Page 97 of The Merciless Don's Bride

Damien’s not home when I leave the house the next day. I’ve also barely seen him all morning which is weird. I would think he’d want to at least see me off considering how protective he is.

“Mrs. Luciano?” Rafael calls when I hesitate in getting into the car.

I shake my head offering him a small smile before sliding into the backseat. I’m not sure why but I have this bad feeling in my gut. The car starts and then we’re off, another car containing more of my bodyguards following close behind.

I hear Rafael’s humming a song under his breath in the front seat. He does that sometimes. He says it helps him pass the time. I convinced him to sing for me once and he’s actually such a good singer.

I glance down at my phone when it buzzes to find a message for Damien.

Trust me, mi vida.

My brows furrow. Trust him? What does that even mean.

I’m still trying to puzzle out the text when there’s a sudden screech followed by metal groaning. The world jerks sideways. I hear Rafael shouting something I can’t catch. My body slams against the door as the car comes to a stop by the side of the road. My breath leaves in a heartbeat.

Everything goes black for a moment. Then silence. Followed by the sound of gunfire. A scream rips through my throat as I fumble for the seatbelt, my fingers numb and shaking. I hear Rafael’s door burst open, then his voice, raised, panicked, yelling for me to stay down.

I don’t listen. I look up just in time to see him outside the vehicle, gun down. And then, blood. A single, sharp shot and his body crumples to the floor.

“Rafael!” I cy out, feeling my chest cave in. “Oh my God.”

The door rips open beside me and I freeze. A man stands there, tall, tanned. He’s dressed in black with blond hair slicked back and his smile thin and terrible. He leans in, the muzzle of his gun tapping gently against my tempt, but he doesn’t fire.

He holds up a syringe instead.

“Hello, little butterfly,” he purrs. “My name is Santori. And we’re going to have lots of fun together. But first, time to sleep.”

“No, no, please-”

His hand clamps down around my jaw as the needle pierces my neck. A hot burn follows right before the world tilts. The last thing I see is his grin and the distant burning wreckage of a car. And then, darkness.

***

When I wake, the world is colder.

My head is pounding, throbbing like it’s been split open. There’s an ache in my neck and my wrists are sore. Bound. The air is damp, musty.

I blink against the darkness. There’s only a single flickering light overhead, buzzing faintly, illuminating the iron bars of a cell. I’m in a goddamn cell. Chains rattle when I shift.

“Hello, Cassandra.”

The voice stops my breath cold. Footsteps echo, measured, unhurried and then he steps into the light. My uncle.

Miguel. Even now he still looks so similar to my dad. Pain lashes through me. I suck in a sharp breath, feeling my throat burn.

Only one word manages to leave my lips, “Why?”

He looks at me with mock sadness, head tilting.

You have no idea what I’ve been through my whole life, Cassie. What I’ve had to experience.”

“Then explain it to me!” I grit out, staving off all the fear and grief. “I would really like to hear how you justify all of this? Because of the company? I was going to give it to you today! You didn’t have to go this far because of what? Greed. You murdered a good man! Good people that were trying to protect me!”

I need to get out of this alive no matter what. I need to get to Damien and I know without a doubt he’s coming for me, so now I just have to stall until he gets here.

My uncle laughs, “You were going to give me the company? Oh please, like that husband of yours would have let you.”

“It’s my inheritance. I can do whatever I like with it,” I argue.

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