Crow

I was in a warehouse in Rome. Even with my tracker ripped out of my arm, it was a foolish place to put me. Cane would have been hot on my trail when the connection was severed, so he must have confirmed I was staying in Italy. My brother was an idiot, but when it came to the important stuff, he was observant.

Ironically, I was just thirty minutes away from Bones’s old base. Tristan probably chose it because it was so close to home. Cane would never expect me to be sitting in his backyard. Once the tracker was gone, I knew this would become a more difficult situation. It would be much harder for me to escape. Even harder to be rescued.

But Cane was smart, and so were the men working for us. Cane wouldn’t sleep until he found me.

But Button…she was sobbing at this very minute.

She was more scared than she’d ever been in her life.

If she lost me, she would lose part of herself.

I couldn’t think about it too much because it would break my heart. I had to get out of here for her. I had to get out of here for the little Barsetti growing inside her. I wouldn’t deny my child the security of having a powerful man around to protect them. If I had a son, I would teach him how to love by the way I loved his mother. If I had a daughter, I would teach her what to expect from a man who wanted to be her suitor—if he was brave enough to shake my hand.

But in the event I didn’t make it out of there alive, I knew Button would be okay.

That woman was strong.

She would be devastated, but she would carry on without me. She would have my fortune and my brother to protect her. She would still raise my son to be a man, and my daughter to be stronger than I ever was.

She could do it.

But I didn’t want to make her.

I had to get out of here.

I was in a small warehouse by myself. The concrete was damp from a leak in one of the pipes. That told me I was inside an older compound, something that would be located on the outskirts. A few chains hung from the ceiling, telling me this place was initially used for heavy shipments. That meant we were near a road so large trucks could easily access the area. I probably wouldn’t get the opportunity to speak to Cane, but if I did, I needed to give him as much information as possible.

My right eye was swollen shut, and the right side of my jaw was broken. Tristan had stabbed me through the forearm, careful to miss an artery but his blade penetrated enough for me to bleed all over the floor and make me weak. A lot of my ribs were broken. The pulse in my temple wouldn’t stop pounding. He gave me a good beating, seeking revenge for all the men I killed.

I didn’t make a single noise the entire time.

I’d known what was coming. I’d known how to handle it. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of causing me true pain. The only thing that could really hurt me was my wife. And she was far away and protected by my best men.

Tristan had nothing against me.

The door opened, and a shadow appeared as Tristan’s silhouette emerged. His boots thudded against the hard concrete as he approached me with guards on either side of the door watching him in silence. Each had a gun on his hip.

My hands were tied behind my back. My ankles were locked together in chains. There was no way I could get out of this by myself, not unless I found a decent tool to get me free. I watched Tristan walk toward me and finally saw his face come into view.

His lip was curled in a permanent sneer, his long nose was hooked like a claw. His bushy eyebrows needed to be maintained, and his eyes were the color of oil spots from a broken-down car. I pitied Adelina for having to fuck a man so ugly.

Tristan stopped in front of me, his arms hanging by his sides. He had a gun, but he didn’t draw it. “You look like shit, Crow.”

I spit a stream of blood off to the side. He’d punched me in the mouth a few times. “Still look better than you.”

His eyes narrowed in assault. “You’re either very brave or very stupid.”

“They’re the same thing, if you ask me.” I wouldn’t be intimidated by this man or any man. To show fear was a death sentence. Pleading and begging wouldn’t save my life. It would only cost me my dignity just before my life ended.

Tristan grabbed a chair from the side and placed it in front of me. He took a seat, like a long conversation was about to happen. “Have you enjoyed your stay with us?”

“It’s not a five-star resort, but it’s good enough.”

The more playful I was, the more it irritated him. He knew he would never be as brave as me if he were in the same situation. He tried to exert his power over me, but he could never be successful when I wouldn’t allow it. “I spoke to your brother.”

“How’s he doing?” I projected an aura of calm indifference, but that was all just an act. I had to figure out a way to get back to my wife—my pregnant wife.

“He’s been better,” he said. “Didn’t say much.”

“Probably because he’s busy screwing your former prisoner.”

Tristan’s eyes narrowed again, and this time, it looked like he might hit me. Maybe he would lose his temper and just shoot me. But if he did, he would have no leverage to get Adelina back. That must be what this is about. He was pissed she was taken, and he was using me as a hostage to get her back. I had no idea if Cane would make the switch or not. On the one hand, I was his brother, and he would do anything to save me. On the other, she was the woman he loved. If I were given the choice, it would be hard to make the decision. “The only way you’re getting out of here is by a trade.”

My suspicions were correct.

“Tell me where your wife is, and I’ll let you go.”

I did my best to hide my reaction, but I could barely control it. He’d asked about Pearl earlier, but I thought that was because he planned to kidnap both of us. But it appeared that he was still after her. “I don’t see how she’s relevant. She had nothing to do with Adelina’s kidnapping.”

“You’re right. She had nothing to do with that. But ever since I laid eyes on those gorgeous tits and long legs, I’ve wanted to fuck her just the way you do, Crow.”

All the blood drained from my heart as it was pumped to my extremities. My muscles got a shot of adrenaline, and they automatically twitched in preparation for battle. If I weren’t restrained right now, I’d kill Tristan with my bare hands. I’d claw his eyes out before I ripped apart the rest of him, tearing off his limbs and fingers.

Remaining stoic in that moment was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. I couldn’t rise to his anger. I had to keep playing it cool because getting me angry was exactly what he wanted. Defending my wife’s honor wasn’t the priority right now. All Button wanted was for me to come back to her. She couldn’t care less about Tristan’s sinister intentions.

“You’re going to tell me where she is. Once I have her, I’ll let you go. Seems like a fair punishment for the way you both screwed me over. You get your freedom, and you can imagine what your wife is doing every hour of the day while she’s chained to my bed.” His eyes bored into mine, full of vengeful hostility.

I didn’t blink. “I’m not going to lie and say I don’t know where she is. I know exactly where she is. But there’s nothing you can do to make me hand her over. You can cut off every single limb piece by piece until there’s nothing left or I bleed out and die. You can torture me in whatever way gets you off. I still won’t say a damn word. If you don’t believe me, call my bluff. Break out the saws and drills and kill me slowly.” I was the one who remained tied up and beaten, but I never lost my confidence or authority. Tristan was at my mercy because he was trying to break in to an unbreakable vault. There was no amount of money or weapons that could get him any closer to his goal. I’d gladly die before I let a man go near the woman I loved.

Tristan studied my gaze like the very words I spoke were written across my face. He didn’t smile or frown, soaking up my message like a sponge. He rose from his chair and pushed it aside. “I told Cane that’s the only trade I’m willing to make. So, in either case, one of you is going to crack. I’m just not sure who it’s going to be.”

Cane knew exactly what I would want in this situation. Even if he handed over Pearl, got me out of there, and then we teamed up to steal her back, I wouldn’t want that. I didn’t want a man to even touch my wife’s hand, no matter how temporary it was. Even if Pearl agreed to it, I still didn’t want it.

I’d rather die.

Cane knew that. I had no doubt he would make the right decision—even if that meant he would never see me again.