Chapter 12 - Standing Face To Face With My Tormentor While The King Watched
The warehouse smelled of sea salt, cold metal, and motor oil.
In the center of the vast concrete floor, tied to a wooden chair under a single hanging lightbulb, sat Leo Moretti. He was bloodied, trembling, and stripped of his designer leather jacket.
Surrounding him in a wide perimeter were dozens of armed men in black tactical gear.
The heavy steel doors opened, and Ronan walked in, his long black wool coat billowing slightly behind him. I walked right beside him, my chin held high, my steps calm and steady.
When Leo saw Ronan, he began to weep, thrashing against his ropes.
“Hayes! Please! It was a mistake! I didn't know the girl meant that much to you! My brother Dominic told me not to touch her, but I was desperate! I’ll leave the country! I’ll sign over all our shipping contracts! Just don't kill me!”
Ronan didn't say a word. He walked over to the wooden chair, took a step back, and gestured toward Leo.
“You didn't just attack an asset, Leo,” Ronan said softly. “You attacked the woman who holds my heart.”
Ronan turned his head to me. “Sadie. Speak to him.”
I stepped forward until I was standing two feet away from the man who had tried to kidnap me.
I looked into his terrified, pleading eyes, and for the first time in my life, I felt no fear. The trauma that had once paralyzed me on Carl’s kitchen floor had been replaced by an unshakeable inner fire.
“You thought I was weak,” I said, my voice clear, steady, and ringing throughout the silent warehouse. “You thought because I had bruises on my face two months ago, I was someone you could use as a bargaining chip.”
I leaned down slightly, meeting his frantic gaze.
“You are nothing but a small, pathetic coward who preys on people you think can't fight back. But I am not a victim anymore. And you will spend the rest of your miserable life behind bars, remembering the night you made the fatal mistake of coming after Sadie Vance.”
I turned to Ronan. “Let the federal marshals take him. He isn't worth our time.”
A brilliant, proud smile touched Ronan’s lips. He nodded to Vance.
May you like
“You heard her,” Ronan commanded. “Hand him to the Feds. Strip the Moretti family of every asset in this state. If another Moretti sets foot within a hundred miles of this city, eliminate them on sight.”
As the tactical team dragged the screaming Leo Moretti away, Ronan wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close against his side as we walked out into the cool night air together.
