His Hostage: Valetti Crime Family (A Bad Boy Mafia Romance) (5 page)

W
hat the fuck
am I doing? I run my hand down my face as I hear her bang against the trunk. Again. I keep hearing her muffled screams and it’s pissing me off. She doesn’t listen for shit. The cold sweat that I can’t kick runs through my body as I gently move the car through the intersection, past the familiar weathered stop sign. She can keep kicking and screaming for all I care. These back roads are deserted this time of day. No one is going to come save her. For now, she’s mine. And that means no one’s going to hurt her either.

I’ll take her to the safe house in the country. It’s a good 30 minutes away from here, and at least a 10 minute drive to civilization. I used to go there to hunt. Back when I thought I’d like that shit, anyway. Turns out waking up before the crack of dawn is not my thing. So now it’s the familia’s. Only Dom and Pops know about it though. She’ll be safe there. I run my hands through my hair and let out a heavy sigh. I’ll keep her there until I know what to do about this. Until I know for sure I can save both our asses.

I wish she hadn’t woken up. If she’d just stayed asleep it would’ve been so much better. I would’ve been alone, maybe told her she hit her head. I have no idea. I’ve never been in this situation. But I wasn’t going to let them kill her. It was my fault. My fuck up. And I’m going to fix this.

The memory from earlier flashes before my eyes. Her shrill scream as she saw my cousins Anthony and Tommy hovering over the brutalized body. Blood covered nearly every inch of that poor bastard’s exposed skin.

My grip tightens on the steering wheel, and suddenly her relentless banging is more annoying than it was before.

I grind my teeth remembering how they came in to the office while I was trying to calm her down.

* * *

I
drag
her back to the room, her small body pushing against mine. Her feet barely touch the ground as I lift her squirming body to hold her tighter to my chest. Her nails dig into the skin of my forearm that’s pressed hard against her chest, until I can pin her up against the back wall in the office. Her breathing is heavy and so is mine. Adrenaline courses through my blood. One hand covers her mouth to keep her screams muffled.

Fuck! I grit my teeth and keep my voice low as I speak through clenched teeth. “Stop. Screaming.” She doesn’t listen. She keeps it up as though I haven’t said a damn thing. I slam my body up against hers, then move my hand to her throat and squeeze.

“Listen real good, you had better fucking stop.” That gets her attention, but then the office door opens and two sets of heavy, even strides are heard in the silence. The door closes and locks with a loud click.

“I thought it was locked, Vince.” Anthony speaks, but I don’t turn around. I keep my eyes on hers as they dart to my cousins behind me.

“You want me to do it quick, Vince?” Anthony asks. “I’ll make it painless.”

My blood chills as I watch her eyes widen in fear. My poor sweetheart. I can’t. I can’t let that happen.

“No.” It’s the only word I can say. I don’t want to explain it to them. Because I’m their boss, I should know what to do, but I haven’t got a clue.

“You need her to talk or something, Vince?” I can hear the confusion in Anthony’s voice. She should be dead by now. I shouldn’t be toying with her like this. Thing is though, I don’t want her dead. She whimpers and her eyes finally meet mine. I know I must look like a cold-blooded killer. My jaw is clenched and my eyes are hard.

She struggles again in my grasp and then I remember my forearm on her neck. Her head is pushed back in an unnatural way and she’s taking in ragged breaths. I let up on my grip.

I place my lips at her ear and whisper, “Don’t you make a fucking sound.”

“Vince?” At Anthony’s question, I turn my shoulder to Elle. And she acts like a fucking idiot and takes off behind me. My hand reaches out to snatch her but I miss. Tommy’s right fucking there, though. Did she really think she’d make it? Watching Tommy wrap an arm around her waist, bringing her body up against his pisses me off.

He speaks clearly, and I can hear the remorse in his voice as he says, “I’m sorry, I really am.”

