Page 135 of Vito

The energy changed with these two; these two are allies to the assholes who took me, but they're outsiders.

But that's not what has my attention. Nor is it what is making my hands shake as my emotions are going to get the better of me, and I try to swallow down my rage.

Lixin Xhang and Amazu Musa.

They're traitors. Vito's suspicions were correct.

"Eden should be awake by now," Lixin says in his smooth voice.Eden,not Ed. "She's been out for over two hours."

I force myself to remain slack when I hear someone move and sense them in front of me. There's the sound of leather creaking, and a hand grips my knee. The stale smell of whiskey.

Amazu.

It may not be my wisest move, but rage gets the better of me. Some internal knowledge has settled deep within me that he and Lixin are responsible for Aiken's death.

I snap my head up and sink my teeth into flesh. It's Amazu's cheek, and he howls. I don't let go; I double-the-fuck-down and bite harder until the metallic taste of blood flows into my mouth.

Someone punches the side of my head, making pain explode. That makes me ease up on biting off Amazu's cheek just enough for him to pull free. I gather his blood in my mouth and spit it in his face.

"You fucking bitch!" he screams and slaps me, following it up with an enraged backhand. More pain erupts in my face, and my lip splits open.

He backhands me again, and his ring rips a gash across my cheek. I swallow my cry of pain, and it only comes out as a grunt.

Iwill notbe cowed by these cocksuckers. I won't go down easily.

I'm scared—I'd be stupid not to be—but they won't see that. Memories of Aiken's murder roll through my head. He fought to the very end.

And so will I.

I lift my head and laugh, but it's not the hysterical laugh of a frightened woman. It's the laugh of someone who's sayingfuck you. It's an unhinged laugh—I channel the rumors I've heard of Vito into the sound. They're taken aback and look at me like I've lost my mind.

I quickly scan the room to take stock of my situation.

I'm in the middle of what looks like an abandoned break room in some industrial facility.

There's a wall of grimy windows that probably, at one point, allowed the occupants to see out into the main area.

The only men I recognize are Lixin and Amazu. Three of the other five are the yes-men—grunts or soldiers—in someone's criminal organization, while the other two look like something more.

The shortest one has a bulbous nose, flat eyes, a haggard-looking face, and a rumpled suit.

The other guy is also in a suit, but it's made of better material and tailored to his lean frame. His black hair is slicked back, and his eyes are as cold and cunningas a snake's.

Lixin crouches in front of me and studies my bloody cheek. He runs his finger through the blood, then presses his finger into the gash, and I feel more blood leak from the wound. He keeps watching me as he puts his finger in his mouth, sucking it off. "I have a thing for blood and making pretty things bleed. Do you know how long I've waited to taste yours, Eden?"

"First off, it'sEd," I say with my cold, impassive mask—my best resting bitch face—firmly in place."And second, fuck you, Lixin."

He tuts. Amazu paces behind him, holding a rag to his bloody face, glaring at me.

"How's the cheek, Amazu?" I ask like I don't have a care in the world.

I don't know if anyone is coming to my rescue. Vito won't know where I am, but maybe the cube—if I'm right about Aiken's recordings being saved in there—may give some clue. I know Axin has been watching over me, but I don't know if he had eyes on me when I left Gilly's. I'm hoping he did; he had briefly mentioned trying to secure a drone with technology that allowed it to go undetected.

Regardless, I won't give these men what they want. I know Lixin and Amazu are egotistical narcissists. Lixin, based on hisadmission, is also a sadist. The two other leaders look like your typical villains, and since they're working with Lixin and Amazu, I'm assuming they're similar.

They want my pain. My fear. My screams.

Amazu pulls out his knife. "I'm going to cut you, cunt."

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