I immediately lowered my weapon when I saw there was only one occupant in the room. The woman cowering on the mattress was nothing like the confident female who’d shown up at my door in a dress that looked like it was made of nothing but fucking bandages. I almost walked away, thinking I had the wrong room, until I saw a lock of pink hair sticking out from beneath the sheet covering her body and most of her face. “Sera?”
Her sob was raw and painful in my ears, but she didn’t move. Didn’t come to me. I scanned the room, wondering if someone was in there with her. If it was a trap. But I saw no one. I slid on the safety and shoved my gun down the back of my pants, then pulled out my cell phone and called Tristan.
He answered on the first ring. “Yeah.”
“I’ve got her. Is everything clear outside?”
“You’re good to go. I’ll meet you at the front door.”
He didn’t ask if anyone was left alive inside. There was no need to. I ended the call and slid the phone back into my pocket, then stepped fully into the room and closed the door, but didn’t latch it. “Sera, baby. It’s just me. You’re okay.” I spoke softly to her as I approached. “It’s just me, baby girl. It’s just me.”
I knelt on the mattress and reached for the sheet with hands that shook with the effort it took me not to rip apart this entire fucking room, this entire house. I wanted to scream and rage that she’d been brought here. That I didn’t find her sooner. That I didn’t save her. All of the dead bodies littering the place? I wanted to kill them all over again. Only slower this time. But I kept my movements steady, my voice calm, despite the violent anger erupting inside of me. She didn’t need that shit from me right now. “It’s just me,” I repeated. “I won’t hurt you.”
Her movements were slow and sluggish as I pulled the sheet away so I could see her face. Her eyes were half shut, her mouth slack, as she tried to focus on me and keep the sheet over her at the same time. It took her a few seconds for her eyes to lock onto my face, but when they did, tears ran down her cheeks, and every time she exhaled, she did so on a sob. She smelled like lye. And the mattress she was on smelled like sweat and sex.
“You wanna keep the sheet? That’s okay. You can do that,” I told her. “But I’m taking you the fuck out of here.” I brushed her hair back from her face. “I’m taking you out of here right fucking now.”
She clutched the rough material to her chest with her arms still underneath and I wrapped it around her as best I could before I slid one arm around her back and one under her knees and picked her up. She weighed practically nothing as I stood with her. Did the bastards even fucking feed her? Or did they just use women up until they were worthless to them and then bring in the next batch?
As we entered the hall, I tucked her into my chest. “Don’t look,” I told her. She did as I said, burying her face into my bloodstained shirt as I picked my way over the bodies on the stairs and in the main room. I didn’t stop to see what the other girls in the house were doing. They could stay or go as they pleased. They weren’t my concern. I wasn’t here to play the fucking hero. Just to get Sera back.
Tristan was standing guard at the front door when we arrived. When he saw us coming, he led the way out of the house, gun held casually by his thigh as he watched for anyone who might try to stop us until we reached the car Rene had loaned to us. But no one showed their face.
I slid into the backseat with Sera, and Tristan jogged around the front of the vehicle and got into the driver’s seat. I held her tight against me as we drove out of the city to the small airport where Rene was waiting for us to ensure we got out of the country safely. Knowing how dangerous it was for us to be there like this, no one spoke a word until we were back on the private plane.
Even then, I wouldn’t let her go.
“What the hell did they give her?” Tristan asked as he took a seat across from us after thanking Rene for all he’d done to help us and promising to give his regards to Luca.
“I don’t know,” I told him. “If I were to guess, maybe large doses of Molly. But her pulse is strong and her color is decent. She’ll be alright. It just needs to wear off.”
He nodded, then buckled himself in for takeoff. I knew I should put Sera in the seat beside me and do the same for her, but I couldn’t bring myself to even do that much. Besides, she had a death grip on my shirt, and she was completely nude underneath the sheet. I didn’t think to look and see if there were any clothes in the house I could’ve brought for her, but there wasn’t time anyway. And I sure as hell wasn’t expecting they’d deny her something as decent as clothes.
“I’ll call Luca as soon as we’re in the air and let him know we’re on our way home.”
“Ask him to bring her some clothes.” I laid my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. It was cloudy outside, and my sunglasses darkened things even more, but I couldn’t sleep. Not until we were safely back across the border.
By the time we landed two and a half hours later, my arm muscles were shaky from holding Sera so tight against me. She’d fallen into a fitful sleep on my lap almost as soon as we were seated, and I hadn’t wanted to wake her.
“Enzo?” She said my name so quietly I almost didn’t hear her, her vocal cords scratchy and raw. But her eyes were open, and she had more muscle control in her face now.
“We’re home,” I told her. “Can you walk?”
“Probably.” But she made no move to get off my lap as Tristan unbuckled his seatbelt and made his way to the front of the plane to pay the pilot. “Thank you for finding me,” she whispered, and tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. “Thank you…for…”
“Shhh. You’re welcome,” I told her. “I’m taking you to my hotel, and we’ll get you cleaned up. Luca is bringing you some clothes.”
