Sabrina, the sweet, bubbly girl next door, never imagined being pulled into a world of danger. But meeting Julian, a captivating mafia member with a dark past, changes everything.
As she falls for him, she's torn between love and the dangerous secr...
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Matteo slammed the brakes, and the car screeched to a stop in a narrow alleyway.
He threw open the door and rushed out. I was right behind him, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest.
Val followed, her face pale as she stumbled out of the backseat.
"Is that her car?" Matteo's voice was tight as he pointed toward the dark outline of a vehicle parked farther down the alley.
I didn't answer.
I already knew.
I would recognize Sabrina's car anywhere. The sight of it sent a cold wave of fear crashing over me.
I took off running toward it, my boots pounding against the cracked pavement.
"Julian, wait!" Val called after me, but I didn't stop. I couldn't.
As I got closer, something on the ground caught my eye—a faint glint under the dim streetlights. I slowed just enough to see it.
Sabrina's phone.
"Shit." I cursed, my voice breaking as I bent down to pick it up. The screen was cracked, and the case was scuffed.
I turned it over in my hand, praying it was just dropped by accident, but deep down, I knew better.
Val and Matteo caught up, and when Val saw the phone in my hand, her face went white. "Oh my God," she whispered, her voice shaking. "Julian..."
Matteo didn't say anything, but his jaw tightened, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
He stared at the phone for a moment before his eyes darted to the shadows of the alley.
"She's here somewhere," he said firmly, like he was trying to convince himself. "We'll find her."
I couldn't breathe. My mind was racing with all the worst possibilities, each one worse than the last.
The thought of Sabrina hurt, scared, or alone made me feel like my chest was going to cave in.
"She's not here," I said, my voice low and hoarse. "If she was, her phone wouldn't be on the ground. Someone took her."
Val's knees buckled, and Matteo caught her before she fell. "No, no, no," she murmured, shaking her head. "She has to be okay. Julian, we have to—"
"We will." My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I didn't care. "Matteo, we're not wasting another second. Let's go."
Matteo nodded and helped Val steady herself. "We'll find her," he said, his voice hard. "Whoever did this is going to wish they hadn't."
I looked down at the phone in my hand one last time, my grip tightening. "They'll pay for this," I muttered. "Every single one of them."
Without another word, we ran back to the car. Matteo jumped into the driver's seat and floored it, the tires screeching as we tore out of the alley.
My stomach churned as I replayed the last time I saw her—her smile, her laugh, her trust in me.
Whoever had taken her had no idea what kind of hell they'd just unleashed.
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The footsteps echoed again, louder this time, and my entire body tensed. My wrists were on fire from the ropes, my ribs throbbing with every shallow breath.
I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to focus on anything else. The cracks in the wall.
The way the air felt damp. The faint noise of cars somewhere far away.
Anything but the pain.
Anything but the fear.
The door creaked open, and I didn't have to look up to know it was him again. Lorenzo's voice cut through the room like a blade.
"Miss me?" he sneered, his tone mocking, dripping with smugness.
I kept my eyes on the ground, biting my lip so hard I tasted blood. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of reacting.
He crouched down in front of me, his face too close, his cologne mixing with the metallic scent of blood.
"Oh, come on, sweetheart," he said, his tone sickeningly casual. "You don't have to make this so difficult. Just answer my questions, and this can all end. You can go back to... whatever it is Julian has you doing."
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "Go to hell," I spat, even though it took all my strength to push the words out.
My voice was shaky, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to break.
His smirk dropped, and before I could prepare myself, his hand cracked across my face. My head snapped to the side, the taste of copper flooding my mouth.
"Wrong answer," he said, standing up and pacing in front of me. "Let me ask you again. Where's Julian keeping the shipments? You think I don't know you've seen things? That you don't hear things? You're his little princess, aren't you?"
He laughed bitterly, then leaned down so his face was level with mine. "You tell me what I want to know, and maybe—just maybe—I'll let you walk out of here alive."
I stared back at him, defiance burning in my chest despite the pain. "I don't know anything," I whispered, my voice hoarse.
Lorenzo's expression twisted into something cruel.
"Liar," he hissed. His boot connected with my ribs, and I gasped as the sharp pain radiated through my chest.
I doubled over as much as the ropes would let me, choking back the sob that threatened to escape. I couldn't cry.
I wouldn't.
"Let me make this simple for you," he said, circling me. "You talk, you live. You stay silent, you die. It's really that easy."
I raised my head, glaring at him through the tears that blurred my vision. "You'll have to kill me," I said, my voice shaking but firm.
Lorenzo let out a humorless laugh. "We'll see how tough you are after a little more encouragement."
He moved to hit me again, and I braced myself for the impact, my entire body screaming in pain. I tried to think of Julian.
Of his smile. Of the way he made me feel safe. I clung to that image, holding onto it like a lifeline.
