What?
It feels like the floor drops out from under me. How is this my father?
He smiles, and it’s filled with malicious glee. “But you aren’t a nobody, Gina. You just don’t know how valuable you are.”
Tears fill my eyes. “I don’t understand.”
“You’re my bartering chip, princess.”
“I’m not a princess,” I whisper, but he doesn’t acknowledge that I said anything.
“At first, I was going to offer you to Tommaso to further my position with the Santoros.”
“He would never have agreed to something like that.”
“No?” My father grins, looking like a demon who clawed his way out of hell, still holding my mom’s life in his hands. “You think you know him after such a short time? He’s a powerful ruler, and you’re a naïve, stupid little girl.”
My stomach drops, his words landing a little too close to home.
“But I realized I was being short-sighted. Tommaso may lead here, but he’ll never be king—not while he’s under Stefano’s control and command. That’s why I aimed higher and went for the leader of the ‘Ndrangheta. It seems our goals are aligned, and Emanuele was more than interested in my offer. And with me being Pisani’s man, I’m untouchable.”
I’m fully shaking now, unable to hide or stop it. “What are you talking about?”
He doesn’t answer my question, though. “During Emanuele and Vincenzo’s visit, we finalized all the details of the deal. They needed to return home due to some heart problems Emanuele was experiencing, but Vincenzo will be back in a few days to take you to Catanzaro with him, and you’ll be whatever he wants you to be. His whore, his toy to offer to others…whateverhe wants.”
“That will shame you,” I try to reason, vibrating with horror. “All the money you paid to send me to Santa Elisabetta—”
“Will be a waste?” He scoffs, shaking his head. “You’ll be a refined piece of ass, one that many in our world prefer.”
Bile almost chokes me. “The ‘Ndrangheta is against human trafficking. Call it what you want, but that’s what this is,” I shout, losing control.
“I see your spirit still needs to be tamed, broken.”
His words stall my heart, and he tightens his hands again around Mom’s throat. She’s been silent and still all through this exchange, and she doesn’t fight him now. Almost like she’s already gone and has no will to live any longer with the monster who came to reside underneath my father’s skin.
But I won’t let her die.
Screaming, I fly at my father and try to break his hold on her. My focus is on Mom and getting her free, not on attacking the madman himself.
I try to pull her away from him the second his fingers are off her neck, but a fist slams into my temple, and my vision blurs as pain explodes in my head. But I don’t give up and go for her again.
This time, he punches me in the face and then in the temple again. My world spins, and my vision blurs. When he punches me for a fourth time, I fly backward, and the back of my head hits something hard and sharp.
I groan as I slide to the floor, my vision black, but I fight with everything I have to stay conscious. When more lucidity returns, I realize I’m sitting propped up against the corner of my father’s desk, and the back of my head and neck are sticky with blood.
My father is back behind Mom. His hands aren’t around her neck, though; they’re holding the sides of her head.
“Babbo,” I cry, trying to reach the man he used to be—back when I was a small girl, before his stroke, ambition, and greedmade him into this monster. “Babbo, no.” Pain pulses in my head and face. “I’ll do it! I’ll do it! Just please stop!”
His eyes are locked on mine. Then he twists sharply and breaks my mother’s neck.
No screams come. They’re locked in my throat along with my sob. Silent tears coat my cheeks as he releases her, and she slumps off the sofa and hits the floor with athud.
“Mamma,” I choke.
My father walks over to me, but I can’t move. My head swims, my vision fades in and out. All I can hear is the sound of my mom’s neck breaking.
“Gina.” He crouches in front of me. “You think I don’t know about Tommaso? How you’re infatuated with him?”
