Page 5 of Venice

“It’s new to all of us, no?” I glare at him. “We’re bounty hunters. We capture the bad guys and bring them to justice. That’s the definition of our job. Not kidnapping innocent women and holding them ransom.”

Luca places a hand on my arm, but it’s not to calm me. His grip tightens to an uncomfortable level. “If you’re out, say it.”

“I’m not out. I know it’s important to stop her parents, I just wish there was another way.”

“They won’t listen to reason. We’re out of alternatives,” says Luca.

“Nothing will happen to the girl,” I stare down each of my pack mates. “You both understand this? We hold her until we get what we want, and then we release her, unharmed.”

“And if her parents refuse to comply?” asks Marcello.

“Why would they? We’re not asking for money. This should be easy,” I say.

“Always the optimist,” says Luca. “Nothing’s easy, Emilio, remember that.”

This conversation is going nowhere, and in the meantime, poor Diva is locked in our basement, most likely terrified and confused.

Inserting the key into the lock, I glance at each of them and hold out my arm. Marcello places a tray of food on it and holds the door open for me. I hand him the key and enter. They close the door behind me and lock it with a hard click.

This basement is used often, once a month at a minimum on the full moon, but it also comes in handy when we have to hold fugitives before turning them in. I flip on the light switch and descend the narrow steps carefully. We considered installing a dumb waiter, years ago, but the guys we lock up down here would just see it as a way to escape.

At the bottom of the stairs, I pull down the flat desk that’s screwed to the wall and place the tray on it. Then I lift the heavy bolt on the door and press it inward. When we first started keeping people down here, they would push past us and try to escape up the stairs until we devised ways to deter them.

“Hello? Who’s there?” Diva’s voice rings from the room beyond.

Without answering, I transfer the tray to a table inside the door and pull it closed behind me. This is where I’d lock it from the inside if I was dealing with a fugitive instead of a terrified, innocent girl.

Diva is sitting on the bed in the far corner, and I approach cautiously. Thick metal cuffs encircle her ankles, leading to chains attached to rings secured to the wall beside the bed. But her hands are free.

Since this doubles as the room we lock ourselves in when the moon is full, I know firsthand it’s impossible to break out of.

There’s a small barred window to the left of the bed. It’s too small for anyone to fit through, so we didn’t cover it with glass. This way fresh air and a small amount of sunlight can enter. And it’s high enough so when the canal rises, our basement doesn’t usually flood.

Diva scoots back against the wall when she sees me. The light on the table next to her bed is turned on, and a book is propped upside down on the same bedside table. We left her a stack to choose from.

“Hi,” I say.

“Hi? Fuck you,” she responds.

I hide a flinch. What was I expecting? “I’m sorry, but we have to keep you here. Hopefully, it’ll just be for a couple of days.”

“Imprison me, you mean? Who are you, and why am I locked up in here?”

“It’s a long story, but there’s something we need, and you’re the key to getting it. We don’t plan on hurting you.”

“Sweet talker.” She narrows her pale blue eyes.

I take a moment to assess her. The girl is incredibly tiny. I suppose she’d be called petite if clothing terms were used, but she seems even smaller than that. Almost frail. But she can’t be; as a trapeze artist, she has to be incredibly strong.

Her white hair is so fine it reminds me of softly spun silk, and her face is just as pale. Almost as if she’s a porcelain doll come to life. Her eyes are piercing, a blue so pale they’re almost white and remind me of ice chips. My gaze stops on those heart-shaped lips, so perfectly pouty that I want to kiss them. I want to gather this woman up in my arms and kiss her entire body. What is wrong with me?

“Well?” She points to the tray I left next to the door. “Is that for me?”

“Yes, yes.” I stand, flustered, and try to bring myself back under control. This woman is utterly spellbinding. How does she have this kind of effect on me?

Chapter Six

Diva