Page 75 of Unbroken Promises

That’s obviously Tony, and some woman with him. But who is the other man?

I swear I recognized his voice.

And then it all comes rushing back.

True to his word, Finn had a private car waiting to take me to the airport when I made it out of the hotel, and a private jet ready to go on the tarmac. I called coach and let him know there had been a family emergency that I had to leave immediately to deal with. I may be fined for the abrupt departure, but to hell with it. They could kick me off the team for all I care. If something happened to Danica and I didn’t even try to help, I couldn’t live with myself.

When I landed back in Washington a short time later, two of Finn’s men were waiting to take me to meet up with Finn and Jonathan. We didn’t speak much after I got in the car, but it didn’t take long to realize we were headed in entirely the wrong direction from where we were supposed to be traveling. Smart enough to realize that something was off, I discreetly pulled out my phone to shoot off a quick text to Finn and my men, but when I looked up, Roberts was glaring at me through the rearview.

“Deal with him!”

That was the last thing I remember before I blacked out, and now here I am. And, it would appear that Roberts has been working with my cousin from the inside to sabotage me.

Heels echo in the empty space as the group moves closer to me. “Ah good, you’re finally awake. I was worried for a minute there that Roberts here gave you too much and you would miss out on all the fun.”

She steps closer, into the dim light cast by the one fluorescent bulb that hangs above my head.

Holy shit!

“You see dear, we haven’t met, but I believe you knew my son. And my stupid husband, for that matter.” Her laugh is dry, as humorless as her expression as she stands before me. “It would seem that our meeting is long overdue.”

“Diane. Can’t exactly say it’s a pleasure.”

Her grin is feline, almost feral, though her eyes are cold and calculating as she glances down my restrained body.

Tony steps up to her side, while Roberts flanks her on the other.

“Cousin. Can’t say I was expecting you to be here. Care to fill me in on what’s going on?”

“Oh, you would like that, wouldn’t you,cousin?” His voice is condescending as he sneers at me. “Look at you, always having to be in charge, to boss me around. Even when you’re literally tied up and under my control, you still think you can boss me around? Me?!”

At this, I frown. “I never wanted to be in charge.”

“Liar! You stole it from me. Stole my life. It’s mine!” He screams, spit flying from his mouth and I cringe in disgust.

“Now, now, dear. You’ll have your moment.” Diane places a soothing hand on Tony’s arm, before turning her attention back to me. “You see, Mr. Giovanni. You and I? We seem to have a bit of an issue that needs to be addressed.” She steps forward, grazing her talon-like nails down my cheek and along my throat, before digging them painfully into my neck. I don’t wince, don’t make a sound. I refuse to give them the satisfaction. “You murdered my son; brutalized him and took him away from me. The one good thing I had in my life. So, it seems, it is time for me to return the favor.”

My heart drops to my stomach. Danica. They were behind all of it, the years of misery and now they have my precious diavoletta. I fight futilely against my restraints.

Diane just tsks. “Come dear, none of that. Wouldn’t want to tire yourself out before all the fun begins, now, would you?” Her voice is cloyingly sweet, belying the hardness in her eyes. She squeezes my throat to the point where my eyes begin to water, before shoving me back as she releases me, turning to Tony.

“We need the girl.”

“I told you; I’m working on it.” Tony’s voice is begrudging and he looks like a petulant child talking back to his mother as he responds.

“Working on it isn’t good enough. We need her here, now.” She turns to Roberts, “Go help the others, find her, and bring her to me. Alive.”

He nods, turning on his heel to leave, but he freezes as I call out to him. “She trusted you. Danica trusted you. You were her friend. Why would you do something like this?” His shoulders tense, and he pauses, but Diane walks over to him and whispers in his ear before placing a lingering kiss on his lips. Robertslooks over his shoulder at me, and for a brief second, I could swear that I see something in his eyes. Guilt, maybe? Or regret? But it is gone in a flash, and then with a brief glance over at Diane, he nods before walking out of the room, not bothering to respond.

“She trusted you!” My voice is hoarse as I yell after him. Relief fills me though. She got away. I don’t know how she managed, but at least she isn’t here. Whatever happens to me, well. . . I probably deserve it anyway. But if my girl is free, that’s all that matters.

Stars blind my vision and my head whips to the side as a blow catches me off-guard. Fucking Tony! Blinking away the pain, I shift my head to face him once more.

“The fact that you all trusted him was entirely the point, young man. Roberts has been a close family friend for years. It was such an easy ask for him to step into the role of spy for me. Especially when he learned what you did to my sweet Bradley. Roberts loved him, was more family to my sweet Bradley than his disgusting father ever was. The fact that he met that obnoxious friend of yours and trained him while they were both in the military made it all the easier for him to earn their trust. From there, it really was no trouble for him to remove all evidence of our tied history and insert himself into theirlittle group. It pays to have discreetfriends, you see.”

Her smile is sadistic, eyes hard as she turns to Tony. “You can play with him all you want, but he stays alive until he watches that bitch die.” With that, Diane turns and follows Roberts out of the room, leaving me alone with my cousin.

“Do you know how long I have waited for this? How many nights I have dreamed about all the ways I would hurt you, the way that you hurt me.”

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