I know exactly what he’s gonna do. He’s planning on snapping her neck. Quick, painless, but it’s not going to fucking happen. I take three strides and I’m on him. I land my fist on his jaw like a fucking asshole. He doesn’t see it coming, and it sends him flying into the wall. His shoulder blade hits the drywall, leaving a large dent. Elle tumbles to the ground and I step over her, fuming with rage.

“No one touches her. No one!” I scream so loud I know they all hear it. Everyone in this place. But I don’t give a fuck. It’s not going down like this. I know the rules, just like I know I’m breaking them right now. But I don’t care. I’m not going to allow anyone to hurt her.

I hear her shriek, and I turn to see Anthony holding her just like Tommy was. But he’s quick to respond. “Just keeping her from running, boss.” I give him a quick nod and turn back to Tommy. He’s looking up at me with equal amounts of shock and aggression.

I reach down and offer my hand and help him up. His eyes stay on me, waiting.

“I don’t want her dead, Tommy.” He looks at me for a moment and then nods.

“One second, boss.” I don’t know what he has planned. But I do know this is all fucked.

* * *

I
t’s all my fault
. All of it.

What the hell was I doing letting her leave on her own? Fucking careless. I was sloppy. I’m not fucking sloppy. Never. That’s not how Valettis do business. I grind my teeth and look out of the window as we finally leave the outskirts of the city. Pops is going to be pissed.

Just the thought of his disappointment makes my heart sink. I don’t really give too much of a shit what anyone thinks of me, except for Pops and Ma. Sometimes my brother Dom and sister Clara. But my father's opinion matters the most. He’s always been proud of me. But this shit I’ve gotten us into--this is not good. He’s not going to fucking like that I risked the family to get my dick wet at our place of business.

I don’t know what it is about this broad that has me making poor decisions left and right. I don’t know if it’s her curves, that little pout she has that shows me she’s hurting, or that snappy little attitude that comes out of nowhere.

I fucking love the spitfire my sweetheart is. I can’t fucking wait for her to go off on me again so I can spank that ass of hers. Next thing I know my dick's hard, pressing against my zipper. I let my head fall back, but keep my eyes on the road. And then I hear her thumping away in the back. What the fuck is wrong with me? I’m never getting in that pussy again. I’m the fucking enemy now.

She probably doesn’t even remember that hot as fuck pregaming session we had. Shit. She'd better not. She'd better not remember anything more than my name. I shift uncomfortably in my seat and let out a deep sigh. This is so fucked.

At that thought I realize I have no fucking clue what I’m gonna do with her now. I could bring her to my room and pretend we had a one-night stand. That makes sense. I took her out to the bar, we got drunk, had a great night together. Boom, it’s done and over with. My chest pains at the thought. I don’t want it to be over with. I don’t like that option. But I’m sure as shit not bringing her around the family after this. Tommy and Anthony are the only ones that know. They know better than to tell Pops. That’s my job. My responsibility.

I look down at the watch and see it’s been two hours since she woke up. That means she’s gonna need another dose soon. She shouldn’t remember any of this shit with that drug in her system.

Calling it a sleeping aid was a shit thing to do. It wasn't a blatant lie, but it’s not like I’m gonna tell her I roofied her. I don’t want to give her the impression that we do that kind of shit on vulnerable women, 'cause we don’t. It comes in handy when you wanna take out someone high up though. It's much easier to take a knocked out fucker to the pits than having to fight him on his own territory. Of course she didn’t get the same dose we use for that kind of thing. It’s hard to know how much even got into her system though. Tommy just shoved it in her mouth, and as a result she nearly bit his finger off.

My stomach knots and twists. I’m kidnapping and drugging this woman. What a fucking low point in my life. I really hope this fucking works. Anthony swore by it. He’s real fucking good at getting information from people, and when he asks what happened right before he drugged them and they still don’t know even after spending an hour on his table, then they really have no fucking clue. And that means the drug works. It had better work. But she remembered my name. Tomorrow morning, I need to determine everything she remembers.

I put my hand on the seat of my Audi just like normal, and that’s when I realize Rigs isn’t with me.

