Iheld Tony’s gaze until my face was ground into the cold, damp floor, bringing the reality of my situation crashing down around me. I struggled until my head was yanked up and slammed down once more, splitting my eyebrow, and then I focused on a crack in the tile, not looking up again. Disbelief coursed through me at what they planned to do, but the reality of my ass hanging out while Santos bled out on the floor and I was made into their newest prison bitch was only compounded by my brother and cousin being forced to helplessly watch it all. They’d obviously been hired to teach us a lesson; the entire warrant and arrest were bogus, which we already knew, but that didn't matter anymore. This was no longer an irritation. This was a message that they could get to us no matter what. That they could do what they wanted without fear of retribution...that we were no longer the top of the food chain. And it was made loud and clear as I was violated. I barely managed to hold in the shout, only letting out a gasp to betray my pain when pure fire rammed its way into my asshole.
I could hardly hear Marco shouting above the buzz in my ears as I tried not to be a pussy about being ass-raped, but fuck, it was unpleasant. During the soul-rending agony, a whisper rose above my internal screams… They did this to her. If Eden could survive, overcoming who knew how many violations, I could too. But as it went on and on, I wasn't sure how she wasn't broken into a million jagged pieces that would never fit back together properly. When the fucker came in my ass, the burn alone was bad enough, but he had to accentuate the pain and mortification by slapping it like a fucking horse on the flank. I refused to acknowledge the wet slide of fluid slipping from me to track down my thighs until it hit the tatters of my pants and underwear. If I did, I would lose my fucking shit, and I had no intention of breaking when Edie had been able to keep it together.
I thought it couldn't get worse than being sodomized in front of the others, in front of my brother, but the rapist piece of shit cackled as he walked away. "Look at that pussy all broke in and stretched out. Who's next?"
My cheeks flamed in embarrassed fury as I vowed I'd gut the sick fuck as soon as I had an opportunity. But my ass flinched at the thought of enduring more. I'd do it to save my family, but it might just kill me. How can I face any of them after this?
The first must have been the smallest, for the next made me certain that I’d never sit right again. He barely managed to grunt his way to completion before the guard declared time was up, and that we had five minutes to shower before he came back to fetch us for court. He knew damn well we wouldn’t all be making it on time, and I wasn’t sure Santos would make it at all, but we were left alone in the bathroom to straighten ourselves out.
With the agony my ass and insides were in, I wasn’t sure I could stand, but I knew I couldn’t stay there, kneeling with my junk hanging out and blood and cum leaking out of my alarmingly slack sphincter. Tony came to help me up until Marco could hobble over to take his place, then my brother immediately went for Santos, who didn’t look good at all.
“Tony, is he breathing?” I rasped out, throat dry and tight from holding in my screams. But Tony didn’t answer until we made it over to where he had Santos laid out on the floor, the shallow stab wounds in his side exposed.
When Tony applied pressure to the sluggishly bleeding punctures, a groan from our scarred-up friend and enforcer sent relief coursing through me.
“I think he’ll be alright if we can get him help,” Tony announced, voice harsh and rough with emotion. “Marco, think you can manage something?” he asked after a glance at me, one that traced my disheveled state with more than guilt or regret… There was pity too. Apparently, it was something neither of us could deal with at the moment, and I was grateful when he turned his attention elsewhere.
Marco nodded at Tony without comment, grim determination on his face as he made for the door after easing me onto the floor with a shoulder squeeze of support. I couldn’t sit flat, but I pretended that no one would notice, and at least it covered my aching ass.
* * *
Eden
The trip back to New York was a slow one. I wasn't sure that my new ID would hold up to airport security, so I had to opt for driving. Vinnie had warned me to stay low, that it wasn't safe to be recognized without security in place, so drive-thrus and pay-at-the-pump services were my new best friends.
I doubted I would be too recognizable now anyway. The picture the news outlets were circulating weren't exactly flattering, with my face gaunt and the quality grainy thanks to what appeared to be old footage of Danny's. It did make me wonder what else could be floating around if someone had the insurance videos he'd kept for blackmail. It wasn't something I could worry about, but I would be warning Vinnie about it as soon as we had a chance for a sit down.
