“No!” she shouted. “She’s my daughter, Dom. Don’t tell me not to worry after everything we’ve gone through!” Her chest was heaving and anxiety radiated from her even as she got all up in my face.
“I know, but it could be nothing. Viper’s heading to my room. Let’s go find out what they know.” I turned for the door. “Damn, woman, you are scary,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Ha, you think that’s scary? Just wait. If you hurt her, I’ll show you scary.” She pushed ahead of me down the hall.
I walked into my room and skidded to a stop. Not only was Viper there, but Tech, Ezra, and Locke too. Their faces were grim. This wasn’t going to be good news.
“Fuck! What now?” I barked. I noticed Locke watching Cara intently as she nervously glanced back and forth from Locke to the floor. “What the fuck?” I mouthed to him.
The slight shake of his head said we’d talk about it later.
Ezra brought me back to the moment. “We got a huge issue. A big fucking problem.”
I glared at him. “Damn it, just spit it out! I got enough shit to deal with!”
“I don’t trust Gia,” Viper rushed out, causing the room to go still. “When all the shit with the kidnapping went down─”
“What do you mean?” Cara interrupted, glaring at Viper.
“I just mean,” he bit out, obviously annoyed over being interrupted. “When her supposed best friend in the whole damn world gets kidnapped and is sitting in the damn hospital, she visits what, fucking once for all of ten minutes?” He shook his head.
I nodded, my blood boiling. “I never thought about it either with everything going on, but that is weird.”
“For someone that was so close to your family, she didn’t appear fucking broken when Sal was killed. She was adamant about going back to her apartment. And she never came back to visit Jules, not even a damn message asking how she’s doing. Plus, at the funeral she was hanging with some dirt bag, talking all hush hush.” He heaved out a breath and closed his eyes. “Then Tech came back with this.” He took a photo from Tech and handed it to me.
Looking at the photo, my heart dropped. It was a picture of Gia with three guys, one of whom was dead. I knew that because I’d tortured him before Locke killed him. I looked up in disbelief, my heart dropping into my shoes even as the top about blew off my head. “You’re fucking with me, right? Please tell me this is some fucked up, sick joke!”
“I wish I could, brother.” Viper looked as sick as I felt.
Locke took the photo from me. His eyes widened. “Where’s Jules?” he asked.
I frantically dialed Jules’ cell again as my blood ran cold.
“She’s at Gia’s. Probably,” Cara said, sounding as crazed as I felt.
Fall Out Boy blared from the bedside table.
“Fuck!” I roared as I stared at her phone.
I turned and ran from the room, dropping the picture on the ground as I raced to once again save the love of my life, the sounds of heavy boots echoing behind me.
Jules
“Did you tell her?” A male voice, deep and dead, registered in my ears as I slowly came around.
“Not yet. I was getting there when the damn pill kicked in.”
Pill? What pill? I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to alert them that I’d come to. I listened to every word my hazy brain would absorb. The fog clouding my mind tried to take me under again. I fought it off, desperate to have my faculties about me so I could get out of here.
“Good. I wanna see the fear in her eyes when she finds out,” the male voice said.
“Shut the fuck up!” Gia bellowed. “This is my plan. It was my boyfriend that was killed!”
“Yeah, by your sister’s boyfriend,” he spit out.
“And he’ll get what he deserves, won’t he?” she seethed.
My breath became erratic as I listened, trying to hold back the tears and rage. My mind raced, but I couldn’t fully comprehend what she was saying. Whatever she’d drugged me with still swirled in my brain. No way could Gia have been a part of any of this. She wouldn’t do that.
I heard the loud slap of flesh against flesh before I felt the burn spreading across my face.
“Wake up!” Gia demanded as another slap rang out and the searing heat on my cheek burned even hotter.
I groaned as Gia and the guy I didn’t know grabbed my arms and yanked me up to a sitting position in the bed. My head snapped back and hit the headboard. Not wanting to open my eyes yet, I stayed there with my head leaning all the way back.
“What in the hell did you give her?” the guy asked.
I listened intently, hoping she’d tell him. I let my head lull to the side.
“Oh, just a little white pill or two I got from your brother,” Gia said, that evil smile evident in the sound of her voice. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine in a few hours.” She pried my eyelids open.
Flinching, I snapped them back shut as the brightness of the room seared my eyes. I pulled my head forward, fighting to stay conscious. “Why?” I whispered, my throat scratchy.
“Why what? Why did I drug you? Why did I show you those loving family photos? Why did I call you here?” She smirked. “I mean, honestly, princess, there are so many different whys. What do you want to know first?” Disdain seeped from her tone as she tapped the toe of her favorite black and gold Chanel flats.
“Why to all of it.” I was finally able to hold my eyelids open, but nothing more than a sliver. Looking up at her, at the girl
