I push the feelings aside instantly, not wanting to lose my focus, and shoot. Bullets only hit each of their legs, and I feel like a coward for not having the heart to kill them like they would’ve killed me if they received the order.
The adrenaline wears off as I force myself to focus on the road before me, and it doesn’t take long before my father’s mansion comes into view, the white palace taking up more space than needed. The building is huge, much bigger than necessary for a family of four. Or now, more like one and a half.
As we come closer, the black metal gate to my childhood home opens, and the guards let us pass without any questions.
—
“What will happen now?”I ask my father, knowing they locked her up in the room he tortures people in, only adding a mattress on the concrete floor for her to sleep on.
It pisses me off, she deserves better. A clean bed with soft pillows and a blanket to warm her. They could’ve put her in my room, but no, let the poor girl sleep on a bloodstained mattress.
“I’m sending out invitations to a race. Bet money, win, get her. I get the money I’m owed, the winner gets the girl.”
“Why not keep her at one of your clubs? That way she’ll be safer from pigs.”
“I don’t want to see her face in any of my properties, it reminds me too much of her father.” The gray strands on his head fall over his face as he speaks.
“But she can get into really bad hands if some old man wins her off a race!” I hate how obvious the worry and anger in my voice is.
“I do not care what happens to her.” His tone is empty, just like his soul.
“Someone could hurt her!” Anger, pure rage consumesme.
“Are you questioning me, son? You do not know this woman. She is Tim’sdaughter, the more she suffers, the more he will. End of story.”
“But she hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“Do not question me, just because you want her,” he barks as he places his hand around my throat, his voice sharp.
I don’tspeak again, and I don’tstop him from turning his back against me and leaving his office. The man is a monster, has always been. All he sees is anger and painafter my mother died at the hands ofhis greatest enemy. An enemy whose betrayal cut deeper because of the love and trust my father had in him.
I would like to believe I still have some morals left, though they are not many. But I can’t let her get into the hands of another monster. The men in this industryare not safe, especially not those with lots of money and ego’s bigger than earth itself.
I will not let anyone win that fucking bet, I will not let her in the hands of an unknown.
I will protect her and make sure she stays safe... unlike my fuckass twin-brother who lost focus, all because he couldn’t resist her wet pussy.
Chapter 3
Anastasia
I wake up covered in sweat, the light in the room too bright to let me see anything.I freak out instantly, cupping my knees, body rocking back and forth in panic.
I can’t remember anything else than Matheo falling to the ground and leaving me with a weaponed man. Anger rises in me in an instant, my cheeks burning red. I knew he was afucking coward.How could he do that? How could he leave me in such danger all by myself like I don’t matter?
The old mattress beneath me is junky and filled with brown stains. It makes me feel sick, but the cold concrete floor isn’t any better.
I almost jump as the door to the room swings open, my confidence leaving my body. And just like that, I’m a scared little girl again.
Into the room walks... “Matheo?” I say, jumping into his arms, all anger disappearing and forgiving him for leaving me behind. But he doesn’t meet me with warmth and he doesn’t smile, and the longer I look, something seems more off.
“Matheo, are you okay?”
“Don’t speak that man’s name within these walls. He’s a traitor.”
I stumble back tothe darkness in his voice, clearly not the voice I recognize, but it’s not unfamiliar either.
The man before me reaches forward, but I take a step back, not understanding if I’m dreaming or if the person before me is real.
