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It’s then that I hear a muffled sound, liking someone talking.
So, someone is inside. But is it Sal or is it just some innocent person watching TV who doesn’t want to answer the door?
I knock again harder. “Is anybody home?”
I hear it again. The sound of someone talking. Or… someone screaming.
Fuck it. If Sal doesn’t live here, then I’ll just deal with the consequences of breaking into someone’s house.
I kick the door open and burst inside.
That’s when I see Aria, handcuffed to a table… bleeding.
Shit. I keep my gun up in case Sal appears and starts shooting me.
“He left,” Aria tells me. “He’s not here.”
I rush to her side. “Aria? Fuck. What did he do to you?” Her body is covered in shallow cuts. Dried blood is crusted to her body. It’s all on her legs and stomach and arms. She’s fully naked. That fucker thought he could do this to her.
“Just get me out of here,” she sobs. I’ve never heard her sound so afraid before.
I try to get her handcuffs off but it requires a key. “I’m going to have to pick these. It will take a moment.”
“What if he comes back?”
“Then I’ll kill him. Don’t worry.”
She lets out a slow sigh. “Ok. Ok.”
I rummage around the kitchen until I can find something to use to pick the lock – one of the drawers has a couple of small nails. Perfect.
“How did you find me?” Aria asks as I get to work on the cuffs.
“My brother. He gave me this address. He’s met Sal once before.”
“So, you told your brother that you lost me?”
“I had to. Even if it meant fucking up my plans, I had to find you, princess.” I get one of the cuffs undone and start work on the next one.
She runs her hand over her throat. “He was going to kill me, Finn. He’s been torturing me for hours.”
“I’m here now. I’ve got you.” Shit. I’ve never comforted anybody ever before. What the fuck has gotten into me?
“He kept cutting me,” she whispers. “He told me he killed Sarah and her baby. The ones you spared.”
“I figured they were dead.” Her second handcuff pops open. “When Jack told me he hired a new hitman to come after me, itwasn’t hard to figure out what Jack and Sal had done.” I turn my attention to the cuffs around her ankles.
“You spared their lives and those two men just went and ruined it. Sal is pure evil. He’s crazy. The things he told me…”
“What?” I get the cuff around her ankle off. Now, just one more left.
“The way he tortured them. He shoved his finger down that poor baby’s throat to get her to stop crying before he killed her. That’s so wrong.”
Finally, I get her last cuff undone and pull her into my arms. She breaks down into tears. I’ve never seen Aria this vulnerable before. I’ll admit – it scares me and I don’t scare easily.
“I was terrified I was going to die,” she sobs into my chest, clinging to me. I never thought Aria would seek me for comfort. It feels good to be her protector and savior, instead of her enemy.
“I’m going to kill that fucker for hurting you.”