Page 112 of Cruel Love

I don’t think. I hop up and shift into a fighting stance with my feet planted and my fists raised, remembering everything Dante taught me about how to defend myself.

If you hesitate, even for a second, they’ll take advantage of you. Action beats reaction every time.

As Gio attempts to stand up, I punch him again, this time right along the bumpy cartilage of his nose. He doubles back, much angrier than before. I kick him again, thrusting the point of my heel toward his eyes.

Gio grabs my ankle with both hands and tugs me forward. I curse to myself as my balance betrays me. I fall into his twisted embrace and his hands lock around my throat.

“That wasn’t very lady-like, Lucy…”

He pushes his fingers into my neck. I claw at his hands, digging my nails in, but that just makes him squeeze harder.

He’s choking me.

Gio’s eyes twitch with hellish amusement as I wheeze for air.

He’s killing me.

Black auras start to take over my vision. Cold blood stalls in my veins as my brain shuts down. Another few seconds of this and I’ll be…

The door swings open and Gio’s grip relaxes.

“Sir,” I hear behind me, “we can take it from here.”

Gio doesn’t move, still holding me up by my throat. He laughs to himself before letting go and dropping me. My senses are too weak to keep myself from slamming hard against the floor.

“Of course,” he says, towering above me. “I almost got ahead of myself there.”

Black, human-like shapes move in around me, reaching out to grab me like phantoms. I slap their hands away as I struggle to take in a full breath through my burning throat.

Again, Gio’s laughter strikes my ears. “Lucy…” He scolds. “Stop fighting.”

They grip my elbows and pull me off the floor. Still, I push off and kick them. I yank my arms free and jab at anything close. I keep fighting to free myself and Gio laughs louder when they easily overpower me.

“You know, Lucy, you remind me of my wife.” He takes hold of my chin, fingertips digging into the bone. “You can thank her for everything I’m going to put you through.”

I flinch at the sight of the syringe pointed at me.

“Not quite sure what’s in this, but…” he smirks with glee, “let’s give it a try, shall we?”

He jabs it into my arm and pushes the plunger down. Almost instantly, my knees begin to collapse beneath me and the men in black loosen their grips to let me fall.

Gio smiles as his face disappears behind a veil of black secured over my head.

“Goodnight, Lucy Vaughn.”

Chapter 33

Dante

“Shit.”

I look at Fox, his eye locked through his scope. I lean forward to follow his eye-line, instantly seeing the girl in the red dress getting carried out of the club’s back entrance by three men into the parking lot, her head covered with a black bag.

Lucy.

My heart stops.

“And there’s Gio,” Fox says, calm and steady.

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