The Wounded Love novel Chapter 59

I slowly stood up, careful not to fall, and as casually as I could, walked out of the mall. My plans were to go to Long Island, buy two one way tickets to Cabo with my father's money and then find out where Jade was. Maybe I was being irrational and impulsive but I didn't care.

The second I stepped out onto the curb someone grabbed me from behind, and dragged me into an alley way.

I wanted to scream but my throat locked up. I couldn't move. None of my senses worked properly. My head rung.

I felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed against my temple. "Don't move. Don't scream."

"Dante?" I gasped.

"Don't scream." He repeated, his voice hard as stone.

He wouldn't shoot me. This was Dante. Dante wouldn't shoot me. Would he?

A car pulled up in front of the deserted street. It was shiny and black with really dark tinted windows. A man stepped out of the driver's seat and opened the door in the back. Dante walked me forward then told me to get inside.

"No." I said. I didn't know what was going on. I didn't know who that man was. Stranger danger! Stranger danger!

"I don't have all day." Dante said to me. "Get inside. I'll be in the car right behind you."

Like my biggest concern was not being with him. I scoffed. "Please like I-?

He ducked my head down and forced me into the car. "Toccala e oi ti uccido." Dante told the man before he closed the door, locking me in.

I had no idea what any of that meant. I didn't know anything. The guy sped down the streets. Surprisingly no cops stopped him. He probably would've shot them if they did.

"If you say a word," The man said, pulling out his cell phone. "There'll be consequences."

I silently watched him dial a very short number. It rang twice before someone answered. "Do you have the girl?" I was surprised that they spoke in English, because his accent was even thicker than Dante's.

"Si. And you're son is right behind us."

"Good. Now get them here." With that he hung up.

"What's going on?" I asked in a weak voice. My stomach was tossing and turning, threatening to let out my lunch.

"That's not my business to tell you. I told you not to talk. Why are you still talking?"

Dante kicked the gun off to the side, away from both of us. "I will." He said, sitting next to me. "Ask away."

So I did. "Where's Jade?"

"She's somewhere down here too." He replied. "I'm not sure which room though."

"Where are we?" I needed to ask one question at a time. I wanted to start off with the simple ones.

"Still the hotel." He replied. "Anthony had made this underground basement thing out of paranoia. He got involved with... the business, and felt the need to have a backup plan."

"Business?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "What are you in the Mafia or something?" I didn't think that was going to be the answer, but the look on his face told me that it was. "Oh." I said, scared all over again. I didn't know what to say.

"Skyla, that's why I came here. I came to escape. I mean there really isn't an escape when your father is head of the Italian Mafia, but I still tried."

"So you, you're part of it?" I don't think I was processing this properly.

"To a certain degree, yes. I try to stay out of it. I haven't found myself in a situation like this is years. I'm supposed to be kept secret so that no one uses me as bait."