Page 81 of A Game of Secrets

Teddy snaps me out of my panic, he's whimpering, tears staining his cheeks as he cries to me. "Cole, who is this guy? I'm scared. He says he knows Uncle Max." My heart breaks, this boy is so brave.

“Don't worry little bear, he won't hurt you.” Looking at Ronan, the fear and anger making me feel physically sick. "He's innocent, let him go now before I lose my temper."

He laughs again, "Lose your temper? What was slitting the throats of my men and blowing their brains out then? You say he's innocent. Like you were? They took that, didn't they? You weren't much older than Teddy, am I right?"

He is goading me. Rage bursting through my veins. I'm on edge. He's not going to lose his innocence like I did that's for sure. "Don't talk of things you know nothing about Ronan! The boy is mine. You'll give him to me before you end up like your men. Would you prefer to gargle in your own blood when I slit your throat or feel the pressure of your brain exploding as I pull the trigger?" Teddy is shaking and crying silently, I'm trying to keep myself calm for him.

Ronan scoffs, "You won't get close enough to try boy. Who says I don't know what I'm talking about. You were bound in a basement of my choosing, they took their turns on you didn't they? Did you enjoy it, I wonder? You were a weak little boy. Maybe Teddy's fate will be the same but all will depend on how you Salvatore scum play your cards."

Anger is getting the best of me as I hum eenie, meenie, minee, mo, under my breath. I clench my fists and reply cooly and calmly. "If that was the best you could do to me Ronan, then I find your attempts to ruin me lacking. The only thing your attempts did were to make me even more dangerous than I was growing up to be. Did you know what we did to those men? They never did find where we got rid of their bodies. I still have souvenirs from some of them. Maybe I'll keep one from you too." I turn my attention to Teddy now. "Little man, you're so brave. Remember to leave me crumbs and I'll find you. OK?" I tell him this as I'm not sure how long I can drag this out. l need to act fast. "This is the last time I'm going to say this Ronan, and then it'll be play time for me. LET TEDDY GO!" I demand.

Ronan shakes his head and smirks. "I've got some more secrets to tell you before you enter the pit of hell boy. Not only was I responsible for your kidnapping and rape, I took the pleasure of assisting in your dear old friends tragedy." Frowning, not following his words. Ronan licks his lips and continues. "It haunts him every day that he couldn't save her. His mother wept beautifully as she bled out. The only thing sweeter than that was hearing the screams as her flesh slapped against mine when I buried my cock inside her cunt. How she screamed and fought that night. Then I slit her throat for the boy to find her. Of course, I left my cum inside the bitch as a little present." He laughs now like the sick fuck he is. "I wonder if your sweet Lucille will be the same, she'll come eagerly for me I'll make sure of it," hetaunts.

I see red. I lose my temper, unable to keep myself sane anymore. I move my gun and shoot the man to Ronan's left, hitting him between the eyes, blood splatters over Ronan, making him shove Teddy to the floor as he tries to protect himself. "Run Teddy!" I shout before I hear gunshots and am hit with a searing pain in my chest, I know without looking I've been shot but I continue my assault to save Teddy. Another ring of shots are fired. This time I fall to my knees. Blood is puddling around me fast and I know I'm losing time. Looking up, I see I've taken out all of Ronan's men but Ronan is dragging Teddy into the car by the scruff of his shirt. He's screaming at him, fighting his hardest to get away. Just as he bundles him into the car, he looks back at me and smiles. "Your reign will be over soon Salvatore. It’s time for me and my blood to take over this city."

The car speeds off as I fall to the ground, my vision is tunneling, and it hurts to breathe. I've failed my little mouse. I failed Teddy. As my head hits the ground I hear a piercing scream from behind me before a soft hand cradles my cheek and as I close my eyes I quietly mumble, "Erano i Costello. Mi dispiace, Topolino."

I hear my love's soft voice call through to me "Don't you leave me Cole!" Before I pass out of consciousness.

