Four

I am awoken by a throbbing pain in my head and feel disoriented. I can smell a mix of blood and chemicals around me, and when I open my eyes, I realize I am in what looks like an abandoned building. My first instinct is to try and walk out of this place, but I realize that I can barely move. My arms are stretched above me, my wrists bound together and tied to something high above. My feet can barely touch the ground, and I realize that I’m standing, my body suspended awkwardly.

My heart starts racing as I remember the last thing that happened to me before this moment. I was kidnapped by some men in masks. I don’t know what is going on, but I am scared.

“Boo!” a voice startles me, and when I look up, it’s a man standing in front of me, a toothpick jutting from the corner of his mouth and a smirk on his lips. It is one of Alessandro’s bodyguards, the one that was at the gate a while ago—Mateo, if I remember correctly. A surge of panic overwhelms me as I realize what has just happened. I was kidnapped by the Romano family mafia group. They let me drive off with directions to Elen’s, then followed me not a moment later and kidnapped me.

“Look who’s awake,” he says with a grin, his tone surprisingly light for someone in his line of work. He doesn’t have the menacing aura of Alessandro or even Luca, but I know better; that doesn’t make him any less dangerous.

“Where am I?” I demand, trying to mask the fear in my voice. My surroundings come into clear focus, and it’s not quite an abandoned building as I had initially thought. It is a dimly lit, concrete-walled room, devoid of any windows.

“You are our guest,” he says, smirking. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you’re comfortable.”

He takes a step back, then pulls something out of his pocket and approaches me with a piece of black fabric. I try to move away because I sure as hell do not want to inhale any more of those chemicals they used to kidnap me.

“Relax, it’s just a mask,” he says, then shows it to me. I realize it is a masquerade ball mask. My heart starts beating even faster when it dawns on me exactly what he is trying to do. They must have put two and two together and figured out who I am, or they have their suspicions and this is their way of confirming it. I try to fight back as he tries to put it over my face, but with the position that I’m tied in, every movement sends aches through my muscles. I give up fighting. My breath catches as he places the mask over my face, securing it in place. He steps back, studying me for a moment before a gleeful expression crosses his face.

“Well, well, well,” he says, tapping the toothpick against his teeth. “You really are the woman from the ball.”

My heart races. He knows. They know. I try to steady my breathing, to remain calm despite the panic clawing at my insides.

“I owe Luca a hundred bucks now. I swore they were wrong about you, but I was wrong.” He chuckles. “Can you believe that for a moment I even called him racist for thinking you all look alike?” I swallow hard, trying to keep my breathing normal.

“Look, you just have to tell me who you are and what you're up to, and you’ll be free,” he says. I know that no matter what, I cannot reveal who I am. The thing with mafia groups is that they hate the police. If I say anything, I wouldn’t just be risking my life, but also the lives of people I care about. They can’t know anything about me.

“I don’t know what you're talking about,” I say, and he scoffs.

“No, you do know. You are working with the FBI,” he says. I shake my head. I cannot give in.

“I don’t know what…,” I begin, but he cuts me off.

“I know...you don't know what I’m talking about, sure, ” he completes the statement for me, then shakes his head in disbelief.

“You know, you are a very beautiful woman, and I was hoping you would leave this place alive, or at the very least with your face still intact. But I guess we just have to do this the hard way.” As soon as he says that, my heart starts racing again. What the hell is that supposed to mean?

“What?” I ask, but he ignores me and turns to call out, “Luca! She’s awake!”

I might not know Luca well, but my first encounter with him was enough to let me know that he doesn’t like me. I know that whatever is going to happen to me next, only the gods can save my soul.

A moment later, Luca strides into the room, his presence dark and intimidating. He doesn’t waste any time, walking straight up to me and grabbing my chin roughly.

“Tell me what you know,” he growls, his eyes boring into mine.

I stay silent, meeting his gaze with as much defiance as I can muster. I know that anything I say could be used against me, and I can’t risk giving them any information.

“Playing tough, huh?” His grip tightens, and he slaps me hard across the face, making my head snap to the side. Pain radiates from the impact, but I bite down on my lip to keep from crying out.

“What were you doing at the ball? Who sent you?” he demands, his voice rising with anger. I am honestly tempted to roll my eyes. Shouldn’t he already know I work with the FBI? I mean, I got their boss apprehended. It was the FBI that arrested him, so it’s clear who sent me. When I don’t respond, he raises his hand again, but instead of hitting me, he motions to Mateo, who wheels in a small cart with various devices on it.

He picks up a pair of metal rods attached to wires. He touches them together, and sparks fly. My heart sinks as I realize what’s coming.

“Maybe this will loosen your tongue,” he says with a cruel smile.

“No, please,” I manage to say, but it's too late. He presses the rods against my sides, and a jolt of electricity courses through my body. Excruciating pain explodes in every nerve, and I scream, unable to control the reaction.

“What were you doing at the ball?” he repeats, removing the rods for a moment.

I gasp for breath, my body trembling. I know I can’t tell him anything. I grit my teeth, preparing for the next shock.

“Answer me!” he shouts, and the rods press against my skin again, sending another wave of agony through me. I cry out, my vision blurring from the pain.

“The FBI,” I scream in pain. He stops for a moment, then shakes his head.

“Not the answer I’m looking for. Let’s try this again.”

“What?” I just told him the truth, and he doesn’t believe me.

“Who sent you?” he asks again. My lips tremble as I try to get any words out.

“I… I don’t know…” Tears roll down my cheeks as I watch him move the rods back toward my skin.

“Leave her,” a voice says from the doorway. I look up to see Alessandro walking in, his expression unreadable.

“I’m almost breaking her,” Luca says, but Alessandro shakes his head.

“Enough,” he says calmly. Luca hesitates for a moment but then releases me, stepping back as Alessandro approaches. His eyes narrow as he takes in the sight of me with the masquerade mask still on. Recognition flickers in his gaze, and he seems momentarily taken aback.

“It’s you,” he murmurs, more to himself than to anyone else. I know deep down that I am done for.

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