Author POV

Gray was silent. Anni watched him, wishing he would listen to Giovanni. If they killed Mark, that woman would make a scene — and Anni did not want that on their heads.

“Please, please,” Giovanni pleaded again, voice thin. Gray only smirked.

“Beat him up before you release him,” he ordered, cold and flat.

Giovanni nodded. “At least that’s good revenge. But don’t kill him.” She said it steady, the kind of calm that stopped the men from overdoing it.

They ...