It was a false alarm.

The men thought they were being set up and about to be ambushed. But they weren’t. Instead, the client they were delivering weapons to changed the location and snuck up on them to try to keep their secrecy.

I had a stern talking with the client to let him know we won’t be working with him again. We set the rules, not him. He doesn’t get to change the location of the drop. We do. What he did was unacceptable and put everyone at risk.

We have been under attack numerous times lately. It’s put everyone on edge. I know it’s Clive and Erick behind the attacks.

They are still upset about us taking Nina from them. And they are testing me. I’m the new leader of the Carini family, and they want to find out what they can and can’t get away with. They are trying to push me and take over some of my turf.

I won’t let them. Soon, they will find out I’m more ruthless than my father when it comes to protecting my own. I will need to go on the offensive to prove it to them and end this nonsense.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, as I walk back from the wooded area to where my car is parked along the street.

“Yes,” I answer, snapping harder than I mean to. I’m in a foul mood. I don’t know what to do with Eden and having to deal with this idiot only made my temper worse.

“Sorry to bother you, sir. I wanted to let you know we saw Armas drive Eden off the grounds and I thought you’d like to be aware.”

I growl.

“How could you let this happen?”

He doesn’t answer. I already know how. I left one guard, and I’ve threatened them all with their lives when only one guard is on duty to never leave the premises if a Carini is still in the house. Gia must be home. She needs protection. It’s my fault for calling my men here to defend our turf, without leaving more behind to protect what’s mine.

I end the call, shove the phone back into my pocket, and I run to my car. I hop in, speeding off as my wheels squeal against the pavement.

Thoughts of what Armas could be doing to Eden right now cloud my head. His lips on hers. His dick inside her tight cunt, making her cry out while he breaks her.

All the things I wanted to do to her and barely got a taste of. Things that I could never entirely go through with myself.

I thought it was what I wanted. I couldn’t break Eden myself so why not let Armas do the dirty work? But now that it is happening, it’s not what I want.

And I need to teach him a lesson for thinking he could take what’s mine off my property. He knows I’m going to retaliate for breaking my rules.

I’m not far from his house. Assuming that’s where Armas has taken Eden. Maybe I can save her before anything happens.

I press my foot down all the way on the gas, my car speeds up, and I hit the apex of each of the turns that weave through the woods. I shouldn’t drive so fast, not on these roads. But I push my limits to get to his house faster.

Ten minutes. That’s how long it takes me, when usually it would take more than twenty. The gate to Armas’s property is closed, but it’s nothing my car can’t handle.

I rev the engine, going full speed again, breaking the flimsy lock on the gate as my car bursts through it. I don’t stop until my car is right outside the side door leading into the house.

I jump out of the car and draw my gun. Armas doesn’t deal with weapons or anything illegal, but he has security guards who wouldn’t have any difficulty shooting me. I didn’t bring any backup of my own. I considered it, but I don’t need the help. And I don’t want any witnesses for what I decide to do Armas. My men have no problem with torture or killing, but they may give my actions pause when it comes to innocent rich men who could have been their boss instead of me.

“Sir, Armas is busy at the moment. If you’d like to come back later, I’ll let him know you came by,” one of his security guards says, coming outside.

God, he needs to train his men better. You shoot first, ask questions later.

He didn’t notice my gun yet, so I let it hang in my hand casually to my side.

I smile as I walk up to him like I want to give him a message to deliver to Armas. When I’m a foot away, I draw my gun again aiming it at his head.

He puts his hands up in surrender.

I shake my head. Idiot.

“Where is Eden?”

“Who?”

“Don’t act dumb. Where is Eden? The woman Armas stole from me this morning. I know he brought her here.”

The man stares down at my gun like he’s never had a gun aimed at him before.

I roll my eyes. You never hire someone who hasn’t at the very least had a gun aimed at them. Preferably you want someone who has been shot before. That way you know they understand the risks and are adequately trained.

I see another man step out, out of the corner of my eye. I shoot him in the chest without a second thought. The man drops to the floor.

“How many other guards does Armas have?”

The man’s eyes cut to the man lying lifeless on the floor behind him. “It’s just the two of us.”

“Don’t lie to me or I’ll kill you, like I did him.”

The man swallows. “I’m not lying.”

“Good. Now, where is Eden?”

He glances up. “She’s upstairs in Armas’ bedroom. It’s the third bedroom on the left.”

