Isabella’s POV
My head felt like it was splitting in half.
The first thing I noticed was the sharp, metallic taste in my mouth, and then the ache in my wrists—bound tight with rope. The second thing I noticed was the silence. Not the kind of silence that felt safe, but the kind that pressed heavy, that warned me I wasn’t supposed to be here.
When I opened my eyes, the world was blurred at first, shadows bleeding into one another. Then it cleared, and my stomach dropped.
A long table. Men in black suits, thick arms folded, eyes sharp like wolves circling prey. Cigarette smoke curled lazily in the air, mixing with the sharp smell of vodka and leather. Guns glinted under the dim lights.
And in the middle of it all—sitting directly across from me like a king on his throne—was him.
I didn
