Page 93 of Beautiful Devil

For fuck’s sake, what could be so important that I have to look at this right now while my wife has beenkidnapped? As I read over the words in front of me, my whole world comes to a halt. I bang my fists on my desk as the anger builds inside and the beast wants to come out.

“Get out there now and find my wife. If that bastard hurts her in any way, I will burn everything in this city to the ground!” I roar.

Hang tight, dolcezza. I’m coming for you.

CHAPTER31

GIA

My head is throbbingas I start to wake up.

What the hell happened?

I try to move, but something bites at my wrists and ankles when I do. I slowly lift my head and open my eyes. I’m in a small, dark room. My wrists and ankles are tied to the chair I’m currently sitting on. I huff out a frustrated sigh. I was so close to freedom. So it’s close to getting away from here, to getting my old life back in my old shitty apartment.

If this is Fabi’s idea of trying to scare me into staying married to him, then he has another thing coming. I'd rather die than continue to be married to that self-absorbed asshole.

Just as I'm thinking about my not-so-beloved husband, a door to my right swings open and, to my surprise, a figure much smaller than Fabi stands in the doorway. I squint, trying to get a better look at the man, but it doesn't work. He slowly starts to move toward me, and I notice a walking cane.

The first pang of panic hits me dead in the center of my chest. This isn't Fabi, and I’m pretty sure this most definitely isn't one of his warehouses.

When he comes closer, I see a much older man. A jolt of nausea hits my stomach as he pulls a chair up to sit in front of me. He moves slowly as he eases himself down in his seat. With him only a couple feet away, I can take in his features now. He’s dressed in a navy suit that looks like once upon a time it would have hugged his muscles, but now it just hangs limply from his body. His face looks pale, and his eyes are hidden under the brim of his matching navy fedora, with peeks of gray hair sticking out from the sides. He gives me a sardonic smile that only heightens the panic coursing through my body before he speaks in a deep, commanding voice.

“Ciao, Gia,” he says in a heavy Italian accent.

My eyes go wide as I realize he just said my name and knows who I am.

Of course he knows who you are, Gia. He kidnapped you, idiot.

As I internally roll my eyes at myself, the man in front of me also clearly thinks it's funny too, because he gives a chuckle before he breaks out into a coughing fit. He pulls a hanky out of his jacket pocket to cough into. As he’s pulling it away, I notice blood.

I quickly avert my eyes and look down at my lap, trying to keep my face neutral and my breathing under control so he can’t tell that I’m freaking out. I can’t believe this is happening. I’d just snuck out of Fabi’s house. I wassoclose to gaining my freedom back. As soon as I stepped out of his backyard, I was captured again.

Holy shit. I was kidnapped.Again.

Please, God, please say that this man isn’t going to force me into marrying him as well.

At least with Fabi, not only was he closer to my age, but he was also a hell of a lot better-looking and healthy. I guess if I had to marry this guy, he would at least be dead soon, so there’s that.

Is this what my life has become now? Being kidnapped and forced to marry men against my will in order to survive?

If so, then you might as well just end it now, God.

I don’t want to live the rest of my life like this, constantly looking over my shoulder, being forced to do things against my will, not being able to go where I want or see who I want. I wouldn’t survive it. Not again. However, something tells me that my life with Fabi would look like a walk in the park compared to my life with this man. At the thought of Fabi, an image of his face comes to the forefront of my mind. His tall and broad stature and how he towered over me, the soft, gentle smile that crossed his face during those rare tender moments we shared.

A feeling of melancholy washes over me as I think about Fabi, myhusband. Although he kidnapped me, he still treated me well. Yes, he forced me to marry him, but he did that to saveme,a complete stranger.

Walking away from him was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make, but I knew I had to do it to protect my own heart. I had stupidly started to fall for him, but those hurtful words he said about me will forever play in my head. Any time I miss him or wonder if I made the right choice to leave, I’ll repeat those words over and over to remind myself that I meant nothing to him. I was a means to an end.

Tears start to pool in my eyes at the memory until I’m startled from my thoughts when another coughing fit comes from the man in front of me. I know I’m not a doctor, but something tells me he shouldn’t be here. He should be in a hospital, or on bed rest at least.

He clears his throat before speaking again, his accent sounding harsher now, and I have to listen carefully so I can understand what he’s saying.

“Do you know who I am,cara?”

Not trusting myself to speak, I shake my head, not taking my eyes off him. A small, sad smile appears on his face as he bobs his head up and down before speaking again.

“I’m hurt that you do not remember me. Although our first meeting was brief, I didn’t think the day your husband was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison would be a day you could forget so quickly.”

---