Page 151 of Gorgeous Villain (Marchetti Mafia)

“Yeah, little girl,” Sonny taunts. “Come out.”

Antonio’s mom stops in her tracks and glares at him over her shoulder. “You promised not to hurt her, baby.”

Sonny sighs in annoyance like she asked him to take out the trash. “I told you I wouldn’t hurt the little brat, didn’t I, Marsha?” He licks his chapped lips. “Now that we have the Marchetti bitch, we can use them both as bait.”

My skin crawls at him so casually referring to Amara as bait.

Well, and me.

“Amara isn’t here,” I say, gawking at them. “Antonio didn’t want us in the same location. He said it was too risky.”

“Where is she, then?” Marsha rests her hands on her hips.

I shrug. “Antonio wouldn’t tell me. In case you’re unaware, he’s holding me against my will here.”

“It sure doesn’t look like you’re trying to escape,” Billy says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“I already called my father,” I lie. “He’s on his way here now. I had to wait until Antonio left. So you’d better leave before he gets here and kills you.”

My lie can either help me or backfire. Sonny could kill me now or take me to dodge my father. Best-case scenario: he leaves without me, fearful he can’t outrun my father.

Sonny narrows his beady eyes at me, staring with mistrust. “I don’t believe you.” He makes a show of turning in a circle, looking around. “Where’s Dante and his whore wife?”

“I’m here alone. They left because they knew it was too risky and were scared my father would kill them. Because that’s what he does … kills people who hurt me.” I smirk at him.

“What’s all the fuss with you anyway?” Billy asks. “Why are all the Lombardis so obsessed with you Marchettis?”

I stand tall, digging my bare toes into the rug. “You lay a hand on me, and my family will slaughter you and everyone you love.”

“Oh, I’ll do whatever I want with you,” Sonny says gravely, inching closer to me while drawing a pistol from his jacket. “Imagine my reputation if I was responsible for the death of Monster Marchetti’s daughter.” He stops when we’re toe-to-toe and slightly digs his loafer into my bare feet. “People will fear me, knowing I had the balls to make it happen.”

He runs his hand along my cheek, and I recoil.

“But maybe, I’ll play with you first.”

“Take your grimy hand off me,” I spit. “Or I’ll kill you.”

He chuckles. “I’d love to see you try. I could have so much fun, touching you, raping you.”

I spit in his face.

A sharp pain shoots through my head when he backhands me. Billy keeps me restrained, and Sonny jams the muzzle of his pistol against my cheek. The gun’s sharp edge cuts into my skin.

“You do that again, and I’ll blow your fucking brains out and send them to Daddy in a water bottle.” He backsteps away from me and stares at Billy. “Zip-tie the bitch. If she tries anything, bash her fucking head in.”

I snarl at him, “When my father finds you, I’ll tell him to do just that to you.”

Sonny uppercuts me, and I double over in pain.

I need to keep his attention on me so he doesn’t look for Amara.

“While you’re at it, tape her smart-ass mouth shut,” Sonny adds, shaking out his fist. “Marsha, make yourself useful and look for the girl. It’s time to have some fun.”

43

Damien races down the road toward Dante’s while I frantically call Eden. I’m sweating harder with every unanswered ring. Leo interrogates Sonny’s man, but he’s as clueless as the boy in the strip club. Sonny used them as protection—that’s it. I attempt to log in to the home cameras, but they’re offline—most likely Sonny’s doing.

“He told us to keep you alive,” the idiot in the backseat tells me. “The same for the Marchetti daughter.”

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