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Indigo swayed to the music, peeling off layers until she was
dressed only in a lace bra and panties. Luca watched her like a starving man,
his breath growing ragged. One hand dropped down from behind his head, and he
began touching himself, stroking in time to her movements. Feeling his
attention changing, Indigo climbed on the bed, trailing the boa over his chest
as she writhed above him. She climbed down lower, pushing his hand away from
his cock, and taking him in her mouth. This would normally be the part when
she’d hide inside herself. Not now.

She needed all her focus to do this.

Luca’s breath was ragged, the muscles of his legs tensed,
when Indigo finally let go. She moved up onto him, straddling his hips. She
took hold of Luca’s hands, pushing them above his head, and kissed him. For a
split-second, she could feel him resist, but she didn’t stop. For all that he
liked to be in charge – liked to tie her up, and use the whip – he liked
Indigo
in charge
even more.

She kissed him hard, her body hovering in position, as she
held his wrists above his head. He was playing along, letting her do this to
him, and the second he relaxed, she let go with one hand, reaching over to the side
table, and groping for the cuffs. In a rush, she slapped the cuff around his
wrist attaching it to the corner post of the bed, then reaching for the second
cuff.

Luca was faster; he grabbed hold of her arm, fingers tight.

“What the fuck?” he snorted. He glanced up, squirming for a
moment, then chuckling. “Take it off.”

Indigo moved backward, out of his grip. He had one arm
stretched out above his head, the other sitting loosely on the sheets next to
him. Luca’s smile twisted sardonically.

“Indigo,” he said dryly. “I’m happy to play your games, but
you’re
going to be the one tied up.” He shook the cuff, the first flicker of
annoyance appearing behind his features. “Take it off.”

 Indigo climbed off the bed, adrenaline rushing through
her. She needed the other cuff on to hold him, but she’d been too slow. He was
held in place,
for now,
but he wouldn’t stay like that for long. Time
was running out.

“I can’t,” she said calmly.

“What?” he coughed, his tone changing to indignation.

“I need you to tell me where Jude Alden is.”

Luca struggled until he sat upright, one arm linked to the
wooden headboard.

“You stupid bitch,” he sneered, “uncuff me right
now
!”

“I need to know what happened to Jude,” she said
tremulously. “I
know
he was working for King!”

Luca turned to the bed, struggling furiously against the
handcuff for a few seconds. When he turned back toward her, his eyes were
narrowed, face piggish with fury.

“Uncuff me!”

“I will!” Indigo cried, voice breaking. “I promise, I will,
but
only
when you tell me what happened to Jude!”

Luca went still for several seconds, the muscle in his jaw
jumping.

“Or you’ll do
what
?” he growled. “Cut me up? Torture
me?” He let out an angry laugh. “You won't do it. You're too weak. Ungrateful
cunt!”

“Where’s Jude!”

Her hands had risen into fists, but she could feel tears
ready to fall. Everything was fucked, and there was no way she was going to get
out of this. Luca’d find her, and hurt her.
She’d seen him do it before!

“Let me
go
!” he ordered.

“Tell me where Jude is!”

Luca jerked hard, and the bedframe groaned. A trickle of
blood drew a line down the inside of his wrist. Indigo swallowed hard, seeing
it. There’d been so much blood with Rocco.

“You let me go,” he said coldly, “or I’ll make you regret
this.”

“I… I can’t!” she stammered.

There was a sudden rush of motion as Luca tugged and flailed
against the creaking bed. The cuff held. When he turned back to her, his face
was flushed almost purple.

“You owe me your fucking life!” Luca roared. “I took you off
the street! I took you in! Fuck! I even killed Rocco for you!
You owe me!
”

Indigo moved closer, anger pushing away her fear.

“That’s a lie!” she yelled. “You killed Rocco for your own
reasons too! I was just a good excuse!” Luca’s eyes widened, but Indigo wasn’t finished.
Her voice was shrill, body shaking with years of rage. “You’re
not
the
only mobster I ever fucked,” she screamed. “And you’re
not
the only one
who ever talked. Everyone wanted to know who killed Rocco, and everyone thought
it was King! And you never,
ever
changed that!”

