Page 9 of Capo

He clutches my hair harder. “That’s none of your concern.”

I wish I knew where she is, and I’m eternally happy I don’t.

“You’re the one who tried to kill her. It’s you she ran from.”

He scoffs and suddenly lets me go, getting off me. “See, I knew I was right. She told you. Be good to yourself and tell me where she is.”

I shuffle back, but I don’t dare get up. My eyes dart between the shadow of a man and the door opening, then I throw myself toward it, on hands and knees. A boot-clad foot connects with my chest and I fly several feet before I hit the wall as the door slams closed.

“Chloe, Chloe. Do you wanna do this the hard way, or the easy way? Before I leave, you will have told me. It won’t do you any good to prolong the pain.”

I swallow hard and fight the searing new agony in my ribs that flares up with every breath. I didn’t know I could hurt this much. My head, my throat, my chest. I’ve never experienced this level of pain. A new bolt of fear clutches my throat as I remember how bruised Kerry was. From this man.

“Please, don’t hurt me,” I whimper, then I scream as he pounces on me and pulls me around so I’m facing the floor. My mouth tastes of thick, nauseating iron, and my whole face and chin is wet from tears, snot, and blood. He grabs my arm and pushes it up on my back. I cry as I arch and try to relieve the strain on my shoulder.

“Where. Is. Kerry. Jackson,” he snarls.

“I don’t know!” I scream as I kick and squirm.

“I know you fucking do!”

He pushes my arm up higher and I wail, unable to even form words. He’s going to break it!

“Please!” I don’t even recognize my voice anymore. The pain increases unbearably and then I both hear and feel the snap as he breaks my arm.

I can’t even scream, it hurts so much. He lets me go, but I can’t move. Waves of agony send rushes of heat and chills through me. His steps come and go as if he’s pacing back and forth. I crane my neck and glance at the closed door, then up at the door handle. I have to try and get away or he will kill me. I can’t give him what he wants, and in the end he will realize he has no use for me. I suddenly fully and completely realize why Kerry ran, and why she kept running.

Salvatore is behind this. That fucking monster is behind all this. It might be his goon who is hurting me, but the mob boss is the one who ordered Kerry’s death, who ordered this. Dark, ugly hate rises in me as his features flash before my eyes. I’ve seen him a few times, long ago, I fawned over how hot he was. I never knew he was the Devil in the shape of a man.

I flinch when he suddenly speaks.

“I won’t hurt your friend. I just want to talk to her.”

“Bullshit,” I wheeze.

He crouches before me. I see him better now that my eyes have adjusted a little to the dark, but I still can’t make out his features.

“I don’t know where she is,” I whisper. “It’s the truth.”

“Well, you’re out of luck, Chloe Becker, because I don’t believe you, and I don’t give up.”

“Please.”

My head rocks back as he slams his fist in my face. My nose cracks and blood fills my mouth.

“Fucking tell me,” he roars.

When I come to, I’m alone in the room. Everything is silent. It’s still dark, but there’s a faint gray light outside. Through the ever-present San Francisco mist, dawn is approaching. The door stands ajar. After one single blissful moment of confusion and numbness, a freight train of pain crashes into me. Involuntary sobs hitch in my throat and I can’t control the shivers. I’m lying on my back, my face feels dry and too tight. I panic when I try to open my eyes and only get a slit open on one of them. Raising my arm to touch my face I scream when pain shoots through my shoulder. It begins to come back to me. The man in the dark. His questions. He hurt me. Bad. He started punching me and my memories after that are fragmented. I don’t know when it stopped. Maybe he thought I was dead?

Suddenly a pair of boot-clad feet appear before me and I wail hoarsely. I thought he had left.

“Please,” I whisper to his feet. I don’t dare to look up. My lips are so swollen that the word comes out thick and wrong ‘Pweesh’.’

He crouches, resting his forearms on his knees, holding one gloved hand over the other, then he reaches out and pulls the hair away from my face. I whimper and try to scramble back.

“Chloe. I will find Kerry. I will never stop. Do you understand?” His voice is like a dark void, filled with emotion I can’t interpret, can’t understand, don’t want to know about.

For the first time I see his features. He looks grim, and not sorry at all. His eyes are black and hard like opals. I can’t stop shaking. I can’t stop the sobs. He drops a bag, my brown leather bag, on the floor and then he sighs heavily and stands. I stare emptily in front of me, praying he’ll leave. The sound of his footsteps recedes and then the front door slams closed.

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