Page 95 of Wicked Truths

The house I used to think of as mine.

Uncle Tony turns around in his seat to face me. “Alright, so I think you should sneak around to the basement alone and get Jax while AJ and I distract the guys your dad hired as security.”

“How do you know Dad hired guys?”

“Do you think he’d leave the heir to the Rossi Empire alone?”

“Well, Jax told them his last name was Brown, so Dad might not even know he’s a Rossi, unless Rhett told him.”

“How does Rhett know he’s a Rossi?”

“I told him after he interrogated Jax. He wanted to tell me about Mom.”

“Does your father and Joey know about Elizabeth?”

I shake my head. “Rhett came straight home and told me.”

At least, I think he did. Would Rhett tell Dad and Joey before telling me? Is his loyalty more to them or to me?

That is something I can worry about later. For now, I need to get to Jax and figure out if mom is still alive.

AJ parks on the side of the house. “We will meet back here in five minutes. If you aren’t back by then, I will force my way into the house and come get you and Jax.”

“Got it.” I say, even though I don’t think it will take me that long.

We get out of the car and immediately split up. I head around the back of the house to the basement door. I use my key and unlock the locks before quietly opening the door and slipping inside.

The basement is empty and dark, but I know my way around. I slowly make my way over to the large metal door.

The door squeaks as I open it. I’m assaulted by the aroma of sweat and bleach.

I quickly glance around the mostly empty room. There’s a foldable metal chair in the middle of the room with a circle of white powder all around it.

“What the hell is that?” I whisper as I step closer to it.

Jax’s voice is dry and strained when he speaks. “Sodium peroxide. It’s used to clean blood stains from concrete. The bleach you smell was used to clean the chair and the bed.”

A small dim light shines from the corner of the room, illuminating half of the bed.

I follow his voice and see him lying down on a twin bed with chains around one wrist and one ankle that lead to giant hooks in the wall.

“What are you doing here, Francesca?”

“Actually, I’m here to rescue you.”

He stares at me for a moment before tilting his head back and laughing.

I cross my arms. “I’m serious, Jax.”

I’m rewarded with another howl of laughter.

Thank God, the room is soundproof or else they would come investigate why Jax was laughing.

He regains his composure and glances at me. “You’re serious?”

“Yes, and we need to go, but these chains complicate things.”

I take a couple of steps closer to him, stopping before I get within arm’s distance.

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