Conquered by the Mafia Boss

I shoot up like a rabbit and fly into the dark woods. Tree branches whip me as I hurtle through the forest, desperate to get away.

Where the fuck am I going?

I’ve no phone-no way to contact Jack and tell him where I am.

“Come back, you bitch!”

Sal’s labored breathing wheezes behind me and I dart away from him, but then a blur collides with my body and we crash heavily to the ground. I cry out in pain as one of the men lifts off me and grabs my hair, forcing me to kneel.

I stare into the endless black tunnel, and I wonder how a perfect, dark circle could bring me so much dread. The thumb moves up, cocking the gun. The metallic sound freezes my blood.

Oh God, I don’t want to die.

One of these days, you’re going to have to stand up for yourself.NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.

Jack’s powerful voice booms in my ear, and my chest swells. He’s right.

“Ready to die, princess?”

With great effort I tear my eyes from the muzzle and stare at Sal’s impassive face. “You’re not going to kill me. You need me.”

“Listen, maybe we should get rid of the bitch and bring her body there. We could tell the MC Johnny sent his guys after her and get them on our side.”

“That’s a stupid idea!” I flinch as he digs the gun into my forehead.

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” he sneers.

“The MC doesn’t give a shit about me.”

He makes a shrugging motion. “Fair point.”

“She’ll say whatever the fuck she wants to save her ass!”

“I’m not going to waste the only hostage I have. Get her up. Let’s go.”

Rough hands seize under my arms and haul me upright as despair hits my chest like a mallet.

I’m sorry, Jack. I tried!

“How the hell are we going to get into the compound without them filling us with lead?”

A smirk creeps into Sal’s voice. “I’ve been in talks with the vice president for some time. He’s not happy with Jett. Bending over backward to appease the family made him a lot of enemies. I told him if he helped me get rid of John, I’d help him whack Jett.”

The vice president? I try to dig up what I know about Reg, the lean biker with a midnight-black, stubbly beard, streaks of gray peppering his dark head. He’s one of the guys who came into power after Maya’s father was killed.

“And then what? You think they’re just going to let you skip out of there unharmed?”

“Once I’m boss, I’ll cut the MC a better deal. Something that’s way more fair. They’d be fucking stupid to refuse me.”

Shit!

A broad hand shoves my back and we stumble blindly back to the car. My brain whirs wildly, trying to think. Think! Nothing. My mind draws up a blank space of white.

Sal’s round face looks back at me. “Jesus, will you relax? You’ll be fine. Johnny is the only one I want.”

He’s lying, Jack’s voice whispers in my ear. He’s fucking lying. Fight! Do something!

I can’t do a damn thing with a gun at my back.

Bide your time. There’ll be an opportunity. Don’t freeze up.

I won’t, I tell the voice. I won’t.

JACK

“Where the fuck is she?”

A scrawny man writhes in my grip like a cat until I slam his back against the brick wall. “I’ve no idea who you’re talking about!”

“My WIFE!”

His head hits the wall with a dull thud and his hands fall from my wrist. A flash of irritation sears my body as his knees buckle and he drops to the street. He lies there, oddly still. I nudge him with my foot. Nothing.

Fuck.

“Jack, what the hell are you doing?”

Johnny peers in the alley, his eyes widening at the man crumpled at my feet.

“Maudit, Jack!” His hand wraps around my throat as he shoves me against the wall, snarling in my face. “I know you’re worried about your wife, but that does not mean you get to act like a fucking idiot.”

“I’m losing my fucking mind! Where the hell did he take her?”

He gives me one last shove and steps back from me, agitated. “I don’t know. I have no fucking clue what he’s thinking.”

The unspoken question burns my eyes. Do you think she’s dead?

No, damn it. I can’t let my mind linger on that for one second. If she’s gone, I’m not a father or a husband anymore. I’m nothing but another soldier on the street.

And I can’t go back to that.

“Come on.”

He grips my arm and steers me to the door, rapping his knuckles on the metal frame. It opens, revealing the back room of Le Zinc. It’s filled with only a few of Johnny’s most trusted members, but I swallow a line of nausea as I look at them.

“Just have a seat and try not to fucking kill anyone.”

I slump down in a chair as voices scream in my head-mostly her voice, filled with pain. My throat constricts and I check my phone again as a wave of anguish pours over me. Nothing there either.