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I don’t dare mention that those things I heard were scary and kept me up at night, wondering if he would ever hurt me, just like I heard he hurts others.
But then Judah leans in, his hand still gripping mine.
“I can’t wait to learn all about you, little princess. I know the things your father has done, and I’m going to enjoy seeing if you’ve turned out like the bastard who raised you.” It’s a whisper, so only I can hear. And it’s filled with a foreboding that confirms, once I leave this office, I may never see my father again.
Judah steps back, keeping his face calm, collected, and aloof. He’s nothing short of a stone-faced nightmare standing in the real world, holding onto my hand so tight I almost flinch.
Almost.
I fight back the desire to run, to hide, to cry. Deep down, I want to scream and refuse to do this. I hold my breath, not wanting a connection with him, no matter how small. If I was to inhale his scent, I fear it would be the last thing I do before falling into his trap. He’s a man with the means to hurt me…and enjoy doing it.
He turns to my father. “Any respect I may have had for you is gone. Your son, your daughter, all of those secrets you’ve kept from her are gone,” he murmurs, glancing my way before flicking those hazel eyes back towards Papa. “She’ll learn about the man she’s grown up believing to be a hero. You’ve kept too many secrets, and now she’s mine, I’ll make sure she learns them all.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, still unsure of what he means when he says son. Papa doesn’t have a son. I don’t have a brother. “What son?” I question again, but neither of the men looks at me, which only irritates me. Deep down, I want them to acknowledge me. I’m not just a child forced to stay silent in a corner.
Judah ignores me while he picks up a folder from the desk and pulls a sleek, silver pen from the breast pocket of his suit jacket. He opens the file, and turning to the last page inside, he signs his name in an elegant scrawl on the thick, black line before handing the stack of pages to Mr Hamilton. My life has just been signed away to a man I hate. To a man who hates me. And there is nothing I can do about it.
“This is done.” Judah’s words are final. There’s to be no debate about what’s going to happen. “Come.” The word is a command he throws my way before he walks towards the door. I don’t expect him to wait for me, but when I don’t follow, he stills. “Brielle, I’m not a patient man.”
I look to my father who doesn’t meet my gaze. “Papa?” My voice is barely a whisper, but he doesn’t lift his face to look at me. Guilt creases his expression, but he only offers me a nod. “So, this is goodbye?” I infuse anger into my tone, which finally forces him to glance up.
“Tesoro,” he pleads, and this time, he comes to me, and his hands grip my shoulders. “Forgive me,” he begs.
Deep down, my gut churns, knowing this will be the last time I see my father. Because the moment he reaches out to the families, he’ll be a dead man.
He won’t be able to go back to the mafia.
They won’t forgive him.
There are rules within the organisations—omertà means more to those men than anything else. Loyalty is something they value, and if you’re unable to offer them that, you don’t live.
“Goodbye, Papa,” I whisper past the lump in my throat.
My eyes burn with unshed tears, but I don’t allow them to fall before I turn away from him. He’s taught me a lot in my short life, but the one thing that’s always stood out is to be strong.
Faced with adversity and heartache, showing your weakness can be the fine line between life and death. I make my way to where Judah is standing and stop when I’m inches from him.
Tipping my head back to meet his questioning gaze. I take in the arched brow and the tilt of his lips that I’m guessing are perpetually shaped as if he’s both annoyed and amused at the world.
“Hamilton, I will contact you soon as I have paperwork for you to complete,” Judah addresses the old man. “I’ll be in touch.” That’s all he says before he saunters out as if he owns everything he touches.
He’s clearly used to getting what he wants. Confidence oozes from him, but also, there’s a hint of danger that reminds me he’s not a random, cute guy from school, he’s the soon-to-be Boss of the Venier family.
I follow behind, not turning to look at my father. Instead, I step out onto the pavement where there’s a black limo waiting.
The driver opens the door, and ushers me inside before Judah slips in beside me. The drive is quiet, with Judah on his phone for most of it. While he taps away on the screen, I steal moments to look at him, to really take him in. I know he’s almost twenty-five, his birthday being three months from now, which is why the contract had come into effect.
He’s focused on whatever is on the screen, so I shift my eyes over his long legs that are splayed out in front of him as he stretches the length of the back of the car. His black trousers seem to hug his powerful thighs in a way that makes my stomach somersault.
I don’twantto be attracted to him, but if I must marry him, then I should at least feel something for him.Shouldn’t I?
“If you keep staring at me like a little whore needing cock, I’m going to think you actually want to marry me,” he murmurs across the space, his words tangling in my mind as they slowly twist around my heart and tighten until I can’t breathe.
Anger rushes through me at his words. “Fuck you,” I bite out, my hands fisting at my sides, which catches his attention. Fire blazes in those seemingly haunting eyes as he watches my reaction. “I’m no whore. Your father was a conniving bastard who thought he could rule our lives with a piece of scrap paper.”
I shouldn’t anger the monster, but my words hit home. He moves swiftly, and seconds later, he’s right beside me, his fingers holding my jaw in a painful, vice-like grip. Judah leans in close, his warm breath fanning over me, causing desire and hatred to swirl together in a strange whirlpool inside me.
“If you ever speak of my father like that again,” he hisses, his voice a low, menacing drawl, “I’ll bend you over, expose your pretty arse, and I’ll whip you so hard, you won’t be able to sit down for days.”
