“I’ll be fine,” she says determinedly. She straightens her back and stares into my eyes, letting me see the fierce truth. This woman has been through some hell. She’ll be okay.
“I need to go, but I’ll be back before she wakes up. You should get some sleep,” I tell her.
“You’ll handle him?” she asks.
“He won’t be a problem anymore,” I promise her cooly.
She nods, “Good. Make him pay.”
“Don’t worry about him. He’s out of your lives forever.”
“Thank you.” She doesn’t look fearful of me. She looks relieved and vengeful.
“Lock the door behind me,” I tell her on my way out.
She doesn’t question how I’ll get back in. She just nods and follows me to the door.
I leave to carry out my promise.
He’s going to pay.
Chapter 20
Roman
I splash cold water over the fucker dangling from the ceiling by the chains on his hands. Leo sputters and coughs, waking up. When his eyes land on me, he recoils.
“What the fuck? What’s going on?” he groans out in pain, the beating he took obvious. But the dried blood and crooked nose barely satisfy me.
I need him to feel my wrath.
“We’re going to have a little chat,” I tell him.
He pales, then gets a spark in his eyes.
“I know who you are, Roman Montclair. I hear things. You’re a bad man. You kill people. Torture them. Cecilia will hate you when she finds out,” he threatens me.
“Ifshe finds out. And if she does, it’ll only be on my terms,” I correct him.
“I’ll tell her. As soon as I get out, I’ll go to her,” he continues.
“IfI let you out. And even if I do, you’re never speaking to her again,” I growl, and the memory of her passed out, drugged resurfaces.
“You can’t stop me,” he taunts, but there’s tremble in his voice.
“I can kill you. Then you can’t speak to anyone ever again. Then you can’t drug and rape any more women,” I spit out, then throw my fist. The crunch as it collides with his ribs soothes me just barely.
I need to make him pay.
He howls in pain, but it’s not enough.
“I didn’t drug anyone. She had too much to drink,” he cries out.
“You’re a fucking liar and a rapist. She only drank water.” I slap his face, knowing how much more demeaning it is than a punch. And how painful it’ll be on his broken nose. “Be a man and own it.”
“So, what if I did? It was my birthday. She’s been leading me on for years. She just needed a little encouragement. If you hadn’t been there, she’d be mine by now.” The evil gleam in his eyes steels my heart.
I’ve had many men in this room, some more deserving than others, but their eyes always give away their worth. And this scum, this filth, is worthless.