Page 16 of Stolen By the Enemy

I walk back down the hall and hear her following me.

Taking a seat in one of my favorite chairs, I motion for her to sit down as well.

She does, still holding her wine and looking unsure about drinking it.

She’s pissing me off.

“Drink it.” It doesn’t bother me if she drinks it or not, but the fact that she’s testing me so much is making me angry.

“I will.” She looks into the glass again, inspecting the wine.

“Now.”

Again, it takes me turning on my asshole voice for her to just do as she is told.

This woman is going to drive me mad.

I almost think she’s lucky it’s me who took her, because if she had been targeted by someone with less integrity, she would already have a few missing teeth and perhaps even a few broken bones.

“What have you been doing all day?” I try to start the conversation off slowly.

“Oh, you weren’t watching me with your spy cameras?” She raises one eyebrow at me.

“I was doing nothing, because there is nothing for me to do here. I am stuck inside, watching the beach through the window, with no TV or books and only a pile of old magazines to keep me busy.”

I sigh. This part of the conversation is not going well, so I decide to switch gears and try a more direct approach instead.

“Tell me about your family—your brothers. I want to know what I am dealing with.”

“You’re dealing with a powerful Italian family who does not take lightly to the kidnapping of its members.”

“I don’t care what your family takes lightly to, my dear. I have sent your brothers my demands, I want to know what to expect now.”

“You want me to help you so that you can get what you want and my brothers can’t stop you?”

I shrug. She’s smart.

“No.”

She shakes her head so vigorously that her dark hair falls out of the loose bun she put it in and as I watch it fall down to frame her face I’m taken aback for a second.

Then I shake myself out of it.

“Yes. Grazia, you are acting very brave and I don’t blame you for it. In fact, it’s impressive. But you have no idea who I truly am, or what I am capable of. If you value your life, you will cooperate with me.”

“Or what? You’re going to take away the fruit baskets?”

She’s challenging me, and usually, I’d find it hot.

I prefer a girl who stands her ground. But not now, not when so much hangs in the balance.

“No. I’ll leave you the fruit baskets to eat while you listen to the screams of your brothers. Because they will come looking for you, Grazia, and if I have nothing to work with, they may not cooperate, which means I will need to dispose of them—that way, I can be sure of getting all of the trade routes, and not just the few I’ve asked for.”

I can see by the look on her face that she’s contemplating what I’m saying.

“So, when they arrive, I’ll simply have to eliminate them. My favorite way is a corkscrew, slowly digging into the brain until I finally hit the middle, which is usually when they pass out or die.”

“Fine.” Grazia closes her eyes. I wonder if she’s been imagining her brother’s skulls being drilled into. “I’ll tell you whatever you need to know.”

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