Page 104 of Unholy Vows (Original Sin)

“That’ll never happen. He outclasses you in every way,” I said, when Juan was clearly waiting for an answer. Juan’s hand connected with my face before I even saw it move. Pain blossomed along my jaw as my teeth clicked hard, cutting the edge of my tongue. Blood filled my mouth as I fell to the floor. Nice timing Juan and his thugs had, given that they’d let go of me just in time for their boss to slap me around. I landed hard on my side, my hands tied behind me with no chance of breaking my fall. My shoulder hit the small table in the window, sending the chess board crashing to the floor. The pieces scattered, but one remained.

The King. Standing alone.

"Get her up,” Juan drawled lazily. Clearly hitting a woman in the face helped him calm down. “Your husband should have taught you how to speak to a man.”

I lifted my head, blood dripping from the corner of my mouth. The pain clashed with fear and anxiety inside me, but I couldn’t let this man see it. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“He’s going to make you regret that,” I said, my tongue thickening in my mouth.

“Let’s see, shall we?” Juan mused and then flicked his fingers toward the doors. “Take her.”

“To a bedroom?”

“No. The basement. We wouldn’t want the King of AC to think we didn’t know how to treat his wife.”

34

RENATO

Ilost time. It jumped in huge leaps, and I couldn’t keep track. I was at the station, and Elio was telling me about Charlotte, then I was back at Casa Nera, in the weapons room.

My men geared up beside me. There was no small talk or grim humor today. It was silent. I strapped on my knives, guns, and ammo over my tactical gear.

“Ren. We should go without you. You’re the one they’re waiting for,” Elio dared to say beside me.

I didn’t bother responding.

“We need backup.”

I ignored him. Waiting for someone else meant leaving Charlotte in Castillo hands for longer, and that wasn’t happening. We’d taken too long to find Juan and his hideout, and now my wife was paying the price. It was my fault, and I had to fix it.

Bristling with weapons, I strode through the house. Giada fell into step beside me, her tablet in her hand.

“The GPS in the ring has stopped moving. It’s at an abandoned motel on the edge of Atlantic City.”

“Send the coordinates to Elio.”

“Done.” She stayed with me as we made our way through the main hall.

Behind me, more than fifty armed men followed. Carmella watched me walk past, her mouth pressed into a worried line. She crossed herself as I passed by.

“Monitor the police channels. I don’t trust this timing. Something is going on,” I told Giada, reaching the outside steps.

“Agreed, but I can do that with you,” she said, dogging my steps. “I want to come.”

“No. I need you here, my eyes in the sky.”

“Please, Ren, they’re my family, too.”

I stopped. Her heartfelt words reached into the coldness that had filled my chest since the police station.

“I know, but I need you here. You’re our eyes, Giada, and we need you.Theyneed you.”

She swallowed hard, fighting an internal argument but losing. She nodded reluctantly. The rest of the men filed out of the house and into the waiting cars.

Gravel sprayed out as the cars pulled out of the courtyard and down the winding Casa Nera driveway.

“We don’t know what we’re walking into,” Elio said quietly, still not dropping the topic. He handed me a phone. “Call your sister and Nikolai, at least.”

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