She wiped a trembling hand over her lips, stepping back a
pace. Luca was motionless. He stared at her with a different expression now:
distrust. Seeing it, Indigo smiled angrily.

“You’re the one who owes me,” she said coldly. “Now where is
Jude?”

Luca twisted against the chain, another line of blood
joining the first.

“Stupid shit is probably in the bottom of the river by now,”
he scoffed. “Mind you, they won’t find him. They
never
do.”

Indigo wavered in place, vision swimming.

“What did you do?” she gasped.

 “I didn’t do a fucking thing!” he snapped. “
Now
uncuff me!”

Luca tugged hard against the corner post of the bed, the
frame groaning. Indigo stumbled backward another step, her hands and legs numb.

“I… I don't believe you,” she cried. “I don’t—”

“Patel was supposed to bring Jude in,” Luca snapped, “but
the stupid kid ran. Patel shot him in the back.” He paused, struggling against
the cuff. The bedframe squealed as he lunged and pulled like a dog on a leash.
“Now uncuff me, Indigo, or I swear to God you’re gonna wish you had!”

Indigo stumbled, going to her knees. Clothes lay scattered
on the floor around her, the bag of toys tipped over on its side.

“You killed him,” she whimpered. “You did it.”

Luca turned, putting his hand around the cuff and heaving.
The bed lurched sideways with a squeal, mattress shifting, but the cuff held.

“Patel! Not me,” he snarled. “Now uncuff me!”

Indigo looked up. Her face had lost the fear of seconds
before. Her eyes were empty, like a doll’s.

“No.”

Luca stared at her, fury twisting his features into a
monster rather than a man.

“What’re you gonna do, Indigo? Think this through.
Think!”
he raged. “You’re a fucking whore who is about to cross the second-most
powerful man in the mob. You think you’re gonna walk away from this? You think
you can start over? We’ll find you.
I’ll find you!”

Indigo reached out for Luca’s coat where it lay on the floor
next to her knees.

“You won’t,” she said dully. “Because you’ll be dead.”

She rifled through the pockets, dropping the cash onto the
floor, then checking the inside. At the side of the room, Luca had begun
dragging the heavy bed inch by inch toward her, the wooden frame shifting and
cracking with each lurching step. Indigo’s hand slid into the last pocket, pulling
out the gun Luca’d taken from the table at The Vault. She lifted it up, turning
off the safety the way she’d seen Luca do.

Luca stopped moving, eyes wild.

“You won't do it,” he hissed. “You’re not strong enough!
You're a nobody, Indigo! A
nothing!
I’m the one who gave you a life!
You’re just a—”

“You’re
wrong!
” she screamed, lip curling. She stood
from the floor, stepping toward him and pointing the gun at the center of his
chest. “I was
always
something, only you never saw it. You’re the one
who made me a whore! You’re the one who took my life away!” She cocked the gun.
“And I’m just starting to build it again.”

Luca sprang forward, the bed post shattering like kindling.
He slammed into Indigo, taking them both to the floor, the gun hitting the
ground and discharging, deafening them. In the strange silence that followed
the gunfire, everything seemed to shift into slow motion. Indigo kicked and
thrashed, trying desperately to get away, but Luca’s hands were a vise around
her neck. The room had just begun to fade when the door of the apartment
exploded inward, banging against the wall. Luca’s hands released, and Indigo
began to gasp.

“This is the
police
!” a voice on a megaphone ordered.
“Put your hands on your head!”

Luca sat up, reaching for something on the floor.

“Hands on your head!” the man roared, “
or I will shoot!
”

Indigo rolled to the side, coughing, while a team of
uniformed officers swarmed the apartment. Luca was forced to lay down, face
first, on the ground, then cuffed and led away. Indigo’s ears were still
ringing, but other noises had begun to intrude. She felt, as much as heard,
footsteps near, a woman’s feet pausing next to her. The officer stooped down,
her face grave. She had a blanket in her hands, and she laid it over Indigo’s
nakedness.

“I’m Detective Anya Schaeffer,” she said quietly. “It’s
over. You’re going to be alright.”

And with that, Indigo began to cry.

