Page 119

Story: Desired By you

The throbbing in the back of my head is so bad I clutch the back of it. When I touch something warm and wet I gasp. Bringing my hand to my face, I see the dark red blood covering my fingers.

I’m dragged to my feet, but I stumble and reach for something to steady myself.

“Easy, easy. This won’t be fun if you can’t hold yourself up.” I look up. It’s funny how eyes that look the same evoke a differentreaction. When Brad looks at me, I feel safe, but these eyes show me nothing but evil.

“Let her go.” I turn my head to find Brad in the chair. He lifts his head, blood stains the side of his face, and I gasp.

“Oh my god, Brad.” I take a step towards him, but when cool metal is pressed to my temple and I hear a click, I freeze.

“Take another fucking step, and I’ll blow your pretty little brains out. Got it?” I scrunch my eyes close, swallowing down a whimper as I nod.

“Good girl.”

“Matteo, this has nothing to do with her. Please, let her go and we can talk.”

“Oh, she has everything to do with this.” He grips my arm tighter. “Does she know?”

Brad doesn’t say anything.

“Does she know that her daddy…” His tone is mocking when he says the word daddy. “Is the reason me and dad went to prison, huh? Does she know he is the fucker who sent Dad down for life and me for twenty-five years?”

“I, I uh can talk to my dad, make him…” I offer, trying to make this right.

Matteo laughs manically. “You had your chance.” He points the gun at Brad. “You were meant to fix it, get our dad out with me, but typical Marco didn’t follow through. So now, I’m going to fix things.” He presses the barrel of the gun back against my temple and brushes his nose against my neck. I shudder in disgust. “But maybe I should have a little fun first and make you watch, little brother.”

Brad growls, fighting against the restraints that have his hands pinned behind him. “Don’t you fucking touch her,” he roars.

Matteo runs his hot tongue up my neck and onto my cheek, and I recoil. His stale bourbon breath wafts in my face and I fight to keep down the vomit that’s working its way up my throat.

“Mmmmh.” He hums in pleasure. “I bet she tastes so fucking sweet. Am I right, little brother?”

Brad stops moving, he’s as still as a stone statue, his gaze laser focused on his brother. “If you touch her, I will skin you alive and then feed it to you.”

Matteo throws his head back and laughs. “He’s always been all talk and no action. Is he the same in the bedroom, Gabriella? I bet you’re desperate for a real man to fuck you, huh?”

I shake my head. “Please, just leave. I won’t say anything to anyone, just let us go.”

“Just let us go,” he mocks. “Nah, I think I’ll just end this now.”

He presses the barrel of the gun so deep into my temple I let out a pained cry. “Say goodbye to your little girlfriend.”

There’s a click and I brace myself. I look at Brad. As I want him to be the last thing I see, I can’t watch him break. I close my eyes and mouth, “I love you.”

Something shoves me hard. I keep my eyes closed as my body goes limp and the sound of a gunshot rings out.

“Matteo, no…”

Chapter Sixty

Brad

If I have any hope of getting me and Gabriella out of this alive, I need to remain calm.

I wiggle my hands, stretching my arms as far as I can to create a little slack in the rope that binds me. I hook my finger in the loop of the knot. The burn in my arms is almost unbearable as I try to work myself free, but it doesn’t compare to the searing pain in my chest when I look at Gabriella’s terrified face. I caused this. She’s in this position because of me.

I feel rope loosen, but I keep a tight grip of it, not wanting him to know I’m free.

I swallow the hard lump in my throat, “If you touch her I will skin you alive and then feed it to you.”