Page 27 of Stolen Queen

I watch as the fight drains out of her, replaced by resignation. I hate doing this to her, but I need her to cooperate. I hope the threat alone will be enough to make her fall in line because the last thing I want is to send her back to that bastard she calls a father.

“You said you saved me from him. Why would you do that just to send me back to him?”

I run a hand through my hair, frustration and guilt warring inside me. "You think I want to do this? You’ve left me no choice.”

"So you're just going to hand me over to him? After everything?"

I curse under my breath as my phone rings, Elio's name flashing on the screen. I toss Ava over my shoulder and take her back to the room, setting her down on the bed.

I leave the room, taking a breath as I answer Elio’s call. “What’s up, Cuz?”

"Matteo, we've got a situation," Elio's tense voice comes through the line. "Rinella has reached out saying his daughter has disappeared.”

“Which one?” Please, God, don’t let him hear the guilt in my voice.

“Ava.”

My heart races, but I force out a chuckle. "Is that so? Sounds like the princess finally had enough of her old man."

"This isn't a joke, Matteo," Elio snaps. "I’ve agreed to help."

I lean against the wall, running a hand through my hair. "Come on, Elio. He’s an asshole selling her to a sadist. Why would we help him with that?”

“You know how things work. And we need to fix things after Lazaro.”

At that moment, I resent Elio. He’s a good man, but I hate how he’s willing to put Ava in danger to appease her father. He’s not worth it.

"Rinella is threatening to tear the city apart looking for her."

I roll my eyes, even though Elio can't see me. "Let him. It's not our problem if he can't keep track of his own daughter."

“I offered our help. You need to meet me and Lazaro at Rinella’s place. Thirty minutes.”

I feel the blood drain from my face as Elio's words sink in. Rinella's asking for our help to find Ava? Christ, this is worse than I thought. "Yeah, sure. I'll be there."

As soon as I hang up, I accept that I'm truly fucked now. If Rinella's calling in favors, it won't be long before someone connects the dots back to me.

I stride back to the room and throw open the door. Ava looks up at me, her hands and legs tied, her eyes wide with fear and confusion, tears streaming down her face. God, I’m a fucking asshole.

I push down the urge to comfort her, forcing myself to adopt the cold, hard persona I've cultivated over years in this business.

"Playtime's over, Princess. Your daddy's looking for you, and he's out for blood."

I watch Ava's face, noting the conflict in her eyes. She's trapped between two devils, and I can see her weighing heroptions. On one hand, there's her father, a man who sees her as nothing more than a bargaining chip. On the other, there's me, the man who kidnapped her, but also the one who's been trying to protect her.

"I've got to go meet with Elio and your father. You've got until I get back to make a decision. Option one—I take you back to your father. You face whatever punishment he's got in store for you, and we pretend this never happened."

I pause, letting that sink in before I present the alternative.

"Option two—you stay here with me. I keep protecting you, keep you safe from your father and whoever else he tries to marry you off to."

I lean in close, my voice dropping to a low growl as I unbind her hands and legs. "But make no mistake, Princess. If you choose to stay, you play by my rules. No more escape attempts, no more games. You do what I say, when I say it. Understood?"

Ava nods, her eyes never leaving mine. I can see the wheels turning in her head as she considers her options.

I straighten up. "Think carefully, because once you make your choice, there's no going back."

I leave her, hoping she’ll make the wise decision.

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