Page 82 of The Devil's Pawn

What have I done? Why did I involve her in our fight?

“If you shoot me, I’ll make sure the bullet lands in her. She’s still alive, but barely.” He laughs hard, and my hand itches to use my knives on him and make him scream.

“I’m gonna make you suffer. I promise,” I tell him.

“All you are is a pussy with a bunch of threats. After I rip her to shreds, I’ll let you have her rotting corpse.” His hand clutches tighter around her shirt, raising her body off the floor and into the air. “She’smywoman! She’ll always be mine until she dies.”

He ogles her like the depraved fuck he is. How the hell do I get her out of this?!

“I’m finally going to get a taste of this body.” His weapon drifts down her breast to her stomach.

Anger spirals from my guts, and my teeth grind until my jaw rattles. I veer the car closer to them.

“You have two choices, my friend,” he continues. “You either let me go and allow me to have some fun, or…”

The gun coasts up her body, the barrel landing on her temple.

“I can shoot her right now and we end this.”

Fuck! What the hell do I do?

Maybe I can fire at him and my men can take care of the ones in the front.

Damn it. No. Too risky. He could pull the trigger and kill her instantly.

The only good option is to let Raquel go and find her on my own before he can kill her. But he’ll make it slow. He’s going to hurt her, and I don’t know how I can knowingly let it happen. But what fucking choice do I have? I have no doubt he’ll kill her right in front of me.

With the deepest regret rattling through me, I decide to let her go, only to find her again.

“This isn’t over. I’m coming for you.”

“Good luck. May the best man win.”

Then he speeds off down the vacant road while I slow, dialing Dom’s and Enzo’s numbers.

This war just got a little more personal.

CHAPTERTWENTY

RAQUEL

There’s darkness all around,and my eyes are bound, shrouding me with a deep sense of fear. The kind that creeps up the back of your neck and has your body shivering from an icy chill that isn’t there.

Carlito must’ve placed a blindfold around my eyes after he knocked me out. At least I’m not dead. At least there’s a chance.

A chance for what? For suffering?

Who would possibly help me? Dante’s the only person who can, and he doesn’t even know where I am. I don’t believe for a moment that he’d want anyone to hurt me. If he knew Carlito brought me here, he’d come. It’s obvious that my so-called mother lied about trying to help me, so why would I believe her about Dante? He’s been nothing but good to me, unlike my own family. There’s no way he’d want to kill me.

My wrists throb on my lap, and I feel something tight fastened around them.

Dante. Help me.

The cloth soaks up the silent drops of misery. I hear my breaths and the pounding of feet somewhere further away, taunting me. My lungs ache with heaviness, like bricks upon bricks piling over my fear.

Carlito’s not immediately beside me. I can hear him speaking low with someone else, but I can’t hear what they’re saying.

Who else is here? What do they plan to do to me?

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