Chapter 19

Pain.

It slithered through Valentina's body like a slow-burning poison, creeping into every muscle, every nerve.

The world swayed around her, distant and unfocused. A dull pounding filled her skull—no, not just her skull. Footsteps. Heavy. Measured.

Coming closer.

Her arms ached, stretched above her head, wrists bound in iron cuffs. The air was damp, thick with the scent of rust and rot.

A basement. A prison.

A predator's den.

And she was the prey.

---

The Devil's Amusement

A flickering light buzzed overhead, barely illuminating the room. The metal chair beneath her was ice-cold, the shackles biting into her skin.

She wasn't alone.

Lorenzo was across from her, tied to a chair, head hanging low, his dark hair matted with blood. His shirt was torn, exposing deep bruises and fresh cuts.

They'd worked him over.

But he was breathing.

Good.

Valentina tested the cuffs around her wrists, twisting, searching for weakness.

A chuckle broke the silence.

"Still fighting, Rossi?"

Dante.

He stepped into the light, dressed in his usual tailored suit, but there was nothing polished about the way he looked at her.

Like she was a game.

Like he was already imagining how he would break her.

Valentina lifted her chin, giving him a smirk despite the throbbing in her skull. "Disappointed I'm still alive?"

Dante's lips twitched. "Not at all. You're much more fun this way."

His gaze slid to Lorenzo. "Though I can't say the same for your lover."

Lorenzo let out a low, dark laugh.

Slowly, he lifted his head, blood dripping down his cheek, his piercing blue eyes burning with pure, unfiltered murder.

"You should've killed me when you had the chance."

Dante hummed. "Maybe. But where's the fun in that?"

Then he pulled out a knife.

---

A Game of Pain

The first cut was shallow.

Valentina barely flinched.

Dante tsked. "You always were a stubborn little thing."

The blade pressed deeper, slicing through the fabric of her shirt, just above her ribs.

Lorenzo's muscles tensed against his restraints, his jaw clenched tight enough to shatter. "Touch her again, and I'll make sure your body is never found."

Dante smiled. "That's the reaction I was looking for."

He turned the knife in his hand, considering. "See, I could kill you both right now. But that would be such a waste."

He leaned in, his breath hot against Valentina's ear. "I think I'd rather watch you break first."

Valentina met his gaze, dark amusement glinting in her eyes. "Then you're in for a long fucking wait."

Dante's smirk faltered.

Then he slammed the knife into her thigh.

She sucked in a sharp breath, pain exploding through her body—but she didn't scream.

She wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

Lorenzo, on the other hand—

The sound that tore from his throat was pure, unrestrained fury.

His restraints strained, the chair beneath him groaning under the force of his rage. "I will kill you."

Dante sighed, pulling the blade free, blood dripping onto the floor. "I do love a dramatic man."

He wiped the knife clean and turned to his men. "Break them."

Then he walked away.

And the real pain began.

---

A Predator's Instinct

Hours passed. Maybe longer.

Valentina's world blurred in and out of focus. Pain became her new companion, wrapping around her like a second skin.

She'd lost count of how many times they'd struck her. How many times they'd tried to get a reaction.

Lorenzo hadn't been spared either.

His face was bloodied, his body slumped forward—but his eyes never wavered.

They were watching. Calculating.

Waiting.

For what?

Then she saw it.

The knife.

One of Dante's men, cocky and careless, had left it too close. Just outside Lorenzo's reach.

Almost.

Valentina lifted her head, locking eyes with him.

A silent message passed between them.

Now.

Lorenzo lunged.

The chair snapped beneath him as he yanked forward, metal creaking, his bindings loosening just enough—

The guard reacted too late.

Lorenzo's teeth sank into his throat.

Blood sprayed. The man screamed.

Then silence.

Valentina smirked.

Now things were interesting.

---

Unhinged

Lorenzo moved like a beast unleashed.

The knife was in his hands before the others could react, slicing through his remaining restraints.

The first man went down with a gurgle.

The second barely had time to draw his gun before Lorenzo buried the blade into his chest.

Valentina's pulse pounded.

She'd never found him more beautiful than in that moment—feral, deadly, drenched in blood.

Then he turned to her.

A flick of his wrist, and the knife was in her lap.

"Can you stand?" he rasped.

"Try and stop me."

She cut through her restraints, shoving herself up on shaky legs. The wound in her thigh protested, but she didn't care.

Pain meant she was still alive.

And she was about to make Dante regret leaving them breathing.

She grabbed a gun from one of the bodies, cocking it with ease.

Lorenzo smirked, wiping blood from his mouth. "You ready, Rossi?"

Valentina's grin was pure sin. "I was born ready."

Then they stepped into the darkness, together.