Oh, my God. Rowan! Salvatore’s eyes sparked hellfire but still, he remained quiet, it was like the lull before the storm and by God, I feared what was coming.
“Please Cassius, where’s my son, where’s Rowan?” I yelled, my insides turning liquid with hate.
Cassius’ brow furrowed. “Rowan? Who’s Rowan?” he asked and this time I frowned. “I’m talking about Maddox.”
Huh! “Who’s Maddox?” I asked, confusion tensing my jaw. Then recognition dawned. Jaz Malik’s nephew was Gabriel’s son? I helped get back Gabriel’s son that he had with a woman he claimed as a friend. Oh, my fucking God, how did I not see that coming. He lied. Told me she was a friend. The bastard. “Maddox is with Jaz Malik,” I bit out.
“No he isn’t. Maddox wasn’t a normal child and I had Marybeth take care of him until he was taken from her. So, where the fuck is Maddox?”
I shook my head. “We handed Maddox over to Jaz and I was shot during that time. When I came to, Gabriel and Maddox were gone,” I replied, trying to take the attention off Rowan. If Cassius didn’t know about Rowan then that meant my baby was safe. I’d left strict instructions with the babysitter that if anything happened to me, she was to call Julian. I hoped like hell she did.
“Ah, yes. I tried to have Gabriel killed that day. Called in the kill shot but I believe you saved your lover, didn’t you Gianna. Once again you thwarted my plan.”
“Oh, my God, is there anything you’re even innocent of?” I grunted. “Are you really my father?” Fathers don’t treat daughters this way. I was trying the sympathy card and hoping like hell it worked.
Cassius shook his head. “What can I say, all these mafia heads and crime lords think they so bad, but I am the biggest fucking wolf out there.” He let out a manic laugh and I looked at Salvatore but his eyes were on Cassius, something churned behind those grays and it didn’t look good. It was clear that Salvatore was out for Cassius’ blood and I didn’t know why.
“And no, Gianna you’re not my daughter. Your mother was a whore and it's why I killed her when she told me you weren’t my daughter,” he ground out, his face swathed in hate.
If I wasn’t bound, I would’ve either dug the man’s heart out with my bare hands or collapsed from the sheer pain running through me. “Who was the lady I had killed then, the one you said was responsible for my mother’s death?” I forced out the words between the tears.
“That was Jaz Malik’s sister, the new DA. She was raising Maddox, I wanted him, so I got rid of her.” He shrugged it off like it was nothing.
“You used me as a scapegoat to kill an innocent woman,” I hissed out, rage burning through me.
He laughed. “All part of the life of a mafia queen, Gianna. You made decisions to kill others so why not her.” I didn’t bother replying, it was a waste. “So now, Gabriel has Maddox and I have you. Fine, I guess I’ll settle for you then.” Cassius sighed. “Gianna, I’d like you to meet my partner. Mendez.” He held out his hand toward the entrance and I watched as a man entered the room and then he turned my way.
“Oh God, it's you!” I screamed and Salvatore’s expression changed to shock at my reaction, the first since Cassius took off the bag. “How?” I stared at the man from the prison. The man who’d pinned down Hana in the bathroom. That scar in his jaw etched into my memory, never to be forgotten. Black beady eyes, lecherous in their admiration roved over me and I shuddered.
Cassius laughed. “Mendez has been waiting a long time to meet you, sweetheart. Since Vincenzo didn’t want to release you and the ambush didn’t work. Then he saw you again at the prison camp and that’s how I found out you were there. He told me he wanted you. Only Vincenzo’s bribe to the captain stopped Mendez from touching you. Now he’ll touch whenever he wants.”
Mendez moved toward me, speaking Spanish to Cassius. I didn’t understand the language and flinched when his hand touched my arm.
“Touch one fucking hair on her and you’ll die,” Vincenzo roared, his voice slamming off the walls. Jaw clenched, gray eyes dark steel, the light above him creating a halo around his black hair and adding a shimmering depth to the silver streaks at his temples and in his salt and pepper beard. With his ash-colored button-down rolled at the sleeves and open three buttons down, the visible tattoos snaking over his skin just added to the ferocity that was Vincenzo Salvatore. Fuck, the man was stunning even if he were the devil personified right now.
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