Mario's POV I didn’t sleep.Even though they gave me a private hospital room guarded by an officer outside the door and even though the nurses were kind and the bed was warm, I couldn’t close my eyes.Every time I tried, I saw the bridge. Felt the fall. Heard the splash.And then there was Mario.How was I supposed to testify against my own husband?The door creaked open around dawn, and I turned my head, bleary-eyed. It was Detective Harris, holding two cups of coffee. He shut the door behind him softly and offered one to me.“I know it’s early,” he said. “But we didn’t want to waste time.”I took the cup with shaky hands. “You’re really not letting this go, huh?”Detective Harris leaned forward, his voice lowering with sincerity.“What you say in court won’t just stop Kosta and his goons. It’ll put an end to a chain of horrors. Things that go far beyond what happened to you. Kosta Mafia's ring is one of the largest, if we're able to shut it down, a lot of his men will spill, that w
Sylvia's POV The rough hands grabbed me without mercy, yanking the bag tighter over my head. I couldn’t see anything, just darkness pressing in, muffling the world. I fought to breathe steady, heart hammering like a trapped animal.I was shoved forward, my feet stumbling on the cold floor as they hauled me out of the room. Their heavy boots clanged around me, and the sharp smell of sweat and cheap cologne stung my nostrils. Rough voices barked orders, grunting as they lifted me, slamming me into the backseat of a car. The door slammed shut with a loud thud.The engine roared to life. The vehicle lurched forward, tires crunching on gravel. My body bounced against the seatbelt, every jolt bringing a fresh wave of pain and panic. The road beneath us went from smooth pavement to a rough, uneven trail, the car jerking and rattling like it was driving over untarred road.The men muttered between themselves, their voices low but filled with menace.“Should we wash her down in bleach? Get ri
Sylvia’s POVKosta was sitting across the room, a slow, cruel grin spreading across his face as he watched the screen flicker with the video I had just made. I felt degraded and humiliated, forced to say words I never imagined I’d speak.I could still feel the burn of shame crawling across my skin, every forced syllable scraping at my soul like a razor.When the recording ended, Kosta abruptly stopped the camera and pushed me back onto the bed. The chains rattled as he clamped my wrists again, locking me tightly. Kosta stood, picked up the camera, and pulled a chair from the corner, sitting down to watch my humiliation again. His eyes were dark, filled with something like hunger. Slowly, he undid the button on his pants. The zipper crept down, revealing his already hard cock. He spat into his palm with a wet, hollow sound and began stroking himself while his gaze never left the screen.The noise was disgusting, wet, rough, relentless. His hand moved in slow strokes, gripping, squeezi
Content Warning:This chapter contains mature themes, including psychological, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, captivity, violence, and non-consensual situations. It is intended for readers aged 18 and above. If you find these topics distressing, please consider your comfort and skip this chapter.SYLVIA'S POVThe room was cold and I couldn't stop from shaking. I was now chained to a bed, my hands shackled with my legs spread, restrained, humiliated. There was no escaping. My chest was bare, angry red marks crossing my skin.My wrists throbbed from where I’d fought the chains earlier, tugging and twisting until the metal bit into flesh. But I’d stopped hours ago. Or maybe minutes. I'd lost all concept of time in this place. I lay still now, defeated, the fight wrung out of me.Tears had dried in uneven streaks down my cheeks. My hair clung to my face in limp, sticky strands. I couldn’t remember the last time I blinked without pain, or the last breath that didn’t feel like it sc
