Page 14 of Sweet Retribution

“If you don’t know where Rossi is, I have no need for you.” I aim my gun at Lorenzo and finish him off.

I’ve been torturing him for ten days, firing bullets into parts of his body that will cause him pain but not kill him. I’ve provided the basic medical care; just enough to keep him alive until I found Gia.

Once she was secured at my estate, my men and I searched for days for Rossi. He’s gone off the radar and hasn’t attempted to check in with Lorenzo. Either he’s flying solo now or he learned my men and I had Lorenzo locked in his room, bleeding to death.

I holster my gun and nod to Marco. “Tio and I will continue searching the grounds.” I don’t have to tell him to take care of Lorenzo. He knows the drill.

Tio is waiting in the golf cart and we drive out to the edge of the vineyard where I’d shot Lorenzo nearly two weeks ago. He’d been edgy. Afraid I’d discover where he’d been keeping the girls.

I halted my search until Gia was found and safe, then focused my men and attention on finding Antonio while his trail was hot. His resources are limited with Lorenzo gone and no access to the property.

Tio turns a corner and follows a barely visible trail through overgrown grass and shrubs. I hold up a pair of binoculars and spot movement in the distance. I hold out my hand and Tio stops the cart.

He draws his gun and scans the area as well.

“It has to be up there.” I take out my phone and try to pull up a map but there is no service or cell tower within reach, which makes this area more likely to be the spot.

“Let’s go.” Tio turns the cart around and we head back to the vineyard. The rest will be up to the authorities, as long as they aren’t on Lorenzo’s payroll as well.

Marco has three men he trusts, and we contact them when we get back to Parisi’s. It will take hours, possibly days, to lay out the evidence we have for the authorities. I roll up my sleeves and prepare myself for a long night ahead.

***

Can you still be sexuallyfrustrated even after having an earth shattering orgasm? My body says yes, otherwise women who self-stimulate wouldn’t still need a man.

No, notneed, want.I don’tneedStone. In fact, I don’t care if I ever see him again. I ram my foot into my sneakers and lace them up. It’s been two days since he made me see stars in his gym, then bolted as if realizing I wasn’t the woman he wanted to have sex with.

I haven’t seen him since.

In fact, I don’t even think he’s been home. I haven’t heard or seen Marco or Tio, and only catch glimpses of Lucca. His other men are visible around the perimeter of the property. Lucca has warned me not to run the trails and stick to the gym, but today I don’t care.

If Stone doesn’t think I’m safe here then he can send me to New York. I’d much rather be trapped with my mother than him. Not that I’m trapped with him. He’s not even here. I lace up my other sneaker, then head out the door. I glance to my right at Stone’s closed bedroom door.

I listened for its opening and closing in the middle of the night. For his footsteps in the hall. Nothing but silence fills the night. I head to the kitchen and peel a banana as a quick fuel source before my run.

Maria is kneeling in front of the bottom oven, scrubbing the little mess that’s in it. She doesn’t hear me and I don’t interrupt her. I’m in no mood for conversation anyway.

She’s been a sweetie and hasn’t mentioned anything about his absence. Maybe it’s normal for him to disappear for days. I’m sure he has a love shack somewhere in the city. Or the countryside. I don’t know and I don’t care.

Liar.I absolutely care, and I hate myself for it. I finish the banana and toss the peel into the trash. A crack of thunder echoes in the distance. The air is hot and humid. The impending storm will bring much relief.

I stretch my calves and hamstrings, the first part of me to cramp when I run, then start out at a slow pace. I see a man in black take out his phone and type something into it. Reporting my activity to Lucca and Stone, no doubt.

I run along the trails at a good pace when the skies open up and dump down on me. I lift my face to the rain and embrace the change in weather. I finish the remaining three miles and slow as I near the house.

Water is literally pouring off me, and I feel bad for tracking through Maria’s impeccably clean kitchen. I step inside and stay on the mat as I call out to her.

“Any chance you have a towel nearby?”

“Oh, sweetie, you’re soaking wet,” she states the obvious and takes a dish towel out of a drawer and hands it to me. “For your face while I fetch you a bigger towel and a robe.”

She leaves me alone and I wipe down my face and arms. I hear voices come through the front door.

“It’s been much too long, Stone,” a woman says. Their voices disappear as I hear the door to Stone’s study close.

I ignore the pang of jealousy in my chest and give Maria a grateful smile when she returns with a towel.

“I’m going to take a long hot bath. Would you mind bringing me some fruit and maybe a muffin or two in a little bit?” I wrap the towel around me and dash down the hall hoping to make it up the stairs before I see Stone and his woman.

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