Blackmailed to the Altar (Caputo Crime Family #2)

27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

S ebastian

The edges of consciousness dragged me back, like claws raking over my mind. I blinked, the world around me swimming in and out of focus, but the taste of fury was sharp on my tongue. Fuck, my head was killing me. I blinked open my eyes to see I was in a car with the engine running. Not again. How did I get here? Mya was sitting in the passenger seat beside me. I shook my head, trying to clear it, when his voice interrupted.

She drugged us, and I gave her the lab.

This was the first time the voice in the back of my head spoke to me like we were a unit. I wasn’t going crazy. I really had an alternate personality. How fucked was that?

Not as fucked as we are going to be, if we don’t pick up the hard copy footage from Samuel. Better move to meet him.

Oh, fuck. The voice wasn’t referring to that night Amelia got hurt, was it?

I looked down at my watch. “Shit, we have to go.”

We weaved in and out of traffic in silence as I headed to our drop, trying to figure out what else I’d missed.

Mya shifted beside me, her movements small and hesitant. The tension in the car was thick, almost suffocating, and I could see her glancing at me from the corner of her eye, gauging my mood, trying to figure out just how bad this would get. She had no idea.

Yes, you moron. Amelia’s dead. Get the information, and take our girl home and fuck her.

The voice inside my head distracted me from my wife.

“Our girl?” I slipped aloud.

“What was that, Sebastian?” Mya tilted her head toward me.

I parked and motioned to our destination. At least she knew who she was with. “Nothing, let’s go.”

I got out of the car, and walked around to let her out of her side. I helped her out and kept a grip on her arm. The other hand was inside my jacket, holding the butt of my gun. I looked around, and made sure there wasn’t anyone unsavory scurrying around.

“Stay close,” I growled, as I saw the secluded spot where Samuel was waiting. “Try to run, and I promise you, it won’t end well.”

Then we headed into the coffee shop.

Samuel mask was chilling, with his beanie pulled so low it was almost over his eyes. His computer sat in front of him, along with a cup of coffee. We headed toward him. He didn’t look up.

“Have a seat,” I said to Mya. She didn’t protest as she slid into the booth. I went to the counter, keeping my eye on our table, and ordered us drinks to blend in.

I waited with my body tilted toward them, so I had one eye on my woman at all times. Samuel kept typing away as if he were oblivious to her presence, but when I arrived at the table with our drinks, I could see the burning questions in his gaze.

I shook my head. I wouldn’t tell him why she was here. It wasn’t pertinent. Samuel slid a USB drive my way. Mya kept silent as she watched our exchange.

“Did you get it all?”

Samuel nodded and whispered, “I wiped it clean, and Arjun will never know.”

“He’s already poking around. He’s been spotted at several of our businesses.”

“I haven’t been able to get too close to him,” Samuel admitted.

“Try harder,” I ordered through gritted teeth.

I stepped out of the booth and grabbed Mya’s arm, dragging her along. We didn’t need the pretense of coffee anymore, but Mya still grabbed hers.

“It was nice meeting you, Dr. Mya Rivers.” Samuel smirked.

Mya gasped as I pulled her along. “How did he know my name?”

“Lucky guess,” I muttered as I shoved the door open.

The meeting with Samuel was quick, businesslike, but my thoughts were miles away. Every time I looked at Mya, I felt the sting of her betrayal all over again. My mind churned with ideas of how to handle this, how to make her understand that she’d crossed a line she’d never be able to come back from.

I helped her into the Maserati, and headed toward the driver’s side. I heard a distinct ping off the metal, and I turned to return fire. I popped off a few bullets and hopped in the car.

I sped off.

“What’s happening,” Mya cried out.

“Guess the Albanians have caught on,” I muttered.

“Caught on to what?” She shrieked, and jumped as a bullet whizzed by.

“Get down!” I shoved her head down between her legs.

“Fuck, fuck fuck fuck fuck,” she muttered, as I maneuvered through the roads. As the space grew between us and our attackers, I nudged Mya until she sat back up, and I gave her the gun.

“What do you want me to do with this?” She took it with shaking hands.

“If you see anything or anyone suspicious, point and shoot.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Point and shoot? Are you freaking crazy?”

I smiled. “Yes.”

I texted a few men that we were coming in hot. At this point, if I got pulled over, I didn’t give a shit. Mya was rattled, and I wanted to get her back behind my walls. Then, I would handle Arjun, and his shitty attitude.

It wasn’t my fault his sister was dead. That was her own stupidity. I just didn’t want the information to get out. It was embarrassing the way I’d acted back then, like I’d been sucked in by her cunt or something. Pussy whipped.

We pulled up, and the gates swung open. I saluted the soldier on duty, and drove behind the walls. As soon as the gates closed behind my Maserati, I relaxed.

I parked and rounded to Mya’s side, taking the gun from her trembling hands and tucking it back into its holster, before helping her out of the car.

“W-what do we do now?” she stuttered.

“Now, I punish you.”

“H-huh?” Mya pulled her hand out of mine.

“Run.” When she didn’t move, I raised my voice. “Run!”

Mya spun on her heel and took off into the house. I grinned. I sent a quick text telling the staff to make themselves scarce. I’d give them the signal when I was satisfied. Not only would there be no one to help her, she had nowhere to go.

She raced up the stairs with me walking slowly on her trail.

I chuckled. “You run really slow.”

She gasped, but kept trying until I cornered her. “Strip.”

Trembling, she shook her head. “E-Eden?”

“Out with Silas, and they won’t be home for a long time.”

“O-oh,” she squeaked.

“You tried to hurt me.” I trailed a finger down her cheek. “And for that, I’m going to have to punish you, little wifey.”

I grabbed the back of her neck and dragged her into the next room. I looked around, smiling at what we’d stumbled upon. The family doctor’s private medical room. It didn’t have everything he needed, but he kept supplies here, and a nice setup, like he was a real doctor.

He wasn’t, not after what happened.

But we didn’t care about a little thing like a medical license. I pushed Mya face down on the table, and strapped her in. She trembled, but she didn’t fight me.

“I’ll answer any questions you have,” I mused as I set it all up.

I was going to make it so my wife would never leave my side again. That she would never betray me again. She was lucky she got to keep her life, because I’d killed men for less.

I grabbed a scalpel and gently massaged her neck. “I want to be clear, this is going to hurt. A lot,” I warned her. Then I started carving my initials into the back of her neck.

Riccardo.

I didn’t want to add anything of his. My jagged S already bled profusely, and I could feel the signs of a migraine coming on. Was that his presence? I didn’t want him taking over, so I added an R right next to my S, all while listening to my pretty little doctor scream.

It shouldn’t have brought such joy to my soul, but I wasn’t surprised. I was a psychopath after all. Whether I wanted to accept it or not.