EP9

Richard strode over to her and grabbed the man by the arm, shaking him a little.

"Where's the camera? Photograph? Did you see what happened to it?"

"I don't know. He got away with the damn thing.

Shit. Then he should still have it.

Letting go of the man, Richard turned on his heel and exited the slaughterhouse. He needed to find that camera... that photograph... he needed to find it before it fell into the wrong hands. As long as Alex had this kind of material, he was to blame too.

There would be no questions about it.

His story would be legitimate, and it would mean that the escalating war could now be averted.It wouldn't work, and it would mean that the Fontanas were useless in the Moretti neighborhood. They needed to be dealt with as quickly and quickly as possible.

"Hey! Where are you going? The man called after him.

He shouted over his shoulder, "You've already got your money."

"That was good information."

Richard nodded again. "Think about getting some rest."

With this, he partially changed to scare the man. The man behind him let out a choked breath. His cane hit the concrete floor with a loud clatter.

Richard hurriedly turned to Alex.

He needed to talk to her right away about this camera and the so-called photo he had taken... he needed to make sure this guy hadn't been blowing smoke up his ass for the past half hour.

Richard could feel his heart beating fast. If it was true that the Fontanas started all this by killing Jimmy, that would mean innocent people would die. It's not this back and forth that they've been living for a while that feels like forever.

A storm was approaching, and Richard could feel his eye slowly starting to move south.

As Alex continued to pull the Thread, he could feel the thread burning. As soon as Richard's footsteps disappeared in the corridor, his heart began to pound.

Now that the man was distracted by something else, this was his chance to escape. But damn, he tied the rope well.

He's never been one to be impressed with his node skills, especially since he didn't really care how he got in and out of them in the first place. Being a knot breaker was never something she would use to describe herself.

But now that he was in this predicament, he wished he was. Or at least some savvy in figuring out how to properly exit any kind of restriction.

Alex groaned as he leaned back in the chair and sighed to himself.

Even though he didn't tie the rope very tightly around his wrists, it was enough for him to feel that it was impossible to get rid of it now that he was tugging on the rope so much. He was visibly tighter, and his fingers were tingling.

He wiggled his fingers, grimacing at the electric current running through them.

Looking around, Alex couldn't help feeling a slight panic begin to settle over him.

What would happen to him? Richard seemed like the kind of man who would do whatever he wanted to get what he wanted. So what exactly did this mean for his future? He wasn't sure. When dealing with crowds and blows like this, you always had to play the long game or you would be defeated as soon as you started to feel comfortable.

Maybe she could try to seduce Richard into letting her go. He knew that under the right circumstances, he was as handsome as he was attractive. And while he was rude to her, he hadn't been cruel.

Apart from the bully who appeared at his door and demanded answers from him, there was another side… perhaps a gentler… side to him.

Maybe that's what he was addressing. Something to soften him up a bit so he can run away and hide before I can catch him again.

It would be risky, but God knows how long it was better than sticking with it. Or he was sold to learn about what he witnessed.

Although Richard seemed like the kind of man who would shy away from doing that, he didn't want to leave anything to chance.

She might hate herself for finally giving her body to a man she doesn't trust... a bully aside... but that might be the only way she'll ever get out of this mess in one piece.

The sound of footsteps towards his room made him open his eyes and sit up straight. Signs that someone had opened his door and let it open made his heart pound in his chest.

This is.

He exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself.

Richard closed the door behind him, the latch clicking softly from across the room with a softness he could detect with his good hearing.He walked slowly to the bathroom, stopping in front of the door so that he could be shaded in the shadows. It made her heart stutter, her silhouette even tall and frightening from here.

He walked into the room and sat next to the chair next to the bed. He took a deep breath as he bent over him... the woody scent filling his nostrils and warming his body. Alex was even more confused as to why he was smelling something else, like the one you would smell if you were in a wildlife sanctuary. It wasn't unpleasant, in fact, the smell made him feel safe and protected.

She felt her fingers pull the rope around her wrists, tugging until it came loose.He was so shocked that he blinked, it was all he could do.

When you pull the tape from your mouth, does it let me go?

The thought seemed unimaginably surreal.

She watched him intently, leaning her back on the seat and rubbing her wrists where her skin felt raw. Eventually, he would have to lather up the aching skin with lotion to soothe it, but for now, he was glad he was no longer bound.

Richard studied her with an almost serious expression. His eyes slowly traveled all over her face as he studied every inch of her face. It made Alex feel strangely exposed. He wasn't even quite sure it was there, as if he was looking for something to focus on.