Page 46 of Kidnapped By the Bratva

Chiara’s eyes flick to the rearview mirror, and I catch her gaze. “You might as well relax,” she says casually. “There’s no point in struggling. You’re not going anywhere.”

The car jerks forward, and I’m tossed against the seat belt as Chiara pulls back onto the highway. The ropes dig into my wrists, the tightness only increasing my panic. I think, desperate for a way out, but all I see is the empty stretch of road ahead of us. My heart pounds in my chest, each thud reminding me just how trapped I am.

I can’t let this happen.

Glancing at Chiara, I notice her grip on the steering wheel is loose, her attention focused more on the road than me. She’s confident, too confident. She thinks I’m too scared, too weak to fight back.

She has no idea who she’s dealing with.

As we speed down the road, I shift in my seat, testing the ropes around my wrists. They’re tight, but I have enough movement to make this work. I take a deep breath, steadying myself. I only have one shot at this.

When Chiara glances in the rearview mirror, I strike.

With every ounce of strength, I kick my leg out toward her, slamming my foot against the side of her head. She lets out a surprised grunt, the car swerving wildly as she struggles to maintain control. I don’t wait. I lunge toward her, using my bound hands to grab at the wheel, trying to steer the car off the road.

“You bitch!” she screams, swatting at me with one hand while trying to wrestle the car back under control with the other. The tires screech as we skid across the road, the vehicle swerving dangerously close to the guardrail.

I kick at her again, this time connecting with her shoulder. Her hand slips off the steering wheel, and for a moment, I think I’ve got the upper hand. I think I can do this.

Chiara is quicker than I anticipated.

With a snarl, she reaches across and grabs me by the hair, yanking me back into my seat with a brutal force. I scream, the pain radiating through my scalp as she slams me against the passenger door.

“You think you can get away from me?” she hisses, her voice low and furious. “You’ve got no idea what you’re dealing with.”

I twist in her grip, trying to free myself, but she’s too strong. The car swerves again as she struggles to keep me pinned down while still driving. My vision blurs from the pain, but I can’t stop now. I have to fight.

Desperation fuels me, and I manage to twist my body just enough to throw my elbow into her ribs. She grunts in pain, her grip loosening for a split second. It’s all I need.

I slam my foot into the dashboard and push off, trying to open the door. If I can just get it open, I can jump out. I don’t care if we’re moving. I’d rather take my chances with the road than stay in this car with her.

I claw at the handle with my bound hands, managing to crack the door open just a little. Cold air rushes in, and I can almost taste freedom. I shove my shoulder against the door, trying to push it open wider, but Chiara’s hand clamps down on my arm like a vise.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she growls, yanking me back into the seat. I scream, my voice echoing through the empty car as I kick wildly, trying to break free.

I kick the dashboard again, my heel slamming against the controls, and the car jerks forward violently. For a moment, I think we’re going to crash, but Chiara slams on the brakes, sending us skidding to a stop in the middle of the road.

She throws the car into park and turns to me, her face twisted in fury. “You want to play rough?” she spits, her hand coming down hard on my shoulder, shoving me back against the door. “Fine. Let’s play.”

I push her away with my feet, screaming for help as loud as I can. “Help! Somebody, help me!”

Cars pass by, their lights blurring in the distance. I scream again, louder this time, but no one stops. No one even slows down. I’m in the middle of nowhere, and the only sound that fills the air is the rush of wind and the distant hum of tires on asphalt.

Chiara’s grip tightens on my shoulder, and she leans in close, her breath hot against my ear. “No one’s going to save you, Sophia. You can scream all you want, but no one will hear you.”

She’s right. We’re too far out, and the passing cars can’t hear me over the roar of the engine. Panic rises in my throat as I realize just how helpless I am.

I thrash against her, trying to throw her off-balance, but she’s too fast. In one swift motion, she grabs a small syringe from the console and stabs it into my arm. The cold sting of the needle barely registers before the world around me starts to blur.

“No…,” I gasp, my body growing heavy, the fight draining out of me as whatever she injected takes effect. I try to push her away, but my limbs feel like lead, my vision going dark at the edges.

Chiara leans back, satisfied. “That’s better.”

My eyelids grow heavy, and I can feel myself slipping away, my consciousness fading as I slump against the seat. The last thing I see before everything goes black is Chiara’s cold, victorious smile.

Then, nothing.

Chapter Twenty-Three - Maxim

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