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“We can’t tolerate having human trafficking here under our noses. Not if we can help it,” I agreed.
Angelo snapped his fingers and one of the soldiers who was guarding him stood at attention.
“Please go bring Ms. Montrelli to the office. If she protests, you may drag her here no matter what.” He grinned and seemed to enjoy the words.
I didn’t say anything as it wasn’t going to hurt her. I would’ve preferred it didn’t happen that way, but we needed answers. If her family had something to do with the human trafficking, then she was going pay either way.
“At the risk of sounding soft, I don’t think Bria would allow that. Her father maybe, but she values people and has a certain sense of self-respect that wouldn’t happen if she were involved in human trafficking.”
“Hmmph.” My father eyed me with caution. “You already trust her, don’t you? One might even go so far as to say that you’re falling in love with her. Don’t let your guard down this quickly. She could still kill you in your sleep,” he warned.
“I think that might be this feeling, but I’ve never felt like this before. If it’s love, then I’m in for a super surprise.”
“Oh, yes, you are, my boy. I didn’t want to have that happen with a Montrelli, but I can see that you both have already bonded. You defend her in the same way that I defend your mother.” Angelo looked at me and nodded. “If she’s not involved in the trafficking, then I’ll look forward to welcoming a daughter-in-law.”
She came into the office, struggling with the soldier that had gone to get her, but didn’t notice me leaning in the corner.
It was clear she was half asleep but working to make sure that she was alert because she was in the office of the man she hated.
“You drag and manhandle me back to the bedroom, now you drag me out here after I finally get a few hours of sleep. I stayed where you told me to. Luciano hasn’t been back to punish me yet. What on earth is going on? Were you bored and wanted to have it handled now?” Her mouth got sassier as she spoke.
At the sight of her the tiredness that I had started to feel began to drain away. It was so hot that she really wasn’t scared of him. I was going to have to take care of that. She was going to overstep at some point.
“Sit down,” I demanded and moved out of the corner into view. “We’ll deal with a punishment for your actions later based on the answers to what you tell me now. Something much more pressing that we need some information on.”
“That’s right. This isn’t a negotiation. You’ll talk or bleed and right now I don’t really care which happens first.” Angelo smirked.
I considered stepping between them and even moved closer to stop him, but we needed to know what was happening with the human trafficking and if my father could get the answer out of her then I was going to let him. She wasn’t my wife yet.
“What are you talking about? Bleed me? You haven’t even asked any questions yet?” Bria crossed her legs and waited for him to answer. She let out a big yawn as if she were bored and he needed to hurry up.
While this was serious, I was curious as to how the standoff was going to play out.
“Are you human trafficking others?” Angelo spat at her.
“You mean is my family, the Montrellis, involved in human trafficking?” Scorn marred her features. “How dare you accuse my family of that. We would never do anything that despicable. Those are people and deserve to be treated as such.”
My father fumed, and I knew then he would do anything to draw her blood, so I had to watch her carefully. “Lying bitch. Every word that comes out of your mouth is a lie. That’s why your father agreed to this. He didn’t want us to find out,” Angelo accused, pulling out a knife. “We have proof.”
“There’s no way you could have proof because we haven’t done anything like that ever. We don’t use other people like that. Maybe you think we’re just scum, but we care about our business and our family,” she defended herself and pushed out of the chair.
This whole situation was making me stressed. Bria was mine. I’d already claimed her and my father was acting like she was the one betraying us. If her father did this, he did it behind her back. I might not have known her very well, but I knew that she wouldn’t lie about this.
I stepped in between them and turned to Bria, trying to diffuse the situation as much as possible.
“Do you have any ideas about how this might have happened or if your father has just been hiding it from you?” I couldn’t be gentle, but I wasn’t going to hurt her. Not now, not ever, if I could help it.
Bria lifted her head and looked me dead in the eye. “We don’t sell or steal human beings. It’s not how things work. We might deal drugs and stolen goods that ‘fall’ off trucks with a little help. Nothing like that would ever cross my father’s mind or be part of his business.” She shook her head vehemently. “We don’t do that kind of shit.”
CHAPTER9
Bria
The guardthat had thrown open the door and demanded that I get up wasn’t kind or easy in his handling of me.
I could get over that because he was just doing his job, but then I’d been dragged by the arm all the way to Angelo’s office where the inquisition began.
Still not awake completely, I was astonished that I’d been accused of one of the worst things that any outfit could be capable of—human trafficking.
