Page 34 of Twisted Embrace

Enzo was shocked as well, my quick action jerking the car all the way to the right. “You bastard!”

“Jesus Christ, woman.” He struggled but managed to get the vehicle under control, but not before almost crashing into a telephone pole and a half-dozen honks from other vehicles. He held the steering wheel firmly with one hand, snapping his other around my thigh, squeezing to the point of anguish.

The fucker had managed to hit a pressure point.

“Don’t! I’m sorry.”

He glanced over, shaking his head. “If you ever do anything like that again, I will lock you in a cage. Are we clear?”

“Why, yes, sir, but if you hurt my parents in any way, I will drive an icepick through both eyes.”

The corners of his lips quirked, the smug look on his face shifting into another wave of amusement. He said nothing for a few seconds and I couldn’t help but stare at him with daggers in my eyes.

“I promise you that your parents will not be hurt. However, they will be convinced it’s in their best interest and that of their daughter to do what I say.”

“The big he-man takes charge. I’m surprised you don’t have a specially colored cape just for badass bullies. Black in color with blood smeared on it. Oh, wait. You couldn’t see the stain very well. Somehow, white isn’t your color.” I had to be drunk on adrenaline given my mouthy challenge. Or maybe I just didn’t care what happened to me any longer.

“Did anyone ever tell you that your mouth is going to get you into serious trouble?”

Chortling, I folded my arms and stared out the passenger window. As he headed toward the bridge into Newark, I closed my aching eyes, trying to push aside the ugly visions from earlier in the day. Even the sound of gunfire echoed in my brain, making it difficult to concentrate on anything. “What about their safety?”

I hated his deep sighs, as if he was bothered by my existence. “They will be taken to safety, Joy.”

“Is there any location on this earth that’s safe from whatever massacre will occur?” With my head remaining on the seat, I shifted my gaze in his direction. He was more pensive than usual, constantly glancing in the rearview mirror. “Tell me the truth.”

“I will find a place.”

“Promise me you’ll do everything in your power to keep them alive.”

The way he turned his head toward me, the shadowed silhouette of his face was just as frightening as the entire day had been. “I won’t make promises that will be difficult to keep.”

“Of course you won’t. You’re high and mighty and only your little world matters.” Disgust continued to roll through me, my stomach churning. I closed my eyes again, willing the ugliness of the day to fade, praying I wouldn’t surrender to nightmares.

As the quiet hum of the engine lulled me into a quiet place, I could still see Lucia’s face from when she’d walked into the restaurant. If only… I started to fade, allowing the comfort of the plush surroundings to drag me into a peaceful moment.

Pop! Pop!

The sound pulled me out of a swirling gray, my mind trying to grasp onto whatever dream I was having.

“Joy. Wake up. Listen to me.”

The voice was dark yet soothing, delicious. “Hmmm?” I suddenly felt something, a touch. Then a firm grip, my senses finally coming fully awake when I heard the screech of tires on pavement. I jerked up, gripping the dashboard.

“What is going on?”

“Our location was discovered. It would seem we were followed. Get as far to the floor as you can,” Enzo directed.

I couldn’t react fast enough, watching as he roared around another corner, constantly darting his eyes toward the rearview mirror. I jerked the seatbelt, twisting around to look out the back instead of obeying his orders. “Russians?”

“Goddamn it, Joy. Do as I say. Now! That’s something I will determine.” His level of anger was more explosive than before, his driving erratic but controlled.

Before I obeyed his command, I was able to see the driver of the SUV weaving back and forth on the busy street, trying to keep another car from making any headway. When I heard another round of gunshots, I yelped, holding my hands over my head.

“Goddamn the motherfuckers,” Enzo growled then yanked out his phone, maneuvering it without any difficulty as if he normally needed to outrun some enemy while talking on his cellphone. “D’Artagnan. We’re taking a hit. Have the men lock down the hospital.” He glanced down at me, making another hard turn, this time swerving. “Yeah, I’ll call you when we’re in a safe location.” He made another call. “Anthony. Allow the fuckers to get in front of you. Let them think they got away from you. Stay on their tail without being seen. I’m going to find a place to pull in. We’ll deal with them from there. Good.” He tossed the phone, cursing under his breath.

“What are you doing?” I asked, uncertain I wanted to know.

“Handling some rodents.” His tone was unusually dark but there was also glee. The man enjoyed hunting and killing. He sped through the streets, constantly glancing in the rearview mirror. Every turn he made, the tires squealed, the force of his impressive driving churning my stomach.

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