael will find us. He will protect us, okay.”
She nodded her head. “Yes, okay.”
Elenore didn’t believe it.
Gino Giavanni had known from the start but he’d waited all this time to take her back. Why? Did he know she was hidden in Raphael’s secret room? What exactly did he know? Did he even care? Romeo wasn’t the real threat, he’d never been. Gino was the secret she’d kept. Romeo had never touched her. He didn’t even know the full extent of what Gino did. She doubted Romeo had any control over his brother, not anymore.
She shuddered as the pain started to take effect. Keeping her eyes closed, she tried not to think about what was going to happen and only focus on her time with Raphael. If she died today, at least she had some precious memories to take with her. That was all she could hope for.
Sweet, precious memories.
The car came to a stop. She listened. Eyes still closed.
Were they going to set the car on fire? Drown them? During her time being a slave, she’d heard Gino plan many a despicable ending. Would her fate meet one of them?
The trunk was opened. Timothy was pulled out.
She finally opened her eyes as Gino reached for her.
Now, she knew the real torture would begin.
Chapter Ten
There hadn’t been a single code on the gate as they’d been open. Raphael parked the car as Antonio joined him.
The front doors were open. Windows were smashed. The distinctive sign of tires with tracks.
He stepped into Timothy’s home and went straight to the security footage. He ignored Antonio’s calls. The surveillance was in every single room apart from the operating room where Antonio liked to hurt and torture people.
Finding the right button, he turned back the time to three hours ago. He frowned. His uncle Gino arrived. His father was nowhere in sight. Timothy trying to protect her. The beating she took at his uncle’s hands. The way he dragged her out. Picking up one of the screens, he threw it across the room.
The reason he’d brought her to Timothy was for her safety and he’d fucked it up. Why had he done this?