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‘You don’t even deserve to say his name.’ The rage on her father’s face was brutal and it was mixed with intense sadness.
‘Where is he?’
‘You want to know what happened to Vincenzo?’ His eyes were lit up so bright it felt like they were burning their way into her skull.
‘What happened to him?’
‘When you left, no-one knew where you were. I, like an idiot, organized search after search for you. After a little while, I accepted it — you’d decided you didn’t want to be part of my life, part of our plans, and you’d escaped. In a way, I even respected you for it.’
That was a surprise. She’d never in a million years have though that her father would admit to something like that.
‘Vincenzo, though — he couldn’t accept it. He had all these theories about where you’d gone. He traveled the country trying to find you, and when he’d exhausted all the options, he had this idea — this crazy, wild idea.
‘One night, he came to me, and he said, “Papa, I think I know where Sophia is. I’ve never trusted those bikers. I think that man — Groat — must have kidnapped her.” It was nonsense, of course. It made no sense. Groat had nothing to gain by kidnapping you. He had already been promised you. But I couldn’t persuade Vincenzo otherwise.’
Her father paused, breathed in deep.
‘He went to see them. There was a gun fight. He was brave, your brother. Stupid, but brave.’
It hit Sophia like a sledgehammer. The firefight in Salem. That had been because of her.
‘No,’ she said. ‘Vinnie isn’t dead.’
‘He is dead,’ her father said, ‘because of you.’ His voice was grim, his gaze unbreakable. ‘After the heart attack, when I was recovering, I made a vow. I would stop at nothing to find you. And if I found you, I would do everything I could to make your life a living hell.’
Sophia’s heart pounded in her chest. More blood on her hands. Her brother — her sweet, innocent brother — dead because of her.
‘You’re going to be a bone that the Death Division share,’ he said. ‘Once Groat has finished gnawing on you, he’s going to toss you to one of the other dogs in the club. And dogs have strong jaws, Sophia.’
‘Papa, please, you don’t need to do this.’
‘I’m not your Papa,’ he said, standing to his full height. ‘I’m nothing to you. And you’re nothing to me.’
*
It was almost too much to take in. Sophia was gone. Marcus was dead. They had no leads, no clue as to where his Little could be.
‘How’s Tati doing?’ he asked, trying to find a way through all this mess.
‘Not good,’ Baron replied. He’d joined them a little while ago.
Against the doctor’s advice, they’d been discussing their options for little over an hour. Apparently, Doctor Young was an ally of the local age play community who didn’t charge Littles and Bigs for his services. Seemed like an interesting guy, although his bedside manner wasn’t exactly peaches and cream.
‘Poor thing,’ Wolf said. ‘She must be going through hell right now.’
‘I’ve been better.’ It was Tati. Wolf twisted his head toward the door.
‘How long have you been there, sweetheart?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘Time’s all muddled up.’
She didn’t look like herself. Normally, Tatiana was one of the most vivacious, confident people that Wolf knew. She had always been a little bit ‘out there’ in her style and personality, and that’s what made her who she was. Bright, colorful, outrageous.
Today, though, Tati looked like a picture that had been scribbled out.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Wolf said, his voice sincere and pained. ‘This is all my fault.’
‘Don’t you dare,’ Tatiana said, stepping closer. ‘Don’t you dare blame anyone for his death except the man who pulled the trigger.’
