Page 68 of His to Ruin

Whatever excuse he’s about to pull out of his ass, I don’t want to hear it.

“For fuck’s sake, Leo. I’m your sister, not some disease-riddled outcast you don’t want to let into your home.”

Startled by my tone, he nods. “Okay, get in.”

As I settle into the surprisingly comfortable leather seat of this phallic symbol on wheels, Leo starts the engine. He doesn’t drive off.

“I could drop you off at Mamma’s house,” he says.

Is he still trying to fob me off? I’m not feeling much brotherly love here.

“Leo, for the last fucking time, I want you to take me to your place. You’ll give me a bed for the night. I’ll leave in the morning, and you can go back to pretending I don’t exist except on special occasions.”

His mouth flaps open and shut as he tries to come up with a response. Eventually, he just nods.

“Just don’t disturb Vinnie. She’s sick.”

“I’ll be quiet as a mouse.” I use two fingers to make across my heartgesture. “She won’t even know I’m there.”

Leo’s expression still suggests he’d rather jump into a vat of bleach than play host to me for the night, but he doesn’t argue. He pulls away from the curb and takes off down the street at hair-raising speed.

“So, what was your fight about?” he asks.

“Do you care?”

Leo shrugs in a typical display of indifference. “I might have some advice to offer. Vinnie and I have gone a few rounds over most topics.”

“Oh, yeah? Did you treat Vinnie like a whore because she talked to a man, then announce you’ve acquired photos of her that she was being blackmailed over for months?”

“What?” My brother knows exactly which photos I’m referring to because he’s been helping Antonio in his quest to find them. “Why does he… shit!”

I’m pressed back into the seat as Leo suddenly slams his foot down on the accelerator. We take a sharp right and then a left, heading away from his apartment building. I glance over my shoulder to see a couple of black SUVs gaining on us.

“Here.” Leo takes his cellphone from his jacket pocket and thrusts it at me. “Call for backup.”

“Passcode?” I ask as I find the phone locked.

“1504.”

I key in the code, which I believe is Vinnie’s birthday, and open his contact list to find Antonio’s number. I press call and my oldest brother answers after two rings.

“Leo?” he asks.

“It’s me, Olivia. I’m with Leo. We’re being chased by two black cars. We’re headed down…”

I don’t get a chance to find a street sign as a car slams into our side. As the car spins, I scream. I’m thrown against the door and the phone flies from my hand. After what seems an eternity, the car comes to a stop as it slams into a metal post.

Dazed, I take a minute to process what just happened. My shoulders and chest hurt, but I don’t think I’m badly injured. Leo, however, is unconscious. Blood gushes from his nose as helies slumped over the steering wheel. His side of the car took the brunt of the impact, and he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt. I reach across to tentatively touch his arm.

“Leo?” I shake him gently. “Leo?”

He doesn’t stir. With shaking hands, I release my seatbelt and look around, trying to find Leo’s cellphone. It’s on the floor by my feet. Grunting in pain, I lean down to pick it up, but before I reach it, my door is flung open and someone grabs me. I don’t recognize the man’s face. He’s an ugly brute with a spider web tattoo on his neck.

He drags me away from the wreckage of Leo’s car as a gray box truck screeches to a halt beside us. The back doors open. My captor picks me up and throws me into the back of the truck. There’s already a man in there, pointing a gun at me.

“Get up here.” He motions to the bench seat opposite the one he’s sitting on.

I do as I’m told and clamber up onto the hard metal seat. A moment later, my brother is dropped heavily onto the floor in front of me, still unconscious. Two men jump into the truck. They handle Leo roughly as they drag his arms behind his back and slap metal cuffs on him.

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