Page 25 of Enzo

We walk up the five flights of stairs in silence. By the time we get to the fifth floor, I’m wondering why the fuck people still live in buildings without elevators. Kayleigh’s apartment door is ajar. Both my father and I reach for our guns at the same time. Shoving me aside, he enters first.

It’s obvious she’s not here. No one is fucking here. The first thing I see are the tiny splatters of blood on the floor. I walk through the space and stop in her bedroom. There’s a bag on the bed full of clothes. She was planning on running. I don’t blame her.

“Tell me again who’s going to miss old Frank when I fucking kill the bastard?” I growl at my father. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who has my girl.

“As far as he knows, she’s your wife. You’d be well within your rights to kill him if he took her,” Pops says.

“Let’s go.” I storm out of the apartment.

There’re only so many places a roach like Frank Esposito could be hiding, and I’m not going to stop until I find him. I was supposed to be the one to break my little thief. One night with her and all I want to do is lock her up in a goddamn tower to make sure she’s safe.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Chapter Eighteen

My head pounds. Correction:my entire bodyis throbbing. I don’t think I have a single cell that isn’t in agony right now. I work on finding a peaceful place, a way to override the pain. It’s all just mind control. I can do this.

The image of Enzo’s face hovering above me is the first thing that pops up. My eyes snap open.Enzo is not my peace, damn it.A light flickers on, blinding me momentarily while illuminating the room—or should I say dungeon?

It’s not until I attempt to bring a hand up to shield my eyes that I discover my wrists are bound to something. Trying my feet next, I’m not surprised to find they’re also tied up. “Are you really so afraid of a girl you had to tie me up, you coward!” I yell out.

I know he’s watching. I’m not going to give him the privilege of seeing how scared I am right now. I will not cower, no matter what they do to me. It’s stupid, but Enzo’s face pops into my head again. I don’t know why his smile makes me feel something I shouldn’t.

Safe. I’m anything but safe. My head knows that. But when I think about Enzo, when I think about how I felt last night, giving into my desires to be with him…

I want that feeling back. I want to be free, which is exactly what I was last night. With him.

“Argh, come and face me like a man, you old bastard.” My scream echoes off the cement walls. I have no idea where I am. All I know is that if I can’t save myself, he wins. And I refuse to let this monster win.

Think, Kayleigh. Think. You can get out of this.

My mental pep talk is interrupted when the door opens and the monster who killed my father walks in, but that’s not what surprises me. It’s who walks in behind him that has me confused.

“Geoff? What are you doing?” I ask.I know. Stupid.Because when he smiles at me, I know exactly what he’s doing here. He sold me out.

“If you don’t fight, Kayleigh, it’ll end sooner,” Geoff says.

“Why? Why would you do this to me?” I honestly thought we were friends. If not friends, then at the very least,partners. He’sa detective. He’s supposed to be on my side of the law. He should be helping me, not feeding me to the wolves.

“It’s not personal, Kayleigh, but I’ve been keeping an eye on you for a long time. You see, Frank here is my cousin. When he went away, I made it my mission to help find you and your mother.”

“Leave my mother alone!” I yell. My arms pull against the plastic binds around my wrists. Fucking zip ties. They put zip ties around my wrists.

Why didn’t I just stay handcuffed to Enzo’s bed this morning?Then again, there’s no telling what he would have done to me if he knew who I was.

“Oh, it’s not your mother I’m interested in. You see, I was going to have a lot of fun with you back then. You’re not as small as I like 'em now, but you’ll still do.” Frank face gets so close to mine I can feel his breath on my cheek.

Rearing my head back, I use every ounce of strength I can muster to bring it forward, head-butting Frank right in the middle of his face. I get a brief moment of satisfaction when he stumbles a few steps. Until he regains his composure and backhands me across the side of my face.

“Fucking little bitch. You really shouldn’t have done that,” he sneers.

“Fuck you.” I pull at my bindings again but it’s no use. They’re tied around some kind of metal poles. The fear I’ve been trying so desperately to hide shows its face when Frank draws a knife.

“No, I think I’ll be the one fucking you,” he says, closing the distance.

There’s nowhere for me to go. I can’t move away from him. I can’t defend myself at all. I’m literally in the hands of a monster. The light glints off the blade as Frank points the tip at the top of my shirt. I scream when he slides the knife downwards.

“Much better. I knew you’d scream nice for me,” Frank says, drawing the knife back from my skin. Blood drips down my chest. Not too much. He hasn’t cut that deep. Still hurts like a bitch though. “Keep screaming, baby. I’ve waited a long time for this. I’m going to take my time with you.”

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