Chapter 57Katie’s POVOnly when he’s seemed to calm down a bit, do I have the courage to ask, “Where exactly are we and what are we doing? I thought this would just be dinner?”“You thought wrong. Just look pretty and don’t ask questions tonight. Don’t talk at all,” he snaps at me, and I feel like he verbally slapped me. His condescending tone doesn’t help.Turning my head, I look out of the window, trying to ignore how he just spoke to me. I tell myself, it’s just the way he is when he is out, that this is not the real him, but it doesn’t help. It doesn’t make me feel better or any less helpless.Everyone pours from the vehicles, and when I get out, I look around. I think we are at some kind of night club. A long line of partiers stand before us, women and men of all shapes and sizes. I’m wobbly on my feet as Cephus presses his hand firmly on the small of my back.“You don’t have to be an asshole to me just because you’re mad at someone else…” I whisper for his ears only, feeling l
Chapter 58Katie's POVCephus’s footsteps can be heard crossing the concrete floor until he stops in front of a middle-aged man. His hair is slick with grease like it hasn’t been washed for several weeks, his eyes are red and jittery. He looks as if he is waiting for his next hit.“Is that what you do, Zach?” Cephus questions, his words coming out like a verbal slap.“I borrowed money for her fucking facelift, kill her, not me,” the guy named Zach points at the woman next to him.“You fucking asshole!” The woman yells.“Wow, throwing your own wife under the bus. That’s some fucked up bullshit.” Eli laughs like it’s the best joke he’s heard all year.“That is some fucked up bullshit,” Cephus agrees. “If it makes you feel better. You both are going to die. All of you are.” He looks down the line of people.“I don’t owe you any money,” one of the men says.“Sorry, collateral damage.” Cephus shrugs, bringing his attention back to Zach. “Any last words?” Cephus cocks his head to the side,
Chapter 59Katie’s POVI want to help them, use my body as a shield, but I’m in too much pain to get up. Everything is spinning around me, and my ears are ringing.Suddenly, all of the noise stops. The room went from chaos to complete silence in the blink of an eye. Sitting up, I fight through the dizziness and look around me. What I see causes my heart to break.Blood splatters across the walls as bodies sag to the ground. He has shot every single person… My body goes limp as tears spill from my eyes. How can someone be so fucked up? So uncaring? They were human too.My stomach coils in pain, and I’m no longer able to hold back the vomit that wants to escape. Turning away, I throw up all over the floor. I continue dry heaving until there is nothing left. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I suck in much-needed air, trying to get my breathing under control. I’m still trying to comprehend everything I’ve witnessed when a hand reaches out, gripping my arm and pulling me to a st
Chapter 60Cephus’ POVDid she have a fucking death wish? My body is full of aggression and anger. I rip my suit jacket off, throwing it against the wall. How dare she try and tell me what I can and cannot do!You’re more than this, Figlio… my mother’s voice enters my mind. Fuck. I can’t handle this.Still, she shouldn’t have defied me. She should have listened. Kept herself quiet and did not interfere with my actions. Now I’m forced to teach her a lesson.Pulling my slacks and dress shirt off, I slip into a pair of jeans and head down to the basement. My steps are heavy with anger, madness even. I’m not sure if I want to fuck her into submission or kill her.I grip the key in my hand tightly, begging for the pain to release some of the anger I have within me.Sliding the key into the door, I step inside and scrutinize her. I take in her small form, and the anger starts to fade away. It is still there, but it’s easing away slowly.She is lying on the mattress, her eyes are closed, and
Chapter 61Katie's POVI wake up slowly, and all I can think about is going back to sleep. I don’t want to deal with reality. Don’t want to relive what happened last night or the fact that I’m in a cell now. I might have been a prisoner all along, but it hasn’t been like this.The worst part is being so alone and having nothing to distract myself. All I have are my thoughts, and none of them are good. So far, it’s been easy to tell myself I’m okay. That I’m in no danger, and Cephus is not so bad.Now, there is no such belief. Now, I have to face the truth.Squeezing my eyes shut, I force myself to go back to sleep since that’s the only escape I have. I feel like kicking and screaming, but I think staying quiet right now is my best bet. I’m hoping I won’t spend another night in here if I just behave like Cephus wants me to.I’m just dozing off when I hear approaching footfalls and the rattling of the keys. In a split second, sleep is the furthest thought from my mind.Besides the doc
Chapter 62Cephus' POVIt has been almost twenty-four hours since I checked on katie. I force myself to stay busy with business, but it does me no good. I barely slept last night, fighting with myself not to go downstairs and get her. I wanted her to sleep in my bed… where she belongs.“She’s demanding that we release her,” Felix explains, entering my office. I don’t look up from my computer.“Nothing new.” For the past few hours, she has done nothing but demand to be released, which lets me know she hasn’t learned anything yet. I’m not sure if she thought she would get away with what she did, but this will teach her otherwise.“She screams and cries every time I go down there.” There is a sappiness to his words, and when I finally look up, he looks kind of heartbroken.“When did you grow a heart?” I joke. This is not like him. Felix has been one of the most ruthless of my family friends. That’s why he is still here, and no one else is. In this business, you can’t bless someone with
Chapter 63Cephus’ POVYou’re a mindless, disgusting bastard who gets off on bloodshed, and that’s not okay with me. I didn’t sign up to be shacked up with some lunatic.”I laugh, because, well, it’s funny, and if she thinks I’m crazy, she should see some of the sick bastards who walk freely in the world.“You didn’t sign up for this? Well, neither did I, darling. But I can tell you now, your father did sign up for the money. Money that he spent on you.”I smirk because I’m a fucking prick like that. I watch as her eyes skim the cell. There is nothing for her to throw at me. The small toilet and sink can’t be moved, and she wasn’t given any sharp objects.“I hate you!” She lunges forward as if she is going to do something. Except I’m faster and more experienced when it comes to fighting. If a fight is what she wants, she doesn’t stand a chance.I grab her, my touch firm, but not rough enough to hurt her. She struggles against me, her elbow coming to land on my stomach. It doesn’t af
Chapter 64Cephus’ POVShe’s sad, broken, and confused, and leaving her here is the last thing I want to do, but in the grand scheme of things, I haven’t a fucking clue as to what to do with her.I take the stairs two at a time, and at the top, Felix greets me to give me a report.“What happened?” I furiously demand. I’m back in mob boss mode.“Someone jumped the fence in the back yard. The silent alarm went off,” Felix explains, his eyes never leaving mine.“To the office. I can’t believe you weren’t watching the fucking cameras,” I growl. There should be no reason to need me, I train these men to deal with these issues.“We were, sir, we didn’t see—”“Then you go out there and check it out. There isn’t any reason you should need me unless you don’t have the situation under control?” I question him, wondering if he really has the situation under control. Luccio’s words ring in my ears to watch my back, to protect myself.“Sir…” Felix tries to get in, but I turn on him. Grabbing his