Free The Captive Series by C.M. Steele

night in the shower. I didn’t say anything because I knew what she had been through was difficult, and I wanted to show her love instead of the violence that that bastard had bestowed on her. My uncle had recovered from his pneumonia, and I was tempted to cap Enzo’s ass if he even looked at my love one more time.
    My girls spent a lot of time together. They had taken my wife out to shop twice now, but not without a whole crew of guards on their asses. There was still her father. Right now he was laying low, but I didn’t know if and when his ass would strike. After the hospital incident rumors had been buzzing, and his popularity had gone down fast. When you backed an animal into a corner, you never knew what to expect, so I was trying to stay alert.
    I was getting ready for the day. I had a meeting with my dad about taking the girls on a surprise trip and another very important topic that would affect the both of us and the entire operation. My girl had been getting annoyed about not going out much. She complained that when I wasn’t here, there was nothing for her to do. I told her to learn her damn Italian, but she hadn’t wanted to since I told her ass college was out of the question right now. She said when she went to school, then she would learn. Sometimes she could be a real brat. I forgot that she was still a teen sometimes. She was smart for her age, but I spoiled her ass, and now she thought she could get away with shit. She thought if she pouted enough she would get some freedom—not going to happen.
    Before we got together she had friends, but now I hadn’t let her out of the house but those few times. Her friends called her all the time, but since she couldn’t hang out, they were going out without her.
    What the fuck was I supposed to do? I wanted her to have friends, but they were going to clubs and shit, and hell if she was doing that. First, her ass was only eighteen and there were way too many fuckers out there that would want her pretty young ass, making a lot of motherfuckers targets. Second, I had enemies, and until I could get rid of them or end our marriage, which wasn’t going to fucking happen, then she was going to have to get used to sitting in the house being a good little wife.
    “Luciano, we need to talk. I need to get out of this house. What do you expect me to do all day, just sit around and twiddle my thumbs while you go out and do whatever it is you do?” She crossed her arms and pouted like a little kid. I wanted to laugh, but I was seriously getting tired of the argument.
    “What has gotten into you? Your attitude has gotten nasty. You are growing claws, sweetheart, and you need to stop that shit. We already had this discussion, and you know how I hate repeating myself. What part of ‘it’s dangerous out there’ did you not understand?”
    “What the hell? There is no give with you. I am either on my back or on my knees with you. I get nothing else. I thought it would be better to live with you than with my dad, but at least with the asshole I got to see the outside world.” She did it; she knew how to piss me off, but I wasn’t going to let her win this one.
    “Don’t you ever compare me to your father! I am doing this to protect you.” I turned back to the mirror and finished tying my tie with frustration.
    I turned back to her once I was done. “What the fuck! Don’t give me that dirty-ass look. I don’t have time for this shit. I have to go.”
    I tried to give her a kiss goodbye, and she turned her head on me. “Just go, Luciano.”
    “Fine. I’ll see you when I get home.” I turned to look at my wife and felt like something was about to go wrong, but I still walked out that door. How I would live to regret it forever.

Chapter 11
    “Rachel, how’s it going?” I said after I she picked up the call.
    “Fine, girl, but we miss you. When can the dragon let you out of your castle?”
    “He said soon. He’s overly paranoid. I swear, I am ready to rip my