Chapter 172 NO WAY.
\~~~RAINA.
I lay there on the cold, hard floor, my body a throbbing mess of pain.
Every breath hurt, like knives scraping inside my chest. It had been hours since I'd managed to call Luciano, and hours since Marco had lost his temper and beaten me senseless.
My wrists burned from the ropes binding them behind my back, and my ankles were tied so tight I couldn't even wiggle my toes.
My stomach ached the worst, a deep, twisting fire that made me want to curl up and scream. I couldn't move to check it, hell, I could barely lift my head without the world spinning.
Blood crusted on my lip from where he'd punched me, and my ribs felt cracked, and each inhale felt like a fresh stab.
Tears dried on my cheeks, but no new ones came. I was too exhausted, and too broken.
Luciano's voice echoed in my mind, his worry, and his promise to find me.
But hours dragged on, and the only company was the creak of the floorboards and Marco's heavy breathing from across the room. I closed my eyes, willing the pain to fade, imagining his arms around me, safe in our bed back home.
A sudden pacing jolted me awake. Marco's boots thudded back and forth, his shadow flickering in the dim light from a single bulb overhead. He muttered curses under his breath, his phone pressed to his ear. Dial after dial, but no answer. His face twisted in frustration, veins bulging on his neck.
“If everything is in jeopardy because of that call you made, I will kill you before he gets to you!” he snarled, not even looking at me. His words hung in the air, thick with rage.
I swallowed dryly, my throat raw. “W... what are you... saying?” The words came out weak, barely a whisper, but it was all I could muster.
He whirled on me, eyes wild. “I can't reach Talia!” he hollered, slamming the phone against the wall. It cracked but didn't break.
What did her silence mean?
Part of me hoped she'd gotten caught, and anything to end this nightmare. But another part twisted with fear. If Talia were gone, Marco might snap completely.
“And what is our business with Talia not picking up?” I asked.
“She was supposed to check in every three hours! If anything happens to her, I will kill you!” He lunged closer, towering over me, his fist clenched as if he might strike again.
I didn't respond. Just lay still, a low groan escaping as pain shot through my side.
Talking hurts, and moving hurts even more.
I pressed my cheek to the floor, the rough wood scraping my skin, and focused on breathing.
In, out. Slow. Steady.
Luciano would come. He had to.
Marco paced faster, his breath coming in sharp bursts.
Panic etched his face, making him look less like the tough enforcer and more like a cornered animal.
Then he stopped, yanking the phone back up. “Assemble the men and meet me at the old mill site,’' he barked.
“Right now!” He dropped the call with a curse, shoving the phone in his pocket.
“W... what are you doing?” I croaked, forcing my head up just enough to see him. The effort made my vision blur.
“Preparing for attack,” he said flatly, striding to the wardrobe in the corner. The door creaked open, revealing a stash that made my heart skip. There were guns, ammo, and knives glinting in the low light.
My eyes widened as he started loading up. A pistol tucked into his belt, a shotgun slung over his shoulder, and clips jammed into pockets. He moved with frantic efficiency, like a man who knew time was slipping away.
“B... but she could just be busy,’' I tried, my voice trembling.
Maybe Talia was negotiating, or hiding. Anything but dead or captured.
He scoffed, not turning. “This is her job! It has been over an hour!” His tone dripped sarcasm, but underneath was real fear.
Talia was his anchor in this mess, the one pulling strings. Without her, he was just a thug with a grudge.
“But…” I winced, my hand, bound as it was, twitching toward my stomach. The pain flared hot, like fire in my gut.
Nausea rolled over me, and I bit back a cry.
“Do... Do you think you could get me a nurse or something?” The plea slipped out, desperate. I needed help, something for the agony, the swelling I felt under my shirt.
He laughed, a harsh bark that echoed off the walls. “You must think you're in your palace.” He slammed the wardrobe shut, fully armed now, and looking every bit the killer.
I lay back down, breaths shallow and ragged. The room spun slowly, colors bleeding at the edges.
Minutes stretched into what felt like eternity. My body screamed for relief, but I forced stillness, conserving energy.
Every groan was a risk as Marco's temper was a hair-trigger. I thought of Alessia, my fierce sister-in-law, probably in a mess to find me too.
Viktor, with his quiet strength, too.
They were coming. I knew it. They would come for me.
