His hand drifts lower, tugging away at the ruined fabric of my dress to expose my shoulders, my chest, and my belly. Ice sinks into my skin as he runs a fat finger over my body, and he licks his lips hungrily.
"Tell me something." He leans closer, and I hate that I can’t shy away from his rancid breath reeking of cigar smoke. "Did Romanov do this to you?"
I keep my jaw shut, refusing to answer him.
“No matter. He can’t fucking save you now.” His hand finds my thigh, and with a single brutal motion, he shoves it open even as I try to clamp it closed.
"That's it,ragazza." His voice drops an octave. "Fight back. I like it when they have some fight in them."
As much as I want to turn my face away from him, I don’t. Because as long as he thinks he’s breaking me, he won’t hurt Anthony. I’ll pay any price, suffer any burden, and endure any unthinkable scenario before I let this monster hurt him.
But still, it doesn’t stop the shiver tearing through me as he squeezes the sore flesh.
When he sees it, the self-satisfied smile on his face grows wider, and he leans in closer until his face fills my entire field of vision. Rolls of tanned flesh balloon out of his collar, and nothing—not even the expensive choking cologne he wears—can hide the nauseating sour scent of his oily skin.
"My Gia was a fighter too." Don Leo's tongue darts out to wet his lips, and then—oh God—helicksmy cheek, a long wet stripe from jaw to temple. “She fought just as hard. Even had the balls to claw me in the face. And do you know what happened?"
I can't speak. I can't move. I can feel his stinking saliva drying on my skin. I want to scrub it off, claw my own face off so I can get the sensation forever away from me.
“So I broke her pretty little hands, and fucked her bloody to remind her that she wasminelong before she ever dared to let that Russian put his whelp in her.”
Fear squeezes my throat, and my lips tremble at the awful confession of this monster.
“And when the fight finally went out of her.” His fingers hook around the necklace. "I took this pretty chain, wrapped it around her throat, and strangled her so that she’ll alwaysstaymine."
My stomach roils, and I feel like I’m about to vomit all over this car—all over this monster and myself. Herapedhis own daughter, and then strangled her with the token of her husband’s love…
And for five years, I’ve worn it around my neck without knowledge of its awful, bloody history.
"How could you…" The word comes out strangled in my throat. "She was your daughter."
"Exactly." Don Leo's hand stops moving against my thigh. "She wasmydaughter. Mine to discipline. Mine to hurt. Mine to break if she ever fucking dared to step out of line. And now, so are you."
Suddenly, before I can respond, Anthony launches himself across Don Leo's bulk with righteous fury. His small fists connect with Don Leo's shoulder, his chest, and anywhere he can reach.
He screams in a voice filled with rage that I’ve never heard from him before. "Leave Aunt Bella alone!Leave her alone!"
Don Leo looks back as Anthony’s hand claws his face, and then he moves—lightning fast—his meaty hand sweeping in an arc that connects with Anthony’s face. The crack echoes through the car and Anthony goes limp.
I can’t stop the raw and horrified scream ripping itself out of my throat. "ANTHONY!"
Don Leo’s hand around my neck shifts until he has me pinned against the window. But he continues to look at Anthony as he flexes his fat fingers.
"I was going to make him watch." He settles back into his seat, his bulk shifting as he does. "But no matter. We have plenty of time for that later."
I struggle against the hand pinning me down, trying to reach Anthony as I strain against Don Leo's grip. I need to see if he’s breathing. I have to make sure he’s still alive. Make sure that the monster sitting between us didn’t just kill the only thing I have left in this world.
Don Leo turns his full attention to me, and he’s rushing towards me before I can scream.
The impact comes from nowhere.
Something slams into the car from behind with the force of a charging bull, and gravity shifts. Don Leo goes careening forward, his mass carried by the sudden change in momentum, and his head hits the center console.
He gives out a grunt, and then falls forward, motionless.
A space now exists between me and Anthony that I didn't have before. I start scrambling forward, hand reaching out to touch him.
BANG!