“Okay.” She paused. “Is there a bathroom on this plane?”
“Of course.” I lifted her gently off my lap and stood, holding her steady until I knew she wasn’t going to fall over. The sheet gaped open in the front, and I ground my jaw when I saw the weight she’d lost.
“I’m sorry,” she told me, her eyes on her feet as she tightened the sheet around her again.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I told her. “Hey.” With one hand, I lifted her chin, but she wouldn’t meet my eyes. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” I insisted. “Do you hear me?”
She nodded, but I could tell she didn’t believe me.
The door at the front of the plane was open, and Tristan was already down the steps. I gestured to him that we’d be right down and helped her into the small bathroom near the cockpit. “Do you need help?”
She shook her head.
“Leave the door unlocked,” I ordered, worried she’d pass out again. Then I stood in front of it with my arms crossed over my chest until she was finished. She was so weak she could barely hold the door open to get out and I had to help her. “Let’s get you back to the hotel.” I indicated for her to walk in front of me, noticing the way she flinched at every little noise. I didn’t tell her she had no reason to be frightened. That there was no reason for her to act this way anymore. She’d been through a lot of trauma. It would take time for her to come back to the world she’d left behind. And she might never be the person she was before. Not fully.
I understood that. Better than most other people, perhaps. Though maybe not for the same reasons.
When she reached the door, she slowed, and then stopped. She took a step back.
“Sera?”
Turning partially toward me, she whispered, “I don’t want anyone else to see me like this. Not…like this.”
“Okay.” I stepped around her and looked outside, not bothering to remind her that Tristan had been with us the entire time. Two cars were waiting for us. Luca and Tristan stood near the one in front. When Luca saw me, he walked to the bottom of the stairs. “Go on ahead,” I told him. “We’ll be right behind you.”
He didn’t question why we weren’t coming off of the plane. Tristan had probably filled him in on the condition Sera was in. “Are you coming to the house?”
I heard Sera behind me and reached for her without taking my eyes off of the man who was both my friend and my boss. Her hand slid into mine and squeezed my fingers, hanging on tight. “No,” I told him. “I’m taking her to the hotel. For now,” I added.
But Luca shook his head. “I don’t like it, Enzo. I’d rather you both be at the house. It’s safer there.”
He didn’t have to explain what he meant. Her father knew she was here, and the chances that he’d already sent some of his men to the city were high. “I’ll bring her on Monday.” I wasn’t going to back down on this one. She’d been through enough without adding to it by parading her in front of everyone. “I’m asking for a couple of days alone with her. Then we’ll come to the house and figure everything else out.”
I thought for a moment he was going to refuse my request, but in the end, he gave me a nod. “I’d feel better if you had Tristan with you.”
“There’s no need,” I told him. “Tris has done enough.”
His jaw clenched and he looked away, then back at me. “Alright,” he said finally. Pulling out his phone, he called my driver and told him to join them in the first car. “The keys are inside, and there’s a blanket and a bag with some clothes Veda sent for her. I’ll see you in a few days. But I’ll be checking in with you periodically. Keep your phone nearby.”
“Of course.” I waited until they were both in Luca’s car and it had pulled away. “Come on.” I wished I had something more to cover her with as we descended the stairs and the wind whipped around us. It felt like more rain was coming.
When I reached the bottom of the steps, I turned around and lifted her into my arms so I could carry her across the asphalt. I shifted her weight into one arm and opened the passenger door, tucking her inside and closing it quickly. Then I jogged around to the other side and got in with her, starting the SUV and turning on the heat before I reached into the back for the extra blanket. It was soft and warm, and I spread it over her. “Better?”
“Yes, thank you,” she whispered.
“Luca brought you some clothes. As soon as we get back to the hotel, we’ll get you clean.”
“It’s okay,” she said, and her voice shook with emotion. “At least I have this.” She moved the sheet a little. “I didn’t even have that until today.” She frowned. “I think it was today.”
Jesus fucking Christ. Throwing the SUV into gear, I headed toward the hotel.
“Enzo?” she said after we’d been driving for a few minutes.
“Yeah?”
“How long have I been gone?”
I glanced over at her, surprised to find her eyes on me for the first time since I’d taken her out of that damn house. And I fucking hated how haunted they were. “A week,” I told her. “Seven days.” I wanted to ask her details about what happened during that time. I could guess well enough. But a part of me needed to hear it. Needed to know everything she’d gone through. But not today.
“It feels like longer.” She turned her head away and stared out the windshield, and both of us fell silent as I pulled onto the highway and headed toward the city. When she did speak again, her voice was hard and cold. “It was the guy from the club. The one who left the bruises on my leg.”
“I know,” I told her.
Surprised, she asked, “How?”
“Because we went through the video feed at the club and saw him put you in his car.” I paused. “And because he confessed it to me before I killed him.”
She went back to staring out the windshield. “I hope it was painful.”
“It was,” I told her. “Very.”
“Good,” she said after a moment.
She fell quiet again, and I wished more than anything that I could hear what was going through her head.
