Page 89 of Knot Made to Break: Part Two

Rocco…

Enzo shoved me forward, and I stumbled, my legs trembling, refusing to work right. The rational part of my brain screamed at me to keep it together, to look for exits, to remember everything my Alphas had taught me. But panic was a living thing inside my chest, squeezing my lungs and making each breath a struggle.

And then, beneath the panic, I felt something else. Four faint yet distinct tugs inside me, like threads being pulled taut. Dimitri, Giovanni, Tommas, Marco—my mates. Our bond, still new but undeniably powerful, stretched between us. They knew something was wrong. Could feel my fear, my distress.

But the connection was too weak, too distant. Like shouting underwater. I closed my eyes, trying desperately to strengthen it, to send them some clue about where I was. The threads pulsed, warm and alive, but frustratingly dim. Not enough to guide them to me.

Enzo guided me through the large empty space as a slow clap echoed through the room, the sound bouncing off the bare walls.

“Well, well. Look who finally decided to join us.”

That voice. The voice from my nightmares. I forced my eyes open to see Rocco Valentino sauntering toward me, a twisted smile distorting his cruel face. He looked different from the last time I’d seen him—thinner, with dark shadows beneath his eyes and a manic energy that made him seem barely contained in his own skin.

Enzo gave me a harsh push, abandoning me to the man who dominated my nightmares.

“Hello, littlebitch,” Rocco purred, circling me like a predator. “Did you miss me?”

I said nothing, focusing instead on controlling my breathing, on not showing the bone-deep terror that threatened to paralyze me. Behind Rocco, several men stood awkwardly, their hands resting on holstered guns. They shifted uneasily, exchanging glances when Rocco’s back was turned. Something about the scene felt off—like they were as unsettled by their boss as I was.

“Nothing to say?” Rocco stopped in front of me and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. “That’s fine. I’ll do the talking.”

He released me with a shove that sent me stumbling back. Then, without warning, he grabbed a metal pipe leaning against the wall and slammed it against a nearby rusted out filing cabinet. The crash made me jump and the men behind him flinch. One of them—a burly guy with a neck tattoo—actually took a half-step back.

This wasn’t business as usual for them. This was something different. Something unstable.

“Funny how history repeats itself,” Rocco mused, caressing the pipe like it was a pet. “Last time I tried to kill your Alphas, they lived.” His eyes gleamed with a feverish light. “This time? I’ll finish the job.”

From the corner of my eye, I spotted Enzo leaning against the far wall, arms crossed over his chest. He was deliberately looking anywhere but at me, his face pale and drawn. A slight tremor ran through his hands, which he tried to hide by clenching them into fists.

The sight of him made something inside me go cold and hard. My former friend. The man who’d made me laugh over cookies. Who’d shared meals with my family. Who’d helped me learn to fight.

I’d trusted him. I’d welcomed him into my home, into the sanctuary my Alphas had created for me. I’d confided in him, opened up to him, treated him like one of us.

And he’d betrayed us all.

For what? Money? Revenge? Power? I didn’t know, and at the moment, I didn’t care. There wasn’t a single reason in the world that could justify what he’d done.

Rocco stalked closer, invading my space in a way that made my skin crawl. “Your Alphas took everything from me,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. “My Omega. My brothers. My business. And now? Now I take everything from them.” His hand shot out, fisting in my hair and yanking my head back, glaring at the marks that branded my throat. “Starting with you.”

Before I could process what was happening, his fist connected with my cheekbone. Pain exploded across my face, stars bursting behind my eyes. I staggered, crying out, tasting blood where my teeth had cut into my cheek. My skin had split, and a dribble of red trickled down to drip off my chin. Dimly, I registered Enzo turning away, unable to watch.

The coward.

My cheekbone throbbed, my whole face aching from the force of the hit.

Rocco grabbed my hair again, forcing my head up as he pulled out his phone. “Smile for the camera,micia. Let’s show your mates what happens when they fuck with a Valentino.”

The camera flash momentarily blinded me. Through the haze of pain and disorientation, I felt the bond threads spike with a fresh, raw emotion—panic, fury, desperation. My Alphas had felt that punch, had seen the picture of the aftermath. They knew I was gone. Taken. And they felt my fear, my pain.

“There we go. That ought to light a fire under their asses.” Rocco tucked his phone away, grinning. “They’ll come running now. Like the good little guard dogs they are.”

A chill ran down my spine. That’s what this was. I wasn’t just a captive—I was bait. He was using me to draw my mates into a trap.

“They’ll kill you,” I told him, my voice steadier than I expected. “Every single one of you.” I eyed each man behind him, giving them fair warning.

Rocco just laughed. That same low, vicious sound I’d heard before—but now it was edged with something completely deranged. “You really think they’ll get the chance?” he taunted, stepping closer. “I’ve been planning this moment since the night your little pack walked into my compound and blew it all to hell. I’m always one step ahead of our little game of cat and mouse. Now all I have to do is wait.”

He jerked his head toward the metal door set into the far wall, then strode toward it, heavy boots echoing on the concrete.

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