My arms are tied behind my back as the light tickles into my eyes again. I don’t have to open my eyes fully to know where I am. I can smell the rotten flesh, taste the blood, and feel the cold floor beneath me.

Dante stole me, again.

And now I’m back in the same room of his house; I swore I would never return. But this time, I will escape after I kill Dante.

The door opens, and I feel Dante’s presence before I see him. He smells of sweat and blood and fear.

I stare at him as he walks in without a word, and I’ve never seen his face redder. His nostrils flare wide, and his teeth grind together, striding toward me.

I won’t cower in the corner though, no matter how much my head hurts.

I stand slowly, even though my hands are tied behind my back, I’m ready for a fight. He will not touch me again.

Dante chuckles, watching me. “You think you are going to be able to stop me?”

“Yes, I will. And by the time I leave here, you will be dead. If not by my hand, then by Caspian’s.”

He smirks. “Oh yes, Caspian. The man who stole you. I thought he stole you because he wanted you as his slave. But you look very well taken care of.”

I frown. I don’t want Dante talking about Caspian.

Dante walks closer to me, and I stand tall, ready to fight as best I can if he touches me.

“I have a feeling we will be meeting your new lover sooner rather than later. He won’t like that I get to touch you, not now that he’s had you. He will realize what a good prize you are.”

“I’m not a prize. I’m a person.”

Dante shrugs. “No, you are mine.” His hand clenches tightly around my arm, and I wince at the touch. Before a touch like that wouldn’t have affected me, but now it’s all I can think about. The pain shoots through me, making me realize how weak I am compared to him. If Dante wants to rape me, there isn’t much I can do to prevent it.

“And this time, when I’m finished with you, I will kill you before any man has a chance to take you again.”

I shiver at his words. He’s wrong. He will be dead long before me.

The door slams open, and Caspian stands in the doorway. His gun is drawn, and it’s pointed at Dante. I knew Caspian would come for me. He hurt me worse than Dante ever thought about hurting me, but he will do anything to protect me, even if he doesn’t love me.

Dante chuckles. “Nice of you to finally show up. I thought you were supposedly the best at security, but I was able to snatch her up with ease. It took you hours to even realize she was gone. I almost thought you weren’t coming, which would have been tragic, because then I would have had to hunt you down and kill you for taking what’s mine.”

“Let her go, Dante. Then we can work this out man to man,” Caspian says, his eyes searching me for signs of any trauma.

I’m fine, I mouth to him.

His shoulders relax when he realizes my words are true. Dante, on the other hand, hasn’t loosened his grip on my arm. I can’t move. And I don’t know how good of a shot Caspian is. Can he shoot Dante while missing me?

“You seem to be missing your partner though. Where is she?” Dante says.

“I’m here alone,” Caspian answers, and my eyes widen. I don’t want Adela here, but I’m not sure Caspian can take Dante and his men out on his own.

Dante chuckles. “You’re a terrible liar, Caspian.”

My heart stills at Dante’s words.

Dante’s phone buzzes, and he pulls it from his pocket casually, not acting like his life is currently in danger.

“Do you have her?” Dante asks.

There’s a pause.

“Good,” Dante says ending the call. “It appears my guards have your sister. They are under strict instructions to kill her within three minutes if you don’t arrive to save her. My insurance that I remain alive.”

Caspian’s eyes widen in fear. Sweat drips down his face as he tries to decide if Dante is lying or not. He can’t risk Dante not lying though.

“You’re lying,” Caspian says, and my heart stops. He can’t choose me over Adela. He has to save her first.

“Stay here, and we will find out,” Dante says.

“Adela’s pregnant,” I whisper through tears. She can’t die. She has a husband who loves her. She has a baby on the way. She has a future. She deserves to be happy and live.

“Please, save her,” I continue. I don’t add first. I doubt there will be time to save us both.

Caspian swallows down tears I see in his eyes. He looks at me, and then Dante, and then back to me. His eyes tell me he will be back, soon. And then he disappears before either of us have a chance to change our minds.

“Now that he is taken care of, where were we?” Dante asks.

“Your guards won’t kill Caspian. He’ll fight them off. He’ll save Adela. And then he will be back to kill you. So I suggest you spend your time running as far away as you can.”

He turns me toward him, his disgusting cock pushing against my stomach.

“I hired new men. I have faith they will be able to handle Caspian. You should have said your goodbyes.”

Dante’s cocky as he says his words, but he’s never been more wrong. He doesn’t know how Caspian feels. He doesn’t realize Caspian needs his revenge for killing his wife.

I struggle against the rope tying my arms together as Dante smirks, his slimy hands groping my body.

Please hurry back, Caspian.

No, I need to find a way out of this. I can.

“You’re nothing but a coward. You always have been. I’m surprised you don’t have four men in here holding me down like before. You can’t even rape me like a man.”

Dante’s eyes are searing into mine. “You want a fair fight?”

“Yes.”

His grin widens. “Then, let’s fight.”

He pulls out his knife, and I close my eyes afraid he’s going to stab me. Instead, my arms pull free of the rope.

I’m in so much shock I don’t anticipate the kick to my ribs. It knocks me over, and I hit the wall before sliding to the ground.

“It doesn’t matter if you are tied up or not. I’m stronger than you, slave. I will win. I will rape you. And then, I will kill you. Submit now, and I will make sure your death is painless.”

His words drive me, just like before. I want revenge and here is my chance to take it.

I’m stronger than Dante. Not physically, but mentally. I’m a survivor. I’m scrappy. And I know more about his world than he realizes.

He kicks me again, and my body recoils.

Think.

I need a solution. A way out.

I need a weapon. He’s still holding the knife. I won’t be able to snatch it from his hand. But I bet he has a gun.

