Paolo stood to the side of Lorenzo, a sadistic grin on his face as he held a rod. “Hold still,” he warned Lorenzo, but I knew it wasn’t out of kindness and worry. He was saying it for his own amusement.
He smashed the bright orange tip of the rod against Lorenzo’s stomach. I winced as the sizzling of his skin got louder. Every part of Lorenzo’s body was tense, his jaw twitching as he clenched it, trying not to make a sound. My heart sped up, pounding in my chest so fast I was sure it would jump from my body.
I narrowed my eyes on them, willing Lorenzo to look my way. The warehouse had darkened, a signal that we’d been here at least an entire day. The hope of someone finding us was starting to dissipate. Surely Mateo would have—
I gasped, so loud it caused Paolo to pause inches from Lorenzo’s stomach. And it was then that I realized they’d changed his binds. He wasn’t tied up like I was anymore. His hands were behind his back, his legs still tied to the chair, but he was shirtless now, his bare skin on full display for Paolo to do whatever he wanted to.
“Ahhh, sleeping beauty is finally awake.”
My breaths turned to pants as I darted my gaze over Lorenzo’s chest and abs. His perfectly tanned skin had been painted with burns, some round, some lines, thin and thick. A few looked fresh, but a few looked like they were trying to heal.
Paolo took one step away from Lorenzo, his gaze meeting mine, and I hoped he’d come for me again because Lorenzo was barely holding his head up now. What had they done to him while I was passed out? And how long had it been? I’d assumed it had only been a day, but from the way the bruises on Lorenzo’s face were changing colors, I was starting to realize we’d been here longer. All sense of time was lost.
“Watch this,” Paolo said, his sweaty face grinning over at me a second before he whipped his arm out and slammed the metal pole into Lorenzo’s stomach. It wasn’t hot enough to burn the skin now, but whatever he’d hit had Lorenzo growling. “Fun, no?” Paolo dropped the pole to the ground, the pinging ringing in my ears, then took two steps away from Lorenzo. He crossed his arms over his chest, smiling in appreciation as he glanced at the both of us, proud of the work he’d done.
“Bastard,” Lorenzo croaked out, not giving up his fight. I smiled at him, a warmth spreading through me at the sight of him trying to hold on to his strength. Paolo was trying to break him, trying to cause him as much pain as possible using both his and my body, but he wasn’t successful. He’d never be successful.
“Name-calling isn’t nice.” Paolo tutted, a yawn breaking free as he did. “Rest is in order, I think.” He nodded to himself. “Yes. Tiresome work this game is.” I wasn’t sure whether he was purposefully trying to sound weird or whether that was just the way he spoke. Either way, with him gone, it meant a reprieve for Lorenzo.
Paolo took slow steps toward Lorenzo, walking around him in a circle, then moved over to me, doing the same but halting behind me. “Wow.” His finger trailed over my shoulder. I jumped from the impact of the soft touch, then yelled as he jammed his fingertip into one of the lashes. Wetness poured out of it, trickling down my back, the healing skin crying out. “It’s even better than a great work of art.” He whistled, then chuckled. “Now, all that’s left is the front.”
I felt his body come closer, his front smashing into my back. The burn intensified to such a point where the warehouse spun again, my body threatening to give up. But I couldn’t. Not now. Not now that he was about to leave to rest. It was our only opportunity to get out. The only way I could talk to Lorenzo without him around.
Lorenzo tried to lift his head, his dark gaze meeting mine and then Paolo’s. He’d heard what he’d said too, but unlike earlier when he barked threats at him, he stayed silent.
Paolo’s hands landed on my shoulders, his fingers digging into my collarbone. I tried to move away from him, but the bindings and burning of my skin stopped me. “What do you think, nephew?” He waited for Lorenzo to answer him, but when he didn’t, he continued, “Should I make her front match her back?”
He pushed into my back harder as he flattened his palm and shunted downward, grabbing my breast and squeezing. I wasn’t sure what was worse, being whipped from behind or him touching a part of me that was reserved only for Lorenzo. Fear built the longer his hand stayed there. Fear that it wouldn’t end there. I could take the physical punishment, but I wasn’t sure I’d be able to take anything else.
Lorenzo’s eyes fired to life, his body jerking forward. “Death,” he growled out. “Death is coming for you, old man.”
Paolo laughed, his whole body moving with the force and scraping against my back. “Promises, promises.” He ripped his front from my back, purposely causing even more pain. I squealed, sobs bubbling up inside that I had no way to hold back. My ears rang as he said something else, but I couldn’t make it out. I was falling again, falling into a darkness I couldn’t afford to be consumed by. But there was nothing I could do to stop it.
LORENZO
Two days.
Three nights.
That was how long we’d been here, trapped inside Paolo’s hell. He’d created a cycle I wasn’t sure was going to end. For hours he’d hurt me in any way he wanted, then he’d leave, appearing again just as my body was starting to rest. The only positive was that he’d concentrated on me, leaving Aida out of it after he’d ripped her back to shreds.
Each time he disappeared for a few hours, I was sure it would be our chance to break free, to get away from him, but he knew what he was doing. He never left us alone, always placing guards on the two exits that I’d been tracking. There weren’t any cameras that I could see, no cars coming and going. It was locked up tight, just like I’d expected.
Except…there was a fundamental flaw in his plan. He wasn’t a native, but his guards were. I recognized each and every one of them as people who had crossed me before. All of them had a missing limb, and I wondered how Paolo had managed to find them. It had taken hours of watching Aida passed out for me to finally realize that this wasn’t a quick, off-the-cuff thing.
Veev had been in my life for years, trying to get closer and closer to me, and if it hadn’t been for Aida, she’d be in that position now. She’d been his inside person, the one who was able to relay all of the information back to him.
I glanced at Aida, my stomach churning at how at peace but also in pain she looked. Part of me was glad her body was passing out and protecting her because it meant she didn’t have to witness what Paolo had been doing to me. He’d gotten bored of her and paid extra special attention to me, and that was exactly how I wanted it. The more his eyes were turned to me, the less she had to suffer.
The door squeaked open, and the bodyguard stood to attention. They were starting to tire of their jobs, a clear sign that they had no loyalty to Paolo. He paid them to do the work only true loyalty could take care of.
Paolo stepped inside the warehouse, the sunlight blaring in behind him, and I knew from the moment Paolo had landed in the States, this had been his plan. Aida hadn’t, though. She’d just been a wrench thrown in the works.
A wrench he’d used against me.