Footsteps thundered outside heavily, and multiple sets snapped me back. The door burst open, and four men rushed in, their faces grim, and weapons at the ready. Sweat beaded on their brows, their eyes darting like they sensed the storm brewing.
“We are here, sir!” one barked, a stocky guy with a scar across his cheek.
Marco spun to face them, his posture rigid. “How is the situation on your way?”
“No issues, boss. Roads are clear.l
“There is no suspicious movement?” Marco pressed, stepping closer, his voice low and dangerous.
The man shook his head. “Nothing. Everywhere is as quiet as a grave.”
Marco's eyes narrowed. “And when did you hear from the men stationed to watch over the mansion?”
The guy hesitated, glancing at his boots. “It has been... almost two hours.”
Marco straightened like a coiled spring, closing the space in two strides. His boot lashed out, kicking the man's leg hard enough to buckle it. The guy grunted, stumbling but not falling.
“And you didn't report back to me!” Marco roared, his face inches from the man's.
“I thought he might have been... slacking off,” the man stammered, rubbing his thigh.
Marco exhaled sharply, reining in his fury. “Prepare yourself and stand ready. Luciano is coming.”
The words hung heavy, a death sentence for all of them.
My heart leaped for relief.
Luciano, my husband, was close.
He turned to me then, his gaze cold. “And you, Barbie. It is time to leave.”
“Y... you are going to move me again?!” I exclaimed, summoning every ounce of energy left. My voice cracked, but defiance burned through the pain.
“Certainly,” he said, smirking as if my protest amused him. He nodded to two of the men. “Untie her feet. Get her up.”
They moved quickly, rough hands yanking at the ropes around my ankles. Pain shot up my legs as circulation rushed back, pins and needles turning to fire. One grabbed my arm, pulling me to my feet. I swayed, stomach lurching, but bit down on the scream.
“Easy,” Marco snapped at them. “We need her alive for now.”
My legs barely worked. They felt weak and shaky, like they didn’t belong to me anymore. The moment I stood upright, the room tilted violently around me.
One of the men held my shoulder to keep me from collapsing.
But his grip was too rough.
His fingers dug into my skin so hard I knew it would leave bruises.
I leaned against him anyway.
I had no choice as my body couldn’t support itself.
The moment I stood fully, the pain in my stomach exploded again.
It was worse now, much worse.
It felt like someone had shoved a burning iron rod inside my belly and was slowly twisting it.
A sharp, hot pain that made it hard to breathe.
I gasped.
My bound hands instinctively pressed against my stomach.
My fingers trembled as they tried to hold the aching place.
What had he done?
Did Marco kick me too hard?
Was something broken inside?
My stomach felt swollen and sore under my hands.
Every small movement made the pain spread deeper through my body.
I bent forward slightly, trying to ease the pressure.
That was when something caught my eye.
At first, I thought I was imagining it.
My gaze dropped slightly.
Just a little.
Then I saw it.
A thin line of red was slowly trailing down my thigh.
My breath stopped and for a moment, my mind refused to understand what I was seeing.
What… was that?
My eyes widened.
B… blood?
No. No.
That couldn’t be right.
My heart started pounding wildly in my chest.
My body suddenly felt cold.
There was no way.
There was absolutely no way I had been bleeding from my… my vagina.
Not all this time.
Not while I had been lying on that floor.
No. No.
My bound hands pressed harder against my stomach as panic flooded through me.
My breathing became uneven.
My eyes shot upward as fear took over every thought in my head.
“No… no… no…” I whispered, shaking my head slowly.
This couldn’t be happening.
It couldn’t.
“Hold her tight,” Marco said impatiently from across the room.
His back was turned toward us while he looked out the window.
“She is a drama queen, that one,” his voice sounded irritated like I was simply causing trouble but I wasn’t listening to him anymore.
My mind was racing and my heart was beating so fast it hurt.
I stared down at the blood again.
More of it now.
A slow, terrifying trickle.
I felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.
My stomach twisted painfully.
I couldn’t be…
The thought suddenly crashed into my mind like lightning.
My body froze, my chest tightened and my head shook violently.
“No!” I screamed.
The men holding me tightened their grip instantly, thinking I was trying to struggle.
But I wasn’t fighting them.
I was fighting the horrifying realization spreading through my mind.
There was no way.
There was absolutely no way I had been pregnant without knowing.
No way.
My vision blurred with tears.
How could this be happening?
“No!” I screamed again, louder this time.
My voice cracked painfully and tears poured down my face as terror swallowed me whole.