Page 136 of Gamble with Me
“Do you understand what is being asked of us?” Lenny asked his boys, observing every single one of them. I didn’t want them to kill Chester, but it was possible he would die of the trauma caused by the seven dicks.
“Yeah,” one of them said, chewing a toothpick. “We are going to earn some much-needed cash.”
Others laughed at the remark, no one hesitating to agree with the deal. I smirked, ruffling Chester’s hair and leaning to whisper into his ear.
“Enjoy the ride,” I chirped as if I gave him an early Christmas present. “They will make it last as long as possible.”
A whimper slipped past the gag, making me laugh. I couldn’t help but feel insane happiness spreading inside of me. He deserved everything those men would inflict on him.
“Malin will stay here if you need anything,” I told Lenny on my way out. The boys already started to undress.
“What if he dies?” he asked, nodding toward a screaming Chester, who tossed himself from side to side in a desperate attempt to free himself.
“Then you pull your pants up and get lost,” I replied cynically, leaving the musty place. I would love to stay and watch them break the front line of Chester’s resilience, but my other plans were in motion.
“I can broadcast the video to your phone,” Malin suggested with a devious grin as he followed me as if reading my thoughts.
“Don’t create evidence,” I replied instead of approving, sitting behind the steering wheel. “I’ll check up on him later.”
Malin nodded and closed the car door. I pushed the gas pedal, heading back to the city to meet Gravaldis. He awaited my call, but I would rather deal with it in person. He could pick his reward for helping me get things under control, and then I had to schedule a meeting with the other families.
Ease and contentment flooded my system as I speeded through the highway. Getting Chester was the last piece of a puzzle. His punishment was inevitable. Everyone would hear about it. My people would spread the word, dispersing fear of what would happen to anyone who would dare touch my family.
Stopping the car before Gravaldis’ residence, I adjusted my coat and walked to the front entrance. I couldn’t wait to talk to him and return home. I promised Zara I’d come back soon so she wouldn’t sleep alone.
A security guy opened the door for me, and I entered the hall, heading to put this matter to rest finally. Gravaldis wanted only one thing: to find the men responsible for his daughter´s suffering, and I already had their names and addresses. My people would provide the necessary assistance if he needed anything. Case closed.
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Valeria
The stay in the hospital was torturously dull. My scans and tests were okay. I could finally see through both eyes, and the marks on my body had almost faded. The beating left no permanent effect other than bruises, so I didn’t understand why the doctors kept me there. For six days, I watched TV, ate unsalted meals, and played games on my phone because when Zyon, Alice, or Dorian weren’t with me, I was dying of boredom.
“Why can’t I go home?” I asked for at least the tenth time, but the doctor didn’t provide a clear answer. I suspected Zyon kept me there, but I didn’t understand why. His men caught Chester. The city was his. After what he had done, no one would dare go against him. They would risk their life just thinking about it.
“If everything is all right, your discharge papers will be ready tomorrow,” the doctor eventually replied, checking her phone like she sought permission to say it.
“DidZyonfinally allow it?” I remarked, casting the doctor an annoyed look. She raised a surprised brow at me, swiftly hiding her phone in the pocket of her white coat.
“Your condition finally allowed it,” she pointed out, signing a paper and hanging it at the end of my bed. “I know you’re bored, Valeria, but a concussion is a serious injury. You need a lot of rest.”
Drifting my gaze away from her sharp eyes, I grimaced. Zyon suspected I had a second concussion, and he was raging I was never checked out by a doctor after Chester pushedme into the wall for the first time. When Zyon mentioned it, claiming I lied to him and hid the abuse, I blurted that it was the only reason I didn’t go to the police after he kidnapped me. His expression was priceless but didn’t wipe out the sad truth that he was correct. I concealed my husband’s behavior from everyone. It wasn’t okay. Women shouldn’t be doing this.
As I opened the fashion magazine Alice had brought me, the commotion in the hall caught my attention. After checking everything, the doctor and nurses left me alone. My only companions were the bodyguards, who constantly guarded me.
Exiting the bed, I peeked behind the door because the voices grew louder. The men swapped in the morning, and the two who blocked my view were frightening. If I ever met them after sundown, I’d hide in a dumpster just to avoid them.
“I want to see my daughter-in-law.” I heard Lisa’s angry voice. The man on my left side glanced at me, almost invisibly shaking his head and giving me a pointed look to stop me from intervening, but I had other plans. Lisa was like my mother for all those years. I wanted to see her, too.
“What is going on here?” I asked firmly, trying to sound like Zyon when he gave orders to his people. However, I didn’t possess his commanding voice, strong personality, and domineering posture, which forced even the most powerful men to bow before him. I was only his girlfriend, but thankfully, it was enough for his lapdogs to listen.
“You aren’t allowed any outside visitors, Valeria,” the man on my left said, frowning. None of the bodyguards used my last name, and the doctor and nurses avoided it, too. I suspected Zyon forbade them from mentioning the surname Kellerman ever again.
“Lisa would never hurt me,” I claimed with absolute certainty. I understood Zyon was obsessed with my safety, but this was ridiculous.
“We have our orders,” was the dry reply from the guy standing before me.
“And I’m giving you a new one,” I retorted, becoming more and more annoyed. “Let the woman inside.” I placed my hands on my hips, glaring at them. “Or do you want me to call your boss and tell him you don’t obey?”
