Chapter Twenty-Three

Joslyn

Beads of sweat roll down my face and my heart throbs a staccato tattoo in my chest, but I’m not going to let Dante see my explosive terror – no matter what happens. Sour bile rises up my throat as I watch one of Dante’s thugs crossing the room with a pair of rusty shears in his hand. The blades flash in the dim lighting, and I shudder, wondering just how badly Dante wants to hurt me. How far he’ll go before he stops. If he stops at all.

“My father isn’t going to let you get away with this.” I infuse my voice with as much authority as I can muster.

I try…I fail.

Dante smiles, a cruel sneer of evil that doesn’t reach his beady eyes. A new shiver of fear slithers down my spine to land inside my quaking gut.

“Sure, the news will likely be upsetting. But your old man is pretty timid when it comes down to it, Joslyn. After all, if he didn’t feel the need to tell you about his lawyer or the vote for the gaming commission…”

I’m furious at the way Dante insinuates that my father has passed his expiration date, but I know now isn’t the time to make him angry by telling him he’s wrong.

“Maybe you’re right.”

“I’m always right,” Dante says with a smirk. “And don’t you forget it, either.”

“What do you want?” I demand. “You’re not after money, are you?”

Dante snorts and waves his hand, dismissing my question. “Of course not.” He talks like I’ve insulted him. At this point, I wonder if that’s even possible. “What the fuck would I do with more money? I’m richer than that ancient dipshit Midas. I could buy and sell this entire city ten times over.”

Yeah, because you launder money and steal from everyone with a pulse.

“Then…what do you want with me?” I keep my tone calm and measured. Maybe I can distract him from removing me from another of my toes.

“Revenge, Joslyn.” Dante paces in front of me, looming over my petite frame. “Your father really put me through the ringer with this shit. I’ve barely slept in weeks. Not to mention that mega asshole Nixon Caldwell and his brainless thug, what’s his name? Trey?”

“Troy.” I let the syllable float across my lips like a caress. “His name is Troy Cass.”

“Ah.” Dante turns on his heel and walks through the warehouse, gazing around as if he’s in the Louvre. “Yes, well, now that you’re starting to get the picture, I think we should have a little more fun. What do you think?” Dante gestures to his thug who holds up the shears and gives me a menacing grin. The sight sends a horrifying ripple of fear through me, but I sit straight and tall – at least, as straight and tall as I can manage while tied to an uncomfortable and rickety wooden chair. He may have reduced me to a quivering, sobbing mess last time.

Not. This. Time.

“Well, it’s been a delight getting to know you again, young lady. but I should really get going – you know, places to go, people to see.” He gives me a wicked grin with sparkling eyes. He’s really getting off on this. “I’m sure you’ll manage just perfectly here by yourself, what do you think?”

You’re a motherfucking cocksucker piece of scum, I think. But instead, I say, “Let me go, Dante. Come on – let me go now, and I won’t tell a soul what happened.”

Dante shakes his head. “Too late for that now.” He waves his hand in the air. He grabs his briefcase and turns to leave the warehouse. The thought of being trapped alone with his thug terrifies me, but I’ve made it this far without getting hurt – maybe I can make it just a little bit longer.

The sound of a loud car engine makes Dante stop dead in his tracks. Beneath his carefully-cultivated spray tan, I see his lips turn white and bloodless.

“What the fuck?” Dante hisses through clenched teeth. “Who could that be?”

My heart leaps and soars. Dad! I think in excitement. You figured it out! The sound of a car door slamming and boot steps crunching along the gravel outside allows a thin sliver of hope to take root. But it fizzles as I realize my aging father presents zero threat to Dante Giovanetti.

Dante drops his briefcase and whirls around, glaring at his two thugs. “Did you two screw this up?” Dante growls. “No one was supposed to ever come here. We own this damn warehouse.”

The two thugs exchange a clueless look and turn to Dante before shrugging.

“Ignorant morons,” Dante hisses under his breath with a lethal growl of anger. “Stay with her.” He turns to leave the warehouse just as I see a familiar, muscular body striding towards me.

And it’s not my father.

Tears prick my eyes, and I blink them away, quickly swallowing so no one will notice. Troy glances around the warehouse, squinting as his eyes adjust to the dim light. When he sees me, his jaw drops, and he sighs with obvious relief.

“And pray tell, just what the fuck are you doing here,” Dante asks Troy. “How the hell did you find me?”

“I wasn’t looking for you,” Troy retorts, and pulls a gun from the waistband of his pants, lifting it until the barrel is trained directly on Dante. I inwardly cheer. “I was looking for her. Joslyn, you’re coming with me.”

“How did you find this place?” Dante growls but his hands come up to the shoulders. “Tell the truth, you dipshit.”

“It’s a secret,” Troy says. His lips twist into a smirk, and he saunters over to the chair where I’ve been hogtied for hours. Despite his meaty bulk, his fingers are nimble and quick, and he unties the ropes without much trouble. Dante and his thugs watch, speechless.

“Do something,” Dante screams at his two thugs. “Stop him!”

