“You said ten.” Vico’s dark eyes glared at me, malevolence pouring from his gaze like molten lava.
“I said five. You wanted ten. Seven is a great middle ground.”
Vico leaned closer. “Do you dare show weakness in front of all these men, big brother?” Another challenge.
I moved even closer, gritting through my teeth, “It’s not weakness I’m showing, little brother. I’m showing my dominion…over you.”
His eyes instantly burned, his cheeks blood red from fury, and I tasted the goodness of victory.
“Now back the fuck off, Vico.”
After a few seconds of never taking our eyes off each other, I wasn’t sure whether Vico would back down. But then he did.
Of course, in typical Vico style, he had to make sure he got the last laugh. He pulled out his cellphone and aimed the camera at Tatum.
“Smile, slut,” he taunted before his flash started going berserk with all the photos he was taking.
I narrowed my eyes. “What are you doing?”
“Having a little photoshoot.” He looked at me and shrugged. “You know, to send to daddy dearest.”
Well, fuck. Vico might be a motherfucker, but right now he was being a real sly, clever motherfucker—I had to give him that.
As soon as he felt like he had enough pictures and stepped away, I started on getting Tatum down from the chains. I had no idea what it was, but there was something inside me urging me, fueling me to do it as quickly as possible.
Uncle Gino came up to help, and when her wrists were finally free, she collapsed like dead weight. Before she hit the ground, I swept her up into my arms and cradled her against my chest.
I glanced at Uncle Gino, and he nodded. “Get her out of here. I’ll take care of the guests.”
“Thank you.”
Carefully, I made my way out of the dining hall, carrying Tatum’s seemingly lifeless body in my arms. The corners of her mouth were cut and bruised, and I didn’t even want to think what her back looked like. Vico didn’t hold back. He was merciless with each and every lash he dealt.
That twinge that thumped against my ribs earlier was now a pounding ache, and for the life of me, I didn’t understand it.
Where was my hate? Where was my hunger for revenge? Where was my need to break this woman now that she seemed battered and beaten with no guarantee that she could be mended?
Where was Castello Fattore now?
Chapter 13
TATUM
I was in hell. The way my body ached, my back burning like it had every inch of skin torn off, was like being tossed into the flaming pits of Hell.
My head pounded. My mouth hurt, the metallic taste of blood coating my tongue. There wasn’t a part of me that didn’t throb with pain. I couldn’t feel the lashes anymore, but I heard them. I still heard the sound of it cutting through the air, the crack as it landed on my skin. Over and over and over I heard that sound reverberating in my head, making my body shiver as I waited for the pain to slice through me.
But it never came.
Instead, I felt heat that slowly flowed through me, thawing the cold that had possessed every bone, every blood vessel. I grabbed hold of that heat, squeezing it tight against every inch of my body. I never wanted to let go of this heat.
“Tatum?”
I didn’t want to open my eyes in fear that the welcome heat would disappear.
“Tatum? Open your eyes and look at me.”
Even my eyelids ached, felt heavy, and I wanted to keep them closed. I wanted to sleep.Just let me sleep.