Page 181 of My Sweetest Temptation

Lo and Luca swept their eyes across the area, landing on the high ceiling and then back down to the expansive floor, devoid of hiding places for a sniper.

My eyes narrowed as they fell upon a series of empty shipping containers. My stomach churned as I imagine Winter, my angel, locked inside one of those metal coffins.

I caught sight of the screen Liam mentioned, the numbers climbing steadily, each digit a punch to my gut. Where the hell were they selling these women? The place looked like a shithole.

And then my gaze shifted to the mayor, that piece of shit with his smug grin, acting like he had won some kind of prize from the Price is Right while counting the cash in that briefcase, completely oblivious to three skilled trained killers closing in on him.

The guard beside him noticed us first and raised his weapon, but Lo was quicker.

Three shots to the guard's chest and he went down like a sack of bricks.

My blood boiled, and I roared, the sound echoing through the warehouse, "Where is my fucking girl?!" I strode ahead, my gun already in my hand, my finger itching on the trigger.

"Nico, what the hell are you doing here?” he sputtered.

That's right, motherfucker. I’m the devil, bringing hell to your door.

I spat on the ground in front of him and raised my gun to his forehead. "Fuck you. Where. Is. She?"

The mayor's expression twisted in bewilderment. "I have no idea what you’re talking about."

I slammed the grip of my gun against his skull, and he cried out. "Listen to me, you sick fuck,” I hissed. “I will chop off your crusty dick and stuff it down your throat. Then I’ll rip your fucking spine out and use it to fuck your wife and then put a bullet in her brain.”

His eyes widened, and he started to shake. I pressed the gun harder against his forehead, feeling the metal dig into his skin. "Now that I have your attention, tell me where my girl is, and pray to whatever god you believe in that there is not one single mark on her body."

Luca's device suddenly came to life, alerting us to activity outside. “Whatever you're about to do, Nico, do it now before the calvary shows up,” he said.

I ignored the warning, focusing solely on the mayor.

I needed to break him, make him feel the agony he deserved. Soon, he would understand the extent of my wrath if he had anything to do with Winter's disappearance. "So, how's Preston doing? Have you heard from him lately?"

His face paled as the realization hit. His expression shifted, his eyes widening with immediate dread. "Y-You... What have you done?" he stammered, his voice barely audible.

A sinister grin spread across my face.

"No... Please..." he whimpered, his body trembling. "What did you do to my boy?"

I just stared at him, not giving two fucks if he knew it was me. “I made him pay for his sins. Should I tell you how I gutted him slowly?" My voice dripped with contempt.

"Wh-why?"

"Your son attacked my girl and then had his friends try to rape her. He begged for mercy when I ended his life just like what I’m about to do to you."

Walsh's face flushed with rage, his eyes narrowing.

I shrugged. “What do you want? My apologies? My sympathy? I’m not sorry your son is dead."

Walsh's body tensed, his fists clenching as he lunged forward, attempting to strike me. I seized his throat in an iron grip, my fingers digging into his neck.

“That is what happens when people cross me and go after the people I care about,” I hissed, my grip tightening around his neck, his eyes bugging out. “You’ve already killed my mother, several of my men, and now you’ve taken my girl. What do you think I’m going to do to you?”

“Wh-what are you talking about?” he gasped, prompting me to relax my hold just enough for him to speak. “I didn’t kill your mother or your men. I had nothing to do with that!”

Lo, standing nearby, couldn't contain his frustration. “Just kill the fucker, Nico.”

My grip tightened further, my knuckles turning white. “Did you sell my girl?” The question tore from my lips, raw and desperate. My heart plummeted at the thought of her being taken away, sold like property.

He attempted to shake his head, but it was futile with my grip around his neck. “N-no... I... I didn't sell her. A man... He wanted her?—”

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