With my nerves ramping up, I pulled into the pitted lot of the precinct where the guys were being held. I'd hoped for a chance to visit while I was there, but the first order of business was to exonerate them on the kidnapping charge. To do that, I had to find the attorneys that were supposed to meet me. No way in hell would I be walking into a police station without them. Not willingly, anyway.
After cruising around the perimeter of the lot, my attention was caught by two men standing on either side of a high-end luxury car. From what I could tell with the distance between us, they were the attorneys I was looking for. One of them stood just over the white line, holding the parking space, presumably for me, when I turned down their aisle.
As I pulled up to roll my window down, their gazes locked on me, both alert and aware enough that I briefly wondered what had them so jumpy. But let's be real, the entire city is probably sleeping with one eye open based on the news reports I've caught the last few days. When I slipped off my sunglasses, recognition lit the eyes of the man closest to me. With a nod, he gestured for his companion to step back to let me pull into the parking space.
Before I could get out on my own, the man had already come around to my door to open it for me, and despite recognizing them from the pics Vinnie had sent, it still had alarm bells ringing. The basic instinct from years of experience was hard to squash, but at least it had kept me alive. Doing my best to ignore my unease, I thanked him and stepped out, pulling my purse with me by the strap without turning my back.
He must have noticed my apprehension, for he stepped back and loosely held his hands out in plain sight. With a nod to his companion, the other man immediately went wide around the back of the sedan, letting me keep an eye on them both.
Slightly flustered that I'd been so obvious, but not a bit apologetic, I slipped my sunglasses onto my head and kept the open door between me and them.
"Miss Moretti, I'm Blaine, and this is my colleague Ezra. We're from the same firm that represents Mr. Carlotti." Seeing that I wasn't about to move, a small grin quirked one side of his lips as the other man came to stand next to him. "Just a moment, let me get him on the phone."
Almost immediately, Vinnie's familiar voice came from the speaker. "Is she there yet?" he demanded before Blaine could speak.
I decided to answer for him. "I'm here, Vinnie. Just had to be sure someone hadn't cloned your phone or kleptoed it."
With a sigh that held a hint of what I thought was amusement, Vinnie relayed his orders. "You're good, Eden, just get it over with and get home. The boys are on their way."
Wait, what? "On their way? What the fuck is going on? Why am I here if they're out?" Would Vinnie set me up? I didn't think so, not after everything, but if it came down to me or his family… My gaze flitted from one man to the other while I contemplated how quickly I could get the door shut and locked. Not that that would stop them for long if they were planning anything.
"The matter has been kept quiet until I could get them out on bail. There was an...incident, and the attorneys were able to get them released because of it. Let Blaine and Ezra fill you in. I need to get down to the house and meet them." With that evasive nonsense, he disconnected, leaving me to either go through with my end or hightail it.
"Well?" I demanded as Blaine put his phone away.
He glanced around, checking for anyone within earshot, and then dropped the news that should have been relayed immediately. "Misters Carlotti and DeLuca sustained various and substantial injuries during an altercation and have been released on house arrest pending their trial." My stomach clenched while a vise seized my spine until a sharp stabbing pain radiated through my barely healed torso. The driving and stress had taken their toll, and this wasn't helping. "Miss Moretti, are you alright?" The man—Blaine-asked with concern in his voice. He started forward when I didn't immediately answer.
"Fine,” I gasped out, forcing the air through my aching chest until I could form something more complex. "Ribs aren't used to all the activity yet. Let's get this over with. I need to get back to the estate." Seeing the guys for myself was a top priority; I didn't like how the subject of their injuries was being danced around.
Ezra finally broke his silence, obviously done with the holdup as well. "I need whatever I.D. you have on you or anything that doesn't say Eden Moretti. As far as the legal system is concerned, the only official documents you have are a social security card, a birth certificate, and an expired driver's license. Anything else you show up with is going to have them jumping to bring you up on charges. We don't need to have you arrested too." His quiet voice held a direct authority I felt inclined to listen to, one that had me doing a double-take and reassessing the pecking order. It didn't matter now, but maybe it was something to file away for later. You never knew what information could come in handy.