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‘Well, here’s my proposal.’ His eyes blazed with anger and something else: greed. ‘You hand over my property. In exchange, I and my men will leave and never return.’
‘You don’t own anything in here,’ Wolf snapped, his voice as aggressive as Sophia had ever heard it.
‘Who’s this mongrel?’ Giovanni said. ‘Bark is worse than his bite, I’ll wager. Anyway, mongrel, you’re mistaken. You see, my daughter and her life belong only to me.’
Sophia’s heart pounded. Esme, who’d been standing by the bar up until now, gripped Sophia’s wrist in a vain gesture of protection. Sophia felt strangely reassured by this.
‘And if we refuse?’ Marcus asked.
‘Believe me,’ her father said, ‘that’s not a good option for you.’
‘Just leave her alone,’ Wolf said. ‘Don’t you get it? She doesn’t want anything to do with you.’
‘You think I want anything to do with her?’ The rage in her father’s voice was overwhelming. ‘That traitor cunt? Abandoning us? Destroying my business relationships?’ No, I don’t even want to touch that snake.’
‘Then fuck off,’ Wolf barked.
Her father raised his eyebrows. ‘Not many men have spoken to me like that and lived, mongrel.’
‘Why?’ Sophia said, that single word catching so hard in her throat she almost couldn’t get it out.
‘Because you’re going to do the one thing that you’re good for. I’m giving you to Groat. He can do what he wants with you for all I care. Marry you. Fuck you. That’s up to him. You’ll be his property. And finally, the feud between my business and his organization will come to an end.’ He paused. ‘And by the way, ten years ago, Iwould’vecared, Sophia. Ten years ago, before you ran away, I would have asked Groat to play along nicely. To promise me that no matter what he did with you, you’d survive. But not anymore. You lost the right to my protection a long time ago, child.’
‘Sir,’ Marcus said, as Sophia trembled, ‘it’s time for you to leave.’
‘That’s your decision?’ Giovanni asked.
‘I’m not going to repeat myself,’ Marcus said, coolly.
‘Very well. Shame. I hate unnecessary bloodshed.’
He turned and left. As he did, Sophia smelled something — it was the same aftershave her father had used when she was a kid, and it took her straight back. Straight back to fear, straight back to worry, straight back to vulnerability.
CHAPTER 16
The atmosphere in the bar had entirely transformed. Most of The Drifters were still here, crowded around a small table in the corner of the room. They were planning something, talking tactics and strategy and Sophia’s head was swimming.
‘I promise we’re going to keep you safe,’ Marcus told her.
Sophia believed Marcus. She really did. But she couldn’t help but tremble as Wolf held her in her arms.
‘I’m sorry, Daddy,’ she kept saying. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Darling, what are you sorry for?’ Wolf asked. It was so good to be near him. She wanted to smell him, to touch him, so that she could ground herself in the moment, make things real and safe again.
‘I’m sorry for existing,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry for being in your life. I’m sorry for bringing all this danger and threat to you all.’
‘Honey,’ Marcus said warmly, ‘I don’t want to hear silly talk like that again, and I’m sure your Daddy feels the same.’
‘Damn straight,’ Wolf said. ‘None of this is your fault. You understand that?’
She nodded but inside she knew it wasn’t true. Thiswasher fault. She should never have left home. Her decision had obviously hurt her father and her mother. She should have just been a good girl and done what she was told. At least that way, she’d have been the only person to get hurt. Now, she was going to endanger the only person she’d ever loved. And not just Wolf — all the Drifters were in trouble.
‘This is so fucking ridiculous,’ Rainer said, pacing up and down. ‘Of all the shitty luck.’
‘It’s alright,’ Marcus said. ‘We got this.’
‘How?’ Baron asked.
