The Pleasure of the Pain

Prologue - NICK

"You sure you're ready for this?" I glanced at the darkening bruise below her eye.

"You can take the day off, you know...after what happened." There was more than the bruises, too. Ryth's hair was up in a loose ponytail.

There was blood between the strands. Blood from what those bastards did to her. He had me by the hair. Her words surfaced. I clenched my fist around the steering wheel and the ache around my knuckles flared. Whatever we did to them last night, it wasn't enough. Goddamn cheating, jealous cunt. She and the piece of shit fuckboys she had to do her dirty work. I wanted to hurt them again. Real bad.

"Yeah. I'm good." She turned to me, forcing a smile.

"This is my last year, Nick. It's important." I swallowed and nodded. It was important. But in my mind, I demanded, leave it, I'll get you a goddamn tutor if you want, you can take your exams somewhere else. Just not... here. She yanked the handle of the door and shoved it open before I said the words.

Only, she didn't climb out. Not yet. Instead, she pulled back, leaned across the seat quickly and gave me a soft peck on the cheek.

"Thanks for caring. I'll meet you here later?"

"I'll be waiting." I forced out the words. She was gone then, climbing out and shoving the car door closed behind her with a bang, leaving me sitting here with my heart in my goddamn hands.

Go after her...I stared at her back as she walked away. Go after her, you pathetic fucking excuse... The sharp blare of a horn behind me pissed me off. Movement came from the corner of my eye. A group of girls stared as they made their way to the front doors, glancing from me to Ryth as she walked, oblivious to their attention.

Fuck. I winced, shoved the car into gear, and pulled out of the drop-off point, not even bothering to look at the line of cars waiting. I searched the drivers. But there was no Freddy this time. Looked like the Stidda, Mafia Prince Lazarus Rossi was true to his word and left her alone...for now. How long that would be, I didn't know.

I punched the accelerator, forcing myself to not turn the fuck around. My heart was pounding. I pressed my hand against the ache. Christ, I had it bad. I wanted to go home, back to the savage glare from Tobias as he paced the floor, talking about hunting Gio down. We would...only not yet. Not until all this shit died down and we figured out what was really going on. Her mom and our dad were on their honeymoon, but her real dad was still missing.

That shit didn't sit right with me. One minute he was in prison...and the next, he wasn't. He'd turn up...most likely in a damn body bag. You don't steal from the Rossis and walk away, no matter what Lazarus said. I pushed the car toward the city, finding familiar streets. Once everything settled, we'd hunt Gio down...and make the bastard pay for what he'd done to her.

What kind of lowlife scum lured a woman out to a goddamn house in the middle of nowhere for her to be fucking ambushed? Jesus. Nick, I'm scared. I still heard those words. They haunted me, keeping sleep at bay. I'd stayed awake all night watching over her, replaying every goddamn second of the attack over and over again. Still, our little stepsister held her own, fighting them off long enough for us to get to her.

But that would not happen again. We would not let her out of our sight...except for school. I winced at the thought and pushed the pedal harder, headed to the converted warehouse on the upper east side, and pulled into the gated parking lot. A yank and I shoved my hand inside the glove compartment, rifling around for the security card before yanking it out to press it against the scanner. The boom gate lifted, leaving me to drive in and pull into the parking space assigned for my apartment. It felt weird when I climbed out. I hadn't been home in a week, barely even thought of the place.