And there is only one place a guy like him would keep a gun. In the waistband of his pants where he can access it quickly.

Stand, I command myself.

I do.

Dante kicks me again, but I don’t let him knock me down no matter how much pain I’m in. As I stand, he grabs me, forcing my arms down to my sides.

I frown as I try to wiggle out of his grasp. His mouth comes down on mine, slobbering roughly over my mouth.

“You’re mine, bitch. Don’t forget it.”

He tosses me down on the bed and jumps on top of me. I freeze. My mind goes to my happy place with Caspian, as my survival mechanism sets in.

No.

Focus on the gun.

He grabs my shirt and starts ripping it open as his mouth comes down on my body. It takes everything in me to not fight him off. To let his mouth take my nipple in his mouth. I need him close to me and not holding my arms down, so I can reach his gun.

I move my hands slowly, trying not to draw attention to them being free as Dante bites down hard and making me tear up.

But I can’t wait. I won’t let him rape me.

I grab for the waistband, find the metal gun, and shoot him in the leg.

Dante curses as he falls off of me. I scoot my body out from under him and stand to point the gun at him. Dante holds his hands up as he writhes in pain.

“You don’t have the balls to kill me,” Dante says.

I smirk. He doesn’t know I was the one who killed Roman. That I would kill him in a second without thinking if I didn’t think Caspian needed this more.

Caspian may not love me, but I love him. And we need to know that Adela is safe before we kill Dante. We may need him to get her back.

“You don’t think I will kill you?”

“No.”

I shake my head, tightening my grip on the gun. “If you move an inch, I will shoot you.”

“I don’t think you will.”

He moves, and I shoot him in the other leg.

“Fuck you, bitch!”

I grin. “I’m not a liar. I will kill you if you move. I’ve killed plenty of men before. And even if I hadn’t, the things you did to me would have made me strong enough to kill you in an instant. The only reason you are continuing to breathe is that Caspian needs to kill you more than I do.”

Dante laughs. “You aren’t strong enough.”

“Gia’s plenty strong enough. Adela’s safe. Kill him, Gia,” Caspian says as he enters the room.

His words should be enough for me to pull the trigger, but I can’t do that. Caspian needs this more than me. He’s needed this for five years.

I lower the gun and hold it out to Caspian. “You need this more.”

Caspian holds onto the gun and then tries to push it back into my hands, but I won’t let him.

“I love you. Let this be my final gift.” I give him the gun, and then I step back. I may not get to kill Dante, but I can watch the white leave his eyes.

Caspian lifts the gun and aims it at Dante, and for the first time, I see fear in Dante’s eyes.

“You took Clara from me. You deserve to be tortured over and over for the pain you caused her. You stole her, tortured her, raped her, and then killed her. But I’m a compassionate person. I will kill you swiftly if you apologize for what you did.”

Dante shakes his head. “I never stole a Clara.”

Caspian’s finger tightens around the trigger. “You took her from me five years ago. And then threw her out with the trash like she was nothing. You were about to do the same thing to Gia and hundreds of other women. You remember her.”

“I don’t because she doesn’t exist.”

I can see Caspian’s rage grow as Dante admits he doesn’t remember Clara. Caspian has a lot of control, but he doesn’t have much control left.

“Admit what you did, you fucking cunt.”

Caspian’s hand shakes as he stares at Dante with all the pain he’s felt for years.

Dante turns from Caspian and looks at me with his lust-filled disgusting eyes.

I jump as the bullet leaves Caspian’s gun without warning. It hits Dante in the head, and he falls to the ground, dead in an instant.

Caspian runs to me and throws his arms around me, both of us shaking.

“Did he hurt you?” Caspian’s voice trembles as he speaks and looks me over.

I close the shirt he ripped around my body. “He barely touched me before I snatched his gun.”

Caspian exhales. “You promise?”

I nod.

“Thank you for coming back and saving me.”

“I didn’t save you; you saved yourself.”

I smile weakly.

“Is Adela okay?”

He nods. “Yes, she’s shaken up, but she’s fine. She will be popping a baby out in six months without a problem.”

I smile. “You knew.”

He nods. “I knew, but it still killed me to leave you here not knowing if you were going to live or die.”

“You made the right decision. I wouldn’t have forgiven you if you had saved me and anything had happened to Adela.”

“I know. It still killed me.”

Tears fill my eyes. I won’t let him see me cry over him again.

“I’m going to go call my brothers. I’m sure they are worried sick. They will send a plane to get me.”

Caspian steps in front of me, stopping me from leaving.

“Your brothers know where you are. They’ve known the entire time I’ve had you.”

“What?”

“They trusted I would keep you safe. If you were with them, you would have jeopardized their lives, and it would have been one of the first places Dante would have looked.”

“I should still talk to them, now that he’s gone.”

“Stop. Stop running.”

I freeze.

“I’m sorry. For everything, but most importantly for breaking your heart. And for not telling you I love you too.”

“What?”

Caspian grabs me and kisses me with everything he has. He dips me, holding me in his arms as he deepens the kiss, his tongue tasting every drop inside my mouth.

When he pulls back, I see the love in his eyes. He loves me, and I love him. This should be our happily ever after. Our perfect ending, but it isn’t. I can’t start our lives together on a lie. He has to know my darkest secret. Only then, can he decide if he loves me.

“There is a reason Dante didn’t admit to killing Clara.”

Caspian steps back, he can sense what I’m going to say.

“Dante may have stolen her, but he sold her to my family. To my father.”

Caspian takes another step back, and I can feel him slipping further away from me.

“Your father? Enrico Carini?”

I nod. “He was the one who raped her. He broke her.”

“He killed her?”

I swallow, trying to keep the words from leaving my mouth, but he has to hear them. He has to know the truth.

“No, I killed her.”