“I promise I won’t try to break you up ever again. Congratulations, Miss Meneceo.”
Part of me didn’t believe he’d give in that fast, but he did. He gave me and his father his word. If there was any chance for the three of us to be a family, I had to trust him. “Thank you.”
“Are you gonna get me out now?” he asked his dad.
“Yes. School starts tomorrow,” I answered for Laius, in case he had any intention to extend Ty’s punishment. He’d been through enough.
Laius pointed at the chains. “I’ll send someone to get you out of those. Just one more thing…” He flipped the chair to the side and smirked.
My heart skipped a beat.What else, Laius?It was a miracle Tirone was calm and responded with maturity to the news of our engagement. Why would Laius not just leave it there?
Abruptly, he grabbed me and bent me over the chair.
“What are you doing?!” I yelped, tilting my head to the side as Ty’s full attention returned to me. My head jerked back toward Laius. He was undoing his belt. My eyes widened at him. “Laius, no! You can’t… Not here. No—”
He yanked down my clothes and aligned his cock with my opening. “When your ol’ man wants you, anywhere, any time, you never say no.” He entered me despite my sobbing protests. I looked away, afraid of what I’d see in Tirone’s eyes. This was sick. Too sick to handle. “That’s it. Take it, baby girl, like the good girl you are.Mygood girl.”
I cried as he pounded me with his angry thrusts, pain and humiliation coursing through me, yet I had to take it. It was the rules of being an ol’ lady. Even if Laius, clearly, was punishing me, I took it. In the Night Skulls, no crime went without punishment. It was the life I willingly chose.
Laius fisted my hair when he finished using me as a fucktoy, a property he owned, for a demonstration of power and marking his territory. “That’s for fucking my ol’ lady behind my back.” He bent his mouth to my ear. “That’s for fucking my own son.”
I didn’t dare say anything. Ty didn’t move or say a word, either. At least, he was in control of his emotions. That was a good sign that he understood the mistakes we’d made and he wouldn’t repeat them.
Right?
CHAPTER 34
Jo
“Thank you so much for the dress,” I whispered over the phone as I felt the incredible softness of the Italian wedding dress fabric Michele had sent me. He’d delivered it to the school, and I had to lie to Laius and say I ordered it. Michele wouldn’t let me tell Laius about him yet. “I wish you were here.”
“Same, topolina. I wish I could give you away,” he said, somber.
“You can still fly over. Your boss has a private jet you can borrow for the day,” I suggested with a nervous chuckle to suppress the tears. I needed him today.
There was a pause. “We talked about this. It’s not safe for you. Neither the Lanzas nor the Larvins are stupid. The connection will be made, and all of your arrangements will be for nothing.”
“Can I, at least, tell Laius about you? I’m marrying him, papà. He is to be trusted.”
“Don’t forget he thinks I stole Madeline from him. He holds me responsible for her death.”
“Trust me, he holds the Larvins responsible, and himself, not you. He doesn’t even know who you really are.”
“But I do know him, and I don’t trust him yet. Let’s see how today goes first. If he proves his loyalty, and that he can protect you on his own, then we’ll tell him everything.”
“Thank you, papà.”
“You’ll be the most beautiful bride in the whole world.”
“Thank you. I really wish you could see me in real time.”
“Do you trust me, topolina?”
“Of course.”
“Then just know that when you’re walking down that aisle, I’m closer to you than you think. Ti amo, figlia mia.” He hung up.
Emotional, excited, and in awe, I couldn’t help the tears. Michele was here—if anyone could break into this fort without being seen, it was Michele Pagani. Even if I couldn’t see him, he could see me. The father I’d always wanted was going to be present on my wedding day, and that was all that mattered.