Chapter 39

Lucille

When I received that text from Vinny I had no other choice but to go to him. To get my boy back. I only hoped my men would understand. Nothing will ever stop me from keeping my son safe. I locked the door to my room knowing Silas would send somebody in to check on me soon and hoping it would buy me just a sliver of time before they realized I was gone. I scribbled down a note and without looking back, I hauled myself out of the back window and ran straight to Silas’s car, thanking God that he’d left his keys inside his jacket pocket that he’d placed around my shoulders after I couldn’t stop my teeth from chattering together. I pulled quietly out of the club’s car park then hit the gas and raced towards the demon from my nightmares.

I follow my GPS, running red lights, cutting corners and coming way too close to crashing the car. But as I pull into a deserted looking warehouse on the East side of the city and skid across the forecourt to a stop, kicking up the dirt under my wheels, the only thing on my mind is finding Teddy. My stomach lurches as I step outside of the car and head towards the largest building out of the three. Taking a deep breath, I reach for the metal sliding doors and push my way through. I have no doubt that Vinny will already know I’m here, the sound of the car ripping across the gravel would have tipped him off to my arrival so I don’t bother trying to conceal myself as I step into the light of a large holding room.

“Mommy!!” is the first thing I hear. I snap my head around and my stomach twists at the sight of my boy running towards me, his arms outstretched as he pummels into my body. My knees buckle as I sink to the floor holding him tight to my chest and breathing in his smell.

“Oh baby, I’ve missed you so much!” I choke, pulling him back at arms length to check him over. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” I ask, raking my eyes over him from head to toe.

“I’m OK, Mommy. But that man over there said that he’s my daddy,” he says, pointing behind me.

I whip myself around quicker than lightning in the direction that Teddy is pointing, reaching my hands back to keep him in place behind me, and there he is. The devil who reigns terror in my nightmares, the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, who tricked me with his manipulative ways and lured me into his bed of lies.

“Hello Locket,” he sneers, his lips pulling back in a sickening grin as he steps forward into the light. The use of his old nickname for me has the bile rising in my throat in an instant but I can’t speak, can’t respond, I’m frozen in every meaning of the word. The chill rising through my bones has me physically shaking as I hold tightly onto my son, keeping him close to my back and out of sight. Vinny smirks at me, and I know he is relishing in the power he possesses as I stand silent before him. He begins to circle us, slowly, methodically, like a hungry wolf stalking its prey.

“As you can imagine, it was a great surprise to find out that my darling wife, who left me without even so much as a goodbye note. Had given birth to a baby, my son, and was living her happy little life, fucking all the men in Vegas to find him a new daddy.” With every step he takes, I counter it with my own, making sure I am always shielding Teddy from him. “Nothing to say?” He goads, stalking slowly closer towards us.

“Don’t you come near him,” I bark, my voice with much more bravado than I feel as I shift on my feet.

Vinny stands still for a moment and laughs, a deep throaty laugh that sounds almost psychotic. “You’ve already taken five years from me you stupid bitch,” he spits. “You have no say in this, not anymore. You can stay here and open your legs for whoever the fuck you want, but my son is leaving with me.”

Vinny takes a step forward and I mirror it again with another step back making sure not to topple over Teddy as I guide him back with me. I can feel his hands tight against my legs as he cowers behind me, unsure of what is really going on. “Over my dead body,” I declare.

I watch as Vinny’s face pulls into an evil grimace and he chuckles loudly. “That can be arranged.”

I turn to Teddy and grab onto his shoulders, pulling him from my legs. “Go Teddy, go and find help, RUN!” I snap but his face crumples as he begins to cry.

“No Mommy,” he whines, shaking his head and reaching towards me.

I blink back my own tears and push him. “GO NOW!” I demand, standing up as I turn back to find Vinny lunging at my throat.

“Mommy!” I hear Teddy scream from behind me.

“RUN TEDDY. NOW!” I scream before Vinny crushes his thumbs into my windpipe, choking me.

“You fucking bitch,” he growls, pulling my face so close to his I can taste the liquor on his breath. “You’ll fucking pay for that, for all the lies you’ve told and all the secrets you’ve kept from me.”

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