Page 57 of Undeniable

Luca’s large hand grips my face roughly as he bends down to my level.

“Don’t disrespect me, rat,” he spits. “What have you overheard? What have you relayed to them?”

“Nothing,” I grit out. “If you would just listen to me-”

Luca’s response is another fist to my face, this one splitting my lip open, a thin trail of blood trailing down my chin.

“Giovanni,” Luca barks before stalking towards a chair to the side of the room and pulling it to the center.

Gio hesitates only for a moment before he pushes off the back wall and walks towards me with even steps. My eyes water from the last blow causing Gio’s form to blur slightly. His eyes never leave mine as his large hand reaches up to my wrists, freeing them from the chains. I wish I could be blissfully ignorant and hope that they were letting me go, but I know better.

Large arms wrap around my body as gravity drags me to the ground. My bare knees scrape against the cobble stone floor before he hoists me higher, practically carrying me over to the chair. Next to it, I see several water jugs filled as well as a sopping wet rag. Dread fills my stomach like a lead ball.

My head lulls to the side where I see Gio watching me with that same impassive look. I know that I messed up, but is he really just going to stand by while they torture me without even a flicker of emotion? Did he ever really care if he is able to watch me beaten and broken as if it is any other day? Though my ribs are screaming out in pain, I do my best to block it out and steady my voice the best that I can before making eye contact with him.

“So much for me being safest in your arms,” I rasp.

Gio’s eyes narrow but that is all he gives me before he roughly breaks our eye contact and looks straight ahead, shoving me into the seat. Before I even have a moment to attempt anything, a man is tying my hands behind the metal chair. My head swivels to see Luca rolling his sleeves up to his elbows, his menacing eyes meeting mine, causing a nasty set of chills to run down my spine.

“You are tough, I will give you that. Don’t worry though. We will break you by sunrise,” Luca promises.

My eyes move to see Gio one last time, wishing there was something in that gaze that told me it would all be okay, that he still cares about me, that… I don’t know what I am hoping for anymore honestly.

Before I have too much longer to drag myself down the self-pity hole, the wet rag is pinned against my face only seconds before the heavy weight of cool water begins filling my throat. I try not to breath, in fear I will drown myself quicker, but it is so damn hard. I try to remain still, just like I have been trained and try to focus on anything else, but it goes against every instinct the human body possesses.

I start to flail in my chair, but a strong set of arms holds my body still as the water continues to cascade in gallons. My lungs are burning, my ribs screaming and my head becoming heavy from lack of oxygen. No doubt they will kill me before the night is over. No doubt it will be one of the most painful nights of my life, not just physically either.

-

A meaty hand is wrapped around my throat, squeezing and squeezing. My vision begins to spot as pain radiates between my legs. I can’t handle it. It hurts. It hurts so bad. But I can’t speak, I can’t breathe. Not that it would matter if I could, he gets off on my pain, thrives on it. Since my father was killed, my life has been filled with nothing but pain every day.

“You look so beautiful with my hand wrapped around your throat, My Katerina,” his gruff voice purrs against my cheek. “So beautiful being so helpless. Knowing the only person who can allow you life, is the same one who can take it away.”

A tear slides down my cheek as his heavy body continues thrusting into me, crushing me with each move he makes. I close my eyes, willing it to be over. For the fresh hell to be nothing but a nightmare. But it isn’t. This is my life. This is my hell. And there is no escape.

I gasp as I claw at my throat, throwing myself to sit upright on the cold stone floor. My breathing is ragged as I try to catch my breath. I haven’t had such a vivid memory in so long. Not since Giovanni was there to keep them away.

Giovanni. Just his name sends a ripping feeling through my chest. The last I saw him I was bruised and bleeding in a heap on the cold floor. After near drowning over 5 times, all times not telling Luca anything, because I don’t know anything, he got frustrated and began to beat the shit out of me. He probably thought that I was dead when he stormed out of the cell, believe me I wanted to be.

Not because of the pain though, because of Gio’s indifference. I understand that he is feeling betrayed, but he never even gave me a chance to hear me out. Each time I tried to call out to him, to beg him to listen for 2 seconds, I was met with a disinterested gaze and silence.

“What were you dreaming about?” A rough voice rumbles in the darkness.

I whip my head over to see Gio, standing in a shadow just in front of my cell. It is dark in here except for two lights from the ceiling but I know it is him. I can feel it in my bones.

“What?” I rasp.

“Your dream. What was it about? You said you would tell me everything I wanted to know when you were ready. Well, I think you are fucking ready.”

I wince at his sharp tone before I attempt to sit up a little straighter, gasping in pain as my ribs begin to protest in agony. I breathe through the pain and soon it fades into a throbbing ache.

“I was dreaming about one of the last nights that I was in New York. When Dimitri…he…” I break off and look away, refusing to say those words out loud.

“So, Dimitri is the infamoushe, then?”

I nod before looking up at him.

“Was the coffee shop intentional? Was that all part of your ploy? How about using my son to get close to us? And then me. Breaking down walls you had no business touching, making me feels things you had no right to. For what? What did you get out of it?”

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