: : :
: : : : : : :

In the hour before dawn, the office of Tyrone “King” Fischer
was unexpectedly occupied, the three figures within silhouetted by a single
light on the central desk. Behind it sat King, fingers steepled. On the other
side of the room, Patel paced nervously, cell phone in hand. He spoke in low
tones, the words fading in and out.
“…have you checked to see if anyone saw
him after The Vault? Did he come back later…?”
On the far side of the room
stood King’s sister-in-law, Gina, her hair sleep-rumpled. She fiddled nervously
with the pearls around her neck, breath coming in sharp gasps.

“Are you going to tell me
why
you brought me here?”
she asked shrilly. “It’s the middle of the night, Tyrone. That’s
not
a
social call.”

He stared stonily forward, his mouth a slash of indignation.
There’d been trouble tonight, things tumbling out of control. King was
determined to find out
why.
Throughout the city, individual cogs in the
great machine that was King’s empire had begun to break down. People
disappearing.
“…Is there anyone there who saw Luca afterward? Did he have a
driver, or go alone…?”
In the last four hours, a dozen men and women on
King’s payroll
hadn’t
checked in on schedule. Like Luca Brin, none of
these people could found.

King was determined to find out why.

“You’re here,” he said, “because your informant Officer
Brodie didn’t check in tonight.”

Gina’s fingers paused against her throat, eyes widening. The
room was filled only by the murmuring of Patel.
“…has anyone checked to see
if he showed up at his apartment? There are cameras there…”

“Brodie didn’t check in?” Gina repeated, cheeks blanching.

King smirked. He liked her better when she was scared.
 “Your men should have told you that,” he sneered. “Or maybe they did.”

Her posture stiffened at the accusation. “No!” she hissed.
“This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

King’s smile curdled, his eyes narrowing in disgust. He
hated Gina Cerritos almost as much as he’d hated her brother, Rocco. He just
wished that Gina had dug her own grave too.

Behind them, Patel’s voice rose.
“… and you’re certain of
that? The cameras show just two people going into the apartment? That’s it?”

“I know what you’ve been up to,” King growled. “I know
because I’ve had people watching you.”

Gina gasped, nostrils flaring.

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar,” he sneered. “You’ve got half the Cerritos ready to
turn on me!”

“They’re my family!” she snapped. “You can hardly accuse me
of talking to them!”

Before King could answer, Patel cleared his throat, stepping
toward the two of them. “Excuse me, sir,” he said coolly. “I have some news.”

Both King and Gina turned.

“Did you find him?” King asked. He wouldn’t admit it, but
Luca’s disappearance bothered him in a way the others didn’t. There were few
people that he trusted. Luca would be hard to replace, and even harder to
dispose of, if it came down to it.

“No, sir,” Patel answered, “but I found out who he was with
when he went back to his apartment.” He glanced up at Gina, glowering. “It was
one of Rocco’s girls.”

“What?!” she cried.

“Rocco had a few favourites,” Patel continued. “Girls he
tended to
enjoy
more than others.”

“Then what’s the delay?” King bellowed. “Bring her in!”

“It’s not that easy, sir. She doesn’t work at the club
anymore. I don’t know her, but if the word on the street is right,” Patel said,
his voice oily and smooth, “
someone
else
here does.”

For a moment, his eyes caught on Gina’s. This time he didn’t
look away.

“Bastard!” she screamed.

King stood up, hands in fists.

“You!” he bellowed, his finger jabbing toward Gina. “You set
this up! This girl is working for you!”

“No!” Gina argued, “I don’t know what you’re talking—”

“Patel,” he barked. “Get rid of her!”

“You can’t, Tyrone!” Gina shouted, as Patel came forward,
gun raised. “We’re family!”

“By marriage, not by blood,” he spat. “And that ends
tonight.”

Patel took her arm, the gun pressed against her ribs.

“Come along now,” he said, “It’s time to go.”

Gina tugged against him, her eyes on King. “You wouldn’t
dare!
”
she shrieked. “You’ll start a war, you bastard!”

“It’s a war
you started!”
King snarled. He pointed to
the door. “Patel! Get rid of her, and make sure she isn’t found!”

Gina made a whimpering sound, as Patel caught hold of her
again. He dragged her toward the door, his hand a claw on her arm.

 “Keep walking, Ms. Cerritos,” Patel ordered. “I
wouldn’t want to have to hurt you.”