He sees the flicker of recognition in my face and grins. “That’s right. If I were you, I’d be thanking me instead of threatening me.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I snap.
His smirk deepens. “Money is power, Nick. So I did a little digging. Hired a private investigator. You didn’t think I’d let my daughter run off with some nobody without looking into him first, did you?” He shakes his head, fake disappointment dripping from his voice. “And what do you know? You and Melanie got married after only two weeks of knowing each other. Strange, huh?”
“Stop calling her your daughter,” I seethed.
He ignores me. “And just a few days before Melanie found out she had diabetes, you found out you owed a very dangerous man some money. Big coincidence, don’t you think?”
“I love Melanie,” I snap. “We fell in love in Vegas.”
He hums, rubbing at his scruffy chin. “Maybe. But if it was real, why’d you two book separate rooms? Before and after the wedding?”
I shut my eyes for half a second, willing this to be a nightmare.
Richard leans in. “You see, Nick, you can threaten me all you want. You can take me to court. But it won’t do you a damn bit of good.” His eyes glint with cruelty. “Because I’ll threaten you right back.”
I grit my teeth. “You wouldn’t. Melanie’s at risk too.”
“That’s right.” His voice drops, nearly a whisper. “But she won’t be—if you agree to an annulment and walk away.”
My pulse races. My plan is unraveling, slipping through my fingers like sand. I need to turn this around.
I narrow my eyes. “You have a trail of women ready to testify against you. I don’t need money to put you away—I just need Michelle and Melanie to tell the truth.”
He clicks his tongue, shaking his head. “You could try. But it’sstill their word against mine. To the world, I’m the devoted stepfather who gave two lost women a good life.” He takes a step closer, his presence suffocating. “And you? You’re just a desperate common man who married a vulnerable girl to pay off his past. A fraud. A criminal.” He nods slowly. “They’ll believe me. They’ll see you for what you are. A man who used a girl to save his own ass.”
“You son of a bitch,” I growl. Rage blinds me. I lunge. But he’s faster this time. He sidesteps, and I stumble, my fury throwing me off balance.
He straightens his sleeves, completely unfazed. “Next time you come for me, make sure you finish the job.” He smirks, his voice calm and confident. “Because unless I’m dead, you won’t win. Not this fight. Not any fight.” He leans in, voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “And maybe…it’s my turn to threaten you.”
“Fuck you.”
He chuckles, dark amusement dripping from his voice. “You’re the one getting fucked here, Niccolo.” His eyes gleam with something wicked. “And speaking of getting fucked—Melanie’s quite the expert, isn’t she? Rides you like a pro, doesn’t she?”
All I saw was red.
Each punch landed with a satisfying crack, my knuckles screaming in protest, but I didn’t care. I might regret this later—but right now? It felt damn good. If I was going down, I was taking something with me.
But as I walked away, leaving Richard furious, blood dripping from his broken nose, regret clawed its way into my chest. Then my phone buzzed.
Hey, I’m at the playground with Faye by the Quickmart gas station near our house. I’ll explain later. Just wanted to let you know.
My breath hitched. The fight, the adrenaline—it all vanished.
Twenty-five agonizing minutes later, I screeched into the gas station lot, my pulse hammering louder than my truck’s engine. I barely threw it into park before launching out, scanning frantically. Nothing. My stomach twisted.
“Melanie? Faye!”
Silence.
Panic surged like ice in my veins. My feet pounded against the pavement as I sprinted, my chest tightening with every step, until I saw them.
Melanie and Faye were huddled together, sleeping. Safe. And just like that, the air rushed back into my lungs.
I walked up to the playground, getting closer. They both looked so peaceful, wrapped in each other's arms. And for the first time in my life, I had something—someone—worth fighting for. Not just for survival. But for them.
49
