Page 15 of The Empress

His eyes lock on me, then they narrow, and I swear my heart has never beaten as fast as it’s thundering in my chest right now. I’m overwhelmed by the urge to run.

Leo’s deadly gaze moves back to Uncle Nicolo, and his voice is a deep rumble when he says, “I’ll take your niece in payment for Luciano’s spinelessness.”

Men instantly come to grab hold of Mom and me and rip us away from each other as we’re hauled down the stairs.

“No! Leave my daughter alone,” Mom screams hysterically while she fights with all her might to get free.

“Mom,” I cry as the man, who’s much stronger than me, drags me toward Leo.

My fear spirals into a chaotic mess, and I’m trembling so badly, I keep stumbling over my feet.

I see blood as I scream for Mommy, but the monster moves fast, carrying me away into the darkness.

I think I hear gunshots, and there are a lot of men towering around me.

My heart hurts, and I can’t stop crying.

I’m shoved down and end up kneeling in front of Leo, my hair hanging around my face while I gasp for air.

“Haven!” Mom screams. “We have nothing to do with this. You can’t just take her. Haven! Let me go!”

Tremors keep hitting my body hard, and I don’t have the guts to look up.

“If Luciano survives today, make sure he leaves Italy. If I lay eyes on him again, I’ll kill him,” Leo mutters with an unforgiving tone.

God.

Someone takes hold of my arm again, and I’m hauled to my feet. Only when I’m standing do I see that it’s the huge man by Leo’s side who has a firm grip on my arm. It looks like he’s strong enough to crush my skull with a single blow, and it makes my fear morph into the most overpowering horror I’ve ever experienced.

I’m carried away from the light, and the darkness is cold.

I rear back and manage to yank free.

“Haven!” Mom cries as I spin around to run to the safety of her arms.

Before I can reach her, the man who’s restraining Mom swings an arm at me, backhanding me across my jaw.

The blow sends me skidding across the tiles while my head spins violently from the blow.

‘No!’ the boy shouts before a monster shoots him, and blood blossoms all over his shirt.

Gasping through the horror, my head spins, and I’m unable to keep a sob from bursting over my lips.

The dizziness lifts, and I hear confident footsteps coming my way, and just as I manage to look up, it’s to see Leo slam his fist into the man’s face.

“Did I give my permission for you to hit her?” Leo barks angrily.

“No, boss,” the man answers, his voice filled with respect.

Even though I’m reeling with shock and horror, Leo’s reaction to me being hurt catches me by surprise.

His enraged gaze touches on me, then he snaps, “Take Haven to the car, Massimo.”

“No! Please,” Mom begs. She manages to pull free from the man who just got hit and falls to her knees in front of Leo. “Please. We have nothing to do with your business. Just let us leave. We won’t tell anyone about what we’ve seen. I beg you.”

Massimo takes hold of my arm, but this time he’s gentler with me while he helps me to my feet.

Deep down, I know I should put up a fight, but I’m in too much shock to do anything, and it doesn’t help that flashes of the nightmare keep bombarding my mind.