Page 93 of Lethal Infatuation

"I need to find her. I need to fucking find her. Did you see the way they handled her?"

"We're going to get her back,” Ares reassured, looking at Kayden who shook his head in agreement. "They were completely unaware of the fact that she's got cameras all around the house so we have the upper hand. We'll get her back safely."

"I'm going flip this city upside down, and if anything should happen to her, I'll burn this fucking city to the ground with everyone in it."

THIRTY SEVEN

Ifought. I clawed. I evaded. I gave it my all, but I was no match for the unknown men who entered my home. When I grabbed my cell phone to contact Nicolas, they grabbed it out of my hand and smashed it to pieces.

My wrists were bound to a chair, my eyes blindfolded, and there was a sharp pain in my abdomen and rib area every single time I breathed.

I didn't know how long I've been in this position, but it felt like hours passed by. I tried to remain calm, reassuring myself that he'd find me. He'd get me out of this situation.

"You're a pretty little thing." I heard a deep voice coming from behind me with an Italian accent. I shuddered, breathing in and out through my nose slowly to ensure they didn't use my fear as weakness.

"I can see why Nicolas likes you." The man's breath fanned the side of my face, but I remained still, not even moving an inch. I could smell the liquor, it was strong. Definitely bourbon or scotch. He touched the side of my face, a shiver licking my spine. I felt disgusted. "You're the perfect bait. I've been waiting for this moment. Waiting patiently to take something precious from him."

I gulped, tugging on the restraints which I'm assuming was rope, judging by how much it burned my skin. "Trying to escape is futile."

The blindfold was removed and I squinted, trying to adjust to the harsh light. "You don't talk?" I looked up, seeing the man's face. He wasn't bad looking, but his face was covered in scars.

If I passed him on the street, I'd assume he was a normal civilian, not the type of man who kidnapped or condoned violence against women. Nicolas didn't give me any details about the suspect who shot him, but I just knew this was him. I didn't know what crimes he's committed, but it was obviously extremely atrocious.

My body trembled and I couldn't stop the shaking. I kept my expression neutral, not showing an ounce of emotion, but on the inside every single nerve burned with fear and anxiety.

He grabbed my face harshly, squeezing it with shear force which made me whimper in pain. "I asked you a question,Gabriella." I refused to answer and backhanded me across the face.

His rings were definitely going to leave bruises. The metallic taste lingered in my mouth and I instantly knew it was blood. I lowered my head, trying to ignore the pain.

"You're a stubborn little bitch, aren't you?" I slowly raised my head, spitting on him. The blood mixed with saliva trickled down his pants. He laughed and the sound was eerie while he peered at me with his soulless eyes.

He called one of his men and they rushed over. Tears streamed down my face and I couldn't stop them. "That bravado can onlylast for so long before it crumbles. Tilt her chair back." The other man followed his order.

The scarred face piece of shit walked away and returned a few seconds later with a cloth in one hand and bottled water in the other. He covered my face with the cloth, then immediately I felt the cold water hit my face.

The liquid filled my mouth and nose, making me cough and gag. The burning sensation made me fight against the restraints, and for the first time tonight, I tried talking. I tried to tell them to stop, but I couldn't.

I couldn't do anything. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. The cloth was ripped away from my face and I immediately gasped for air. All of the men in the room laughed, but before I could even fill my lungs with air, the cloth was back on my face.

They repeated this for a few minutes. Every limb, every atom, every inch of my body tingled. I felt as though I was going to pass out any minute now. He stopped the torture, laughing once more. "We're going to have so much fun with you. By the time yourboyfriendfinds you, he won't even recognise you."

"Fuck you," I spat, gasping for air. "Fuck all of you!" Profanity was something I hated, hence the reason I hardly swore, but I was livid. Scared. Exposed.

"I'm sure my men would love to fuck you, so that's not off the table. Perhaps they can take turns." He grabbed my hair, the excruciating pain in my scalp nearly made my body go numb. "Nicolas took everything from me, so now he's going to pay the price for that."

He snapped his fingers. "Take her to the basement." They cut me loose and yanked me out of the chair. The grip on my arm was harsh and felt like my skin was being ripped apart. "Be sure to stuff her mouth, I don't want this bitch screaming the entire place down."

Before they could take me out of the room, another man rushed through the door. "Boss, we've got a problem." Every man in the room tensed and they looked at the new addition.

This boss they spoke of cussed, throwing his cell phone against the wall. "What?" he barked.

"All of the cameras have been disabled and the men guarding the perimeter aren't responding to my call over the radios."

"Fuck’s sake! They shouldn't have been able to track us, especially not this quick. How the fuck did this even happen?"

I watched the scene unfold, watched the panic in all of their eyes. The boss came back over to me, gripping my face once more. "Everybody else leave, make sure nobody enters this building. Leave the bitch with me."

Everybody else rushed out of the room, leaving me alone with the man who could be classified as Satan.

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