I was so confused. “I don’t understand.”
“You want her to believe that son of a bitch was a good man? He was a trafficker! He raped her mother!”
I stumbled backward, shocked by the revelation. It made sense. After all, why would she have been in the back of a truck moving kidnapped women? “No,” I whispered, heartbroken.
“Isabella was his property. He bought her in a deal that united two powerful families.”
“If she was so precious to him, why didn’t Isabella travel with him?” Hades shook his head. “You are owed nothing, and you won’t take Becca.”
“That is not your decision.”
“But it’s mine,” I replied, unable to stay silent any longer. “I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care. I’m not property, and neither was my mother. People are not things to be sold and bought, you monster!”
He laughed. “Ah, you have your mother’s fire. I quite liked the nights I spent with her. She never yielded, no matter how hard I fucked her into submission.”
I was going to be sick. My head turned, and I retched, almost emptying my stomach.
Hades glanced at me with concern but kept his focus on the man in front of us. I still didn’t know his name.
“It’s time for you to leave, Marco.”
Marco? My eyes closed, and a memory surfaced from when I was a little girl. It was foggy, and it probably wasn’t completely accurate, but I remembered Bulldog picking me up from school and being late. A man had approached me. He said his name was Marco.
Oh, shit. He almost kidnapped me!
Bulldog had been furious. That was why I remembered the name and the sound of his voice.
“This is your last chance to live, Marco. Walk away. Now.”
Marco didn’t move. He lifted his gun, aiming for the heart of the man I loved as much as Bulldog.
“No!” I cried, shoving at Hades, but he wouldn’t budge.
The gun fired, and I only had enough time to blink as I was shoved to the floor. The bullet hit Hades in the chest, throwing him backward.
I screamed as I scrambled toward him, pressing against the wound as blood began to pool, soaking into his shirt.
“Becca,” he croaked.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. Help will come.”
Hades groaned.
“Stay with me! Dad, please!”
“You should have come with me, Becca.”
I turned at the sound of Marco’s voice, disgusted. “Fuck off, asshole.”
“You should watch that mouth.”
I snorted. “You don’t scare me. Where’s your backup? Why are you here alone? Because no one cares about you or gives a shit,” I spat. “Leave us alone.”
Marco roared at the insult before snatching my hair and hauling me up from the floor. “I’ll teach you better manners, bitch.”
“Let me go!” I shouted, fighting his hold as it stung my scalp.
“You should listen to her, Marco Fabrinelli.”
