She had looked death in the face a million times prior to this specific moment endured with Giada. But upon raising her eyes to meet with the end of a Browning Mark 111 harboring 9 millimeter bullets within its stygian exterior, she was met with a new sense of fear as she was well aware if she spoke an incorrect word or expressed a cross word that she would be pierced by a fresh and close bullet.
This had been the only time in the day that she had spent under her captivity that she had prayed for Maximus to cross her threshold and convince this insane woman how idiotic her actions were proving to be. But aware that there would be no dark knight waiting in the wings to rescue her, Gabriella attempted to reason with a woman who seemed incapable of emotion unless it would somehow benefit he