Fuck. I look into the rear-view mirror and there’s no one there. I can’t risk going back to my place with her in the trunk though. I’ll have to go back later to pick up my dog. I’ll drop her off at the safe house, and then I’ll go back to my place in the city to pick up his furry little ass. I sure as hell can’t leave him at my place by himself. He’d probably chew up the coffee table just to spite me. I really hope he didn’t shit in my house though. I swear puppies are worse than babies. They have to be. Dom’s little one just chews on the toys they give him and he can’t move, like a little sack of potatoes.

A small grin kicks my lips up, but it vanishes when I hear another bang from the trunk. Fucking hell. I wish she’d calm her ass down. She’s gonna think we had some real rough sex last night and that I tied her ass up. I groan and adjust my cock as it twitches with need. I’d love to fuck this woman. I want inside her more than I’ve ever wanted anything before. But there’s no way that’s happening, not with all this shit.

I really fucked this up.

M
y wrists burn
as the rope chafes against them. But I don’t stop struggling. I won’t stop. I know if I can just get my hands free then I’ll be able to untie my legs. There’s enough room for me to wiggle around and search for the latch. There’s always a latch in these cars.

I take a deep, extremely unsteady breath and focus on loosening the knot. My shoulders hurt so fucking bad. Every bump we go over sends my body bouncing and I land hard on my side. I have nothing to brace my head against either. My neck hurts from trying to brace myself every time we hit a bump.

My throat is killing me from screaming and my eyes feel raw. It’s a horrible feeling, knowing you’re going to die. I just don’t understand why he hasn’t done it yet. He’s not going to let me go. More tears prick at my eyes. My hand covers my mouth to hold back the sob. He’s keeping me. My body shivers and I pull my legs up to my chest and rock myself.

I can’t believe this is what I am now. A prisoner. He’s going to do whatever he wants with me. I’m completely at his mercy. The tears fall down my face. I rub my cheek on my knee, to wipe the tears away, and try to steady my breath. Maybe that’s not it. Or maybe I can appeal to that side of him. A flicker of hope lights inside of me. I just need to get out of here. However I can.

I’m so god damn tired. I feel dizzy and my head is killing me. I just want to go to sleep, but I can’t. I want to fight this. I don’t want to fall asleep. I can’t just lie down and let him do whatever the fuck he wants with me. I’m going to fight as long as I can. Confusion overwhelms me again. I just don’t understand why my memory is so passionate, giving me a feeling of comfort and safety, but my reality is the exact opposite.

The brakes slow again, and this time the car stills and I hear the click of him parking the car. My heartbeat picks up to a frantic pace. I failed. I couldn’t get out of these fucking ropes or find a trunk latch anywhere. Fear cripples me as he pops open the trunk. I try to scream through the gag, but it’s useless.

“Come on sweetheart, did you really think I’d take you to somewhere you would be heard?” He looks at me like he’s disappointed. I don’t know what he expects from me. “Be a good girl for me and make things easy for us both, alright?” Is he out of his god damned mind?

I try to scoot away from him, but it’s useless. It's not like there's a ton of extra room in the trunk. I don’t even realize he’s untying the rope around my legs though until he starts massaging my calves. A moan of satisfaction leaves me. I didn’t realize how sore they were until he brought more circulation to them. His large, rough hands move to my wrists and as the ease of comfort coupled with slight pain hits me, he rubs my shoulders, bringing them back to life.

“I’m sorry about that,” he apologizes, and he sounds truly sincere. His thumbs move in small circles on my back, and then travel up to my shoulders and down my arms. “But you weren’t really cooperating.”

His excuse pisses me off. What he’s doing is not fucking okay. I can’t remember a damn thing. Ergo, there’s no reason for me to be here. They should’ve just let me go. I close my eyes as his soothing touch relieves the ache. I try to remember.

