Page 86 of Dirty Behavior

Remo laughed hard, my head joggled around in his hand like I had spring for a neck. “You can't kill me, you'll never be able to kill me.” Leaning in closer, his breath was acid against my cheek, burning through the skin. “Because you won't live long enough to do it.”

Throwing my face into the dirt, he stood back up. “Gio, keep a close eye on her, I'm going to go see how things are going.”

“No problem.” I could hear the smile in Gio's voice, the sick pleasure he got from having the power put into his hands.

All these guys had it, they all held that same desire to be in charge, even if it wasn't going to last for long.

“Gio—” Remo's shoes stopped clicking, his words laced in threat. “Touch her and I'll kill you too.”

“Of course Sir, I know that.”

“Good. But you can touch that piece of shit right there all you'd like. Just don't kill him yet, I want his brother to enjoy that with us.”

The door clanked shut, Gio stepped to the side and locked it. Rolling to my back, I looked up at him. “Are you serious, Gio?”

“Don't even try it, it won't work.”

“You're not like him, so why are you trying to be?”

Gio picked at his lip, his eyes shifting over me. “I'm not doing this with you.” Strolling past me, he sat in a chair off to the side.

I knew him, he was one of the few Remo had introduced me to at his house. Gio was one of his higher level guys, but he always looked at me with a flicker of sadness.

He knew what Remo was doing to me was wrong, I could see it. When he would come in he wouldn't just ignore me, he would smile. I could feel his eyes watching me as I did as I was told and perched on my knees on the floor by Remo's side.

Gio didn't look at me like I was Remo's pet, he looked at me like I was human.

If I hadn't been stolen by Dante, I had already planned on trying to use him against my captor. He wasn't evil, he didn't hold that same blackness in the pit of his gut.

There aren't many men who do.

“Please, Gio. You know this isn't right, you've known the whole time that none of this was right. Do something about it.”

His eyes fell into mine, holding there as if he was contemplating what I said. Slipping his hand into his pocket, I held my breath.

Is he going to help me?

Yes! Yes, help me, help us!

But as his fingers fiddled inside the shallow hole, Gio tugged out a long white wire. Slipping the small round buds into his ears, he held up his phone, smiled, and rested his hands on the back of his head.

Fuck!

No. No. No!

He was choosing to ignore rather then help, he was willing to turn a blind eye instead of doing what was right.

Gio was under Remo's spell. Money was a great motivator to help you look the other way.

You weak piece of shit.

Sitting up, I looked back at Sesto. He was out cold, but I could hear his breaths rattle in and out through his nose. I wanted to run over and cut the rope, free him from being strapped up like a fresh kill.

Gio isn't going to touch me. He can't.

I was done sitting and taking orders, I was done listening to the men around me speak as if I didn't exist and wasn't worth even having a voice.

Exhaling, I pushed off the floor and stood up on my feet. Wiping the grit off my legs, I brushed the tiny rocks out of my hands. Gio was watching me, but I didn't care.