Page 61 of Saving Noah

His head felt funny, like it was crammed inside something way too small. His mouth was dry. The confusion that used to be so familiar but had vanished since Zach came into his life was back, making him wonder what happened. “Zach?” He tried to turn his head, but a wave of nausea made him stop all movement.

He heard himself whimper…and then heard someone laugh. Chills washed over him. Zach never laughed at him. Zach loved him.

Memories assaulted him: a phone call, a threat, bashing Connor on the head, leaving Zach’s apartment, the parking garage…

“Hey, kiddo,” the voice behind the laughter said. “Wakey. Wakey. Come on, Scaredy-Cat. Don’t make me wait forever. I’m a busy man these days. Thanks to you, I’ve got millions to spend and a crime family to run. Come on. Show me those pretty blue eyes of yours. I know you’re awake.”

The voice was just as soft and timid as Noah remembered. A smack across his face caused him to gasp in shock and pain.

“Open your fucking eyes, Noah. I don’t have all day to babysit you. Your stupid helplessness never ceases to amaze me.” The voice muttered in disgust but then quickly switched back over to the timid sweetness. “I mean, when I hand-picked you all those years ago, I had absolutely no idea how much fun you’d be.”

“Fuck off, Dante,” Noah whispered weakly. What had Dante given him? He couldn’t make his mind function properly. His arms wouldn’t move. His legs wouldn’t move. He couldn’t moveanything.

“Oooohhh, aren’t you suddenly such a brave little boy? One minute, you can’t leave your apartment building, and the next, you think you’re going to fuck me?” Dante laughed. “I don’t think so, Scaredy-Cat. I don’t think so. I thought you were a pussy the first time I saw you at your daddy’s office, and trust me, doll, you’ve cemented my opinion of you over the past four years.”

Noah finally found the strength to open his eyes, and after a few blinks to orient himself with the lighting, he was finally able to focus on his surroundings. The room was small, not much bigger than how he would have imagined a dorm room. There weren’t any windows. He was lying on a mattress on the floor. Dante sat on a fold-up chair next to him, smiling like he’d won the lottery.

“Why?” he managed to ask. His tongue felt twice its normal size.

Dante leaned back and crossed his ankle over his knee. “Why? Hmm, let me see.” He scratched his chin. “There are so many reasons, Noah. Because you’re pretty and pretty boys always get the girl…or guy, in your case. Because you fluttered through that damned office like you didn’t have a worry in the world.” He shrugged. “I decided to make you worry.” He checked his watch, frowned, and then continued, “I needed someone to help me set up my father, and I wanted to give you something to worry about. Kinda like killing two birds with one stone.”

He reached down and picked up a bottle of water, took a sip, and then leaned over to pour some over Noah’s face. “Open up, love,” he urged. “Trust me, you’re gonna wish you had this water in a little bit.” He poured some more of it over Noah’s face and then set it back down onto the floor. “Let’s see. Where was I? Ah…yes, I remember. I was fucking with your head,” he joked like everything was just a game. “You found the proof I needed to get rid of my father for a while, and I sincerely appreciated that, Noah. The way you were willing to take the fall, piss off the Moretti family like that? It was so noble. Of course, I, being the perfect son, had to step in and take over my father’s business while he languished away in prison.”

Noah lay there, his eyes trained on Dante, and listened to the other man discuss ruining his life like he was telling him the weekly forecast. There wasn’t an inkling of remorse, empathy, or sympathy in Dante’s eyes. What the bastard obviously didn’t know was he was beginning to get the feeling back in his fingers and toes. If he could keep him talking for just a bit longer, he would snap the fucker’s neck like a twig. He could do it. Dante was still tall and slender, waif-like in appearance.

“You, Noah, were a loose end needing to be snipped off. I battled on how to handle you. I truly did. I don’t want you to spend the last days of your life worrying if you were an easy kill or not.” His cold eyes darkened and his smile widened. “I’d intended to simply kill you as soon as the FBI got you settled in with your new identity.” He burst out laughing. “John Doe? How totally idiotic was that? I nearly died laughing when I heard the name they’d given you, but then again, I suppose it did fit at the time. Nobody cared about you. There wasn’t one single person left in the world giving a fuck about what happened to John Doe. Well, except me. I’ve always cared, Noah. I take great pride in how I handle mybusiness. I only had the length of my father’s sentence, six short years, to prove to the family I was capable of taking over my father’s empire. Every move I made had to be nothing short of perfection.”

