chapter THIRTY-NINE
When I left my office for the day, I took Ms. Carmen’s file, which contained copies of the articles about the premiere. They would be proof to back up my suspicion that Samuel was somehow behind the theft. I knew Vittorio would not easily believe such a thing of his best friend.
While I walked back to my car, my power suddenly flared up. I stopped dead in my tracks, and had enough time to think ‘something’s wrong’ before someone grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth. The person shoved me into the backseat of a car, causing me to hit my head on the window, then tore out of the parking lot.
When I shook off the pain, I realized someone was in the backseat with me. It was Samuel. “What the hell?”
I tried to get away, but the rear door seemed to have child-proof locks, and he tied my hands behind my back and draped some kind of amulet around my neck. “Now you won’t be able to call to your precious Vittorio for help. That amulet will block you from using any of your powers.”
I tried, but couldn’t feel my connection to Vittorio. Shit. My Smith and Wesson Model 10 was in the holster at the small of my back. Before I could even think about trying to aim it with my hands tied, Samuel took it from me. I wondered how he had known about it, or if he was just being extra cautious.
Neal drove and Elizabeth sat in the front seat glaring at me. “Sounds like you’ve been having a lot of fun with Vittorio. He was supposed to be mine, you little bitch.”
“Excuse me?” How the hell did she know about that? Had Vittorio told Samuel? He didn’t strike me as the kiss and tell type.
“Your weak little friend told us.”
Kevin! “What did you do to him?”
“He’s alive; don’t worry. Neal saw him go into your house and decided he might be useful.”
They had been stalking me? “He wouldn’t have told you anything on his own. What did you do to him?”
“Nothing that won’t heal. A little torture is good for a person’s character.”
I was going to be sick.
My cell phone rang, and Samuel got it out of my purse. “Here’s your little lovebird calling now. Why don’t you talk to him?” Samuel flipped open the phone and held it to my ear.
“Elena, what is wrong? I cannot reach you with my thoughts.”
“Get away from here. Leave town. Now. Just go. Don’t worry about me.”
Samuel backhanded me across the face.
“Please, just go,” I sobbed.
“Elena, where are you?”
Samuel took the phone from my ear. “She’s perfectly safe here with me, Vittorio. If you do as I say, that is. If you don’t, we’ll see if she holds up as well as her friend Kevin did.”
A string of curses resonated from the phone. I never would have imagined my proper Vittorio capable of such language.
“You might want to calm down, friend. You don’t know what will anger me. Now, here’s what I want you to do. Meet me at The Chapel in an hour. I’ll take you to Elena from there. And you better come alone.”
“Don’t do it, Vittorio!” I shouted, knowing it was hopeless.
Samuel backhanded me again; this time I tasted blood.
“You know I can control my power now. Stay away from them!” I yelled to Vittorio. Never mind the fact that the amulet somehow blocked my power. Vittorio didn’t need to know that. I didn’t care what happened to me. I just wanted to keep him safe.
“Your little pet is a brave one, my friend. What she isn’t telling you is we’ve placed a power-blocking amulet on her. She’s completely helpless. The Chapel. One hour.” Samuel ended the call.
“You bastard. You backstabbing a*shole. Vittorio trusted you.” I spat in his face.
“All the worse for him. And you, it seems,” he said, wiping the spit away with a handkerchief.
“I knew you were up to something, but Vittorio assured me I could trust you.”
“Loyalty has always been his downfall. And now you’re going to pay for his loyalty.”
“And you’re going to pay for stealing my man,” Elizabeth said.
“He was never your man. You never had a chance in hell with him.”
“Watch your mouth, slut,” she said as she twirled a knife in her hands. “You wouldn’t want to lose anything important, now, would you? What would your dear Vittorio think of you then?”
A woman scorned, men battling for power, and me in the middle of it all, defenseless. There was no way Samuel would let Vittorio waltz in and rescue me, so I was going to have to figure this one out on my own.