Page 44 of Her Dark Melody
“You weren’t thinking,” Blue replied bluntly. “You’ve fallen down a rabbit hole of despair ever since Mateo’s death and it’s time to climb out, Atlas. Your living family needs you, myfriend.”
There was a long silence before Atlas cleared his throat. “I’m climbing,” he rasped. “But I haven’t heard from Franks yet…the police say I should expect a call from him. I just want him to give Ebony and Fino back, I don’t care if heescapes.”
“Yes, you do,” Blue said, a little anger creeping into his voice. “Because this won’t be the end of it. He stabbed my wife, threatened my kids and your family too. He murdered your brother. He doesn’t get a freepass.”
“I agree,” Atlas sounded exhausted, “but I just don’t know what to do. And there’s something else…I think Bella might beinvolved.”
That shocked Blue to his core. “No.No way, Atlas. Bella adores Fino; she’d never put him indanger.”
“We’ll see. Look, I have to go, wait for this call. Is Romy okay? Are your kidssafe?”
“Yes, all good, don’t worry about us. But you need anything, call me, man. I got yourback.”
“Thanks, brother. Talk to youlater.”
Blue endedthe call then leaned back against the wall, exhausted. One man, responsible for all of this horror. Blue knew that if Carson Franks stood before him now, he would have no problem ending the other man’s life. He almost wanted Franks to show up to the hospital so that he, Blue, could punish him for what he’d done to Romy, to Mateo. And yet, he’d just cautioned Atlas from letting himself be consumed by anger, so he had to follow his ownadvice.
Blue sighed and pushed away from the wall, heading back into the room where his family was, thankfully,safe.
She wascertain it was a dream…or a nightmare, to be perfectly correct. She was tied to a huge pipe, sitting on cold, hard concrete, her clothes soaking wet, her head pounding with agony. She opened her eyes and saw the giggling man, his face contorted by malevolence, a vicious looking knife in his hand. Please don’t kill me, don’t kill mybaby…
Ebony fought the need to pass out again. She could feel a little body wedged next to hers, hear his softcries.
“Shut up, kid, or I’ll stick a knife in yourmomma.”
Momma? Was he talking about her? “Ebony? Ebony?” She recognized that sweetvoice...
“Fino?”
She heard his sigh of relief. “Ebony, are youokay?”
“I am, sport.” At least her mouth still worked, even if her head felt split in half and her voice sounded funny. “Where arewe?”
“I don’tknow.”
She opened her eyes wider, fighting the dark spots at the corner of her eyes. Fino, his big eyes wide and frightened, was curled next to her, his arms locked around her waist. Their kidnapper, a blandly handsome man, was watchingthem.
Carson Franks. It had to be. He smiled at her. “Welcome back, Mrs. Tigri. It’s nice to meet you atlast.”
“Let Fino go,” Ebony said immediately. “Take me, but let himgo.”
Franks rolled his eyes. “Yeah, becauseyou’rethe one in charge here, beautiful.” He suddenly scooted down next to them. “Listen here. The brat’s father is going to arrange a private plane for me, then I’ll let him go. You, on the other hand…well, I need some sport. This,” he showed them a knife, “hasn’t had a workout since the pretty doctor. I’ll leave your body on Tigri’s plane tofind.”
“No!” Fino screamed at him. “No, don’t hurt her. She’s having ababy.”
Franks smirked. “I really don’t give a crap, boy. And scream at me like that again, and I’ll cut your tongueout.”
Fino cringed against Ebony, and she wrapped her arms around him. “You fuck,” she snarled at Franks, “you pathetic littlefuck.Spoilt little rich boy. You’ll get yours, Franks, believeme.”
Carson Franks’ face contorted in rage, and he grabbed her face, his finger biting deep into her cheeks painfully. Ebony winced as Carson crushed his mouth against hers. She bit down on his bottom lip, then cried out in pain as he slashed at her side with the knife. Ebony felt the steel slice through herskin.
“Flesh wound, beautiful,” he snarled, “next time it goes in your belly…the wholeway.”
He got up and left them in the small room, slamming the door behind him. Ebony tried not to whimper, and Fino, tugging off his sweater, pressed it again the flesh wound on her side. She smiled at him gratefully. “It’s just a scratch,sweetheart.”
He clung to her. “I love you,Ebony.”
“I love you too, big guy. We’re going to get out of here, Ipromise.”