I smirk. “Good boy.” I strike him hard in the head with the end of my gun. His body falls to the floor as I race inside. I cough on the intense flowery smell when I enter his house. If he doesn’t rape her, he’s going to smother her to death with the scent of roses.

I take the stairs two at a time as I climb up the grand staircase. The staircase swerves, taking up most of the space in the entryway. It’s meant to be magnificent, the centerpiece of the room, but I have three staircases that trump this one in size and stature.

I get to the top of the stairs and intently listen as I slink down the hallway as quietly as I can. I don’t want Armas to know I’m here until I want him to know.

I don’t hear anything as I walk down the hallway counting the doors as I go.

One.

Two.

Three.

I grab the doorknob as I lean against the door listening.

Nothing.

I draw my gun ready to kill in a second if I need to.

I push the door open. The room is dark, I flick on the lights, but I already know what I’m going to find. Nothing. It’s empty.

The bastard lied to me. I should have killed him.

Eden screams.

I turn and run toward her screams. The fourth door. I kick the door open without thinking about anything other than getting to Eden as fast as possible.

Armas is on top of Eden when I enter the room. He doesn’t even turn his head to me. Either because he didn’t hear me enter, or because he believes I’m a member of his staff, who is coming to check on him and will quickly leave.

My eyes go to Eden. All I can see though are her arms and legs tied to the bed. Her screams and cries pierce my heart, begging me to protect her.

I respond, running to the bed without thinking. I may not be any better than Armas is, but if anyone is going to lay a hand on her, it’s going to be me.

Stowing my gun in my waistband, I grab Armas by the neck and fling him against the far wall as easily as I would tossing a ball. I’m much stronger than he is, and in my pent up state, he’s not a match for me at all.

Anger.

Rage.

Pain.

The emotions alight deep in my belly and spread like fire through my entire body when I see Eden. I’ve never been so mad in all my life. I’ve never felt such rage. My body is red, my arms shake, unable to keep my frustration inside.

Eden is tied to the bed by her arms and legs with shackles to the frame of the bed designed with loops to attach rope or chains. It’s clear Armas has done this to women before.

She’s naked. Nothing I haven’t already seen plenty of times before, but seeing her now makes me ache, my cock throbs against the zipper of my jeans. It makes me want to finish the job that I didn’t get to finish.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a woman. Months. Usually, it isn’t a problem, but when I look at her body, I’m tempted to pull out my cock and fuck her right here, right now.

Her eyes look straight at me, but she doesn’t react. She doesn’t think this is real. She thinks she’s dreaming I came and saved her. She must have been desperate to get away from Armas to be fantasizing about me protecting her.

I expect her to look broken, lost, gone. But her eyes don’t show that. She still has hope and fight. Her body doesn’t seem beaten, other than some redness on her breasts. He’s barely fucked her or touched her. No more than I did before.

My eyes continue to inspect her body until I see her leg.

Her entire leg is red and swollen with black and blue bruises all up and down it. But the coloring isn’t what has me concerned. There is a large gash on the top of her shin still actively bleeding and filled with dirt and debris. It looks bad. Most likely broken.

Red. It’s all I see and feel as I turn from Eden to Armas, who is smirking at me in the corner of the room. He slowly gets to his feet, wiping the blood off his forehead. I must have caused the blood when he I threw him across the room.

“Jealous much? I was having a taste and helping to break her in so she would be ready for you.” Armas continues to smirk as he stares at Eden on the bed.

“She wasn’t yours to touch.”

He cocks his head to the side as his eyes stay locked on Eden, looking at her like he wants to devour her.

“You left her with me. You gave me power to do what I pleased with her when you left. What is she to you that you would be this upset anyway? She’s only a slave.”

My fist pulls back and then makes contact, hard, with the side of his jaw. His face whips around and I can see redness forming where my fist hit him, but it’s not enough. Not nearly enough.

His eyes darken when he looks back at me, holding his face. He doesn’t dare try to fight me back. I’ve kicked his ass before, and I’ll kick it again.

“What the hell man?” he says.

“Eden’s mine.” My fist hits his face again, and this time it knocks him off balance enough so when I hit him again, he falls to the floor.

I can’t think of anything other than causing him as much agony as possible for what he did to Eden. He touched her. Raped her. And broke her fucking leg. He doesn’t deserve to keep breathing.

I punch him again and again, each strike harder than the previous. He holds up his hands trying to block my punches at first, but eventually, his hands fall to the side as does his body.

