Page 69 of Monster

He shook his head. “No. This is the part where I tell you that while I might not be able to swipe you from beneath the prying gaze of all these massive men, I do have the capability to destroy your sense of safety so that you come running to me for help.”

I smiled. “I would rather die.”

“That can be arranged as well. Do you have a preference as to how you want to end your life?”

I stood to my feet. “Wrap up this little meeting and get the hell out of here.”

He slowly stood, gazing down upon me from his perch. “Or what?”

I heard all of the men raise their guns in unison and it made me grin wildly. Even just by my count from the corners of my eyes, there were seven guns pointed at Lorenzo. And he didn’t even flinch to draw his weapon. He simply nodded his head, backed away from me toward the door, and slid his hands into his pockets.

“I also came by to drop off a message I thought you might enjoy hearing,” he said.

I clicked my tongue. “All right. I’ll bite. What is this message you just had to hand-deliver to me in person conveniently while Teo isn’t here?”

His gaze held mine. “I thought you’d like to know that your mother did receive a ransom notice for your return. Ten million, in exchange for your life.”

That’s how much Teo paid for me. “Are you here to tell me that I’m going to be released?”

He chuckled. “Oh no, dear. I’m here to tell you that your mother threw that ransom note out just before she walked into court.”

I paused. “You’re lying.”

“Does it look like I’m lying?”

I stormed up to him. “Get the fuck off this property or I’ll take your own weapon and shoot you myself.”

A grin spread across his face. “You seem to have Mateo fooled, I see.”

I blinked. “The fuck does that mean?”

He gripped my chin. “You seem to have him thinking that you’re nothing like your mother, when we both know that isn’t true.”

I pulled away from his grip. “You can leave now.”

“And if I don’t.”

I moved like lightning as my self-defense classes kicked in and I quickly pulled his gun from the holster on his hip. In one swift movement, I cocked the gun and held it out in front of me, pointing the barrel directly at his chest.

“I said, you can leave now, Mr. Lorenzo.”

There was a twinkle of shock in his eye. “My, my, you really do surprise. I can see why he keeps you around.”

I pointed the gun at the patio deck and popped off a warning shot just in front of his feet. Then, I raised the gun to his forehead.

“The next one is for your skull,” I threatened.

A storm cloud covered his face. “You’re going to regret this. Your mother isn’t coming for you, and you’re stuck here until you find a way off this island. But even then, you won’t be safe. Not with the series of events your presence has prompted.”

I cocked the gun. “You have five seconds to get out of my sight.”

“Mateo Emiliano doesn’t love you, Miss Pettigrew. He’s only using you as a means to an end that benefits only him.”

“Get! Out!”

Lorenzo moved in the blink of an eye and swiped the gun out of my hands. And before I knew it, he had me backed up against the railing with that cocked gun settled against my gut.

“Are you sure these men are here to protect you?” he whispered.

I swallowed hard. “Just leave me alone. That’s all I want.”

He grinned. “People who come to these Aeolian Islands always get much more than they bargained for. I hope you’re strapped in for the ride, too, because it’s going to be a wild one.”

And as he backed his way toward the patio doors, holding his gun up as if to surrender it, so many things rushed through my mind.

Was he telling the truth? Had my mother thrown out my ransom note? Was there some greater purpose at work that only I could aid in?

Or, was I allowing Teo’s actions to cloud my judgment?

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