Page 182 of My Sweetest Temptation

My voice turned ice cold. "Who?"

"I... I never saw his face. He communicated through encrypted channels. But... but he spoke with an Italian accent; that I can tell you."

I hurled him into the chair, the force nearly sending him crashing to the ground. "Get him on the phone right now and find out where he took Winter,” I said, my tone deceptively calm.

"I-I can’t." His breath hitched in his throat. "He would only reach out to me," he stammered, his eyes wild.

Fuck! This was getting us nowhere.

"Lo," I called. Lo moved behind him, grabbing his arms and holding him steady.

“I’ll tell who would know!” he shouted, making me pause. “I swear to God, I’ll tell you who—just please, spare my life!”

“Who?” I fumed, my patience fraying.

“A woman.”

The world stopped spinning, and I could feel my heart climb up my throat. “What woman?”

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously. “Davina.”

Lo and Luca each sucked in a sharp breath.

“What the fuck?” I snarled, my anger boiling over.

“All I know is that she's taking orders from the Puppet Master,” he sputtered.

“Who is he after?”

“Winter.” He shivered and his face paled when he noticed the expression on my face. I was going to explode like a volcano and torch this whole fucking place to ashes.

“Nico, we have to get the hell out of here!” Luca hissed. “Now!”

I turned my gaze to Walsh, who continued to tremble, the sweat glistening on his brow. I stepped closer, towering over him.

"Wait! Please! I can help you find her! Don't do this!" he pleaded desperately, his spit flying as he begged for his life.

"Too late. You made a deal with the wrong devil." I reached behind my back, seizing the handle of the bowie knife.

Lo stepped back, allowing me to move forward. Lifting the knife, I growled, "See you in hell, motherfucker."

With a swift, powerful motion, I drove the blade straight into his chest. I pushed deeper and felt the resistance of bone and muscle. His eyes widened in shock, and a gurgling scream escaped his lips. I showed no mercy, grinding my teeth as I wrenched the knife sideways, tearing through the flesh. Blood spurted, staining my clothes. I yanked the blade free, silencing his screams forever.

"Let’s get the hell out of here, Nico. We’ve got less than eight minutes before the feds show up," Luca snapped as I wiped the blood off my blade with a rag, the metallic scent lingering in the air.

Before I could respond, a sudden rustling sound caught my attention. My instincts took over. “What was that?” I asked, tucking the blade into the back of my pants.

"What are you talking about, Nico? I don’t hear—" Luca started, irritation creeping into his voice, but then we heard a sharp clanking sound from one of the nearby shipping containers.

“Could be nothing,” Lo muttered.

I wasn't taking any chances.

“Let’s check it out.” I drew my gun, the metal cold against my palm, and we cautiously approached the container. Each step felt heavy, the pulse of fear thrumming in my throat as I pulled the door open, revealing a dim interior.

My heart stopped as I recognized the very naked woman huddled in the shadows, half-naked and trembling, her wrists bound by heavy chains.

"Fuck,” Luca gasped. “Is that...”

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