Page 11 of Cruel Devil

“Is it really that difficult to punch in a keycode?” I grumble, finally recognizing the address we’re at and tapping on the ‘Open’ button.

Vito chuckles. “Usually have my hands full at the time. Plus, how the hell am I supposed to remember every sicario’s fucking pin code?”

My eyes close briefly to inhale some patience as we’re cruising through the gate. Nico’s cartel-owned mansion isn’t as grand as some I’ve been to in the past, but it’s big enough that we can’t even see the main house from the drive. Too many bushes and palm trees in the way.

Vito turns off the main gravel drive and detours around a large pond before stopping under an awning of bougainvillea-covered trellises.

The cute cottage comes as a complete surprise.

“Not exactly your style,” I say as I climb out and head for the trunk.

“Some of the girls mention that when I bring them here.” He’s grinning as he comes around to help me open the trunk and haul the strawberry-blond woman out of the trunk. His voice is strained as he adds, “Multiple orgasms always change their minds.”

I thought he was going to help me carry her, but he just drops her feet and leaves me there. Cursing under my breath, I bite back a groan as I lift with my legs, slinging the woman over my shoulder.

I’m skipping leg day tomorrow, that’s for sure.

Vito swings open the door and ushers me in with a wide grin, then closes and locks the door behind us. As soon as I set the woman down on the couch, her eyelids begin fluttering. The fan of blood from her broken nose is congealing, forming sticky red streaks over her lips and chin and a puffy bruise has sprung up where Vito punched her.

“Faster. She’s coming round,” I tell Vito, eyeing the woman in case she decides to make a run for it.

My cousin pushes back the distressed wood coffee table and sets down a wooden dining room chair in front of it. The interior looks like a beach house furnished with whatever washed up on the shore after a shipwreck. Sandy colored walls, a thick jute rug, bits of driftwood as candleholders. The chair is made out of more bleached wood, a basket weave pattern for the backrest.

We maneuver the woman onto the chair and lash her down with some rope Vito brings from down the hall.

Normally I don’t care what I tie people down with, as long as it’s strong enough to hold them.

But this rope’s black, and suspiciously silky.

“Why are there tassels on this rope?” When I catch sight of Vito’s sly smile, I groan and pluck my hands away. “Fuck!”

“Ladies don’t dig the rough stuff.” He pauses, narrowing his eyes. “Rope, I mean. They absolutely love the rough?—”

“Is it strong enough to hold her?” I regret the question the moment it’s past my gritted teeth.

“Well, if it was strong enough to?—”

“Christ.” I swipe my hand through the air. “Forget I asked.”

He looks heartbroken that I didn’t let him continue. But now that this woman’s awake, we need to start bleeding her for information, not discussing the kinky shit Vito does in his spare time.

There’s still some daylight left. If we hurry this up, I’ll be back at the villa in time for the dinner date I promised Nyx. Then I can finally get her up to speed with everything we’ve found out about her sisters’ abduction.

Which is not much.

She’d better not be spoiling her appetite with all that sushi.

Despite both my bodyguards watching her, I’m still uneasy about Nyx being out in the wild. She’d have been safer at the villa. Someone would have to drop a nuke on the place to get at her. But my guys sent me the address of the restaurant—as luck would have it, she’s only a few blocks away.

Of all the people in the villa I’d thought Nyx would spend time with, Dad’s girlfriend never crossed my mind.

I grimace as Strawberry opens her eyes and focuses blearily on me. When she spots my face, she snaps to full alertness.

She glances around in shock, then up at me with wide-eyed concern. “How long was I out for?”

Not a typical question for a captive. I used to things like, “Where am I?” or more commonly, “Please, God, don’t hurt me, I’ll tell you everything.”

It’s all screaming after that.

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