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In a coma? Brain aneurysm?
What the heck? After all that time Kyle had spent in recovery, now he was back in the hospital again and in a comatose state?
After she called their manager, her biggest fears were confirmed once again. Now a part of her chest wouldn't stop aching, and she even felt like throwing up.
But they had to keep going. She seriously had to get to the airport now. She wanted to get back to New York before something worse happened to Kyle. Veronica kept repeating the pleading prayers in her head, desperate to hear better news in the next couple of hours.
She wouldn't get the definite details unless she was physically there at the hospital, talking to Kyle's doctors again. So, she really had to hop on a flight back home now. Before the worst happened.
Dear God... Why...
She wou
•A concrete barrier.Gray, thick, solid, and almost murderous.For about a second or two, she imagined it would be the end. Their untimely demise. How their life stories would be written off...It took her breath away, seeing it all happen before their eyes. She just didn't think a boring stretch of cement would almost end her and her baby's life today—instead of the loaded gun she held the first minute she'd woken up.Nor did she imagine she would get into a car accident with Théo behind the wheel...and in a foreign country, at that. He never drove recklessly. Never.This morning, though, he was just distracted all throughout, acting oddly rattled by something and the mere sight of that SUV tailing them eventually became too much for him to handle.Veronica exhaled a delayed sigh of relief amid the numbing shock. Her unease doubled as she
• Lido di Ostia Beach, Rome •It wasn't a simple detour.The armed and masked men drove them farther from the airport until she saw the beach. She didn't need to use Google Maps to confirm they were driving into Ostia, a beautiful beach town near the city.She'd seen the road signs and some photos online the other night while she was Googling tourist spots here in Italy and near Rome. Too bad she didn't have her phone right now.She would do much more than look at photos if only she kept her cellphone in her coat pocket. As in call the cops, an ambulance, or someone nearby who could get them out of here, and let them know she and her ex got kidnapped by armed men who might just be drug dealers and mobsters...Darn it. Her purse and luggage. It all got left behind. Her handbag was in the passenger seat of the rental car.
•What did he mean? Why ask if she knew what Théo did to Anastasia?What exactly did he want or expect to hear from her?"I don't...know what you want me to say," Veronica murmured while she tried not to scowl at the guy again.Still sitting before her, Rafa continued to stare at her face and into her eyes, as if gauging whether she had the guts to lie to his face. "Did he tell you where he met Ana?""No.""Where do you think they met?"She scoffed and turned her face away from his, her hands itching to shove him so she would no longer have to put up with his alcohol and cigarettes-smelling breath. It was making her quite nauseous already. "I don't know. We don't talk about your sister.""Again, I find that hard to believe, Via." Rafa stroked her hair and leaned even closer to her. "Look. I don't hurt people, especial
•Being treated like a helpless hostage in a foreign country was starting to trick her brain into thinking the experience wasn't so bad. The supposed mastermind of it all wasn't so bad, either.Maybe it was just Stockholm syndrome kicking in. Maybe not. Too early to tell. Maybe she was just overwhelmed with relief that she was still breathing on her own, with her body parts still intact and not chopped into ugly, unrecognizable pieces.Her hands were cuffed and her mouth was duct-taped shut to keep her from screaming for help, but at least the guy wasn't physically torturing her or giving her a deadly beating.Plus, he didn't blindfold her this time. Was it a sign that he trusted her to some degree? It seemed so."Don't run off."With her lips shut tight by thick, sticky stape, Veronica could only give him a slight nod in reply.&nb
•A bargaining chip.Whatever it was that Rafa wanted from Théo, she just realized that she would be used as a potential concession in the scenario.It seemed it had a lot to do with Théo and Anastasia's new relationship, and then some other issues Veronica couldn't figure out yet. Why the girl's brother thought Théo had "answers", she didn't know for sure.Also, Rafa just told her Théo had a multitude of secrets. It sounded suspicious and somewhat...sensible. Veronica couldn't help but mull over it. She wanted to think the guy just had too much to drink or had an exceptionally shitty week, thus the paranoia exaggerating his opinions of his sister's new boyfriend.But after everything that'd happened in the past few months, she felt like she should give Rafa the benefit of the doubt. Maybe Théo actually had deep, dark s
•Maybe? Just "maybe"?Was he actually planning to hurt her and Théo if he didn't get what he wanted? Did he tell his men to beat up Théo if he didn't talk?Veronica tried to ignore the twinge of panic creeping into her chest again, making her wary of the guy's next move.Rafa just left the room. He told her to stay in bed but didn't tell her where he was going. What was he up to? Was he going to talk to Théo now? Torture him till he got the answers he needed?With bated breath, she followed suit and kept her steps as quiet as possible. The hallway remained dim, and the house was still quiet. The entire house seemed to be dim. No lights left on. No sunlight passing through the windows because of the drawn blinds.Where the heck did they all go?Wherever Rafa was going, she was pretty sure he wa
7 days left•He wanted to die.A quick, easy death if possible.But him dying today wouldn't turn back time, unfortunately. Dying in the hands of some paranoid, filthy rich scumbag wouldn't undo everything. Théo swore in his head. It wouldn't undo the unspeakable horrors he let happen to the love of his life.Just the thought of that evil bastard touching Veronica with his bare hands was enough to make his blood churn with the damning urge to kill. Slit the bastard's throat. Shoot them all dead.Théo sat still, his entire torso still duct-taped to the chair. He let his aching head hang low while he pretended to be unconscious.One of the masked men was still in the room, pacing by the door with a handgun strapped to his hip.
Minutes earlier • 1. Agree to the guy's deal. 2. Help convince Théo to talk. 3. Beg for their freedom and convince Rafa that she wouldn't talk to the cops. 4. Get Théo to the ER before she buys the plane tickets. 5. Go see Kyle in the hospital. It sounded like a doable plan. Highly risky, but still doable. Their ticket out of here required her to be smart. Act fast but smart. To think on her feet but also to quickly recall what were at stake. If it meant she had to play mind games with their captor, then she would do what it takes to get her and Théo out of this country alive. She had already agreed to Raffaele's proposition. He said he wanted her to help him convince Théo that he had to talk and give him the answers he needed. She didn't know jack