"Handsomely so," Simon confirmed with a smirk. "Which is why I want to continue the arrangement. I waited for over six months for my last payment, and you owe me money." His eyes flashed dangerously, then he brushed his blazer, as though this entire conversation was nothing but a blight on his day. "I want my 10% cut plus interest."
Rage coursed through my veins. My father gave Fernando access. He was how Fernando got whatever,whoeverhe wanted, in and out of this city without anyone's notice. He benefited and had been doing so for years, and he didn't care who he hurt along the way.
I knew he was a greedy bastard who would do anything to get what he wanted, but seeing it, witnessing his nonchalant attitude when he could have contributed to the agony and torture of dozens, maybe even hundreds of people, was a new realm of evil.
My voice dropped low. "You can take your 10% plus interest and shove it up your vile, disgusting ass."
"How dare you!" Simon roared.
He raised his hand to hit me. But before I could strike him first, Marco did.
He punched him. The sound of knuckles hitting bone sent a satisfying crunching sound through the room. Simon's men moved to intervene, but I whipped out my gun.
"If you take one step, you'll end up just like the rest of your dead friends."
They looked at each other and froze in place as Marco beat Simon to a pulp.
"Did you really think I was going to let you put hands onmywoman?" he snarled. "You hurt, mistreated, and abused Catalina all her life. You should have treated her like she was your world, your entire universe, but you didn't!"
He kicked Simon in the ribs who curled into a ball, trying to protect himself. But it was no use as Marco continued to kick and stomp on his head.
"Every day, Catalina has to fight through the trauma you inflicted on her, and instead of giving a damn, you're trying to hurt her again. You're worse than a fucking rat."
Marco bent down, grabbing Simon's collar, holding his limp torso off the ground. "If I had it my way, I'd drown your ass in the East River," he growled. "The sole reason you're alive today is due to the grace of your beautiful daughter." He pointed at me, his eyes never leaving Simon's bloodied face. "And if you want to stay that way, you'll learn to payhersome respect."
Marco let him go and Simon fell back onto the floor, hard. "Because if you don't, I will hunt you down, and I will take great pride in killing you."
As Marco stepped back, his eyes met mine. The fury and rage that had consumed him moments ago was replaced by a gentleness that made my heart skip a beat.
I tilted my head towards the door. "Let's go home."
He nodded, and as we turned to leave, I glanced back at Simon's men. "I assume I don't need to tell you not to try anything, right, boys?"
They nodded nervously, but I kept my gun trained on them as we left.
The drive back to my house was silent. I kept replaying Marco's words over and over in my head. The way he beat Simon was so satisfying, so incredibly attractive, but I was worried about the repercussions.
Simon could afford to be sloppy because he had the power of the law and government on his side. He also liked to make friends in high places. And I didn't want any of that to come down on Marco's head.
Simon wouldn't leave Marco be after the way he had beaten him, especially in front of his own men. Pride was everything to my father, and Marco had just shown how little of a man he really was.
But knowing Simon was likely involved in the trafficking and had benefited from it meant that when I was living with him, I had too. And that made me sick to my stomach.
Marco parked in my driveway and turned to me. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "Not for beating him. He deserved that, but for losing my temper when you needed me."
I shook my head. "Come inside. Let’s get you cleaned up."
Taking his bloody hand, I led him into my house and had him sit on a kitchen stool. Then I grabbed the first aid kit from the bathroom. Soaking a makeup remover pad in alcohol, I gently cleaned the blood splatter from his face.
Marco remained tense, silent as I worked.
When I finished, I moved to his hands, brushing my fingers over the lingering dried blood. "You didn't have to do all of that," I murmured.
His eyes met mine, intense and unwavering. "I did. I wasn't going to let your father hurt or insult you, noteveragain."
A small smile tugged at my lips. "You're constantly surprising me."
His brow furrowed. "How?"
