Heart Of The Captor

of the narrow panes, his broad back tense as he gazed out into the distance, his mind racing with the cold fury that had simmered for days.

ey had worked together long enough for Vincent to understand the signals-when Dante was sil

e, yes?" Dante asked, his

e was delivered. Alex's men brought

ere was no joy behind it. "And what did that pathe

hands. "It was short. Just a confirmation that he has no further inte

"Cleared?" The single word was drenched in venom. "He thinks selling his own

clearly uncertain how to resp

e. "Of course he does," he muttered under his breath. "Ale

de sure Dante's sister suffered before her life was stolen from her, and now, that same suffering would be returned tenfold. But it wouldn't be swi

than he had expected. He'd seen it in her eyes-beneath the bruises and the exhaustion, there was defiance. She was no weak, submissive thing, d

uldn't chan

clipped. "She's been in there long enough. I want

ebrow. "You're going

angerous glint in his boss's eyes. "I will deal with her in my own time. For

lence of the warehouse pressed in around him, but Dante welcomed it. Th

at estate like he owned the world. Even then, Dante had known that Alex was too careless, too eager to climb o

Pathetic. If anything, it only proved what Dante had alway

ing his sister, he was sorely mistaken. Dante didn't just want r

was time to set the next p

-

Two of Dante's men held her in place, their grip firm on her shoulders as they douse

sneered, his voice mocking. "We wo

ery muscle in her frame screamed in protest, and her wrists throbbed where the cuffs had bitten into her skin. Her

. It wasn't the same one where she had been kept for days. This room was larger, but just as grim. T

Lily stumbled, her legs weak beneath her, but she caught herself befo

the men grunted, jerking her fo

he moment she had been taken. The man who now claimed ownership of her, thanks to Alex's

here. The men flanked her on either side, and the heavy door they led her through

he weight of her situation pressing down on her chest. She hadn't expected Alex to care, but she hadn'

voice from within gave the command to enter. They pushed the door open and shoved he

like a well-oiled machine. A large desk sat in the center, papers stacked in neat piles. The man sitting behind

her heart lurch. There was something in his gaze-something beyond the cruelty she h

sion unreadable, his hands resting calmly on the surface of the desk. Th

she said, her voice hoarse and t

used by her boldness. "And you're the gi

"I didn't ask for this," she said, her voice stronger now. "Whatever

bout what you did or didn't do? You're his blood, and that makes you part of this. Your brother

ng painfully against her ribs. "Then tak

deliberate, almost lazy, as if he had all the time in the world to make her understand her ne

rously calm. "But it starts with you. Your brother thought he could wipe t

se quicken

rse. Your brother sold you to me thinking he could end

her throat. "You're

"Not yet. First, he's going to watch as I destroy every

letting him see her fear. "You think I'm his weakness?" she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady. "Alex d

hrough his eyes. "I know that now. I know exactly what kind of man your

w, dangerous whisper. "I'm going to take from

n her, the tension in the room so thick it felt like she was drowning. Sh

r ear. "This is only the beginning. Before I'm done with you,

to do anything but stand frozen in place. But it was too late. The ch

d her trembling form. "I'll leave you to think about that for a while," he said, hi

had all the time in the world. But just as he reached for the handle, the d

ss from the urgency of his news.

narrowing as he proces

nervously between Dante and Lily. "No trace

rigid, the air around him crackling with fury. Slowly, he turned

said softly, his voice like the calm before a s

f his words settled on her, a sink

had

revenge would fal