Page 22 of Deadly Vows

“Ah ah, we’re going to play a game.” Luca rubs his hands up and down my arms slowly as he speaks. If it’s supposed to be his way of comforting me, it’s failing miserably. When I look at Jack, I see my fear reflected back at me through his eyes, and I find myself wondering what this man could have done to incur my husband’s wrath.

“Elise, I’d like you to meet Jack. He was caught a few days ago and managed to injure one of my men. Shot him in the neck, actually, but he’ll pull through. So after some discussion, we’ve decided it would be fair to give him a fighting chance,” he says.

Luca picks up the gun, waving it through the air.

“Have you ever heard of this game, Elise? It’s called Russian roulette,” he says.

I manage a nod, but that’s all I can manage atop Luca’s lap. I know this game all too well. My father would make some of his captives play it as a chance for freedom. I always heard the men talk about it, but never witnessed it until now.

Luca pops open the barrel, catching my attention as he loads in a bullet.

“How about you, Jack? Ever heard of it?” Luca closes the gun, spinning the chamber. He earns a whimper from Jack in response.

“This is a six-shooter, which means it will shoot six times. But only one out of these shots will go off.” Luca sets the gun on the table and slides it over to Jack, pulling his own gun out of his holster and aiming it at Jack.

“Now, Jack, if you can fire the gun off three times, then you’re free to go. If not…” Luca pauses in his sentence and laughs a little. “Well, you know what will happen.”

Luca pulls back the hammer on his own weapon, his tone shifting.

“And don’t you think about running. I’ll kill you before you can get your finger on the trigger,” he says.

“Luca, wait, please. I don’t want to watch this. I can’t—” My voice comes out quietly as I express my fears. I don’t want to watch this man possibly blow his head off. I keep my eyes trained on the floor as I plead with Luca. I just hope some part of him will hear my plea and let me leave.

“Elise, what did I tell you about begging?” he asks, shattering my hopes.

I choke back my sobs, unable to look him in the eyes. Luca is finally ready to play as he gestures for Jack with his gun.

“Go on,” he says.

Jack shakily picks up the gun, his labored breathing the only sound that fills the air. He slowly presses it to his temple. His eyes are wide, accompanied by a bead of sweat on his lip and brow. I quickly turn my head away, not wanting to watch the vulgarity about to unfold.

Luca grabs my chin and forces it in Jack’s direction.

“No, no, no, I want you to see this.” He holds my chin tightly and forces me to watch this man as he takes a deep breath and pulls the trigger.

Click.

I can’t help it; I hunch over on the side of the couch and vomit everything I’ve eaten today. The stress and fear of him pulling the trigger make my body tremble against its own will, earning a deep chuckle from Luca as he finds amusement in my distress.

“You’ll have to excuse my wife. She’s not a fan of violence,” he says as he pets my hair. But I am still keeled over the couch, emptying the contents of my stomach onto his polished wood floor.

“Again, Jack,” I hear him say. But I don’t want to look. I have no choice, though, as Luca jerks my hair up, craning my neck at an uncomfortable angle, making me watch. Jack is sweatingbullets as he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, pulling the trigger again.

Click.

I scream, and the tears begin flowing freely as I turn to Luca, sweating myself from this horrible event that is taking place.

“Luca, please stop! I can’t take this! Just leave him be!” I grab onto the collar of his shirt and beg and plead, my body uncontrollably shaking. Luca’s heartless eyes meet mine. Irritation grows on his face at my weakness in the face of punishment. Luca continues to watch me as he speaks to Jack.

“Again, Jack.” He keeps his eyes trained on mine.

“Please, I swear I’ve learned my lesson.” Jack is blubbering as well, his body trembling just as mine does, begging for his life. Luca’s eyes shift for a split second, followed by the sound of his weapon going off.

Bang!

I jump from atop Luca’s lap. His gun went off. Jack cries out in pain, clutching his chest. Blood stains his shirt, saturating it so much that liquid seeps through his hands. Luca shot him.

“I hate begging. Again, Jack.” Jack’s whimpers grow as he lifts the gun and puts it to his temple once more.

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