Page 57 of Little Deer
“S-s-said his uncle used to use it. Or his father. I don’t remember. They were talking in circles so fast I couldn’t keep up.”
Dante keeps working him, demanding more answers. What else he heard, no matter how small. Finally, when we know he has nothing more to give, Dante slices his throat and lets him suffocate on his own blood, none of us paying any attention to his gurgles.
“We need to search, quickly,” Papa tells Nico tightly. “We have no idea who else might be looking for that entrance. Or if there are any others.”
“We’ll have to tear down the whole fucking place,” Nico grouses. “Fuck, this shit is fucking annoying. Hidden rooms and entrances. What next? A fucking underground maze?”
“Don’t put that out there or it’ll happen,” Lazaro warns. “That shit seems to appear when you start talking about it.”
“We’re going to need to give Amara blueprints of the place to see if she spots anything,” I joke lightly. “At this point, she’s our best bet on finding anything like that.”
“What I want to know is why Leonardo isn’t trying to get in here,” Papa jumps in, frustration leaking into his voice. “We took Lucy. She was promised to a buyer, so he’s either trying to find another way to appease the buyer, or he’s planning an attack on his own.”
“If there’s another entrance in here that we don’t know about yet and he does, we’re fucked,” I warn. “This place is too big to have someone patrolling every floor all the time.”
“If he knew about that entrance, why hasn’t he used it yet, though? Or tried to get in to find it?” Alonzo adds.
“Or this is all a ruse to keep us occupied and looking for ghosts,” Nico says abruptly. “Distract us with anything else, thin our men out to try and find this shit, and they slip in and take us unaware.”
“It also keeps us from looking for the final girl,” Alessio points out. “Amara’s sister.”
“I don’t know, but someone needs to find shit out quick. Dante, get that girl down here. Now.” Dante nods, and Nico moves to slide off his jacket. I glance at Papa who gives me a quick nod. He’ll stay with Nico while they figure out what the girl knows.
I almost feel bad for her, but the bitch is about to learn a deadly lesson.
The rest of us head out of the basement. I glance down at myself. I need to freshen up before I check in on Lucy. I’llsend her running for sure with the state I’m in. “Where are the women?” I ask Alonzo.
“Tino and Franco are guarding them in Amara’s salon. They’re talking over everything and reviewing the documents they have.”
I nod. “Alright. I need to shower, and then I’ll head down there.”
Alonzo nods. “I’m going to check on the men.” Then he leaves. I note his tight shoulders. He wants to go with me, but he won’t. Maybe he’s finally starting to realize he can’t push Rori into giving him a chance. Or whatever it is that he wants. Who the fuck knows with him.
I head to my room, grabbing some fresh clothes before hitting the shower. I don’t miss the way the shower now has some of Lucy and Kidas’ products, and that the scent of Lucy’s bodywash and shampoo fills the space since she was the last one in here. It leaks into all my senses, and my cock hardens thinking of the taste of her mouth.
I groan and turn the water to icy cold. The shock helps a little, but not enough. I need to get myself under control. I don’t want her to ever feel that I’m pressuring her. Or that she can’t trust me. I will never allow her to compare me to her worthless ex. She’s been hurt enough. I need to be patient, careful. And that means getting my damn cock under control.
I rush through my shower and quickly dress in a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt. I don’t often go so casual, but it’s late, and if we’re going to be searching the north wing, I want to at least be comfortable. I brush back my wet hair and head out to find Lucy and the others.
When I walk down the hall toward Amara’s salon, I find our two guards outside the door, talking quietly, but still on alert. When they see me, they nod. “Lazaro just got here too,” Tino informs me quickly.
“Good. Any issues?”
“Nah, they’re mostly talking and Sofia and Gia are in the hidden office going through things. The baby was a bit fussy but he’s been quiet for a bit now.”
I nod. “Thanks.” I clap them both on the shoulders. “I’ll get a couple guys to come and relieve you so you can get a break.” They give me grateful nods and I send off a quick message to Aurelio to get that done before I head into the room.
My gaze immediately sweeps for Lucy, and when I see her on the couch, reading something, I relax. Except that relaxation is instantly gone when I see the tears on her cheeks and the pain on her face.
28
LUCY
Maybe it would be better to end it now. Why do I keep allowing myself to be put through this? Every son should earn me some favor, but no. No, he still hates me. Sees me as worthless because I’ve born him a couple of daughters. It doesn’t matter that I told them they died and I got rid of them. It’s never going to be enough. One girl was too much. Now, there’s a chance there could be two more of them.
The doctor told me it’s twins again. Fuck. Why do I have to be punished? What did I do to deserve this? My family doesn’t care, happy to get the money and power they craved. All sacrificingme. If there’s any mercy in this world, both of these kids will be boys. Maybe that will be enough to finally make him tolerate me. I don’t need love. That’s a fools dream. I just hate the way he’s turned my children against me. My sons will grow up to be just like him.
Cold. Mean. Brutal. Only wanting sons.
