Hands grab my waist and suddenly I’m being pulled into Giovanni’s lap. My brain and body finally snap. “I’m not yours! I’m nobody’s! You can rape me and drug me and force me into another basement, but I will never be yours!” A great tremor overtakes me as sobs break free from the deepest part inside me. My fists pound against his chest as I beg him to let me go. Streams of fear and devastation flow faster than my elevated heartbeat as I release every pent-up emotion I’ve had to keep down. I have no idea what this man is going to do to me for my outburst, but I can’t stop. It’s like being in the middle of a tornado—the basement door has been swung open and there’s no closing it. All I can do is ride out the storm and pray I make it through alive.
“It’s okay,” he says soothingly as he rubs my back. “It’s okay, sweet girl. Let it out.” And I do. I yell and scream and continue using his chest as a punching bag. I cry and beg, and when my body and mind and heart can’t take it anymore, I shut down and everything goes black.
Chapter Seven
GIOVANNI
What the hell did I just do? I’m not saying I’m a standup guy because that would be a boldfaced lie. I’m in the fucking mob for crying out loud. I own a bordello—a fucking whorehouse! Albeit a high class one, but still a whorehouse, nonetheless. I’ve killed when necessary and sometimes just because it’s what I felt should be done. But never have I resorted to kidnapping a young woman—or any woman for that matter.
I went into the senator’s house with the intention of finding her, but I wasn’t prepared for what I would do once I found her. I wasn’t prepared to see her beaten and bruised and broken…so fucking broken. One look at her and my heart felt like it was put through a grinder and was bleeding out. The look of pain in her eyes nearly brought me to my knees. Without even thinking about the repercussions of my actions, I picked her up and took her. Taking her as payment means she’s mine and there’s no going back on that. Not for her own safety and sure as fuck not for my reputation.
At first, when I took her, she was quiet. I knew she was hurt, but I figured she’d be okay until we got to the club and I could have Vivian come check her out. But then when she tried to jump out of my car, which was doing at least seventy down the highway, I realized she wasn’t okay. I pulled her into my arms and listened to her while she lost it until she finally blacked out from exhaustion.
Now, as she lies against my chest, passed out in the back of the car, I contemplate all the ways I’m going to torture Senator Weston Hightower before I bury him alive for physically and emotionally hurting this woman.
“Boss, is she okay?” That’s a loaded fucking question, but I’m assuming he’s simply referring to her going from losing it on me to being deathly quiet. I can feel her chest rising and falling so I know she’s alive.
“I think she had a nervous breakdown and she appeared to be coming off drugs. I’m going to need to get Dr. Fox to come out. I think she’s in pain. It looks like her ribs might be broken.”
“Umm…Boss…”
“Yes?”
“I don’t want to overstep…”
“Just spit it out.” We’ve been friends for damn near our entire lives. The guy never cares when he oversteps.
“Are you kidnapping this woman? Because if you are, you know I have your back. I just need to know what to expect. Will someone be looking for her other than the Senator?”
“Her mom was killed in a car accident and from what my brother told me, everybody assumed she took off to grieve for her mom. I don’t know all the details, but it seems the Senator has been holding her captive, drugging her and forcing himself on her, as well as sharing her with other men.”
Johnny swears under his breath. His eyes meet mine in the rear-view mirror and we both silently agree. As soon as it’s possible, the senator is fucking dead.
A few minutes later Johnny speaks up again. “You didn’t answer my question. Are you kidnapping her?” He quirks his eyebrow up, his telltale sign that he needs the truth. I can’t bring myself to say the words, so I look out the window. I’ve never lied to him and I’m not about to start now. Am I kidnapping her? I would like to say no. I’m saving her from the senator. But is it saving someone when you’re forcing them into a situation just as dangerous? Johnny lets out an exasperated sigh and the rest of the drive is made in silence.
When we arrive back at the mansion, Aria is still sleeping. Johnny opens the car door and carefully I carry her inside. “Let’s bring her around the side,” I suggest. It’s early evening, and with all the cars lined up, there will be several people in the common room and bar. No need to draw attention to myself and the semi-naked woman I’m carrying in who looks to be half-dead.
“Where are you bringing her?” Johnny walks ahead to open the door to the side of the club. There are several available rooms in the workers’ wing and a couple empty ones where the girls stay, but my chest tightens at the thought of her being so far away from me in her fragile condition. “My room.”
Johnny’s steps falter a moment. “Your room, Boss?”
“Yes, my room,” I snap at him, irritated he’s questioning my choice. Aria stirs in my arms before her face goes back to nuzzling against my chest. “She’s hurt and I need to get her checked out.” I get her into my room and gently lay her down on my bed. I notice she has some dried blood on the insides of her thighs, but I don’t want to touch her there, so I grab a towel and lay it down under her, then pull the blankets over her to keep her warm. “Call Dr. Fox and tell her I need her immediately,” I demand before Johnny leaves.
After changing out of my suit and into a pair of sweatpants and a shirt, I use the bathroom, brush my teeth, and get ready for Dr. Fox to arrive. I grab one of my shirts and a pair of boxers for her to put on once she wakes up since she’s still in only my jacket. Then I grab the garbage can from the bathroom. Once Aria wakes up, we’ll have a long night ahead of us. Hell, depending on how badly she’s hurt and how bad her addiction is, we might have a long couple weeks ahead of us.
Quickly grabbing my laptop from my office, I settle into my reading chair in the corner of the room to work while I wait for the doctor to arrive. Nico sent over the quarterly earnings for La Stella and as usual I’m in the black. The gentleman’s club makes more money than most of the business ventures my family owns. When I took it over, I made significant changes and obviously for the better. I made it more exclusive by requiring a membership and allowing only powerful and wealthy men access.
When I told my father I was gutting the place and renovating it completely, he thought I was crazy. My mom thought it was a wonderful idea and it feels damn good that in the last ten years since I took over, I’ve always been in the black with my numbers steadily increasing.
I attempt to read over the reports probably ten times before I accept I’m not in any place to deal with work. Instead, I send an email to my housekeeper requesting for her to order clothes, under garments, and toiletries for Aria. Not knowing her size, I have her order a couple different sizes.