Page 64 of Corrupting Lily

For a moment, I am disoriented, my heart rate escalating as I think I might be blind, only to realize it is a blindfold stealing my sight. I try to move my arms, but they have fallen asleep due to my position. Slowly, I roll over onto my back, wincing as my body communicates how abused it has been. Just that small movement is exhausting, andI lie still for a moment, trying to regain my composure.

“Are you okay?” I try to answer the familiar voice, but all that escapes is a raspy noise. My throat is so dry that it feels like sandpaper.

I work on getting the blood flowing. My time in a cage when I was younger is coming in useful; this scenario is not as unusual as it should be. I work the muscles in my arms until, slowly, the tingling in them intensifies. Minutes pass until finally, I can move my hands and arms. Pulling the blindfold off takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. I push myself up, my back pressing against the cold metal poles, confirming that I am indeed in a cage, as I suspected. Again, as if my life has not been filled with enough of this scenario.

A hand grabs my shoulder, and if my voice were not incapacitated due to lack of lubrication, I would have screamed.

“Shhh, calm down, it's me, Holly.” My heart expands with relief, realizing I am not alone. However, that feeling is short-lived. She is in as much danger as I am.

“Here, it’s the last bit.” She passes me a crumpled-up bottle, its weight telling me its contents are meagre. “The girl next to me, Violet, gave it to me before she passed out.”

I unscrew the lid and take the last sip of water, my mouth singing with joy. I'm immediately transported back to my final moments before I was taken. The island. The lagoon. The champagne. Dominico. My Dominico. Did they hurt him after they took me? Did they kill him?

“W-where a-are we?” I manage to croak, my throat screaming from this little bit of use.

“I don’t know. Violet is new too, so she doesn’t know anything.”

“Dominico,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face willy-nilly as if I can afford to lose the moisture.

“Shh, I’m sure he and the others are looking for us.” Holly's voicepitches at the end, indicating she is as worried as I am. She is usually so strong. If she is scared, then this is really bad.

“How long has it been? How are you here? You were on the yacht.” I have so many questions, but nothing makes sense.

“It's been a few days, but I’m not sure. I was knocked out and taken from the boat when Nero and Dante left after getting word that these fuckers were on the island. They left me with some of our guys, but whoever took us came with more firepower than we expected. We were caught off guard, Lily.”

Shit. This was planned. Someone knew where we were and was brazen enough to take advantage of our limited security on the island. It must have been an inside job then, as only thefamigliawould know.

As my eyes adjust to the dark, I see we are in a large square room. I shift and struggle onto my haunches, the cage not tall enough for standing. A noise at the far side draws our attention as a door opens, light from the other side filtering in before a switch is flipped. I fight to keep my eyes open as they get used to the blinding light.

Three men approach us, one of whom I recognize.

“Rocco?!” Holly gasps, but after Dominico told me and considering my recent thoughts about it being an inside job, I can't say I am all too surprised.

“What have you done?” I ask as he nears our cages.

His arrogant laugh echoes throughout the room as the two men beside him join in the laughter. One kneels down to look at the woman in the last cage.

“Who is this one, boss?” The man licks his lips lecherously as he palms his crotch. Disgusting.

“Stop looking at her like that.” My words earn me a sneer from the man, while Rocco quirks his brow and shakes his head slightly.

“Dominico has not trained you well. I will have to show you whattalking back earns you.” He dips his head at the guy beside me, who approaches my cage and opens it. I don’t bother cowering. I have been in this situation before. It doesn’t help.

“You are a fearless little thing. Or is it stupidity? Perhaps you think, as Dominico’s wife, that you are invincible. Shall we put it to the test,piccola puttana?”

Rocco grabs me by the arm, pulling me forward forcibly as my arm scrapes the cage frame, drawing blood that runs down to drip onto the floor. I am still in my bikini, leaving me feeling exposed as his eyes roam my body.

“Dominico is going to kill you.” Holly's threat elicits another chuckle from Rocco.

“If he survives. I hear the Don’s position is looking precarious.” My heart constricts at this news. They knew he would drink the whiskey. They must have ramped up the dose. At least he is alive, but for how long? I can’t believe that after finally finding love, it will be ripped away from me like this. How can my life be so unfair?

“Let's string her up. I think it's time she was taught a lesson. Although by the looks of her,” he says, hunching down to touch some of the scars on my back, “someone has tried teaching her a lesson before. Perhaps this time it will take.”

“Boss, remember what he said. We are not to touch her.” The man beside Rocco barely finishes his sentence before Rocco is on him, gun to his head.

“Who do you work for, Gabbrio? Him or me?” he growls, his voice lethal.

“Y-you, boss. You.” Rocco nods, staring into Gabbrio’s eyes for a long time before pushing him away.

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