“Isabella, we can always be friends. When we were together, I cared a great deal about you. If anyone ever hurt you, I would have killed them. If anyone caused you any pain, they’d be done for. Maybe I didn’t love you the way I love Rome, but you still meant something to me.”
“Liar…”
“I’m not lying.” I took a step closer. “You need to let me go. Rome doesn’t deserve this.”
“Stop moving!”
“Isabella—”
She pulled the trigger.
Being shot didn’t feel the way I thought it would. It happened so quickly that I could barely process the pain. The bullet pierced my stomach, and the blood soaked my shirt instantly. My hand went to the wound because I couldn’t believe this was real.
She fucking shot me.
“No!” Isabella cupped her face and dropped the gun onto the floor. “Oh my god! I didn’t mean to.”
I suddenly felt weak, so I fell to my knees on the floor, my hand soaked in my own blood.
“It was an accident.” She got my jacket off and unbuttoned my shirt quickly, not that it would do anything. “I’ll call an ambulance.” She snatched the phone from my desk and a pair of scissors. Quickly, she cut a long sleeve of fabric from my suit jacket and tied it around the wound.
“No ambulance.” I swatted the phone out of her hand, my pulse noticeably quicker in my ears. My lungs ached for more air because my brain wasn’t getting enough.
“Calloway!”
“I need to find Rome. Where is she, Isabella? Who took her?”
She grabbed the phone again. “I need to call an ambulance. You’ll bleed out and die if we don’t get you help.”
I snatched the phone back. “If something happens to Rome, I’m dead anyway. Now tell me, Isabella. And make it quick.”
Isabella knew me well enough to know I wasn’t kidding. I was intent on saving Rome, not myself. “It was Hank.”
“Hank?” How the fuck did they know each other?
“Jackson told me about him, so I went to his office and we worked out a deal. He would take Rome away…and I would have you.”
I could kill her.
I could fucking kill her.
“Tell me where he took her, Isabella. I’ll forgive you for shooting me if you just give me this answer.”
Isabella hesitated, her hands still pressed over the fabric around my wound.
I grabbed her by the elbow and yanked on her hard. “Tell me now. If you love me, you’ll do this for me.”
The tears streaked down her face as she began to sob. “Okay…okay.”
20
Rome
We were just about to leave the city and head to Connecticut. Whatever his plans were, he didn’t want anyone around to witness them. Country fields and large stretches of grass meant it would be easy to hide a body.
Really easy.
I had to escape now. The car was driving over fifty miles an hour, but I had to do something. If I rolled onto the street and got hit by a car, I’d probably die. But at least I wouldn’t have to be subjected to his torture.
He was just going to kill me anyway. I was the only witness to his crime. If I stayed alive, I could testify to everything he did. I wasn’t even a criminal, and I knew that was his only choice. He knew he couldn’t have me the way he wanted me, but he was going to get some of me.
I grabbed the door and thrust into it with my shoulder.
It didn’t budge.
Hank grinned from his side of the car. “Child safety locks are great, aren’t they?”
Fuck.
“You’d really rather die from rolling out of a car than entertain my fantasies?” He scoffed. “You need to straighten out your priorities. I knew how much you used to love sucking my cock.”
I couldn’t believe I ever kissed that man—and liked it.
“How about we get started now?” He undid his safety belt and scooted to my side of the car.
I tried not to throw up. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
“Like this?” He gripped my thigh just below my dress. “How about this?” He moved his hand between my legs and touched the outside of my panties. He gripped the fabric in his hand and tugged.
I pushed him hard. “No.”
He bounced back and grabbed my panties again. He pulled until they came apart, ripping right in half. He pulled them to his face and gave a hard sniff. “Incredible.”
I couldn’t believe this was happening.
This was my worst nightmare playing out right before my eyes.
I actually wanted to cry, but I didn’t dare allow it. Hank would only like that more.
He moved his hand back between my legs until he found my entrance.
I squeezed my legs tightly together then punched him hard in the nose.
He faltered back, his eyes smarting as his nerve endings fired off. He fell to the floor with his legs still on the back seat.