\[Denali’s POV\]
Fear rushes through me as I continue to stare the two men down. Despite being worried for myself, I was also extremely worried about Marty, who had yet to show up.
“Put the weapon down,” one of the men announces, cocking his gun. “Otherwise we will be forced to use force.”
Put my weapon down. Was he out of his mind? Did he think I would simply go along with whatever it was that they were planning? I simply needed to keep them occupied until Rosco returned or Marty managed to stop the ones still in the living room.
“Use all the force you need to,” I respond, holding up my weapon.
Smirking, the man moves forward, attempting to hit me with his gun, only for me to dodge and then rush toward the kitchen’s exit. I only manage to reach the doorway before my hair is grabbed.
Yelping in shock, I lash out, running the blade of my knife along my pursuer's arm, and when he lets me go, I stumble into the living room to find Marty lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood.
Eyes widening, I rush forward and drop down beside him, placing my fingers against his throat to find that he still has a pulse.
“Marty,” I gasp, looking back at the two men who are quickly approaching. "Marty, you’ve got to get up!”
At my words, Marty’s eyes slowly open, and when he meets my gaze, shock and fear begin to appear in his face.
“Run,” he hisses when I continue to remain in place. “Get the hell out of here!”
“Not without you!” I counter, trying to get him up. “We have to…AH!”
Hands wrap around my own and lift me, so I’m left dangling. Thrashing, I try my best to break free, but the one holding me tightens his grip.
“Marty!” I scream, continuing to take in the unmoving man on the ground as I’m carried forward. “You’ve got to find Rosco!”
I don’t manage to say anything else before I’m carried out and down the long hall that leads out of the building and then thrown into the trunk of a car and sent into darkness.
When the car that I’m being held in begins to move, I kick and punch at the trunk's hatch in hopes of managing to loosen something so I can break free, but it holds tightly, keeping me in as I’m taken to goddess knew where.
\[Rosco’s POV\]
I stare down at my phone, taking in the address that I was given, and once I’m sure I’m at the right place, I move forward and knock on the door. Although I expected Nadia to lead me to her own home in Italy, that would just be way too easily.
Stepping back, I watch until the door opens and the woman herself appears with a bright smile.
“Rosco,” she announces happily. “You came.”
“You didn’t give me much of a choice,” I point out.
Growing quiet, I wait as Nadia takes me in with a look of annoyance, but when it shifts to amusement and she steps aside, I begin to move.
“Please come in,” she says, motioning inside. “So that we can begin our promised date.”
“Here?” I ask, cocking a brow. “Do you really think that I want to be alone with..."
“Ah, ah,” she smirks, waggling a finger. “Don’t forget what you’re doing this for.”
Biting back on my initial response, I narrow my gaze. Right. I needed to remember what I was doing this for. This was so that I could get rid of that poison in Denali, and once I had the antidote, I could kill Nadia.
‘What if this is all a trick?’ Fabian whimpers. ‘What if…’
‘I will still take the chnace,’ I respond, beginning to move.
Once I’m inside the building, I take in the lush living room with blood-red chairs and a fuzzy black couch. Above, a sparkling chandelier illuminates the area. Honestly, I didn’t expect any less from Nadia. This was her style, and I couldn’t help but wonder why she had this place separate from her normal home.
“Have a seat,” she urges me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Why are you just standing here?”
Grimacing, I pull her off of me and turn to meet her hungry gaze.
“Don’t forget our agreement,” I hiss before taking a seat in an armchair, so there is no way Nadia can sit beside me. “A date and a kiss, then you give me what I want.”
“You’re no fun,” she pouts before taking a seat across from me and slinging one leg over the other. “Do you really hate me that much, Rosco? After everything we went through.”
“Is that a rhetorical question?” I counter. “After everything you’ve done, do you think you are worthy of my kindness?”
“Maybe not,” she agrees. “But one of these days you’ll see that everything I did was for your own good.”
My own good. Drugging me and trying to ruin my reputation was for my own good. Not to mention an attempted murder that almost took not only Denali’s life but also mine and even hers. In the past, I truly thought that I knew her, but now when I looked at her, I saw nothing more than a stranger that wouldn’t stay the hell out of my life.
“You disappearing would be for my own good,” I point out. “Now, let’s get this over with.”
Leaning back, I wait as Nadia continues to take me in, and when she finally nods and gets up, then begins to make her way toward another room, I pull out my phone. I had Marty promise to send me updates so that I knew he and Denali were both safe. However, as I look at the screen and there isn’t anything there, my anxiety begins to build.
“No phones while we are together,” Nadia announces, suddenly appearing behind me and plucking my phone from my grasp. “Those are the rules.”
“I don’t remember agreeing to that,” I point out with a growl. “Give me my fucking phone back before..."
“Antidote,” she counters, giving me a sly look. “Or do you want your wife to die?”
“You know I can simply torture you into giving it to me,” I point out. “Consider this a kindness due to the relationship between our families.”
“Were you thinking about our families when you sent me to jail and ruined my father’s image?” Nadia counters, her expression falling. “Who are you to use that excuse now?”
“You’re right,” I agree, getting up and moving, wrapping my hand around her throat, and lifting. “Who am I to use it?”
As I speak, I tighten my hold, but Nadia’s expression remains calm, and when she reaches up and rakes her claws along my skin, I feel an immediate burning sensation racing through my veins.
“What?” I hiss when it lands in my chest, and I feel like I can’t breathe. “What did you…”
“Did you really think I would be stupid enough to be defenseless when we met?” She asks, grinning. “Sorry, sweety, but you are mine, and if I have to use despicable means to get you, I’m more than willing.”