I open my eyes and see Vinny standing there with the shotgun. He’s sweating and visibly angry.

“You’re gonna help me get rid of these,” he says. I don’t move a muscle as Vinny drags each man’s body into the back of a huge black Chevy. How did I not hear it pull up? Was I screaming too loudly?

Once the last guy is in the back, Vinny grabs me and carries me to the truck. The ride is long and quiet and I’m shuddering badly. I thought I wasn’t afraid to die until death stared me in the face.

“Vinny, say something,” I go on. Vinny only drives faster. My anxiety picks up as he takes a sharp turn and we finally make it into an open cornfield. Now the panic rises again.

“Can you blame me for running? You would do the same if you were in my shoes!” I wail with tears and snot trailing down my face. Vinny takes the keys out of the ignition. His breathing picks up.

“Those…sons of bitches,” he says in a low tone. “Those cowards.”

“Wait, what?” I ask in confusion.

He keeps his eyes set straight ahead. “The Lewis brothers. They have the nerve to be on our turf. And tampering with our business.” My panic turns to shame. For a second, I thought I mattered to him.

But Vinny turns to me with his mouth twisting into a nasty scowl. Tears well in his eyes and he slams his hand on the steering wheel.

“That… asshole, Branson, he…he…” Vinny’s voice cracks. I never thought I’d see him this broken up.

“He what?”

Vinny draws a shaky breath. “Leanne…my sister. She dated that prick for years until he…” The words don’t need to come out. I see it all over Vinny’s face.

“My baby sister. I buried my baby sister because that asshole couldn’t control his temper,” Vinny says. He slams the steering wheel again. “he was on the run and sought protection from our rivals. It was just my luck today. I’ll be damned if I let him do that to anyone again.”

He brings his hand to my face and wipes away my tears. I don’t know if I should be scared or sympathetic.

“You ran away because I scared you,” Vinny says. “I’m a scary person because I have to do things I never wanted to do.”

He squeezes his eyes shut, this time turning his eyes back to the road. “Leanne was all I had. Her dying was my ticket into all of this. I didn’t have anything left to lose.”

“I’m so sorry, Vinny,” I whisper.

“I’m sorry your asshole parents got you wrapped up in this,” Vinny replies. “You’re good like she was. Leanne. You’re smart and you could do so many great things.” I reach over and take his hand. The rage and fear is gone. All I see is another broken person who is a victim of his upbringing.

“I think the same for you,” I assure Vinny. There’s a moment when we stare at one another with new eyes. The night no longer feels scary. I see Vinny differently as a streetlamp shines through the truck. His sultry eyes and sweaty hair make him irresistible. It’s like a strange thirst takes over me.

Vinny’s eyes look me up and down, and before we can make any logical decisions, I take off my seatbelt and Vinny pulls me into his lap. My shirt is pulled off and I quickly unzip his pants. Everything happens in a blur as we kiss each other passionately. Our sweat mingles and all our clothes are finally off. The sensation of our sweaty skin pressed together is incredible. Vinny is even stronger than I realized. But why should I be shocked? He’s massive. Nearly every inch of him is covered in tattoos and muscles. What’s most surprising is that he's not rough. He holds me tight with his calloused hands. However, every kiss is tender.

Vinny eventually grabs my hips as he enters me and the pleasure replaces the confusion from before. It rushes through me like a wave as we go faster and faster, shaking the truck. Vinny's chiseled, tattooed body is delicious as I drag my nails down his chest. The frustration of being a prisoner melts away. His touch is electric and I no longer care. I want only him. After what feels like an eternity, warmth rushes down my legs and my body tenses. I collapse on top of him, exhausted.

“Wow, I didn’t think you had it in you,” Vinny whispers in my ear.

“I could say the same about you,” I say. We stay there for a while as the combined sweat and heat lifts. I don’t think about the bodies or the rush of me trying to break free. My plan to escape had been hazy anyway. All I notice is how in sync my heartbeat is with Vinny’s.

He is not who I thought he was.

CHAPTER 6

Vinny

My world has become a lot smaller. I’m shunned to the outskirts of a tiny town in New York surrounded by fish. The people are quiet and don’t bother to come my way. They don’t want to risk getting on the bad side of the Montoya. But I think I prefer it that way. Out here, I can pretend I’m not a street thug who kidnaps women for money. I’m just Vinny.

Being just Vinny is enough for Rosa. It’s insane to admit, but I think I’m falling for her. When she ran away, I was full of fear. Fear my Dad would take me out for messing up, yet again. The fear I’d be on the streets without protection. But most of all, fear something will happen to Rosa. I knew the streets well. As quiet as this seaside town is, there are tons of snakes that love to slither around at night. Rosa is too beautiful to wander alone at night and not get caught in their traps. I counted my blessings that I’d found her.

Rosa is no longer my victim. She’s the one person I want to spend time with every day and I can’t imagine getting tired of it. Still, there’s the possibility that my dad will barge in and ruin the fake world we have together, so I have to be careful.

“How about a real date?” Rosa suggests after breakfast. “I have all those new outfits with nowhere to go.” I snicker as I wash the dishes from the pancakes we had. The syrup slips off the plate and slides down the drain in a brown mush. I focus on it in the hope that my silence will make Rosa drop it. Rosa walks around the counter and places her head on my shoulder.