TOXIC (Dark Mafia Romance)

Chapter 10 (vi*lence)

WARNING: VI*LENCE

I DIDN'T know where we were, but I felt De Luca climbing down the stairs with me slung over his shoulder.

It was dizzying how easy it was for him to carry me around like this even while climbing down the stairs. I didn't even feel him struggling or breathing hard. He lugged me around like I weighed nothing.

Then when it felt like we were on level ground, he put me down. My needle heels wobbled for balance as my feet touched the floor, and De Luca's large hands clasped the curve of my hips and squeezed.

"Careful now, Principessa," he drawled. "We don't want you breaking your neck."

I felt his hand gripping my blindfold, then he slid them off my head.

I sucked in a ragged breath as my hazy vision took in my surroundings. We were in a long hallway, and the stone walls were dark gray. No windows were in sight. Fluorescents lined the long ceiling and bathed us in harsh white light. May bakal na pinto sa harapan ko, at may tatlong lalaking nakasuot ng itim na suit gaya ni Frank sa tabi niyon.

De Luca nodded his head to one of the three men, and the latter took something out of his pockets and went to the door.

Hindi ko makita kung ano ang ginawa ng lalaki dahil nakaharang ang malapad na katawan niya sa pinto, pero matapos ang ilang segundo, nakarinig ako ng mahinang tunog at bumukas ang pinto.

De Luca's palm pressed hard on my lower back. "Walk."

I forced my legs to move.

Kulay abo rin ang mga dingding ng silid at wala ring bintana roon. May isang fluorescent sa may kisame, at marahas ang ilaw noon sa buong kwarto.

Three other men in dark suits stood inside the room, and in the center was a woman in a deep purple evening gown tied to a steel chair with her arms yanked behind her back. She was blindfolded and gagged.

Air burned my lungs, and my heart thundered.

"You know her?" De Luca drawled.

Paulina Linares jumped at the sound of De Luca's voice, and she started struggling against her binds.

I couldn't speak for a moment. I already suspected it was Paulina who screamed outside the restroom in the hotel, but I still felt nausea rising in my throat as I stared at the woman bound in the chair.

Maikli akong tumango. "Y-Yes."

"Paulina Linares," De Luca intoned. "Thirty-nine years old, owner of several restaurants all over Luzon. She's Romero's fuck buddy, or was it more appropriate to call her his mistress?"

Paulina made harsh noises and fought against the rope even more.

De Luca motioned to one of his men, and the guy strode toward us and handed De Luca a phone.

De Luca accepted the black cellphone and swiped his thumb across the screen then entered a password. He pressed his thumb on a folder and opened it. Multiple files appeared on the screen.

"Ah, the classic," De Luca mused in a deadpan tone. "Embezzlement, tax evasion, bribery of a government official. Ah, your family's also involved in the botched reclamation project in Quezon."

Tumigil sa pagpiglas ang babae at nakita kong nanginig na lang siya.

De Luca clucked his tongue. "You even have a sex video with Romero. Let's play it, hm?"

He pressed play on the video and fast-forwarded it to where Romero was fucking Paulina doggy style on a bed.

The harsh groans and moans mixed with the sound of slapping bodies filled the room.