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This time, I stepped out of the way and held my hands up. “Get your shit together, man. Just saying hi.”
“What the fuck did you say to me?” He puffed up his chest and came after me again.
I kept my hands up, ready to stop his fist when he threw a punch.
“Father!” Carmen slammed her heel down. “Knock it off now, or I’ll tell Mama and she’ll be down here in two seconds to shove her foot up your ass.”
Cane stilled at the threat, the anger disappearing from his eyes for a brief second.
I tried not to smile at Carmen’s insult, loving the way she had a mouth on her like Vanessa.
Cane was the kind of man who wasn’t afraid of anything, but the mention of his petite wife made him hit the brakes. He kept his gaze on me, but his hands lowered to his sides. “Stay away from my daughter, alright? You wanna talk? Talk to me or Crow. Stay the fuck away from my daughter. Don’t even fucking look at her. I’ll shoot you between the eyes if you come within twenty feet of her.”
Carmen rolled her eyes. “Oh my god, Father. Chill out. I was the one who talked to him. He didn’t even look twice at me.”
Cane didn’t care about any of that. “Go.” He barked like a dog and pointed to the warehouse. “Get to work, you piece of shit.”
I lowered my hands and walked around him, heading to the warehouse.
Carmen spoke once my back was turned. “You need to calm the hell down. He was nothing but nice to me.”
“Not now, Carmen,” Cane barked. “I don’t want you anywhere near him. He’s a piece of shit, and I don’t like him.”
“Well, I don’t like you.” Carmen’s heels clapped against the cobblestone as she walked off.
I smiled before I stepped inside the warehouse, appreciating my new ally. It was novel to be treated as a human being for once, to be seen as a person rather than a murderer and a criminal. Carmen was the first one to give me a fresh start, to accept me because Vanessa loved me.
It was a nice change.
It was late afternoon when Crow stepped inside the warehouse. He moved to the desk in the corner, flipped through the paperwork, and then made a phone call. Speaking in Italian, he spoke with one of his clients about the distribution of the wine to the right location.
I could speak Italian, so I understood every word. But I kept working, putting the crates on the dolly and transferring the cargo to the appropriate sections. The place had a central cooling system to keep the wine at the perfect temperature, but I always ran hot, so I was constantly sweating in my t-shirts and jeans.
Crow hung up then walked toward me. “One of the trucks is coming early tomorrow. All the crates need to be finished before you leave today.”
I’d been working my ass off for weeks, and not once did I get any respect for it. They treated me like a dog, expecting me to do the grunt work with a smile on my face. Now he’d asked me to work later even though I was the most efficient worker they had. “That didn’t sound like a question.” I knew I shouldn’t be a smartass, but my temper was rising. I’d been making every sacrifice to be given a real chance, but nothing was ever good enough for them. We’d been here for weeks, but they should have made their decision within a few days.
Crow turned to me, his dark eyes cold. “Because it wasn’t.” With straight shoulders and perfect posture, he challenged me.
“I did my time today. If you want me to stay longer, you need to ask.”
He cocked an eyebrow, baffled by my attitude. “Your stupidity continues to surprise me.”
“It’s not stupidity, it’s respect. I’m willing to work hard for what I want, but I’m not a goddamn doormat. Treat me like a human being. I’ve earned that much over the last six weeks. Would you want your daughter to be with a man who acts like a slave? That’s not me, and you should be grateful that it’s not.” I wiped my palms together, soothing my blisters underneath the dirt.
Crow didn’t blink as he examined me. As if his features were carved out of ice, he was impossible to decipher. If he didn’t want you to know what he was thinking, he’d make sure you couldn’t figure it out.
“I’ll do anything for your daughter—except act like your bitch.” I’d already proven myself to this family. Now it was up to them to see my worth. I had to stand up for myself, because if I didn’t, why should they believe I’d stand up for their daughter?
Crow came closer to me, his muscular arms resting by his sides. “I’m sorry about my brother. His temper is worse than mine.”
