Page 10 of Brutal Queen

“Enzo,” I whisper. The atmosphere shifts, like our collective inhale has stolen the air that surrounds us.

“He’s not in the best condition,principessa. He doesn’t have your fortitude,”Max sneers. He tips his head to the side, signalling his men into action as he flips his phone to the back-facing camera.

They drag Enzo to the edge of the open van and dangle him over it. Three loud thuds sound out and it must have been someone signalling the driver because the scenery starts to move.

“You shouldn’t have tipped your hand, wife. By sending me your little gifts, you showed me how much this Moretti bastard meant to you. Tell me, did you whore yourself out to just him? Or are you fucking them all? I guess it doesn’t matter. I don’t want you for your cunt. The only mistake I’ve ever made was thinking I couldreplace you. You were made for me. You belong to me, and you always will.”

Bile burns my throat. If I thought I knew rage before, I was wrong. We’re all held captive by this madman’s monologue, desperate to turn it off but petrified to take our eyes off Enzo.

“I wonder if you’ll find him in time? Based on his current condition, I doubt he’ll last very long if he survives the fall.”

I watch in horror as Enzo’s limp body is tossed out onto the road. Pain sears my chest, like my heart is tearing itself in two. I can’t do this again. I can’t lose him again. I will never unhear the cries from Benedict and Aurora as they shatter into a thousand pieces next to me.

The video flips back to the front-facing camera.

“I’m coming for you,principessa, but first I’m going to take every single one of those worthless bastards from you.”

The screen freezes on the last frame as the video ends and we don’t have a second to process it.

“When was it sent?” Nico asks, his words hurried and tone urgent.

“Fifteen minutes ago, but fuck knows when he recorded it or how long it took him to send it,” I reply before pivoting in the chair, lifting Aurora towards Benedict. He wraps his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace, her back to his front.

Her tears have dried in streaks and her eyes have hardened into glassy pools, devoid of any emotion. I can tell that mycolibrìhas retreated within herself and right now, the Bianchi don is already planning what to do next—and it’s my job to get her the answers she needs to take action.

Aurora straightens her spine and rolls her shoulders, and from the look of determination she’s etched on her face, it’s taking everything she’s got to pull herself back from being overtaken by the despair we’re all feeling.

She nods, spurring me into action without uttering a word.My fingers fly over the keyboard, pulling screenshots of the warehouses in the back of the video and doing image searches to try and narrow down our search area. The architecture is dated, almost derelict, and mostly red brick.

“Are these the most likely locations?” Aurora asks, pointing at the search results on the laptop screen that show the three most likely places. “Can we refine it any further? They’re at opposite ends of the city.”

“No, there’s not enough architectural markers to narrow it down any further. One warehouse district looks pretty much like another.”

“Call Stefano to coordinate the capos. They can cover the other two areas. We’ll take the East side. It’s the furthest from Max’s house and any emergency rooms. Text Doc Em. We need her on standby.” She pulls away from Benny’s embrace, heading for the door without looking back.

“You go with her. I’ll meet you in the car. I’ll pick up some medical supplies from the basement and you get the weapons from the garage. Inform the perimeter team to stay on alert and call in backup,” I say to Nico since Benny looks completely zoned out.

I stand, gripping the desk to steady myself. We have to find him. We have to save him. If only to save ourselves.

We can’t lose him again.

It will destroy us.

CHAPTER SIX

ENZO

Just keep breathing. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

My ribs scream in agony with every breath I force into my lungs. Of all the tortures I’ve withstood, this is the hardest to handle. I know I need to stay conscious, but fighting against the weight of my eyelids is becoming impossible. It’s like I can feel any lingering fight seeping out of my body. Every throb of my pulse in my neck is a warning that I have only so many beats left.

Just keep breathing. In. Out. In. Out. They’re coming.

The rough surface of the road is oddly warm against my cheek. I can’t tell if it’s from the sun's rays heating the tarmac, or my blood pooling beneath me. When I crack my eyelids for a second, I see a crimson puddle creeping away from me at the edge of my vision.

When I fell, I heard my shoulder pop as it dislocated and the crack as my arm splintered under the weight of my body.

Just keep breathing. In. Out.

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