I can’t stop though. I have to make Armas pay for what he did to Eden. I don’t understand why I feel this way. Eden is nothing to me but the key to getting Nina and Arlo back. But my stomach is in knots and my body filled with rage as I pound into his flesh over and over.

My fists are raw and bleeding, but I don’t feel the pain. Only the anger. It consumes every muscle in my body, so all I can do or think about is making Armas pay.

Eden groans and I stop.

I turn to her immediately, ignoring the bloody, lifeless mess on the floor in front of me.

I run to her body and cradle her head in my hands.

“Matteo? Are you really here?” she asks, her voice trembling.

I nod. “Yes, I’m getting you out of here.”

She rapidly blinks like she’s trying to make me go away by blinking, but when I don’t, she smiles enough to melt the anger that has taken over me.

She pulls on the shackles holding her down on the bed. My eyes go to the bedside table where I find the key. I grab it and unlock each shackle, moving quickly and efficiently.

Her eyes stay with me each time I move, her eyes narrowed like she doesn’t understand what I’m doing.

She doesn’t have to understand. I don’t even understand what I’m doing. She can’t stay here. And I won’t let anything like this ever happen again.

When I’ve removed every single shackle from her extremities, I help her sit up. Then I gather a blanket draped over a chair in the corner of the room and wrap it around her body.

She winces when the fabric touches her leg.

I scoop her up as gingerly as I can in my arms.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“You can’t walk. I’m getting you out of here and taking you where it’s safe.”

I expect her to argue with me, that my own home is no safer than this place is.

She doesn’t.

Instead, her head falls against my chest as her body shakes gently in my arms. The adrenaline now controlling her body has no place to go, making her tremble.

I hold her tighter against my body, ensuring she can’t see Armas’s dead body as I take her out of the room.

My gun is still tucked into the back of my pants as I leave the room and run down the hallway and the stairs. It’s not the smartest move I’ve ever made, but I doubt Armas has many more guards on duty. And if he does, I don’t expect them to be any smarter or more adept than the other guards I ran into.

I stare intently at Eden as I carry her out of the house, not understanding what spell she currently has over me. My erection is still stiff in my pants. My body still aches to toss her in the back of the car and rape her, now. But something stops me.

The need to take care of her. To heal her. Help her.

That’s my biggest weakness. I can’t stop helping others. And I’ll most likely hate myself for taking care of her instead of taking care of my own needs.

Rescuing her made me a target. I shouldn’t have messed with one of the wealthiest families in Italy. Now I’ll have to deal with the rest of his family once they find out what I did.

I get to my car, but it barely has a second row. I start to put her in the backseat, but I don’t want to let her go. It’s not far back to my house, but for her, it will seem like an eternity in her condition. And I want to keep an eye on her leg to make sure she’s still awake.

I reach into my back pocket and pull out my cell phone while I hold her with my other arm. Even when she is dead weight and barely able to hold herself up, she’s still light in my arms.

I dial the number for Maximo.

“Yes, Matteo.”

“I need you to get to Armas’ place with an SUV as fast as you can and bring someone with you to drive back the sports car.”

“Is everything okay, sir?”

“Yes, hurry.”

“I’m five minutes away.”

I end the call and pocket my phone.

Eden’s eyes flicker, and I can’t help but stroke the hair away from her face. I’ve grown soft. It’s only because she reminds me so much of Nina. That’s not true, because, besides her looks and strength, she is the opposite of Nina.

Nina was soft and caring. She cared too deeply about others and was obsessed with Arlo and me. Eden is harsh. She’s faced the cruel world before, and it’s made her icy and closed off. She doesn’t care about others as much as she cares about protecting Nina and herself.

She swallows as she stares at me and I swear I see her blush a little as her eyes rake down my body.

“How are you feeling?”

“My leg hurts a lot.”

I nod. “And everything else?” I ask, unable to ask if he left permanent scars when he raped her or if he even got that far. I couldn’t tell from where I was standing or when I pulled him off her. I didn’t leave scars when I touched her, but I’m not sure if it’s because she has no memory of it or because I didn’t go far enough.

She purses her lips together as she takes her time answering me. “I’ll heal.”

My stomach churns. Armas did rape her; she’s just not telling me. Most likely, she doesn’t want to admit it to herself either. She’ll have to face it eventually. But in the meantime, I’ll play along and pretend the only problem that needs healing is her leg.

Maximo drives up, stopping feet from me. I pull the back door open and slide her body inside before I climb in after her. I let her head rest in my lap.