Mario’s POVThe man let out a strangled gasp, folding like paper, dropping to his knees.I used his body as leverage, springing up just enough to drive my shoulder into the second guy’s chest. He staggered back with a grunt, but he didn’t fall. The third one grabbed me from behind, trying to lock his arms around my neck, but I dipped my chin and slammed my head backward into his nose.Crack.He howled, blood spurting down my neck.The second his body hit the ground, I lunged for the alley.Pain radiated through my ribs, my skull felt like it was cracked in half, and my wrists were still bound, but I had a chance to escape.“Stop him!” someone shouted behind me.Footsteps scrambled in pursuit, but I didn’t look back. My focus was ahead, on the chain-link fence that separated this alley from the main road. On the other side, I could already see traffic slowing, horns honking in confusion at the flashing lights and wailing sirens.If I could make it over, just get lost in the crowd.A bu
Mario’s POVI forced my eyes open against the pounding in my skull, a dull throb that got more painful with each heartbeat. For a moment, all I could register was pain, hot, sharp, and blinding behind my eyes. I groaned and shifted, the cold floor making my body ache.Where the hell was I?The room was dim, and empty, an old warehouse, maybe with cracked cement walls, rusted support beams, and air thick with the stench of oil and mildew. I sat up slowly, my vision swimming. No chains. No ropes. I wasn’t tied down.But my head…I reached back and hissed as my fingers grazed something wet and sticky. Blood. It coated the nape of my neck, soaking into the collar of my shirt. My stomach twisted. The hit must’ve been clean, enough to knock me out cold but not kill me.“Shit,” I muttered, dragging myself upright and leaning against the wall to steady my legs.I touched the back of my head again and winced. Probably a concussion. My thoughts were scattered, skipping like a scratched record.
Mario's POV Vasquez eyes rolled back, his breaths coming out in wet, choking gasps. He was slipping fast, and I knew he wouldn’t be able to answer me. I yanked the knife free and shoved him toward the edge of the dock, his body hitting the water with a heavy splash. The dark waves swallowed him whole, ripples spreading out.I wiped the blood from my hands, heart pounding as I took his place by the shipping container. I tugged the hood lower over my face, leaning back against the metal as Vasquez’s phone buzzed in my pocket.Unknown Number.I took a deep breath, forced my heartbeat to slow, and answered, keeping my voice low and gruff. "Yeah?""Vasquez? You got eyes on the girl?"I swallowed hard, my mind racing. "Yeah. Still have her.""Good. Kosta’s expecting you to bring her to the warehouse tonight. No fuck-ups this time. You hear me?""Loud and clear," I said, my pulse thundering. "I’ll bring her."The line went dead. I shoved the phone back into my pocket, my mind spinning. They
Mario's POVI couldn’t breathe. The screen had gone black, but the image of Sylvia, broken, bleeding, barely conscious burned in my mind. Twenty-four hours. That was all the time I had. And if I failed, they'd send her back in pieces."Darren, we need to move. Now," I said, my voice sharp. My hands were shaking as I shoved my phone into my pocket, my mind scrambling to formulate a plan.Darren was still hunched over his laptop, his eyes darting across the screen, fingers flying over the keys. "I’m tracing the number," he said, jaw clenched. "It’s a burner. No way to pinpoint the exact location, but... wait. Got it. The video was uploaded from a location near the harbor.""That’s Kosta’s territory," I muttered, my jaw tightening. Of course, it was. The bastard was flaunting his power, showing me he had Sylvia in his clutches and daring me to do something about it."If we go in now, we’re walking straight into a trap," Darren said, pushing back from the table. "They’ll be expecting you.
Mario's POV The adrenaline from my conversation with Darren still thrummed in my veins as I left the Airbnb. I was going to blow up Kosta's entire operation and sever my ties with the mafia once and for all. This was my chance. My only chance. If it worked, I’d be free. If it didn’t, I’d be dead.The streets outside were quieter than I expected, a few stray cars rolling by, headlights slicing through the dark. I adjusted the hoodie over my head, pulling the strings tight, and walked down the street, Darren’s words echoing in my mind."You’re playing a dangerous game, Santiago. Kosta’s no fool. If he even suspects you’re sniffing around, he’ll have you buried in a ditch before sunrise."I knew that. But it didn’t change a damn thing.I rounded the corner and headed toward a small internet cafe, one of the few places where the cameras were either broken or covered in grime thick enough to keep prying eyes blind. I stepped inside, the scent of burnt coffee and stale air hitting me hard.