Page 76 of Cage the Storm
The first pour is a cold shock; the second floods my nostrils, my throat, and my lungs. I thrash and choke to get free, but a hand clamps over my nose and mouth.
Luna, I silently scream. I’m so fucking sorry I failed you.
Blackness curls at the edges of my vision, my body screaming for air. Then, the pressure lifts just as I teeter on the brink of oblivion. I gasp, coughing violently, the brine burning its way back up my throat. Vittorio watches as I convulse, my chest heaving. I vow right then and there, if Luna and I survive, they will regret the day they fucked with a Caputo.
The bucket swings into view again before I can inhale fully.No?—
Water crashes over me. Thick. Suffocating. Relentless. I thrash, but the cuffs bite deeper, pinning me to the board. Vittorio’s laugh is muffled beneath the buzzing in my ears.
Hold. Hold. Hold.But my body betrays me, a primal gasp, sucking in liquid fire.
Again, the darkness. Again, the yank backward. I vomit water, ribs shuddering, mucus, and blood dripping off my chin. Vittorio crouches, tilting his head.
“Still with us,fratello?” He flicks my temple. “Papa wants you awake. Says you gottaseewhat happens when you lie.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
LUNA
The blade pressesagainst my belly, a sting that turns into a burn. I don’t look down. Don’t let him see me blink. A warm trickle threads down my skin, pooling in the dip of my navel. Just a scratch, I tell myself, but my eyes lock onto Nico’s.
He’s bleeding, and his face is a mess of rage and fear. But his gaze? Determined. A light in the dark.Hold on, it says.
Nico snarls, raw and ragged, the board screeching against concrete. “I’ll fucking kill you!”
Papa leans into the razor. The bite deepens. My breath hitches, but I don’t drop Nico’s stare. His jaw clenches, veins corded in his neck like he’s absorbing the pain for me. Blood drips from his split lip, mirroring the bead rolling down my stomach.
“Look at her,” Papa hisses, holding up the blade. “You wanted to be king. But was it worth the crown, if it cost you your child?”
Nico doesn’t waver. Doesn’t look away. His eyes burn into mine. Fury forged into something indestructible.I’m here, that stare says.I’m here, and I’ll burn this fucking place down.
My voice trembles, shaking with rage. “You’re not my father. You’re a monster!”
The door suddenly explodes inward, tearing through the madness. Nico doesn’t even blink. His eyes are still locked on mine, but his lips move: barely more than a breath. “They’re here.”
Mateo bursts through the smoke, sweeping the room with practiced eyes—but all I see is him. The man strapped to that board.
“Get her the fuck out of here, she’s hurt,” Nico rasps, voice shredded from choking.
Mateo is a phantom in tactical gear and lethal grace. His gaze locks on mine, and for a heartbeat, the chaos stills. His eyes aren’t the cool, controlled slate I remember; they’re on fire.
I try to speak, but dust coats my tongue. My vision blurs as the ropes bite deeper into my skin. I sag against the chair with a whimper lodged in my throat, but I swallow it.
Weakness could get him killed.
The blade flashes, sawing through the bindings at my ankles, my wrists. His gloves are rough against my skin, but his touch is kind.
The ropes snap free. Agony erupts as blood rushes back into my arms, and I choke back a cry. His arm hooks around my waist before I collapse, hauling me against his Kevlar. I can feel the hammer of his heartbeat through the gear.
“Luna,” he says, “you’re bleeding. Stay with me.” I blink down, the ache registers a second later, dull and distant beneath the adrenaline.
“It’s fine,” I clutch at Mateo’s vest. “Nico.”
He’s still strapped down, bleeding, and I have to get to him.
“I see him.” Mateo’s voice stays calm, but he’s already moving, and I freeze.
Beyond the smoke, I catch a glimpse. Massimo is already crouched at Nico’s side, cutting through his restraints. Mateo pulls me back, keeping me upright as my head spins.
