Page 37 of Stolen By the Enemy

“Marco, honestly, what the fuck are you talking about?” she asks. She looks up at her handcuffed arm, and then back at me.

Her lip quivers and I hate that the sight makes my heart pinch in my chest.

“There’s so much you don’t know, and never will,” I say to her aggressively.

“Well, that’s nothing new for me,” she says softly, her tone aching with hurt.

Fury spikes through me. I don’t deserve to have her company, to use her body to make myself feel better.

I hate both of us in this moment and know that I’m lashing out at her. But I can’t stop myself.

“I know you’re just making me like you to help you try to escape. I’m not stupid. But you are, if you thought that this was going to work. You underestimate me, Grazia, and I don’t like that at all. I have no problem killing you. Your brothers won’t know about it until they’ve handed me my money and the trade routes, and by then it will be too late.”

“Escape? How would I escape you, Marco?”

Her face shows the fear pulsing through her.

“Besides, I’m not an idiot, Marco. I’m in a strange country where I know one person—you! I’ve seen how isolated this house is. I know that I wouldn’t get far before one of the guards watching this place hunts me down and kills me. Why would I use last night as the opportunity to try and escape? That’s practically planning a suicide mission!”

My head is pounding, but I know she’s right. I shake that thought away.

I fucked up, allowing my dick to lead me and I’ve ended up giving her the chance to trick me.

Not again, though.

Everyone around me wants to use my skills without giving me a chance to succeed. I’m not letting another Baldini trick me.

I walk out of the room and fetch my phone from the kitchen counter. My stomach turns when I see I left the beach house and my car keys next to it.

If Grazia had not fallen asleep, she would have had a perfect getaway car, handed right to her.

Taking my phone back to the bedroom, I put it on the video function and stand in front of the bed, placing Grazia, who is naked and handcuffed to the headboard, in the middle of the screen.

“Talk to your brothers. Tell them to hurry the fuck up before things get messy in here,” I demand. She looks at me, confused. “Speak!”

“Okay, okay. Luca, Enzo…please hurry the fuck up and sort this situation out. Marco wants this deal to happen. I’m fine, not hurt…”

“For now,” I add from behind the camera.

“But please do as he says. I want to come home. Please give him what he is asking for. I can’t stay here any longer. Please.”

I see a tear slip from her eye. I can’t tell if it’s real, but either way, it works perfectly for this video.

“Good,” I tell her.

“Will you let me go? Take me out of these handcuffs?” she asks.

“No.” I pace the room, my anger even greater than it was yesterday.

I admit to myself that I should probably handcuff myself to the bed and not Grazia. I’m the one with no self-control.

Today is the day Luca has promised me they will finally agree or disagree with my requests.

I can’t take the stress of having this woman in this house much longer.

When I tire of pacing the room I find myself sitting on the edge of a chair near the bed. I save the video and send it over to her brothers.

Using my personal phone in this instance might be a mistake, but I am tired of this situation now, and I need things to speed up.

---