Gabriel wrenches my father from his cell and drags him towards the stairs.
“What are you doing?” I gasp.
“I’m setting your father free.” He shoves my dad up the stairs but my father tries to run back towards me. He manages to pull me into a quick hug before Gabriel grabs him again.
“Please,” Dad begs. “Please don’t do this. Don’t do this!”
Gabriel shows no mercy as he drags my father up the stairs. I follow right behind, watching in horror, and knowing there’s nothing I can do. I already did everything I could do.
I saved my father’s life and yet… it doesn’t seem like it. It seems like I only broke my father down even more by making this decision.
Gabriel is a strong man and easily picks up my father, despite my dad’s kicking and flailing limbs.
“Please!” Dad sobs. The sound of it breaks my heart.
I follow right behind as Gabriel carries my dad to the front door and tosses him outside. My dad lands hard on the stone steps.
“Be careful,” I say. When I try to run towards my dad, Gabriel grabs my arm, stopping me.
“You don’t get to leave this house,” he growls. “You’re my prisoner now. You took your father’s place. Accept it.” He slams the heavy door shut, closing me off from my father forever.
The last look I get of my dad is him on his knees, in the pouring rain, sobbing.
In the lighter foyer, I get an even better look at Gabriel. The ugly scar on his face looks like it wasn’t properly healed. It’s red and intense. Huge. I wonder what happened but I’m too afraid of him to ask. Who exactly is this man, other than him working for the mafia?
The mafia.
My father’s story rocks me to my core. I had no idea he belonged to that world and by extension, myself. I knew nothing and it makes me feel like an utter idiot. It makes me feel betrayed.
Gabriel turns to me, placing all of his attention onto me in a way that makes me recoil. He scoffs. “You must find me hideous, don’t you?”
“You kidnapped my father. I’m terrified of you.”
“As you should be. You’re my prisoner now, Aurora.” The way he says my name makes me flinch. It’s like a gunshot to my heart. “You will not leave this mansion. It’s your home now. You have to pay off your father’s debt.”
What Gabriel doesn’t know is that I’ve been paying off my father’s debt for years by helping him with money. By helping both of us survive.
“What are you going to do to me?” I whisper. I want to sound more brave but it’s tough when an intense, scary man is glaring down at me.
“Are you worried I’m going to torture you? Rape you? I had no interest in doing that to your father. Keeping him locked away to die in my cell was good enough.”
I swallow hard. “And me? Is that good enough for me?”
“For you…” His eyes flick down my body and it takes everything in me to not cross my arms over my chest. “For you, I don’t want to keep you in my cell to rot. It would be unfortunate for a beautiful woman like you.”
“You think I’m beautiful?” I’m not sure why I ask. It’s more out of incredulousness given the situation.
“You’re pretty enough to fuck.” His harsh words make me recoil. “Now, come along. I’ll take you to your room.”
My head jerks up. “My room?”
“Did you think I was going to make you stay inthat cell forever?”
“Well… yes. You were going to do that to my father.”
His only response is the curling of his lips before he walks towards the large front stairway. My eyes flick to the front door and before I know what I’m doing, my legs are running right for it.
But Gabriel comes rushing back to me and grabs my arm, pulling me flush against him. “If you try to leave, I will find your father and kill him. I will have my punishment.”