I recall that moment when he introduced himself with his handsome smirk after I heard his deep masculine voice state,
“I’m Vince.”
That moment flashes before me and sends a warmth through my body. That memory is followed by the feeling of my back arching on the hard, cold desk while his mouth licks and sucks at my clit. Fuck! I force my heavy eyes open as his arms wrap around me, bringing me close to his hot, hard body. I push away from him and snap, “I can walk.”

His pissed off expression makes me want to cower, but he slowly puts me down and lets my feet find purchase on the ground.

I hate that I gave myself to him. I clench my thighs again. I don’t feel any different. I’m not sore at all. More than anything, my clit is swollen with the need for his touch. I have no idea what all we did, but it’s more than I’ve ever done before, at least on the receiving end. I’ve never had anyone go down on me. My cheeks flame with embarrassment.

I take one step forward with his hand resting lightly on the small of my back. I look up at the house. It’s not large, but it’s not small either. A country home, with light blue shutters and a porch swing. It looks like a picture-perfect home, out in the middle of nowhere with a dirt driveway. My eyes dart to the left--nothing but a flat field. My eyes dart to the right--woods.

Seeing the woods and knowing we’re alone terrifies me. My body turns to ice.

He’s going to kill me. My feet stumble and I nearly lose my balance. I take a ragged breath. I can’t do this. Anxiety makes my blood race and adrenaline pumps through my veins. I can’t handle this shit. My throat closes.

“You okay?” Vince asks me, and again I’m confused by the concern in his voice. I don’t know what’s going on. I wish I could remember. I swallow thickly and nod my head, righting myself. I wish all this were over with. I close my eyes and remember how he choked me against the wall. I can’t. I can’t go in there with him. I won’t make it out alive.

I may not be strong, but I don’t have to be. Not physically, anyway. I push my heavy body forward and shove my elbow right into his spleen. I saw someone do it in a movie once. I hear a gush of air push out of him and his groan of pain as he topples forward, but I don’t waste a second. I force my body to move and sprint toward the woods. Everything is a blur. My heart isn’t steady, and my ankle nearly rolls, but I push forward. I lose one of my flats, but I don’t spare a moment to even consider it.

My bare foot pounds against the grass as I race to the edge of the woods. I can hear him getting up. He’ll catch up to me in no time. If only I can get into the woods far enough to hide. It’s dark out. I can hide. I need to be able to hide. My feet slam against the ground. I feel the cold dirt on the sole of my bare foot. My heart hammers faster. Branches whip by my face. I duck to avoid as many as I can. I brace my body against a thick tree trunk and try to keep my balance. The rough bark scratches against my skin.

I heave in a breath and then scream as Vince’s body slams into mine, knocking me to the ground. His large body pins me down. His hips spread my legs apart and his knees land on my thighs, pushing my body open and forcing me to stay beneath him. He pins my wrists above my head with one hand, and his other hand wraps around my throat. I let out a scream, but he doesn’t put any pressure on my throat. Instead, he's just merely gripping it. I try to buck him off of me, but it’s hopeless.

He growls into my ear. “You can’t fucking listen, can you?” I close my eyes and whimper.

“I don’t want to die.” My murmur is barely more than a whisper.

“You’re not fucking acting like it.” His hand tightens on my throat, and his hips push harder into mine.

For a moment my eyes flash to an image of him on top of me, pounding into me, ruthlessly rutting between my legs. My body heats at the thought. I can see us just like this. I turn my head to the side and refuse to think about it. My body flames with need, but I deny it. I’m so ashamed. So confused.

“You need to fucking listen to me.” He clenches his teeth and slowly lets go of my wrists. I don’t move. I stay as still as possible. He grips my chin and forces me to look at him, but I keep my eyes closed. He squeezes tighter and I instinctively open my eyes. His sharp, dark gaze stares back at me.

“Don’t fight me,” he commands. “You will obey me.” His words send another shot of arousal through me, but thankfully he’s already on his feet and pulling my nearly limp body up onto his. He slings me over his shoulder to carry me away like some kind of primitive caveman.

I don’t know what to think. I don’t understand why I feel this way.

I don’t have a choice in any of this.