Page 143 of Arturo's Temptation

I heard voices from just outside the front door, and as much as I wanted to freeze, I couldn’t. Making a break for it, I sprinted up the staircase to the next level and hid behind a thick wooden post, glancing through the gaps in the bannisters as to who would make an appearance.

But when the door opened confusion then horror filled my gut as a tall, well built guy with sandy blond locks and piercing blue eyes walked through. I had to clasp a hand over my mouth to muffle my gasp as bile rose in my throat.

Henry. That motherfucker.

As he checked his watch, a panicked voice from two stories below came floating up the staircase.

“H… we have a problem.”

“There had better fucking not be,” Henry snapped, shoving his hand through his thick locks. The guy jogged up the stairs into view.

“She isn’t in the room, and the cable ties are covered in blood.”

Henry backhanded the guy’s face, making him stagger to the floor with a hand held against his nose.

“You incompetent fuck!” Henry yelled, bringing his foot down full force on the guy’s leg. The sound of bone snapping echoed through the entrance as did the screams.

“H, we were outside, she couldn’t have gotten out.” The auburn headed man from beside Henry stated.

“She’s still in the house.” Henry hissed, his eyes darted around the area. My heart stopped as his eyes traced across the second floor bannister. I inched my way backwards, hiding myself better from view. “Find her. Now.” He ordered, before crouching down to come face to face with the snivelling mess on the floor. “That means you too, now move.” Henry squeezed his broken leg, as he stifled a scream.

“Isabellaaaaa,” he sang out as he crept up the stairs. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”

Pressing my lips together, I crawled towards another staircase, hoping I was faster than him. As he continued to call for me in a high pitched tone, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. The idiot sounded like he was auditioning for a fucking TV show.

I couldn't believe I went on a date with that guy.

“Isabella, don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” He laughed, as I dragged myself over the ledge of the attic.

Should’ve just let Arturo kill him.

My nose wrinkled as I took in the attic. It was a damn deathtrap. There were boxes everywhere, and a piss poor window, which was of course boarded up, plus endless holes in the floorboards, revealing the stairs below. Shuffling behind a large box covered in a dusty cloth, I sat and waited. For what, I wasn’t sure. He knew I was up here. There was no escape.

“Isabella Ricci, aren’t you a little old for hide and seek? Why don’t you be a good girl and do as you’re told, or do you only listen to fucked up cockney bastards like Arturo fucking Ramos?” Henry laughed from the foot of the stairs. “I have to know, were you screwing him this whole time? I bet he gives it to you rough. He’s a psycho you know, and one of these days he’s going to break you just like he did his old lady!” I covered my ears, trying to block out his hideous voice, but his sinister laugh pierced through my hands. “They told me how he chasedyou down after the wedding. Commendable really for a guy who doesn’t feel emotions.”

That was it, I wasn’t going to let him speak shit about the man who had only a few weeks ago confessed his love to me. I took a few strides to the attic opening, staring down at the man who took me on my so-called first date.

“Bingo…” he grinned, his pupils darkening. “Come on. Down you come.” he demanded, beckoning with his hand.

“No.”

“Don’t push me, you little whore. I’m under strict orders to make lover boy suffer and if that means hurting you in the process, so be it.”Orders from who?“Does Daddy know you’re fucking his employee, hmm?” I narrowed my eyes, not replying. “I can’t wait to hear what punishment Lorenzo Ricci doles out to the man who not only got his daughter killed but who was also banging her under his roof.” He beamed a toothy grin as I swallowed against the onslaught of panic battering against my ribcage. “We could have taken you when he left his apartment that day, but waiting for the perfect moment to take you was too good to waste.” My heart sank as I realised they’d been following us this whole time. With a cluck of his tongue, he started to climb the stairs leading to me.Shit!Holding my breath, my mind raced as I tried to figure a way to escape. Then a groan from the stairs gave me an idea. Lifting my leg, I took a breath then brought it down on the makeshift steps as hard as I could, sending them crashing to the floor with Henry on top of them.

“You fucking bitch!” he grunted, dragging himself from the floor. “You’ve just signed your death warrant.”

“Get fucked, you ugly prick!” I spat.

“You know, I’ve always wondered what a house would look like as it burnt to the ground. Guess now I’ll get to see it.” he laughed, pulling a box of matches from his pocket.

“You’re bluffing. Kill me and the alliance between our families will be dead and gone.” I said through gritted teeth.

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “Just like you.” My eyes widened as he lit the match. “You see, Bella, I hold all the cards. And you? You have nowhere to go. You should have thought of that before you walked away from me.” With his eyes holding mine he dropped the match. The dry, rotten wood beneath his feet set alight with a whoosh. A scream got stuck in my throat as he descended the stairs, ordering his men to leave alongside him.

The tang of copper filled my mouth as flames licked up the floorboards. Smoke began to rise, making my eyes water and my lungs scream. Covering my mouth, I made my way to the window, trying to pry out the nails from the wood. But it was useless. Even trying to rip the boards away was futile. My fingers ached as they bled from the splinters embedded into my skin. I coughed against the smoke slowly filling my lungs, and realised with a sob I wouldn’t be able to fight off the inevitable for much longer. I was going to die.

Arturo… I’m sorry.

45

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