Page 70 of Desire and Revenge

I shift against one side of the box weakly, cocking my ear, but I don’t hear anything. It’s almost like I’ve been tossed away and forgotten. Horrifying image upon horrifying image of where I can possibly be fills my head.

A land fill? Six feet under, perhaps? Tossed into the sea? A canyon? Oh God, my thoughts aren’t helping.

I shut my eyes and try to take a deep, even breath.Don’t panic Sofia, just relax, just try to remember how the hell you got here.

Another breath shudders out of me. The last thing I remember is that perfect kiss with Nero, and then I headed back to my room... Or at least I had been heading back to my room.

My head begins to hurt as I try to sort through the memory, but finally, I recall someone grabbing me roughly by the shoulder and yanking me into a dark hallway. Before I couldeven get my bearings to scream, he had his hand wrapped around my hair and knocked my head into the wall.

My eyes fly open in shock.

There’s no way that I was abducted from the house without anyone noticing. That place has been streaming with security since the fire at the Villa, which means that I’ve been taken under Sebastian’s order, which also means that he knows something, if not everything.

“Dear God, I—” the rest of it refuses to leave my mouth. I haven’t been the most devout Christian since I moved out of my parents’ house and anyway, it feels rather hypocritical to pray about a situation I landed myself in by committing adultery.

“About time you got here, Castello,” I hear my husband’s voice drawl.

Then I hear the cry of a seagull next. We are by the sea. My mind races with realization. Today is still Sunday, the day of the shipment and the day Nero is supposed to take Sebastian down. I’m probably in one of the shipping crates, and if I’m here, it means Nero’s in trouble.

“God please. God please,” I whisper to myself as I begin to beat against the sides of the crate with renewed effort.

“Nero! Get out of here! It’s a trap! Get the hell out!” I scream at the top of my lungs until my voice cracks, but it’s futile. He can’t possibly hear me. A sob catches in my throat, and I shut my eyes, feeling useless and defeated.

“I didn’t know I was so important that the deal would be put on hold for my sake. I’m truly flattered,” Nero is saying, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Please, leave,” I whisper brokenly, knowing that neither of us is going to make it out of this alive.

Sweat drips down my face and chest, and breathing becomes increasingly difficult inside the cramped crate. If I don’t break free soon, I’ll suffocate, which might be Sebastian’s sinister plan.

“You should be flattered,” Sebastian sneers, his chuckle sending chills down my spine. “After all, this entire charade is for your benefit.”

“What are you talking about?”

Sebastian’s laughter is over-the-top, and he mocks Nero’s deep voice, repeating, “What are you talking about?”

“Do you think me a fool?” he suddenly roars. “Do you think I’m so blind and stupid that I wouldn’t know that you are the snake slithering in my yard? Do you think I don’t know about all the times you put your hands on my wife and had her cry out your name?”

I stiffen, tears running down my eyes.Sebastian knows.

“If you had been a husband to her, she wouldn’t have had to be screaming another man’s name,” Nero sounds nonchalant. “I saw an opportunity, I took advantage of it. It’s not like you’re winning any prizes for chastity, Lucchese. You had your cock in that blonde whore every chance you could.”

I wonder if his careless description of the thing between us is a ploy to protect himself or if he means it. Either way, it makes my chest hurt.

“You stupid fool!” Sebastian snarled. “You know, the problem with you, Castello, is you’ve always been a cocky son of a bitch. You’ve always felt so invincible and untouchable, better than the rest of us. Well, you’ve gotten to the end of your road today, asshole.”

“Can we quit the endless back and forth and get this over with?” I hear a familiar voice say. “I don’t have all day, Lucchese.”

I immediately place the voice as belonging to the short, dull eyed man from that painful dinner a few days ago.Carmine Amato.

“Get him,” Sebastian orders.

“If any of your men takes a step—” Nero immediately counters.

My husband’s laughter cuts off the other man’s threat, and the smug satisfaction in it makes me feel cold and uncomfortable.

“You’ll dowhat?” Sebastian taunts. “You will have your men on the roof or the ones posing as my men by the docks take me down? Come now, Castello, you’ve forgotten who I am.”

“How?”

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