The two men rush at Troy, and I brace myself for the loud retort of the gun. But Troy doesn’t shoot. Instead, he swings a powerful punch that catches one man in the jaw. The man stumbles away and falls to the ground, groaning as blood gushes from his nose and mouth. The second thug doesn’t even move. He holds his hands up in surrender.

“You got any more men?” Troy smirks. “Or do I have to take care of you, next?”

Shaking as the blood returns to my limbs, I push myself to my feet and Troy moves beside me, putting his arm around my waist to help.

From the corner of my eye, Dante moves. I scream a warning, but I’m too late. Dante pulls a gun from his pocket and aims it at Troy. I gasp, covering my mouth with both hands, but Troy seems unfazed, just keeps his own gun leveled on the horrible man.

“You’re not going to kill me,” Troy says with a touch of arrogance that I’ve never heard before. He pushes me behind him. “Aside from the fact that I’m quicker, I know you don’t want any of this traced back to you. Nothing’s more important to you than the Mona Lisa and your crooked empire. All eyes are on you right now, thanks to Nixon. You wouldn’t risk it.”

Dante narrows his eyes until they look beady and small. “You’re right,” he says in a hoarse voice. “I can’t kill you, as much as I’d like to.” He cocks the gun, still aiming directly at Troy’s heart. “But this isn’t over. I have a very long memory.”

Turning to Troy in desperation, I clutch at his arm. I’m weak and tired from hours of no sleep, food, or water, but adrenaline surges through my veins, and suddenly, I feel as powerful as a goddess.

“We have to do something,” I hiss, tugging at Troy’s sleeve. “We can’t just let him get away with this!”

“We won’t,” Troy says in a low voice. “But right now, we need to focus on getting you out of here.”

For a dreadful moment, I think Dante just lied and wants to shoot Troy – or both of us. But he stares coldly at Troy for a long moment before putting the safety back on the gun and tucking it into his waistband.

“Get out of here. And don’t even think about calling the cops. My reach is wide and strong. I’ll make you wish you were never born.”

Before we can reply, Dante turns on his heel and storms out of the warehouse. As I watch him leave, I feel a horrible mix of emotions swirling around in my chest. Anger, betrayal, frustration, and most of all, the need for revenge.

“We have to do something,” I insist. “Come on, Troy! We can’t just let him leave!”

“We have to,” Troy says in a wooden voice. “Come on, Joslyn, we’re going to get you out of here and back to safety.”

“But he kidnapped me!” I cry loudly. “Twice! We can’t just let him go, not after that.”

“Joslyn,” Troy growls, grabbing my arm and pulling me close. “Listen to me. Now isn’t the right time, okay? We’ll figure something out, I swear, but for right now, let’s just get you out of here. He has the local cops in his pocket. We have to play this smart.”

I don’t like it, but it’s not like I have a choice. Reluctantly, I follow Troy out of the dingy warehouse, delighting as the fresh air hits my lungs. My weak legs shake underneath me, and I reach for Troy’s hand and grab on like it’s a lifeline. At first, it’s more for strength and support than anything else, but after a few moments, I realize just how glad I am to see him. Troy leads me to his car and helps me inside, even reaching across my thighs to buckle the seatbelt over my lap.

“Thank you,” I whisper, sinking into the safety of the fabric. Now that I realize I’m not going to die, my body revolts and refuses to remain upright a second longer.

Troy carefully closes the door, then walks around to the driver’s side and climbs in behind the wheel. He puts his hand on the gearshift and turns to look at me.

“Look, Joslyn, I know it’s frustrating. I know you want to see him taken down as soon as possible.”

“He’s a fucking bastard asshole,” I shoot back. “Why can’t we just call the cops? He can’t have all of them on his payroll.”

Troy sighs, and for a second, I think he’s going to beat his forehead on the steering wheel. “You’d be surprised. Joslyn, you’re completely right – he’s a bastard and a fucker, and we should be able to take him down right now. But he’s an expert in covering his tracks. I had a friend check into this place before I left to come get you – it’s a storage facility that isn’t even in Dante’s name. And he didn’t even use his usual goons, he hired petty criminals off the street who don’t even know him.”

The bubble of hope pops in my throat, and for the second time that day, tears come to my eyes. This time, I don’t bother blinking them away.

“I can’t believe it.” I shake my head. “What do we have to do in order to take him down?” A sniffle escapes as my chest heaves under the weight of what almost happened to me. Again. “He hired some fancy lawyer for my father just so he could win the vote. Troy, he didn’t even kidnap me to prove a point. He just wanted revenge!”

“It’s okay.” Troy pulls me close, stroking my hair. “Joslyn, I promise, everything is going to be all right.”

“How can you say that?” I pull away and wipe my cheeks.

“Because he’s got the police on his side, the district attorney in his back pocket, and he’s a criminal mastermind. It sucks, and it’s not fair, but I promise we’ll find a way to get him down, Joslyn.” A steely glint flashes in his eye that I’ve never noticed before. “I swear.”

I bite my lip and shudder, leaning my head against Troy’s shoulder. The past couple of weeks have been so crazy and topsy-turvy that I don’t know what to make of anything anymore, but somehow, I have a feeling that as long as I’m with Troy, I’ll be okay.