Page 51 of Ruthless Boss

The door behind him suddenly swings open, and Dante launches inside, throwing Ciro to the ground.

28

Dante

I see red.

A thin trail of blood descends from Gia’s forehead and down her nose. Her face is battered and scratched. More blood stains her shirt, and I wonder if I’m missing other places. She’s completely bound by this animal.

I need to get to her, but neutralizing this asshole is paramount.

I launch into him, kicking him off the bed, sending us both to the floor. I punch Ciro in the gut, and he tries to reach for my collar, but I outsmart him and roll with him on the rough, stained carpet that’s seen better days. Andrei shows up after me, and I see him untying Gia. She says something, but all I can hear is my heavy breathing and Ciro’s, along with the loud buzz in my ears.

I’m taller and stronger than him, and anger fuels me. I deliver blow after blow to his face, turning it into a bloody mess. That’s only the beginning.

When I notice he’s not fighting back as much, I hit him across his head, knocking him unconscious. Good. This will take me a few minutes.

“Boss, you okay?” Andrei asks.

“Yeah,” I reply, rearing back and shooting to my feet. “Tie him up.”

I go round the bed to look at Gia. She sits on the edge, lips parted, eyes glossy. She looks disheveled and tired, and I want to make it all right for her. “I need you to go with Andrei. He’ll take you to a doctor while I finish things here.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she says, lifting her chin.

Behind her, I see Andrei efficiently binding Ciro to a chair. I glance at Gia again. “You shouldn’t be here. Can’t be here to see anything.”

“Too late.”

“Boss?” Andrei asks, handing me a bottle of water for her.

Of course. I open it and slowly put it to her mouth. My heart tightens, and a wave of compassion rolls through me, followed by a current of anger. This lowlife made her like this. He deserves to die. He will die—and she’ll see it through with me.

“She stays.”

Andrei nods and leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

I take her in my arms, slowly, carefully, so as not to hurt her. Her face is swollen, with a dark red bruise around her eye. Her stomach has superficial wounds, but who knows what irreparable damage this asshole caused her mentally?

I kiss the top of her head as she lets me hug her. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

She sighs into my shirt, giving me the answer I need.

“Damn you, Gia. I was worried. I was so fucking worried,” I say, hating the raw emotion in my voice.

“How did you find me?”

“I looked.” I don’t want to go into how I found her—that I had her watched for weeks.

I hear a grunt on the other side of the room and see Ciro trying to squirm out of the rope.

Andrei tied his hands behind his back and ankles and put a gag in his mouth. The bastard looks at us. One eye is full of contempt, and the other—that’s the one she popped out.

“He’s alert,” I say.

I glance at the knife on the floor—the one he must have used to threaten her—and pick it up. I turn to her. “You’re sure about this?” I can call Andrei to take her away, and she can wait for me safely.

“Yes. I need to see him get what he deserves after what he’s done to me for years.”

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