“We’re here,” I said as we pulled into the drive in front of the hotel. “Stay where you are. I’ll be right back.” Getting out of the vehicle, I met the valet around the front of the car. It was the young guy with the blond hair, but I’d always gotten a good vibe from him. He seemed mature for his age.
He met me with a smile, eyes carefully averted from the blood on my shirt and jacket. “Good evening, Mr. Delligatti.”
“Good evening. I need you to clear out the lobby for me.”
To his credit, he disguised his surprise. “Clear out the lobby, sir?”
“Yes. Go inside and tell the front desk I need the entire lobby emptied.” I offered no explanation, and he knew better than to ask for one.
“Yes, sir. Give me one moment.” Turning on his heel, he walked briskly inside, stopping only to say something to his partner at the valet stand. She glanced up at me and followed him.
Two minutes later, he was back, and he was alone. “The lobby has been cleared, sir.”
“Thank you,” I told him, and handed him my keys and a wad of cash. “Please turn around and wait for me and my guest to get inside before you park the car. Then bring the bag in the backseat up to my room and leave it outside the door.”
“Yes, sir.”
He did as I asked, and I walked over to the passenger side and opened the door for Sera. “Watch where you’re walking. Do you want me to carry you?”
“No,” she said. “I’m okay.” But she didn’t immediately go into the hotel. “Thank you,” she whispered, and there were tears in her eyes. “Again.”
“Come on,” I told her. Wrapping my arms around her and the thick blanket, I helped her inside, my senses on high alert the entire time. I heard a car door close behind us when we were about halfway through the lobby. True to his word, the valet had completely emptied it. Even the desk clerks were gone.
Sera was quiet as we took the elevator up to my room. And as I opened the door, I could sense her hesitation as she stood just outside, staring into the small foyer. “Sera?”
She made no move to enter.
“Sera, let’s go inside.”
I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have to carry her in there when she took a shaky breath and crossed the threshold. I followed her in, shutting and locking the door behind us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her flinch when she heard the click of the deadbolt. “I have to lock it. Because of who I am.”
“I know,” she answered. “It’s okay.”
“As soon as the valet brings the bag of clothes up, I’ll go get us something to eat. You can take a shower if you’d like.”
She nodded.
“I’ll be right back.” I went into my room and stripped out of my bloody clothes, throwing on a pair of jeans, a plain blue T-shirt, and running shoes. I buckled on my shoulder holster and covered it with a loose black hoodie that zipped up the front. Picking up my keys and my wallet, I put them in the pockets of my jeans. I grabbed my sunglasses last.
When I came back out, I found her exactly where I’d left her. “Sera?”
Her eyes flew to my face like I’d caught her doing something she shouldn’t.
“What’s going on?” I asked her.
At first, she didn’t respond. Her beautiful eyes flicked away and she frowned, like she was struggling with something.
“Whatever it is,” I told her, “you can tell me.”
Her eyes found me across the room. “If I asked you to kill someone for me, would you do it?”
“Yes,” I told her without hesitation.
“What if it was more than one person?”
“Yes,” I said again. And at that moment, I knew I would, without hesitation.
Her arm moved beneath the sheet and her hand appeared, closed into a fist. Slowly, she opened her fingers.
I stepped closer, wanting to see what she was showing me. Lying on the palm of her hand was a man’s ring, a watch, and a money clip. “What is this?”
Her voice was little more than a whisper. “These belong to men who came to the house. Men who hurt me.” She held them out, and I opened my hand so she could dump them into my palm. “I couldn’t get something from everyone, but I got these.”
I knew then what these were. She’d stolen them from men who had fucked her. Hurt her. And now she wanted me to find them and kill them. I raised my hand closer to my face. The ring had a crest on it. One that I recognized. The money clip was engraved with initials. But the watch didn’t give me anything to go by. Even so, I put it into my pocket with the rest. “What would you like to eat?”
“I’m not very hungry.”
“I understand, but you need to eat something. Pizza? Sandwiches? Soup?”
She thought about it. “Soup sounds okay.”
“Good. I’ll bring the bag inside and leave it on the bed for you. Will you be okay for a few minutes? I’m just going to run downstairs.”
She nodded.
“I’ll be right back,” I told her. Watching her, I didn’t want to leave. She looked like she was barely holding it together. “Sera.”
Her eyes found my face, met mine.
“I’ll be right back,” I repeated. “You’re safe here.”
She nodded again. “I think I’ll take a shower.”
I heard someone outside the door and opened it to find the bag of clothes Luca had brought. I put it in on the bed for her, then approached her cautiously, watching her eyes. “I’ll be ten minutes,” I told her. Unable to keep myself from touching her, I cupped her cheek in my hand and ran my thumb over her lush bottom lip. She stood stiff and still as I did so, wide eyes on my face. “Ten minutes,” I repeated. Against my better judgement, I left her to get cleaned up.
The items in my pocket jingled against each other as I walked out to the elevator. A death knell for every man that laid so much as a finger on her without her permission.
I would keep my promise to her.
I would find them and I would kill them all.
