Page 46 of A Game of Survival

Teddy instantly pulls on my hand for me to hurry up. “Come on Mom, come on,” he insists but the screeching of tires right besides us makes me freeze on the spot.

In a blur, I almost don't see it happening until it’s already upon us. A white van squeals to a stop right besides us and the side door flies open revealing four men all armed with AK-47’s and balaclavas covering their faces. My world stops in that instant. Everything happens so quickly, yet so slowly all at the same time. “TEDDY!” I scream, who still holds tight onto my hand.

“Mommy, what’s happening?” Teddy asks with fear in his voice.

I snap my head in Dario and Enzo’s direction who already have their guns drawn and are sprinting the few feet between us to intersect the oncoming attack. I crouch, immediately pulling Teddy into my chest but it does little against the arms that wrap around my body, separating me from him, forcing my feet off the ground. “NO, TEDDY!” I scream, kicking out with my legs trying desperately to gain some sort of advantage, but there’s two of them on me now, restraining my legs and arms, leaving me with little movement between them in their vice-like hold. Teddy's desperate cry cuts through the static ringing in my ears and straight to my heart.

“Mommy!”

And then I hear the gunshots that ensue, the fast metallic snap of the bullets that release from their chambers, though they’re quickly drowned out by my own piercing screams as I watch helplessly as Dario launches himself onto Teddy’s body to shield him from onslaught. The lifeless body of Enzo catches my eyes and my throat feels as though I’ve swallowed glass, raw and cracked, but I can not stop screaming. I fight with everything I’ve got, kicking out and screaming until a sharp pain pierces my neck and my vision immediately begins to blur.

“TEDDY!” I shout for the last time watching as Kats blurry silhouette runs over to where Dario’s body covers Teddy on the ground before my eyelids become too heavy and I can no longer resist the fight of whatever they’ve just injected me with.

Chapter 24

Cole

The room is spinning as I open my eyes, I am still being held captive in the same prison by Ronan. Whatever Marcus injected me with has my head pounding. It's like I've done ten rounds with Si in the ring. I laugh out loud, remembering the days we would spar. I was quick but his punches always winded me and I welcomed it on my darkest days. When my demons came forward and I had no way to expel them from my mind, he would demand I fight him until I felt nothing but the pain he had inflicted.

I hear a small groan across the room. I have woken with a companion it would seem. Shaking the vice-like feeling that has my head splitting into a million pieces, I move from the floor to assess the room. Over on the metal cot bed is someone I thought I'd never lay eyes on again. I move closer to the bars to see her eyes fluttering beneath the lids in her unconscious state. Moving slowly over to her, I crouch beside the bars that separate us and slide my arm through the gap, stroking her hair away from her face, lingering ever so slightly with my fingers. I've missed her so much. Seeing her even here, I'm ashamed to be slightly pleased she’s back within my reach again. Taking in her beauty, I feel the panic begin to creep in as questions flood my mind. How the hell did she get here? And how can I get her out? My fucking brother and Lincoln best have a good reason that she’s ended up here when they should be protecting her.

Just as I feel myself getting lost in the anger, her eyelids flash open and her eyes widen as she takes in my face, simply staring at me like I'm some sort of ghost. I fear she's going to scream and attract unwanted attention from Ronan and his men, so before I know what I'm doing I cover her mouth with my hand to stifle whatever noises she tries to make, hating the way her face looks as she tries to move away from me.

"No my little mouse, don't make a sound, we don't want them coming down here. I am the lesser of the two evils in this place. Please don't scream." I whisper, desperate for her to understand. She freezes for a moment before she nods, obliging my request so I slowly remove my hand from her mouth. She sits herself up on the metal cot and stares at me for a beat before lunging herself at me through the bars. Crying into my shoulder, I do my best to reach my arms around her body and stroke her hair to whisper, “Topolino, it's okay. I'll get you out of here, I promise."

"I was so scared Cole, Kat and Isabella managed to hide. I thought they'd take Teddy again," she sobs, causing my heart to pound in my chest. Please don't say they took him. "Dario, he tried to stop them but they shot him, he sacrificed himself to protect Teddy. I don’t know if Teddy was hurt. I couldn’t see him under Dario’s body before I blacked out. And Enzo" she sobs. “I think he’s dead”.

"Shh little mouse, it's okay. We will get you back to your son." I promise her. She squeezes my torso tightly causing me to wince as pain radiates through my body.

Lucille immediately pulls back to look at me checking for injuries.

"Cole, are you hurt?" She asks before gasping at the blood soaked bandage that’s wrapped around my hand, then trailing her eyes down to the stab wound in my thigh.

I know I look terrible, "I'm OK, it's probably going to get worse the longer we are here. But I'll do everything in my power to get you out, you have my word." I promise her.

She looks scared but equally pissed off, "Fuck I've missed you so much, Cole." she sighs, leaving a painful wave of regret in its wake.

Reaching out to her face, I move the hair that has fallen and tuck it behind her ear. "Mio topolino, I'm so sorry. I wanted you and Teddy safe, even if that meant me being the villian in your story."

"I needed you, Cole. You left me and I fucking needed you," she cries.

My heart shatters at her words. "I failed you." I concede, looking away from her.

She grabs my hand as I shift away. "No. Don't you ever block me out Cole, never again. You won't get another chance." she says, narrowing her eyes at me.

I snap my head back to her. Did I hear that correctly? Surely not, not after everything I’ve done. "Another chance?"

"Yes, another chance, you still need to grovel but losing a finger and what you did to help Teddy get out, I can't ignore that you had the best intentions even if I don't agree with how you went about them."

I can't help but grab her face with both hands, pulling her into the bars to kiss her with all of the emotions I’ve kept inside over the last few days. I push my tongue between her lips that part easily for me, allowing my tongue to dance against hers. Fuck, I’ve wanted this for so long, but now I want more, I need more. I feel myself harden in my pants As I suck her bottom lip between my teeth. I swear I will never let this woman down ever again in my life. I bring a hand under her chin, kissing her softly before my whole body stiffens.

Clap Clap Clap.

"Well isn't this a cozy reunion? I hate to be the one to break this up. But we need to send that brother of yours more incentive to meet my demands." Ronan cackles as he walks into the room. I immediately stand, moving myself to try and cover his gaze from Lucille who has moved as far back in her cell as possible.

"Pffft, you think you will be able to stop me from getting to her, Cole? You are outnumbered, if I want to take her I will, and I'll make you watch." Ronan taunts. "Luckily for you, that isn't the plan… Yet." He waves his hand to the darkness behind him, the shadowed figure behind him emerges forward. Marcus. But before I am able to do anything, Lucille spots him. I spin to face her, her eyes widening as she starts to hyperventilate. Oh shit. A scream escapes her throat as she backs herself away into the bars behind her. I move closer to her, still just about able to reach her from my cell. I reach out to grab her, willing her to look at me as I hold her face to look at me. She immediately tries to fight me away, pushing my arms from her body, trying desperately to escape this prison, but there is no escape. Not right now at least. I need to calm her down. I Can’t fucking believe this. "Breath my little mouse, he isn't who you think he is. Trust me. Stay calm."

Lucille’s body visibly shakes under my hands as she gasps. "He's… he's Vinny."

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