Page 30 of Ruthless Oath

“Why?”

“Because I said so.” He snatched it from me.

I leaned over to get it back, but he was too quick. He threw the phone out the window and into the river.

“Why did you do that?” I lost my breath and smacked his shoulder. “My whole life is on that phone. Pictures, contacts, my calendar, my social media. Everything! Why would you do that?”

“Because what kind of kidnapper would I be if I allowed my captive to have a phone?”

“Your captive?” I undid my seatbelt because the restriction made me uneasy. “That’s not what this is.”

“What do you think happened back there?” He ran his hand along his stubble. “You really are clueless, aren’t you?”

“I thought you were helping me out of a bad situation.”

“So, I killed two birds with one stone.” He shrugged. “I’m resourceful that way.”

“You miscalculated.” I reached for the door handle, not exactly sure where I would go in the middle of nowhere, but impulse and all. “I’m no one’s prisoner.”

He grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him. Even in the darkness of the car, I could see his terrifying glare.

“There is no room for your disobedience in this scenario.” His menacing tone was lower than usual. “Don’t test me.”

I opened my mouth to test him, but he cut me off before I could get a word out.

“You should know that kidnapping isn’t the only thing I’m willing to do to get what I want.”

Seven

Marchello

What the fuckwas I thinking? There were less complicated ways to get Gian to back off and clear the way for my father to return. Taking his entitled little brat hostage was not one of them.

But I’d made the decision to extract Lissia from the situation with the arms dealer, and now I had to make it work to my advantage.

I pulled up to the secluded house nestled in the woods in a remote part of a New Jersey suburb. My family had used this location for years when we needed privacy or a safe haven.

The house was close enough to the city if we needed to get back, but it was also remote enough that no one would look for us here.

“Where are we?” Lissia asked—her first words since I chucked her coveted phone into the river.

“A safe house.”

“Why?”

“We need a place to hide out until your father comes to his senses and does what I need.”

“What if he doesn’t do what you need?”

“That would mean he doesn’t want you back.” Although, from her attitude, that could be a real possibility. “I wouldn’t want you back.”

“What?” She glared. “Why would you say that?”

“Did you not come to me to form an alliance against your father? Your lack of loyalty is concerning. It certainly doesn’t gain you any points with me.” Her actions to betray her father were probably triggered by some nonsense like him not buying her something expensive.

“You have no idea what motivated me to come to you for help.”

“You’re right.” I opened the driver’s side door, and the brisk fall air swept into the car. “And I really don’t care.”

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