Thank you for trusting me. I’m going to make it back to you soon, but if I don’t see you before your break, I swear I’m kidnapping you during it.
I miss you. More than I ever thought I could miss someone.
Chapter 19
Ingrid
December
It’s been five days since returning home. Until today, it’s been fairly quiet, leaving me wondering why my mother insisted I come home at all. I’ve all but been ignored, just like last year. Not that I’m complaining, but I thought maybe they wanted to fix our relationship. I should’ve known better.
This morning after another silent breakfast, my father shoves his plate aside before he speaks. “Your mother believes you can help us.”
I swallow the bite in my mouth, take a sip of my water, before speaking. “Help? How exactly?”
The doorbell rings before he can respond, immediately catching his attention. He stands abruptly when he hears a male voice yell at the new butler. “I don’t give a fuck. Time’s up. Either you let us in to speak with your boss or we force our way in.”
“Gerald?” My mother keeps her voice low. “You said we had a few more days.”
“Shut up!” Father whisper-shouts as he takes a step back and frantically searches the dining room. “We need to go. Come on. My office. We can lock ourselves in there.”
I stand not about to question why exactly we are hiding; there will be time to ask that later. But we don’t make it very far. Right as my father tries to leave through the patio door, away from the sound of those heavy footsteps approaching, armed men fill the room. Two of them grab my father and drag him back to his chair at the table, shoving him into it as the man I assume is in charge walks in.
I’ve never actually met him, but I know who he is. Everyone knows who the Del Markovs are, and this man’s expected to one day take over when his father, Viktor, steps down. I’ve heard rumors about him, and know that the last thing you ever want is to piss him off.
“Did I interrupt your breakfast?” Rueben drops into the empty chair next to him and motions for Mother and me to do the same. “I didn’t get a chance to eat this morning. What are we having?”
When none of us says a word, he slams his fist against the table. “Sit. Now.”
I fall back into my chair. “What’s going on?”
“You must be Ingrid.” He fixes himself a plate and then taps his fork against the porcelain. “Eat. We can discuss business over breakfast.”
“What business?” I dare to ask, not sure I really want to know.
Chewing like a wild, unsophisticated man, Rueben doesn’t even bother to swallow before he speaks. “You didn’t tell her?”
“I never got the chance.” My father frowns at the man eating, looking extremely unhappy about it. “We were about to do that before you so rudely?—”
His words are cut off when one of Rueben’s men takes the butt of his gun and slams it into my father’s face, cracking him in the nose. Blood gushes from it immediately.
My mother leaps to her feet and screams. She’s instantly yanked back into her seat by another man.
I remain quiet, but I can’t stop the tears. My mind is racing as my gut burns, a warning that he’s the reason my parents wanted me home.
Tears well as I glance from my parents to Rueben, my knuckles white as I grip the chair, wishing to disappear. “Would someone please tell me what’s going on?”
Rueben leans his elbows on the table, the evil in his eyes shining bright. “Your father owes me a lot of money. I’ve given him plenty of time to pay up, and now I’ve come to collect.”
Glaring at my parents, through gritted teeth I ask, “How much?”
“Half a million.”
My jaw drops open as I shake my head. What the hell? I have so many questions but know better than to ask them. No one here would tell me the truth. I’m not even sure any of them know what that word means.
“That’s not right,” my father corrects. “It’s only two-fifty.”
With a chuckle, Rueben directs his attention towards my father. “Wrong. It was two-fifty three days ago. Now it’s half a million. Interest rates are a bitch.”