One of the men runs to my car to drive it home, while Maximo starts driving us toward my house.

The car hits a bump in the road, and Eden moans loudly, louder than I expected.

“You okay?” I ask.

She doesn’t answer right away. “Yes,” she finally breathes. “The pain is getting worse for some reason.”

I stroke her hair. “The adrenaline pumping through you, that helped you survived, is leaving your body. It was masking some of the pain.”

As we speed around another corner, she closes her eyes and winces. A tear rolls down her cheek and then another, despite her eyes being shut tight. Her face is turning redder every second. Her body shaking faster in my arms trying to distract her from her agony.

There is nothing I can do to comfort her, except hold her.

“Do you…” she starts and then stops as the discomfort overtakes her.

“Shhh. Try to relax. We will be back soon.”

I glance down at her wound to make sure the bleeding hasn’t gotten worse. It hasn’t. I considered tying a tourniquet around it but decided against it, when I knew how much torture it would cause her, and the bleeding wasn’t strong enough to warrant it anyway.

There is nothing I can do to help her until we get back and I have the proper medical supplies to help her.

“Do you have any of the drugs you’ve used to knock me out on you?” she asks, her voice stronger than before.

My eyes widen, and my heart stops. She wouldn’t ask me if she wasn’t desperate for relief. She’s made it clear how much she hates it when I knock her out. The lack of control makes it impossible for her to handle when she wakes back up.

“No, I don’t have any on me.”

She lifts her head a little and turns to look at me, her eyes imploring me for solace.

“Please, I’m begging you, please help me. Knock me out. Make me forget. Make the pain go away. I can’t stand it.”

I swallow hard, uncomfortable with the way she’s looking at me when I know there is nothing I can do to alleviate her pain.

“You can dig through my pockets if it makes you feel better, but I don’t have any of the drugs on me.”

Her tears stream down her face as she realizes she’s going to have to wait for painkillers.

“Make the pain stop. Please. I know you know how.”

I’ve seen plenty of people in pain before. Hell, I’ve caused most people as much or more suffering than she is currently dealing with. I’ve heard their cries for me to bring them relief. And the only way I ever did was with a bullet through their head.

She looks at my pants and her hands claw at my waist searching for the gun she knows is stored there.

Damn it.

She’s more fucked up in the leg then I realized. Or being raped by Armas screwed up her head worse than I thought it did.

She wants me to kill her. I won’t let her give up so quickly.

“I’m not going to kill you!”

She stops, her face stoic like I slapped her.

“I don’t want you to kill me.”

“You don’t? Then why do you look like you’ve given up and you are reaching for my gun?”

“Because I want you to knock me out as you did to Saul. Make the pain go away until you get me some pain medication. If you don’t, I’m going to chew my leg off to make it stop.”

I smirk and don’t tell her chewing her leg off would only make the pain unbearable.

“Please,” she begs.

Knocking her unconscious will make her suffering worse later. That healing will take longer. My heart is too infatuated with her at the moment to disappoint her, so I keep quiet.

I don’t use my gun like she wants me to. It wouldn’t take much to knock her out. Not in her current state.

I look over to Maximo, making Eden follows my gaze to him. I wait until her head is turned to him and then I hit her hard across the back of her head. I catch her as her head drops into my arms.

Maximo looks in the rearview mirror, judging me with his eyes, but he doesn’t say anything.

I stroke her cheek again, pretending she fell asleep instead of me striking her.

“Is she going to be okay?” Maximo asks.

I nod. “She’s going to be better than okay.”

“Do we need to go to the hospital first? We can go to Dr. Pietri; he won’t question it. He owes us.”

I stare down at Eden’s leg for a long time. I’m sure it’s broken. A woman as strong as Eden wouldn’t cry in pain like that at anything less than broken. It’s probably shattered.

I know how to treat most wounds and ailments. I’ve healed most of Arlo’s injuries without any issues. I’m not sure if I can repair Eden’s leg if it is broken in more than one place and requires surgery.

She could never walk properly again if I don’t take her to the hospital.

But I can’t. I don’t want to give her up. She may think I’m her savior at the moment, but I’m not. I’m still a monster.

“No. Take us home.”

Maximo doesn’t question me again. He knows the decision I made might lead to her death and he doesn’t care. Eden is mine to do with what I want. I stole her. Saving her was only to reclaim her as mine, not because I cared or have a heart. She’ll realize soon enough when she’ll never be able to walk again. At least I won’t have to worry about her running away from me.