Page 23

“You have? Already? Damien said you would be home in a couple of days. I was ringing to arrange to meet up.”

So maybe Damien didn’t arrange for Jax to get me, or maybe hasn’t told Bella everything.

“Great, well, it’s getting late now. I think Jax mentioned a taxi picking us up from the airport, but it will take at least an hour or so. How about tomorrow morning?”

“You’re with Jax?” Her tone seems worried.

“Yeah, he surprised me, so we came home together.”

“You know, he came looking for you at the salon a day or two after you left. I said I didn’t know where you were, but that you had gone on holiday. He got quite angry, actually. We had to get security to escort him out.”

“Really? That doesn’t sound like him. Not long after I left, did you say?”

“Yes, like the day after.”

This doesn’t make sense; Jax said he only just got out.

“Oh, okay. I need to speak to him. I’ll catch you up with everything tomorrow. So, meet you at our usual cafe?”

“Perfect. I can’t wait to see you; I’m dying to hear all your news. Text me when you’re safely home, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Will do. See you tomorrow.”

I’m so looking forward to seeing Bella. I wonder how much Damien has explained to her. I’ll tell her the whole truth now. Just as I’m about to put my phone back in my bag, Jax snatches it off me.

“Hey!”

“I need to borrow it to ring the taxi; I have no signal.”

Not wanting to argue, I let him take it. He’s very off. I wonder whether he’s annoyed at me for being in Italy with Leo. Jax was probably expecting a big welcome from me, which he didn’t get.

At baggage claim, my case is one of the first off the carousel. Perks of being the last one on, I suppose.

“Jax, I’m all set.”

Jax has been oblivious to me retrieving my case and standing beside him. He’s not stopped messaging on his phone since we landed. So much for needing mine, as he had no signal.

“Let’s go.” He takes off at speed .

I follow, trying to keep up. I think of Leo and how different he would be in this situation.

Although the Don of an incredibly powerful organisation, he is a true gentleman.

Leo would have retrieved my case. He would carry it—or rather, pull it along—for me; he would stay walking at my side, open every door, and take care of me. I miss him.

I need my phone.

“Jax! Wait up, I need my phone!”

“Come on, the taxis here; we need to hurry!”

He walks even faster now. We practically run through arrivals and out of the doors. The cool English air hits my lungs; I take a deep breath and look up to the night sky, where the stars are twinkling. I’m home , I think, as raindrops hammer onto my face.

“Katie! Come on this way!” Jax is disappearing off to the right and down a dark path.

“Jax, but it says taxis this way!”

“No, it’s parked round here; come on!”

I hope it’s not far. I’m starting to get wet through. I’ve not missed this rain.

As I hurry down a dark alley, it smells of rubbish and stale smoke; I follow Jax’s shadow. He turns left at the end. Keeping my head down so I don’t to get rain in my eyes, I, too, turn left. My head hits a hard chest .

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” I can tell the man I have just run into isn’t Jax. But before I can lift my head to see his face, a hood is placed over mine, and my hands are held behind my back.

“No need to apologise,” the man says in an Italian accent.

My case is removed from my hand, and the bag from my arm. My hands are then fastened together. I’m lifted over someone’s shoulder, carried a few steps, and then thrown into what I guess is the back of a van.

My bum hits the hard floor; a pain shoots straight up my back. “Ouch.”

There’s no point fighting this. I’ve just spent weeks with the Guerras; I know I’ll not win. It's The Guerras. I should have known Leo wouldn’t just let me come home. He’s let me get all the way back to England, then kidnapped me. He wouldn’t hurt me, though, would he?

I wince when the van starts to move, and I’m flung back.

Or maybe he would; they’re not exactly being gentle with me.

He must be so mad. I wonder if they’ll take me straight back to Italy or if Leo is here.

Jax must be worried sick. He’ll wonder where I am.

Unless he saw what happened and has rung the police?

But maybe he won’t want to do that, having just been wrongly accused by them.

But was he wrongly accused? Nothing makes sense anymore.

There’s something off with Jax. Why did he say he’d only just gotten out?

And why would he not want to talk to me?

I should have just stayed in Italy. What trouble have I gotten into now?

The drive seems to go on for hours, but it’s probably only about one hour.

I’m furious with Leo for this; he could have easily talked me into going back.

I was already missing him. Why does he keep spoiling something that could be good?

Hopefully, one day he will realise we could have had this dream for real.

The door opens with a squeak. Loud footsteps echo towards me on the metal floor.

“Get up.”

An arm hooks through mine and pulls me up and forward. Feeling him jump out of the vehicle, I do the same, but my foot catches on something, and I fall. Unable to put my hands out in front of me, my knees hit the ground with a crunch. My left kneecap shatters on the hard gravel.

“Arhhh!” I scream, unable to hold in my reaction to the pain.

I get a crack to the back of the head.

“Shut the fuck up!”

Tears stream from my face and drip down my neck. The arm returns and pulls me back up. Holding my breath, I limp in the direction I’m dragged. The cuts on my knees must be pretty deep, too, as I feel the warm blood drip down my shins.

Keys clang on a key ring; then I hear the opening of a metal lock. We go inside somewhere, but it’s not a house or anywhere nice, as it’s colder in here than outside and smells damp and dirty.

Walking further inside, I hear the voices of other men.

Another Italian accent and an English man.

Hold on, that’s Jax’s voice. A chair is placed behind me, big hands push down on my shoulders, encouraging me to sit; I do as they want.

My arms are hooked and fastened around the back of the chair, my ankles pulled apart and tied to each chair leg.

The hood is pulled off my head. My eyes take a second to adjust to the bright lights all focused on me.

The man in front of me is vile. If you could imagine evil personified, this would be him.

Face covered in scars. Eyes dark, having seen and caused horrendous amounts of death.

A wicked smile shows his gold teeth. After ensuring my ankles are tightly fastened to the chair, he runs his hands up my legs.

His face comes closer and closer to mine. His breath makes me gag.

The higher his hands go, the more I panic.

I switch into fight mode, thrashing about.

I headbutt him, managing to get him on the nose.

He’s furious. He stands up, and I know what’s coming.

His fist hits the side of my eye with such force, I feel like my head has been knocked off my neck.

High-pitched ringing in my ears, colours, and then darkness. I’m out.