AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We strolled into the ladies’ lounge, passing one of my father’s henchmen at the door. My own guard stopped, and they glared at one another. No one said anything about my father going into the lounge with me. I shivered as the door slid closed.
Claude was already perched on a stool, so it was clear we were alone here.
“It’s good to see you both,” I said warmly.
My father’s fingers were a vise around my arm, and he shook me hard before elbowing me in the side. “Good to see us?”
With a vicious push, my father hurled me forward. The world spun, but I managed to keep my feet and steady myself. Rising back to my full height, I placed a hand against my aching ribs and forced breath into my lungs, my mind scrambling through the pain. “What—?” I croaked.
My father came at me, fists raised menacingly.
“Stop, Père, stop!” I gasped out.
“Why isn’t the butcher dead?” Claude ground out, twirling a dark object in his hand.
Is that a knife?
“He will be,” I rasped, stumbling away from them both and dropping my clutch in the process. “Be patient!”
“Patience!” my father bellowed. “You interrogated Sandy about things which should not concern you! And your husband still lives. Draw the conclusion, Talia!” He charged at me.
Backed into a wall, I dove away. Pain erupted across my lower back where my brother kicked me. I dropped onto a soft cushion, trying to ward him off. How could I have thought this would go differently? These fiends couldn’t be reasoned with!
“Stop!” I sobbed.
Claude stepped up to stand behind my father. Manic laughter filled his voice. “Little sissy. Cry, why don’t you?”
Rage boiled in my veins. I shot away and righted myself, gritting my teeth at the pain.I don’t deserve this!My mind scrambled through the pain to discover a way out of this. These two couldn’t win.
“You have one job, daughter.” My father crossed his arms over his chest as he eyed me with disgust.
“And you think that a sudden stroke is the wisest course?” I hissed, saying what he wanted to hear right now. “You implanted me into his life for a purpose. I’m working to get you control of the ocean! If the butcher dies, his sister won’t let you touch it. Leave this to me!”
“You’re there to kill, and if you can’t do it...” My father nodded to my brother.
Claude came around the crushed velvet settee. “This is your only reminder.”
“He’s wounded,” I gasped out, backing toward a mirror in the wall. “I can create an infection. He’ll go quickly!”
“Or you can strangle him, poison him, or anything else that suits.” Claude raised his fist. “But you haven’t done it; you’ve been naughty, sissy.”
I waited for the blow, and at the last second shied away. Glass shattered, spraying over the plush carpet. Yet as I moved, my brother’s other hand snaked out to clutch my arm. I yelped.
“Not the face,” my father instructed in a cool tone.
There were shards of glass all over the floor, and I kicked and bucked, struggling to reach one of them. But a sudden hiss from my father had both my brother and I stopping. There was a commotion at the door. An authoritative, feminine voice was arguing with the guards, demanding immediate entrance. I knew that voice. Iryna. My blood warmed. What the hell was she doing here?
“That’s my sister-in-law!” I snapped, hope flaring in my chest that her presence would save me.
My father and brother exchanged a look. “Let’s go.”
Obeying my father’s command, Claude dropped me. I scooted away. My torso and abdomen throbbed.
“Clean yourself up,” my father commanded on parting.
“Yeah,” Claude chuckled. “You look like a beaten whore, sissy.”
Rage boiled through my veins, but my stomach twisted as another spasm of pain paralyzed my body.
