Page 96 of Bad for You

I’m then sucked into a whirlwind of color before I’m spat back out into this reality that can suck my dick.

“Where the fuck is she?”

I don’t need to clarify who.

“I had no other choice,” the star of the show says.

Gianna steps out from the shadows, and if I wasn’t chained to a wall, this would be fucking comical. But right now, I’m far from laughing.

“You had a dozen other choices,” I correct, not interested in playing her games. “Where’s Valentina?”

She’s not down here, imprisoned. So where is she?

Gianna examines her red nails as if bored to be here. “She is where she should be.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“It means she knows what loyalty is. You, however, have chosen your side.” Gianna turns her attention to Bria. “You should have minded your own business,carissima.”

“Yeah, I guess the same could be said about you,” Bria replies, unmoved. “My father is going to fucking kill you when he finds out what you’ve done.”

“What I’ve done?” Gianna says, placing a hand over her heart, faking hurt. “All I’m doing is protecting myself. What anyone would do.”

I roll my eyes. “Oh, cut the bullshit. I’m so sick of your lies. We all know how this ends, so let’s get a move on, shall we?”

Gianna chuckles.

She is without a doubt enjoying this, and why wouldn’t she? She’s finally got me by the balls.

“Your father is trying to ruin me. And I cannot have that.” Gianna stands perfectly still, which concerns me because she is calculating something. I just don’t know what.

“He is only taking back what is rightly his,” Bria bites back, defending her dad. “You’re the traitor here, not him. You’re just upset he’s better at it than you are.”

I can’t hold back my smile because even chained, Bria’s smart mouth continues to run.

Gianna, however, doesn’t appreciate her sass.

She gestures with her head for her goon to show Bria what happens when one doesn’t bend to her will.

The asshole slaps Bria across the cheek. Her head snaps to the side with a loud crack. But she recovers, spitting her spilled blood into his face before a slow grin spreads from cheek to cheek.

He goes to slap her again, but Gianna raises her hand. “Enough.”

I doubt she’s had a change of heart because she doesn’t have one after all. So I wonder what trick she has up her sleeve. And when I hear someone coming down the stairs, I know this is no magic trick.

This is real life.

Valentina appears from the darkness, the horror clear on her face. It makes me feel remotely better that she’s not involved in Gianna’s devious plans. But that’s not entirely true.

I remember how she didn’t appear surprised when we were under attack. No doubt she was the one who tipped Gianna off. Was she stalling the whole time?

Disgust suddenly fills my belly, and it shows on my face.

“Don’t hate me,” Valentina says, reading my thoughts.

I can’t look at her right now because I’ll say something I’ll probably regret. I don’t pretend to understand her loyalty to Gianna. But I realize there is nothing I can do to change her mind, which means we will always be on opposing teams.

Regardless of my feelings for her, I know that she and I will never work. So where does that leave us?

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