Page 11 of Unresolved

I sucked air through my clenched teeth, my heart dropping to my toes and my senses reeling so hard I was close to blacking out.The Agostinos were even more infamous than the Accardi mobster family.A shiver of distaste ricocheted through me.“Andyou?”I asked numbly.

His eyes narrowed a little as they searched my face.“I’m an Agostino, being a mobster is my birthright.”His hand tightened a little on mine.“I’m a capo, in charge of my own soldiers.”

My insides squeezed together, even as grief thickened my voice.I couldn’t be with this man, not anymore.The life of my mother and my future, my freedom, depended onnotbeing with him.

My chair scraped back as I stood and withdrew my hand from his.“If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to use the ladies room.”

He frowned up at me, but relented with a nod.“Of course.I’ll be here.I’ll order you a drink.”

I nodded absently, then headed toward the restroom.Only once I was out of his sight did I quickly head toward the elevator and step inside.As its doors closed and I descended alone, I pulled out my cell.“Mom, it’s me.”I squeezed my eyes shut briefly.“You know how we talked about a plan B?I’m sorry to say it looks like we’ll need to use it.”I swallowed back a taste of burning acid.“Evander is an Agostino.”

I woke with a gasp, and to the thrumming of a sedan’s powerful engine as I lay on its backseat.My wrist was snared by a cuff, which was attached at the other end to a metal arm that sat just below the door handle.I pulled my arm and the cuff rattled and snapped tighter around my wrist.

“Did you really think it’d bethateasy to escape from me a second time?”

I stilled, then glared into the rearview mirror at his dark, fathomless eyes reflecting back at me.“You don’t seriously think you’ll get away with this?”

A smirk hardened his face, his resolve.“I seriously do.You won’t be leaving me again.”

“I left you once,” I gritted out, struggling against my restraint.“I’ll do it again.”

His stony stare lifted to meet mine once again in the rearview mirror.“I doubt that very much.”

I paused, my heart surging into frantic beats.“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I mean...by the time I’m done with you, you’ll never want to leave me.Not.Ever.Again.”

If those words had come from anyone else, I might have laughed.But I knew better.He was serious.Deadlyserious.

It didn’t mean I’d yield to him.“You don’t scare me!”I snarled.“You’re not the only one with connections—“

He raised a brow.“Oh?”

I lifted my chin, my face as heated as my burning arm.“You’ll get nothing out of me.”

He chuckled darkly.“It seems to me I’ve already gotten more out of you than expected.”His eyes again met mine.“If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years since you left me, it’s patience.Alotof patience.His gaze returned to the dirt road in front of him.Though I’d yet to see any other traffic, it appeared to be meticulously maintained.“I’ll find out everything I want to know.It’s just a matter of time.”

“Then I hope you have a million years to uncover everything I’ve buried, because you’re going to need it.”

His nostrils flared, as though a predator scenting prey and anticipating the hunt.“We’ll see.”

I sat higher, the cuff digging into my wrist.“Is this restraintreallynecessary?It’s not like I’m going to jump from a moving car.”

“I’m not taking any chances with you this time around.”

I wanted to scream, to cry and wail.At the very least I wanted to continue protesting.Instead I slumped back, the chain on my cuff snapping tight.There wasn’t any point.There was no give in his hard, merciless face.“You can’t do this to me,” I said, my voice pitched high enough to be a whine.

“Did you forget I’m a mobster?I can do whatever the hell I want.”

I ground my teeth together.“One day you’ll push someone too far.”

He shrugged idly.Perhaps.But until that day...I’m going to enjoy our time together.”

My gaze darted around wildly.All I could see were trees, trees and more trees.There weren’t even any signs on the side of the dirt road to indicate where we were heading.“At least tell me where we are!”

The sedan topped an incline, which showcased stunning views of a verdant green valley beneath.A small log cabin sat back a few yards from a small stream.Behind the cabin was a small orchard, but otherwise it was a long sweep of rocky, grassy land.

Holy shit!It couldn’t be...could it?Though it seemed impossible, I’d imagined this scenery in my head, painted it almost exactly how I saw it now.

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