I Thee Take: To Have and To Hold Duet Book Two by Knight, Natasha (books to read in your 20s txt) 📕

been broken from the look of you,” I say. It is bleeding but I don’t think it’s actually broken. Too bad.

Lou turns, raising his arm to strike.

“Whoa,” Marcus catches his wrist, eyes locked on mine. “I got her,” he says. “Go make sure the others don’t give our men any trouble.”

“Fine.”

Marcus keeps hold of me as Lou walks out of the room.

“You know, sea is pretty rough. Could be you hit your head against the wall in transport,” he says, taking me by the back of my hair and rushing me toward the wall.

He smashes my head against the metal wall of the room and for a moment, I see stars. But he tugs me upright again, my ears still ringing.

“Or maybe you fall fucking overboard,” he threatens as he walks me to the door.

“He’ll kill you,” I warn but I don’t know who he is or if he would.

Marcus stops just outside and turns to me. “Maybe it’ll be worth it.”

I see the lights in the distance before he does. I don’t hear anything though because the screams of women as they’re forced from one boat to another as the rocky sea looms beneath them, muffles the sound of its approach.

But Marcus sees my face and turns to look in the same direction.

“Fuck!”

He shifts his grip to my arm and drags me across the deck toward the other boat. We’re running but it’s slippery and I’m resisting as much as I can.

He doesn’t seem to care though. If he has to drag my body along the deck of the boat, he will, and I know it.

The fast-approaching boat shines a huge light on us. We stop and I squint my eyes against the light. I see the glint of metal in Marcus’s hand as he raises his arm to shield his eyes.

“Marcus! Let’s fucking go!” someone calls out from the other boat as our boat rocks with the weight of men coming on board. I can’t see who they are for the spotlight, but I hear them speaking Italian.

“Rinaldi!” comes Cristiano’s thunderous voice and for a moment, it’s like time stops. Like we’re frozen in time as he comes into view. The light too bright behind him, showing only his outline. Making him look like a giant. An angel. A god.

“Fucking boyfriend is stupid as fuck,” Marcus says calmly to me.

My relief is short-lived. I know I’m not rescued just yet.

Not when Marcus presses the pistol to my temple.

5

Cristiano

“Not who you expected to see?” Marcus Rinaldi asks but the words don’t make sense.

The crew found the tracker not fifteen minutes ago. I know because the signal went dead, but we followed the dimly bobbing light in the distance.

It’s the first time I’ve seen Marcus Rinaldi in person since the night he murdered my family.

He’s older now. A little softer around the middle, a little more worn, but by no means not a threat.

Especially not when he has Scarlett by the arm, the gun in his hand digging into her temple.

I can’t look at her though. Can’t think about how bruised she looks. How naked and vulnerable.

I need to keep my eyes on him.

“Drop your weapon or I kill her.”

“I have no intention of shooting you. I plan on using my hands,” I say, setting the pistol down.

“No, not good enough. Into the water.”

“Take the gun off her.”

“I don’t think so.” He cocks the gun instead.

Dante comes into view in my periphery. Marcus’s eyes shift to him.

“Both of you. Pistols in the water.”

“Mother fucking—”

“Dante!” I order.

“I won’t let him—”

“Drop it.” I pick up my gun and throw it overboard. It barely makes a sound.

“Cris—”

I glance at him. “He has Scarlett.”

Dante’s gaze shifts from me to Marcus and back. He drops the gun into the water.

“Good boys.”

I take a step toward him. I wasn’t sure what I’d feel when I saw him again. Wasn’t sure if all the rage over the years would burn me up, take over, turn me into a beast that’s just caught his prey.

It doesn’t though. And I don’t know if it’s Scarlett at gunpoint that has muted that beast. That’s at least tempered it for now.

I take another step and hear someone from the other boat call out to Marcus. Tell him they need to move.

“You’re going to miss your ride,” I tell him as the boat teeters beneath us and the larger one waiting on him moves slightly farther out. “Let her go. You’re not taking her with you.”

“I’ve had my fill of her already,” he says, expression cocky, his words making my hands fist.

I force myself to breathe and take another step. He’s lying. It’s what he does.

He backs up a step to match mine but he’s out of room.

“Marcus. Let’s go!” a man yells from the other boat.

Marcus turns around, drags Scarlett a step.

I charge him. I’m almost to him, only an arm’s reach away. I know I can grab him. I know it.

But he does something I don’t expect.

He raises an arm to shoot his pistol into the air. Scarlett screams, and a moment later, he shoves her hard and she goes toppling over the side of the boat.

In that split second, as her body tumbles overboard, I’m frozen in place.

I can have him. For years I’ve been living with one purpose. One goal. To kill Marcus Rinaldi.

No. Two goals.

To find out what he said to my mother and then to kill him.

But he’s grinning like the fucking Joker, running to the other boat. Scarlett bobs on the water’s surface just once. She can’t save herself, not bound as she is, and the water swallows her scream as it swallows her body.

6

Scarlett

It’s freezing. My god. How can it be so cold?

I’m kicking but my arms are bound and I’m sinking. Just sinking. It’s so dark below me. Inky black. I’m a strong swimmer and I’ve never been afraid of water. But tonight, I’m terrified. The open sea, the darkness of it, overwhelm me as the little bit of the light