𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵

17 - Justice Mafia Style.

Was Alessandro even looking for me? Was torn apart with guilt, or did he just not care? A part of me desperately wanted to believe he did—that he was losing his mind, frantically searching for me. But I couldn't let that hope take root. I couldn't just forgive him, not after everything that had happened. If it took something this horrific—being kidnapped, beaten, scared out of my mind—for him to finally wake up and realize what he'd done wrong, then I didn't want his apology. I didn't want his pity. I wanted more than that, I deserved more.

The last time I saw Liam was this morning when I managed to knee him square in the groin. His screams still echoed in my ears, and I could only pray he'd stay the hell away for as long as possible.

The sun was already sinking, and the darkness was creeping in, ready to swallow this place whole. It was only a matter of time before he came back, angrier than ever. Whatever sick punishment he had planned, I sure as hell didn't want to be here to find out.

One of Liam's men had duct-taped my legs together, payback for the kick. It wasn't wrapped too tight, though. Maybe they thought they had me under control. Idiots. That gave me a sliver of hope, and I wasn't about to waste it.

My stomach growled, reminding me how long it had been since I'd eaten. Almost two days now, and my body was screaming for something, just anything. But I wasn't naïve enough to expect a meal from these bastards. Not after what I'd pulled earlier. My face throbbed, a hot, pounding ache. My left eye was swollen shut from the blows I'd taken, but fear was a better motivator than pain. I needed to get out of here, fast, before things got even worse.

I drew on every bit of strength I had left, remembering something my father had drilled into me. "The tighter the zip tie, the easier it is to break," he'd said, showing me how to escape restraints as part of the countless survival lessons he'd forced on me as a kid. I'd never needed those skills before, but right now, they felt like a lifeline.

I gritted my teeth and pulled the zip tie tighter around my wrists, ignoring the burning pain in my muscles. I angled the lock between my hands and yanked down hard toward my stomach, spreading my wrists apart. The zip tie snapped with a satisfying crack. My hands were raw, and my skin felt like it was on fire, but I was free.

Adrenaline coursed through me, giving me a burst of energy. My wrists throbbed, but there was no time to dwell on it. I glanced down at the duct tape binding my legs. There wasn't much in this room to help me cut through it, but an idea struck me. I'd just take off my pants. The tape was stuck to the fabric, not my skin, and if I could get the pants off, I'd be free.

I slid out of my pants as quickly as I could, heart racing like I'd just run a marathon. Now all I had to do was get the hell out of here before Liam came back.

I tiptoed to the door, straining to catch any sounds from the other side. There were voices—three of them—but I couldn't make out what they were saying at first. I pressed my ear closer, hoping to pick up something useful.