Noah wondered how he could have ever thought Dante wasn’t pure evil. The bastard was worse than his father. Hell, if the truth be known, Dante was probably behind his father’ssuicide.

“Your death was meant to solidify to the family, and the cartel, that I indeed possessed the balls to step up and take over.” He laughed again, softly this time. “Oh, the things I planned. Dismemberment. Buried alive. Fed to wild dogs. Drawn and quartered. The possibilities were endless,” he gushed. “But then, Noah, you had to, once again, step up to the plate and become one of my biggest victories. Night after night, I listened to you in that apartment and fantasized about how I would kill you, but then I noticed something. You were absolutely falling apart right in front of me. You were fucking helpless, Scaredy-Cat. Afraid of your own shadow. As I listened, your mental capacities worsened with every passing day and a beautiful plan formed in my head. I would make your suffering last for as long as possible, for your torture and my entertainment. I used my connections in the FBI to hook you up with a doctor friend of mine and…well, the rest is history, right? He gave you a lovely cocktail of drugs that shoved you right over the edge. After that, all I had to do was sit back and enjoy the show.” He leaned over to whisper, “Did you know that I found you so entertaining that I had to add cameras to your apartment? Listening just wasn’t enough. I’ve even shown videos of you at our family dinners. You, huddled in a corner, tears streaking your face as you stared at your apartment door? You have no idea how much laughter you’ve brought my family over the past four years. Every time we have a family gathering, the kids beg to see a video of the crazy boy.” He sat back and shook his head. “Big laughs. Fun times.”

Noah didn’t really give a fuck whether he’d been entertainment for the Moretti family over the years. All he cared about was killing Dante and getting back to Zach. He held no doubts Dante would order Zach’s and Connor’s deaths to tie things up…and for his entertainment, of course.

“Everything was going beautifully until the handsome, stud muffin doctor moved in next door. He really fucked with my family fun, and I donotappreciate that, Noah.” He smirked again. “Sure, I enjoyed watching him fuck your ass, but I didn’t enjoy him ruining all my plans. Once I saw he possessed the ability to put you back together again, I knew fun times were over.”

He stood and started digging around in his pocket. Noah panicked. He wasn’t ready yet. He couldn’t move…not yet. His chest constricted and a panic attack edged its way to the surface. “Please, don’t, Dante.” He gasped. “Don’t hurt Zach. He doesn’t know anything,” he lied.

“I’ve got video feed in your apartment, Noah. I know how much Zach and Connor know about my family.” He pulled a needle out of his jacket and squatted next to Noah. “I’m going to give you another dose. It should help with the pussy attack barreling down on you right now.”

Noah tried to move, tried to get away, but his body wouldn’t follow commands. The needle plunged into his neck.

“Hey, before you drift away to sleepy land, I need to explain some things to you,” Dante said quickly. He motioned around the small room with his hand. “This is your tomb, Noah. Once I leave and they seal up the door, there’ll be no escape. You can scream all you want, but I’ve made certain it’s completely soundproof. I’ve researched it, and it should take you at least three days to die…maybe four if you’re strong.” He laughed again and added, “But we both know that isn’t the case, don’t we? Once I know for certain you’re dead, I’ll drop some breadcrumbs so Zach can find you. Once I feel like he’s suffered enough, I’ll kill him, Connor, and Connor’s current lover.”

Noah saw Dante wink at him, but he was fading fast. He could barely hold onto any of Dante’s words, much less comprehend what he was saying.

“I’m leaving you some paper and a pencil. I suggest you use it to let Zach know how much you loved him and how very sorry you are for involving him in your train wreck of a life.” He stood, grinned, and said, “Ta-ta, Scaredy-Cat. Have fun.”

Dante’s smiling face was the last thing Noah saw, and that terrible laughter, the last thing he heard before the darkness swept him away.

*****

“I didn’t call Noah, Conn. It wasn’t me he was on the phone with,” Zach said quietly.

“What do you mean it wasn’t you on the phone? He called you by name, Zach. Said he loved you.” Connor frowned in confusion. “Wait. I remember something. He was standing behind me, talking to you, when my cell started ringing. When I looked down, it was your name flashing across the screen. I…I guess that’s why he hit me. Because I knew the person he was talking to couldn’t be you if it was you calling me.”

“Why would Noah hurt you? There’s no reason for him to want to hurt you,” Zach whispered.

“Whoever was on the other end of his call made him do it, Zach. That must be it,” Connor said. “But who? Moretti is dead. Who else would want to hurt Noah?”

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