Page 27 of Captivated with Them

Meathead shoved me from behind. “Enough talking.”

What were we doing here? I was fairly sure we wouldn’t be given this meeting for no reason. The Capellos never did anything unless it benefitted them in some way.

From outside came the slam of car doors and the murmur of voices.

Movement came at the front of the restaurant. Others had arrived, but who? My guts tightened with fear. What if it was someone coming to buy Rue? No, it wouldn’t be. She still had a few days before the trial, I was sure. She was worth more to the Capellos in court than she was in a man’s bed.

To my surprise, the front door opened, and a wheelchair was pushed through. Kodee was the one doing the pushing, and Ryan was in the chair.

I was happy to see them, but seeing Ryan back in a wheelchair sent a spike of worry through me. From the dismayed expression on Rue’s face, I thought she felt the same way.

“Dillon,” Kodee said. “Rue! Are you both all right?”

I didn’t answer him and instead nodded to the chair. “What happened?”

Ryan must have seen the look on both our faces, and he lifted a hand. “It’s okay, don’t panic. It’s not permanent. I just have to keep the leg off for a while to let it heal.”

It felt strange having this conversation while Frankie and his men looked on, but we didn’t have any choice.

Rue frowned. “Heal?”

“The hike didn’t do the stump much good,” Ryan said, “but try not to worry, all right? There are more important things going on.”

Rue’s gaze flicked to Kodee. “I miss you.”

He gave her a sad smile. “We miss you, too.” Then he looked to me. “Both of you. We’ve just got to hang in there. This will all be over soon.”

Frankie Capello laughed. “Sure, you keep telling yourselves that.”

He nodded to Meathead, who grabbed me again then re-addressed Kodee.

“You got what you wanted. This was never supposed to be a cozy chit-chat.” He jerked his chin. “Get them out of here.”

Rue jerked forward. “No, please! Just a little longer!”

I struggled against Meathead’s hold. “Hang on. What the fuck is going on here? What was this all about?”

“Your friends needed proof I hadn’t killed you before they did some work for us,” Frankie said. “Now shut up and behave yourself before I change my mind about letting you live.”

I didn’t want to go back down into that room. Seeing the others, and freedom just beyond them, hadn’t been a blessing. It was torture. I’d caught a glimpse of what life had been like and what had been taken away from us.

I roared in anger and thrashed against Meathead. “Get the fuck off me!”

Cold, hard metal pressed against my temple. “I suggest you behave yourself before your friends have to witness your brains exploding all over the floor.”

Rue’s scream of horror shattered through the restaurant, combined with Kodee’s and Ryan’s exclamations to stop.

I froze in his grip, preferring my brains to remain inside my head. I also didn’t want to traumatize the others with that image. It must have been hard enough for them the first time after I’d been knocked unconscious.

“Aye, I’m behaving.”

“Glad to hear it.” He jammed the gun harder against my skull, as though to remind me it was there. “Now, move.”

I wanted to say so many things to the others. To tell Rue I loved her, and Ryan and Kodee that if they had the opportunity to grab Rue and run, they should do it. The last thing I wanted was for them to hold back because of me. I was the one who’d caused this whole mess in the first place, and I didn’t deserve any special treatment. I’d rather know they were all safe and living happily together than still under the Capellos’ thumb just because of me.

But there wasn’t time to say anything else.

Meathead pushed me back through the swinging doors and into the kitchen. This place was full of weapons—cleavers the size of my head—but I had both hands taped behind my back and a gun jammed against my skull.

No, I wasn’t fighting back, not like this. Not yet.

But that didn’t mean my time wouldn’t come.

---