Heart Of The Captor

ood, dried and fresh, streaked her skin. Her head lolled forward, a throbbing ache settling in the back of her skull. The d

since she had been dragged from her family's estate, tossed into a van, and driven to this hellhole. She had stopped counting after

o one

were monsters in human form-beating her, taunting her, and leaving her in this rotting prison while they waited. For what, she didn't know. They had

, he had sent these men to take her. And that could only mean one thing-her

the concrete floor, growing closer with each step. She forced herself to look up, her vision blurred with exha

worst of them-Vincent. She had learned his name the hard way, from the way he bar

me for you," Vincent said, crouching down to meet her eye level. His breath reeked of

ve. Vincent's eyes darkened, and in a swift motion, his hand lashed out, striking her across the face

cent said with a chuckle, standing up.

of paper from his jacket. He handed it to Vincent without a word. Vincent o

"Looks like we've got a message f

paper in Vincent's hands. Was this it? Was Alex finally coming for her? Sh

t out of her reach. "Looks like your brother made a deal," he said,

d her, the sounds of the warehouse fading

in her mind. "Congratulations, sweeth

able of terrible things. But this? Selling her to a mafia king? This was beyond anything she had imagined. Any hope she had clung to-h

before she could stop it,

. "Because your brother's a coward, and Dante wants rev

her in the dark for days, all to lure Alex into coming for her. But instead of

he kicker, though. Dante didn't want you, not really. He wanted your brother. But now..." He trailed off,

. She had been nothing more than a pawn in a larger, bloodier game. And now, she was trapp

cket. "I'm sure Dante will be paying you a visit soo

g Lily suspended in the oppressive silence. The door slammed shut

She had always known that Alex was dangerous, but this-this betrayal was something she couldn't have anticipated. He had sol

survived this long, and she would continue to survive, no matter what Dante Moretti plann

a way out of

fted. A presence, more oppressive and suffocating than anything she had fe

e Mo

he air thickened, and her pulse quickened with both fear and a strange anti

ssion was cold, his dark eyes unreadable, but the fury simmering beneath the surface was unm

dangerous. "This is what your brot

away. She wouldn't let him intimidat

ontinued, his gaze unwavering. "Waiting

ht selling you would erase the debt, end the grudge between us. But what your brother doesn't

. And now you will suffer for ev

s sank in. This was about more than just mone

-" she began, her voice trembling

m in the eye. "Your brother took everything from me," he growled, his vo

with cold indifference. "You're mine now. Your li

d to a monster. A man who was driven by a thirst for vengeanc

her's betrayal has only made things worse for you. If he th

ating as ever. But before he reached the d

is words like venom, seeping into her skin. "Because

r slamming shut behind him, leaving Lily hanging in the suf

aken, she truly understood the depth of

e was no