Page 108 of Tainted Obsession 1
Rocco grins at me, a horrific baring of teeth. “Watching you scream will hurt him a lot more than shooting him.”
My blood runs cold, and I shudder in revulsion. I look at the four men who surround him, desperately searching for any sign of hesitation or mercy.
I find none. I read my death in their cold eyes, and Rocco’s insane leer tells me that he will enjoy extracting every second of my suffering.
Chapter 41
Massimo
My heart slams against my ribcage with bruising force, and fear I’ve never known before makes my lungs seize. All of my survival instincts rebel as we descend the stairs into the dank basement, where no one will hear her scream.
My enemies have silencers on their guns, so even if I launch myself at them and risk getting shot, no one will be alerted to the fact that we’re being attacked in the empty shop.
My own weapon was taken from me by one of Rocco’s goons. I vaguely recognize the four other men as members of his clan.
My fists flex uselessly at my sides. I should’ve killed Rocco on the day he took my parents from me. Instead, I slashed his face with that broken bottle, and I allowed his friends to drag him away while he wept in agony.
We’ve spent the last two decades mostly avoiding one another, sticking to our own clans and allies. Neither of us could murder the other without risking a war, so the bastard has survived this long.
My negligence has put Evelyn in his crosshairs. I don’t know why Rocco has decided to make his move today, but I can’t deny that he’s caught me completely off guard.
My fingers itch to wrap around his throat, but I’m powerless to do anything. One wrong move, and he could end her life with a single gunshot.
The same way he killed my parents.
I struggle to breathe through the nearly debilitating horror and keep Evelyn in front of me. The spot between my shoulder blades itches where my enemy’s gun is still trained on my heart.
“Does your boss know what a dumb fucking mistake you’re making?” I ask Rocco, keeping my voice as calm as I can manage. It comes out rough and gravelly, but the words are clear enough. “Killing me will mean war between our clans. Your entire organization will be destroyed for the insult.”
His gun slams into my back, and I barely manage to keep my balance on the stairs.
“Your boss is probably worried that you and your friends are becoming too powerful,” he sneers. “I’m willing to bet that he won’t mind if I eliminate you before that happens.”
“I have dangerous allies in Mexico and Colombia now,” I warn. “You have no idea what you will unleash upon your own boss if you dare to challenge us.”
“I heard about your little trip across the Atlantic, and I’m happy to destroy everything you’ve worked for,” he taunts. “I thought I’d missed my opportunity years ago, but then I saw you with this bitch, and I realized that you’re finally vulnerable. Love is weakness, Massimo. I would’ve thought you learned that the day I killed your pathetic parents.”
My mind races, searching for a way to save her from my worst enemy. Evelyn and I are supposed to meet Gian and Enzo for coffee soon. If we don’t show, they’ll come looking for us. But I have no idea how long it might take them to worry over our delay.
Rocco will hurt Evelyn in the meantime. I can’t bear it. I’ll tear him apart if he touches so much as a single strand of her platinum hair.
We reach the bottom of the stairs, and pain cracks through my skull when Rocco smashes his gun into the back of my head. The world flashes, white lightning filling my vision so that I lose sight of her. I blink hard and will the world to stop spinning, but a sharp kick to my gut makes my insides writhe. I double over on my knees and gasp for air, but my lungs won’t expand. Another kick, and my ribs crack.
Evelyn’s screams tear at me, more agonizing than the beating.
The barrage of blows stops, and I try to surge to my feet before my balance returns. I drop back onto one knee, and rough hands grab my arms, two men holding me down. My vision finally clears to reveal my nightmare.
Rocco clutches Evelyn from behind, using her slight body as a shield. One of his arms wraps around her waist, pinning her back against his chest. His other hand holds a knife to her throat.
My heart twists, and I go utterly still. One wrong move from me, and he’ll cut her open. I’ll have to watch her bleed out and gasp for air, and there will be nothing I can do to save her.
I lost my parents to this monster. My violent impulses drew his cruel attention on that awful day, and even though I managed to ruin his face, he took something far more precious from me: the only two people in the world who loved me unconditionally.
Now, he holds Evelyn’s life in his hands.
“Let her go,” I grind out. “She has nothing to do with your vendetta. I’m the one you want to hurt.”
Rocco cocks his head at me. “I’ve seen you with women before, but never like this. I’ve been watching you ever since you landed in Naples. You’re obsessed with her.” He laughs like it’sthe funniest joke he’d ever heard. “It’s more than just a good fuck, isn’t it?”
