Chapter 67
Trigger warning.
Aurora.
I woke up as I was yanked out into the cool morning air. We were in an industrial area, with warehouses looming in the darkness. They led me into one of the buildings, whose interior was stark and foreboding.
“Sit,” one of the men commanded, shoving me into a chair. They tied my ankles to the legs, ensuring I couldn’t move.
As I sat there, bound and helpless, a figure emerged from the shadows. I recognized him from one of the papers I stumbled upon on the Gotti’s. : Vincent Gotti, the youngest of the Gotti brothers. His smile was cold and calculating as he approached.
“Welcome, Aurora,” he said, his voice dripping with false politeness. “I’ve been looking forward to our meeting. I hope your trip here was pleasant?.”
I glared at him, refusing to show fear. “What do you want?”
He chuckled, making a low, menacing sound. “It’s not about what I want, my dear. It’s about what Rossi will do to get you back.”
My heart sank, but I kept my expression defiant. “He won’t be doing anything for you.”
Vincent’s smile widened. “I won’t be so sure about that.”
The warehouse was eerily silent, the only sound my labored breathing as I struggled against my restraints. The harsh lighting cast long shadows, making the space feel even more ominous. Vincent Gotti watched me with a predatory gaze, but it wasn’t his presence that truly frightened me. It was the figure emerging from the darkness behind him: Riccardo Gotti.
Riccardo had a reputation even darker than his brother’s. His cruelty was legendary, whispered about in terrified circles. My heart pounded in my chest as he approached, his cold eyes locked onto mine.
“Well, well,” he began. “Aurora, Rossi’s precious jewel. I’ve been looking forward to this.”
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure. “What do you want with me?”
Riccardo laughed, a sound devoid of any warmth. “What do I want? Oh, it’s not just about you, darling. It’s about making Rossi suffer.”
He stepped closer, his gaze intense and filled with malice. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve hated him? How has every success of his felt like a dagger in my side? Rossi thinks he’s untouchable and that he can flaunt his power without consequences. But now, with you here, he’ll realize how wrong he is.”
Vincent joined his brother, his smile as cold as Riccardo’s. “Rossi must be in turmoil right now, frantic with worry. Knowing you’re in our hands makes you helpless. It’s a beautiful thing, really.”
Fear gripped me, icy tendrils wrapping around my heart. Rossi had always been a step ahead, always in control. But now, I was the one thing that could shatter his resolve. I could only imagine his anguish, and it made my stomach churn.
“You’re making a mistake,” I said. “Rossi will come for me. And when he does, he won’t show mercy.”
Riccardo’s eyes gleamed with cruel amusement. “I’m counting on it. I want him to come. I want him to see what we’ve done and to feel the helplessness of not being able to rescue you while we torment you. .”
He leaned in, his face inches from mine. “And as for you, your suffering will be his undoing. Every tear, every scream—it will all be for him.”
The fear I’d been holding at bay surged forward, threatening to overwhelm me. I was terrified for my life, but even more so for Rossi. I could not endure pain, not emotional and definitely not physical, and the thought of being tortured and Rossi being broken by it was unbearable. He was my strength and my protector, and the idea of him being tormented because of me was almost too much to bear.
Vincent’s voice cut through my thoughts. “You see, Aurora, this isn’t just a personal vendetta. It’s a strategic move. Rossi’s power lies in his control and his calm. By taking you, we’ve stripped that away. He’ll be reckless and desperate. And that’s when we’ll strike.”
Riccardo nodded in agreement, a dark satisfaction evident in his expression. “Rossi will fall, and it will start with you.”
Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them back. I couldn’t show weakness, not now. “You’re underestimating him,” I said, my voice firmer than I felt. “Rossi is stronger than you think.”
Riccardo’s smile faded, replaced by a cold, hard stare. “We’ll see about that.”
He motioned to one of the men, who stepped forward with a knife. Panic surged through me as I struggled against the ropes, my mind screaming for a way out. But it was futile. The blade glinted in the harsh light, and I braced myself for the pain.
Instead, the man cut through the zip ties, freeing my wrists and ankles. The relief was short-lived as I was yanked to my feet and forced to walk, my captors flanking me. They led me deeper into the warehouse, where the air was growing colder and more oppressive.
Every step I took, I thought of Rossi. I had to hold on to the hope that he would find me and that he would come for me before it was too late. But the fear gnawed at me, whispering that this time, the shadows might win.
As they shoved me into a small, dimly lit room, I knew I had to be strong. Not just for myself, but for Rossi. He needed me to hold on to survive. I couldn’t let the Gotti brothers win. I couldn’t let them break us.
The door slammed shut, leaving me in darkness. Alone with my thoughts, the fear clawed at me, but I forced it back. Rossi would come. He had to. And when he did, we would face the shadows together, and we would emerge victorious. For now, all I could do was wait and prepare for whatever came next.
The Gotti brothers came back and circled me like predators, their eyes gleaming with malice. Riccardo had a cruel smile on his face as he cracked his knuckles. Vincent, the younger and more sadistic, toyed with a knife, his expression one of twisted delight.
“Did we tell you that it’s a pleasure to have you here?" Vincent's voice was cold, a sharp contrast to the oppressive heat of the room.
I glared at him, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing my fear. "I’d rather be somewhere else."
Riccardo stepped forward, his knife tracing a line down my cheek. "No, baby, you’re exactly where we need you to be. So let’s cut right to the chase. Do you have the documents? The ones your parents died for."
The mention of my parents sent a surge of anger through me. "I don't have them," I spat. "Even if I did, I'd never give them to you."
Riccardo laughed with a dark, humorless sound. "Wrong answer, kid."
Without warning, he delivered a punch to my gut, knocking the wind out of me. I gasped for air, the pain radiating through my body. Vincent stepped back, giving his brother room to work.
"Your parents thought they could outsmart us," Vincent said. "They thought they could hide those documents forever. But they were wrong. And now, you're going to pay for their mistakes."
Riccardo landed another punch, this time to my ribs. I let out a loud cry of pain, showing weakness. Vincent watched with sick fascination, his knife glinting in the dim light.
"Where are the documents?" Riccardo demanded, his face inches from mine.
"I told you," I managed to say, my voice strained. "I don't know." What exactly was in the document? I don’t know, but I need to find it before they do and bring them down.
Riccardo stepped forward again, his knife drawing a thin line of blood across my chest.
"Maybe a little more persuasion will jog your memory."
The pain was intense, and I let out a scream.
“Hey Vin, you should record this for her boyfriend
to see,” Riccardo said, and Vincent brought out his phone to record.
He leaned in closer and began to touch parts of my body, and I tried to stop him from doing so. “Don’t touch me, you sick bastard.” I protested, and he chuckled.
“I like it when they protest,”
Riccardo leaned in closer, his breath hot against my ear. "You think you're strong, don't you? Just like your parents. But they weren't strong enough to save themselves, were they?"
His words cut deeper than any knife, and I fought to keep my composure.
"They were stronger than you'll ever be," I said through gritted teeth.
Riccardo's smile disappeared, replaced by a scowl of anger. "We'll see about that."
He motioned to Vincent, who stepped forward, his knife poised for another strike.