Easier said than done.
It would certainly be very different to how it is right now, that’s for sure!
After a while, I get up and run back to the cabin, trying to get my head in order as I do.
But all of that flows out the window the moment I spot Isabella, standing at the cabin door with her ankle dangerously close to the edge, as if she’s about to bolt free once more.
I don’t think she’s about to make that mistake again.
She knows now that no matter how far she gets, she isn’t going to fully get away from me. I have traps and plans to keep her in the cabin for as long as I need to.
To keep her safe.
And to give me time to plan out whatI’mgoing to do next.
“Oh, you’re back,” she cries out the moment she spots me, her facial expression hardening. “I thought you might have left meagain.”
I smirk back.
“If you’re never going to be here, then why don’t you just let me go?”
I pass her at the door and head into the kitchen and make myself a protein shake, ignoring all of her questions.
“I don’t see why you need me here anymore, Dominic. Since you won’t tell me exactly why you have me here. I guess your goals aren’t being achieved anyway, so what’s the point?”
I meet her eyes, about to shoot back some silly retort to shut her up, but nothing comes out.
When she’s yelling at me like that, she reminds me way too much of Justine.
The hairstyle, the angry line down her forehead… wow.
She’s lovely, and there’s a real perfection to her.
Knowing that there are men out there in the world who want to hurt her makes me feel sick to my stomach.
How can they be so cruel?
Just because of her family connections… It seems mad.
Mind you, I’m not much better, am I?
I was going to kidnap her and hand her right over to Vincenzo, her father’s rival. I was going to be a big part of what happened to her, knowing it wouldn’t be good.
My heart twists.
I pause with the protein shake in my hand.
I’m an asshole too, not good enough for Isabella.
“Why aren’t you talking to me?” Isabella pouts. “Just give me some answers, God…”
“I’m jumping in the shower,” I snap back. But I’m not angry with Isabella. I’m annoyed with myself and just taking it out on her. “You know we will talk about this when the time is right.”
“The time is right?” She rolls her eyes in an overdramatic exaggerated fashion. “You are never going to give me anything, are you?”
I slam the bathroom door behind me, effectively ending the conversation for us, but before I can pull myself together, or even think about the shower, there’s a strange noise in my pocket.
Shit, it’s the cloned phone of Henry’s, finally paying off.
Without wasting any time, I hit the record button and listen to what’s going on.
“Henry, that you?”
Hearing the name of the man who has now become my enemy makes me feel sick to my stomach.
“Yeah, it’s me. Risty? Falesco, can you hear me?”
“Yeah, I hear you.”
Who the hell is Risty Falesco?
I commit that name to memory for later on.
“I just wanted to get some more info from you, Risty. Tell me everything you know about Isabella Genovese so I can find her.”
I knew it.
I fucking knew it.
Asshole.
“I don’t know anything about her, Henry. Only that she’s Genovese’s daughter.”
“And you definitely want her alive? Because I think it’d be easier to get her to you dead.”
“Head on a spike.”This Risty laughs nastily, making my lip curl up in disgust.”Yeah, I wouldn’t mind that, as long as I get to keep that tight little body of hers. At least until she starts to smell. I could have a good time… but I guess I need the little bitch alive, you know? Or my plan won’t work out.”
What the fuck is this plan?
I need to know everything.
“Yeah, yeah, I know the plan,”Henry replies, panicking me. I should have made that bastard tell me everything when I was beating the shit out of him.”I know you need her alive, but she’s gone into hiding.”
“I know, her father is going crazy I hear. She doesn’t want to belong to the Falesco’s, I think that much is obvious. But it’s too late for that. The deal has been made. She’s mine and as soon as I get my hands on her, she’ll know that. Oh, she’ll know all right. I’ll make sure she fucking knows that she needs to bow down to me every time I walk into a room.”
It isn’t easy to hold back the vomit as the red mist of rage overcomes me.
These assholes are scum.
Not the sort of people I want anywhere near Isabella.
This shit makes me realize I’ll die protecting her.
“I’m getting close though, so don’t worry, Risty. I’ll have her to you soon enough. Served on a silver platter.”
“Alive. Even if barely. I don’t give a shit what you do to her to get her to me, just make sure she’s breathing.”
This truly is the most disgusting phone call I have ever overheard in my life. I feel dirty even listening to it, but I do need to carry on hearing it because I’m certain knowledge is power in this situation.
“Right, well I will be in touch soon, Risty. When I have anything for you, you’ll be the first to know.”
“You know the paycheck will be good for this, Henry. Don’t let me down.”
As the call ends, I click off the recording, but I know those words will stick with me for a very long time.
Those men cannot get anywhere near Isabella, and that is the end of it.