Page 13 of Stolen Union

“Touché. Now, enough with this. I need to take a video.” I walk over to the table and pick up a camera.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to take a video of you and send it to your brothers. They need to know I have you, and I’ll only give you up if they meet my demands.”

“And what, pray tell, are your demands?’” she asks dubiously.

“To stop hunting me down. Let me live my life in peace. Now, smile.” I lift the camera and take a picture of her. Instead of smiling, she gives me the finger. “Now, that’s the spirit. But I think we really need to sell that you’re in danger. Get naked.”

She balks. “No way.”

“I can make you.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Why not?’

“Because,” she says, “you won’t like the outcome.”

I lower the camera. “Gabriella, I’m in charge here.”

“I don’t think you are.”

“No?”

She shakes her head. “No. I think you know I’m in charge. That I have all the power. You can’t hurt me because you need me to hurt my brothers. There’s only so much you can do to me. If I die, you have no leverage. You told me so yourself, which was stupid by the way. So, there’s nothing you can do to me.”

I don’t have a reply because … she’s right. Gabriella has more power than I want her to have. I could hurt her to get her in line, but I don’t want to do that. I want to hurt Rocco, not her.

“One picture will do,” I say before shutting the door and locking her inside. At least if she’s in there, she can’t get the better of me again.

I hurry away before I do or say anything I’ll regret.

CHAPTER 5

Gabriella

My stomach hurts from the horrible food Dante made me eat.

And another problem is there’s no bathroom attached to the bedroom, and I really need a bathroom right now.

I bang on the door. “Dante, let me out. I need to use the bathroom.”

Silence. Bastard. He’s probably sending that picture to my brothers at this very moment, bragging about how he took me. I just hope my brothers find me—soon.

… though if they find me, then I’ll have to marry Antonio, and I don’t want to do that. Dante is horrible for what he did, but … I don’t hate him as I should. I’ve been dreaming about him for the past year. Maybe this is my chance to turn something bad into something good.

But first, I need to use the damn bathroom.

“Dante! Seriously, open up. I’m going to vomit all over your floor if you don’t.”

The door opens, and there’s Dante, standing before me, looking way too handsome for his own good. “Fine. Go.” He motions to the bathroom.

I run to it and finish my business. Once I’m done, I walk back out with a new plan of action.

But Dante ruins that when he tells me to go straight to my room.

“Why can’t I stay out here?” I ask.

---