Page 56 of The Savage

The fear races through my blood like lava from a volcano as I sense change coming and he laughs like a maniac as he stutters, “But I am always one step ahead of them. You see, my darling Winter, they believe they have it all figured out. They want to set up an exchange. My daughter for you.”

I almost take a step back because I wasn’t expecting this. A lifeline, a chance to escape, and yet how would that possibly work?

“But Frankie.” My voice comes out hopeful and yet resigned to having those hopes dashed and he says cruelly, “Stays with me.”

“But ...” I’m uncertain what to do because one false move could end in torture for me, and I have been trained to listen and accept my fate. I must remember that and wait for him to reveal the whole picture, and then he startles me by pointing to the gold chandelier and laughs out loud.

“You remember Wesley, don’t you, darling?”

I stare up in shock and witness the gold painted body of the man who betrayed Massimo so cruelly.

“I’m so happy with this new work of art that I created personally.”

He moves beside me and holds my face roughly in his hands, forcing me to gaze up at the twirling body of a man who suffered a bitter ending.

“I brought him as a gift for Imogen. She can look up and stare at the man who stole our baby.” Suddenly, he laughs out loud. “Do you want to know the best thing about my newest creation, my darling?” I nod and he whispers, “He’s still alive.”

I glance up in horror as Massimo says with pride, “The line holding him up there is life support. It’s keeping his body and mind active, but the gold paint has suffocated his skin. There is one bald patch on the top of his head where the line was drilled into and he spins on it, fully aware at all times, regretting the fact he betrayed me.”

I think I’m going to pass out when he calls out, “Isn’t that right, Wesley? You get to regret double crossing me for the rest of your miserable life. You remain alive all the time I say so and are a living work of art that I will treasure for the rest of my life.”

Massimo cackles like the maniac he is. “You should have been there, Winter. To witness him pleading and begging for his life as I made him pay. It was interesting watching his body respond to the torture I inflicted on it. I even learned a few new skills that he can take the credit for. Yes, I have spent an enjoyable few days, my dear, creating this masterpiece for my wife’s pleasure.”

He forces me to look at the glass chamber and I almost gag when I see the mummified remains of the once beautiful creature who lives on in the painting.

“So, my darling, Winter, this is how I love. Nobody will ever get away from me, not anyone I adore, and you are no exception.”

My heart dives straight to the floor as I struggle to cling on to any hope at all and he says with glee, “They think they are so smart using the Bratva to kidnap my daughter before I could save her. Spiriting her away and holding her for ransom in exchange for you.”

He shakes his head and says in a childish voice, “Ring a ring of roses a pocket full of posies atishoo atishoo, they all fell down.”

Then he laughs like the maniac he is and splutters, “They are all gone.”

My heart freezes as I wait to hear something that will break me.

“I annihilated them all for daring to take my precious daughter from me. One by one, they fell and they don’t even know it was me. Ingenious darling, don’t you agree?”

I nod and smile as he always expects. “You are so clever, my darling.”

The words stick in my throat, and he smiles with pleasure.

“I had an invitation today that I respectfully declined.”

He looks at his wife’s body and runs his hands across the glass chamber. “They offered for us to go to Sicily, to swap girls.”

He throws his head back and laughs with amusement. “They thought I would be stupid enough to walk willingly into their trap. Honestly, I worry about them, they won’t last long in this world. No, I know who has my daughter now and when they least expect it, I will liberate her. One by one they will hang in my dungeons, and I will have my pleasure. Five men all ripe for the picking who will be my new toys to play with. Don’t worry, I’ll allow you to watch while I rip them apart for both our pleasure. This is why they’ll never win, because I am always several steps ahead of them. We’ll remain here where we are safe and turn them against one another. Have no fear my darling Winter, my daughter will be returned to me but on my terms.”

He looks around and says happily, “Then we will be a family again.” He approaches his wife’s body and smiles lovingly. “Did you hear that, Imogen darling? Our daughter will join you. I will place her chamber beside yours and she will keep you company, along with Wesley. We will all be together again and when Winter has served her purpose, I’m sure she will love hanging above our daughter and spinning for her pleasure. Yes, I can see it now, one big happy family.”

He turns to me and says with a leer, “Don’t worry about your son, my darling, Frankie and I will enjoy a different relationship. He will replace you as my most loved toy and I will have everything I ever wanted.”

The horror of my situation is too much to bear, and I don’t know how I hold it together to whisper the words he is expecting. “Thank you, my darling.”

As he throws one last lingering look at the coffin and glances up at the spinning statue, he smiles with satisfaction.

“Yes, the future is looking good for all of us.”

CHAPTER38

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