Page 34 of Fatal Love

I watched as the door opened and several men stormed in. My breaths quickened with the knowledge these men were here to torture me. Somehow, I'd become the pawn in Ivanov’s sick game. And Ivanov was right… Antonio would be blinded by grief and do something stupid—putting everyone at risk, including Rachel. My heart squeezed with the realization I would never see her again. Ivanov set up a camera in the corner and motioned to a man standing off to the side.

“Go ahead. Have your fun. When you’re done, kill him. I want the Anastasi family to see I mean business.”

Ivanov walked out, leaving me alone with the three men. I watched as one of them lifted a duffle bag and set it on a table pressed against the wall. Nothing good was going to come from this. Even if I survived, which was unlikely, the undiluted rage Antonio would experience would be catastrophic.

“Drag him over here,” one of the Russians ordered.

I was unceremoniously dragged across the concrete floor in the chair. He pushed the back hard, causing it to tip forward and leave me face down on the hard ground. My cheek felt as though it shattered into a million fragments, blinding me in pure agony. His helper launched his foot into my ribcage, adding to the blistering pain I was feeling. His boot connected with my flesh, the steel tip tearing at the skin. The air in my lungs whooshed out, making me certain he had just cracked my ribs.

“Why are you doing this?” I hissed out, knowing their response before the words spilled from their mouths.

“Shut up.”

Another blow to my side had me seeing stars. As darkness threatened to consume me, I conjured up the images of Antonio and Rachel. I prayed they knew how much I loved them. If I could come back to them, I would. We hadn’t gotten enough time together, so this couldn’t possibly be the end.

I was flipped over, my hands crushed beneath the back of the metal chair. My body shuddered as my shirt was ripped from my flesh and the tip of a knife pressed into my skin. Nothing could have prepared me for the pain. My scream echoed off the walls of the room as the blade carved into the meat covering my heart. As much as I wanted to live for Antonio, I wasn’t sure I could. The last thing I felt was the weight of something heavy coming down on my knee. The blistering anguish it caused sent me into the darkness I had been teetering on.

I’m sorry.

The thought whispered through my mind as my body betrayed me and gave in to the darkness, beckoning me forth. This was going to change everything.

This… was going to start a war unlike anything anyone had ever seen before.

Eighteen

Rachel

I stretched my arms above my head and yawned. The sky had finally given way to the dark, confirming I had slept for a while. I slipped from the bed and padded my way downstairs in search of Antonio. The laughter of his sisters made me smile. They had welcomed me with open arms when we arrived. Carmela and Celestina were the youngest of the Anastasi siblings and had been home on break for the last couple of weeks. I was worried they would resent my presence, but we hit it off.

“I see you’re awake.” Antonio rose from the kitchen table and tugged me into his arms. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. I think the sun and something I ate got to me.” I glanced at Carmela, who was refilling her wineglass. “Are we celebrating?” I cocked my head in confusion.

“Yes.” Antonio led me to the table and sat down, pulling me into his lap. “Vincenzo woke up last night.”

“What?” I searched his eyes, seeing the pure elation reflecting. “That’s wonderful. And everything’s okay?”

“Yes. In fact.” Antonio handed me a full glass. “He got to go home today. Massimo called me and said his tests all came back normal. No brain damage or throat damage. He’s resting comfortably in his own bed, with his wife.” He clinked his glass against mine.

“Is that a good idea?” Celestina pointed to the glass now pressed against my lips.

I paused, dropping the glass from my mouth. “Is there a problem with me having a glass in celebration?”

“If you're pregnant, there is.” Carmela chuckled as she swallowed down the remnants of the liquid pooling in her own glass.

“Excuse me?” I glanced at the girls. “Pregnant? Where would you get such an idea?”

“You got sick.”

“Lots of people get sick. That doesn’t make them pregnant.” I glared back at Antonio. “Did you tell them that?”

“No. It was all of them.” He set his glass down and raised his palms in defense. “I just told them you were sick today. They jumped to that conclusion on their own. But Rachel.” He tugged my hand in his. “Could you be?”

“No.” I pushed up from his lap and walked to the sink. I braced my palms against the edge of the counter and blew out a breath. “I couldn’t be.” But even as I said the words, a trickle of doubt hummed in the back of my mind.

“Maybe—” Antonio paused mid-sentence. His phone vibrating across the table caught his attention. “Hey, Big Brother.” Antonio reached out, holding his hand out for me to take. As I went to grab it, his arm dropped, and he stood abruptly. “What?” the sharp tone in his voice made my hair stand on end.

I stepped forward, placing my hand on his arm. “What is it, Antonio?” I could tell by his rigid stance something was wrong.

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