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This was a test.
Dante let me leave so he could watch me from a distance. So he could see how I would react to my dad not coming to work.
I turned my head away from the camera in the room’s corner and breathed through my nose. One deep breath after the other to calm my nerves. If I had an asthma attack over this, Dante would see it. He was probably looking at me now.
Observing me.
It was all a game.
I composed myself and left my dad’s office. My heart thumped in my chest, beating like a drum. If I didn’t get a hold of myself sooner, I would need my inhaler. I was so worried about being late for Dante that I forgot it on the bathroom sink.
My attacks were usually triggered by someone smoking or wearing too much fragrance. But my panic was rising. Dad had fucked both of us when he let his greed control him. Let it dictate both of our lives.
He royally screwed everyone in our family—me, most of all.
His only daughter.
How could he do this to me?
We could have escaped this town if I were seven million dollars richer. We could have gotten out from under the Lucianos. But no, he had to take every cent. The bastard didn’t leave me a thing after years of teaching me how to invest.
I sat in front of my computer and logged into the accounts. The Lucianos were worth a fortune. I could see how Dad made the idiotic mistake of thinking he could replace the money before they would notice.
I was already working on getting the money back for them. Thankfully, Dante didn’t know enough about the financial system to spot the small gains here and there.
I would buy our freedom.
It was a good plan.
But I needed time.
With Dad not showing up for work, I wasn’t sure how much longer I had to return their money. But, just seeing the accounts gave me a sense of relief. I let out a few deep breaths and already felt my nerves settling.
I had broken several dozen federal and state laws. But, it didn’t matter anymore because the possibility of getting murdered by the Luciano brothers kept me going.
I reached into my purse and grabbed my cell phone. Angelina answered on the second ring.
“Mi amore,” she said with a sigh.
“Hey, Ang. I missed the sound of your voice.”
“I missed you, too.” She breathed into the phone, and a few seconds passed before saying, “Have you seen your father?”
“No,” I whispered. “He didn’t come to work.”
“I was afraid this would happen.”
“Do you know something?”
“I overheard him talking to someone on the phone last night. They were arguing about money. Two thugs came to the house an hour later and beat him bloody.”
I turned my chair to faced the wall. With my back to the camera, Dante couldn’t see my face. But he was probably listening to me.
“Who was it?” I whispered.
“Men who work for the Vitales.”
No!
