“I mean exactly what I said, Father.” My voice is much more composed than his, and Maverick’s hand tightens on my knee. “I’m calling to make a deal.”
He scoffs. “A deal? You are in no position to offer me a deal. You’re probably broken down on the side of the road somewhere, calling me from a payphone. You have nothing. You’ll be lucky if your mother and I take you back. We don’tneedyou for Nest Luxe.”
I ignore the comment about Nest Luxe, because if it were true, he’d have already written me off. They would have held a funeral for me, just so they could lay the whole issue of their “missing daughter” to rest.
They need me for something.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” I say, my voice not wavering in the slightest. “I wasn’t kidnapped from Pack Caruso, Father. I was rescued. By my true scent matches.”
The anger is evident in his tone. “Wren Sofia Messina, you willnot—”
Every instance of holding my tongue, every time I looked down in submission flashes before my eyes, and this time, when the urge to bite back hits me…I give in. “NotMessina,” I snap, getting to my feet. “You made damn sure of that.”
There’s a beat of silence, like he can’t believe how I just spoke to him. My heart rams against my chest, the adrenalineof finally speaking up to my father giving me the courage to keep going.
When he speaks, his voice is outraged. “Howdareyou—”
“Here’s the thing, Father, and you’re going to want to listen to me very, very, carefully.” Newfound confidence fills me, my demeanor calm as I speak. “Remember the shipment of winter coats that was intercepted by the feds? That wasme. I have a witness on stand-by willing to testify that yousoldme to Pack Caruso. I also have an alpha who could hack into the government in his sleep if he wanted to, and he’s been combing through every single email you’ve sent since you took power of the Messina family. I’ve already used the resources at my disposal to make sure that Pack Caruso goes away for a very,verylong time.So I repeat,Father,I want to make a deal.”
Silence, except for his heavy, enraged breathing.
“What…whatkindof deal?” His voice is tight, evidence that I’ve backed him into a corner. The feeling is intoxicating.
“All I want is for you to stop looking for me,” I say simply, emboldened by his lack of comeback. “I want you to announce to the world that I’ve been found alive and well, and to call off the search party. If you do that for me, none of this evidence will ever see the light of day.”
“I don’t believe you,” Father spits. “There’s no way you could have all this proof—”
“Tell me, Father, has Freida shown up for work today?” I ask, knowing he probably has no idea. But he will. “How are the Bianchi and Rossi families doing? Have they realized you’ve been overcharging them yet?”
Silence. Then a curse. “Youbitch—”
Four sets of protective growls ring out. I would have cowered at such language from him before, but now, all I feel is empowered ashis words cut off.
“You will watch how you speak to our omega,” Maverick growls again.
Father ignores him.
“I don’t make deals over the phone.” His tone has turned dismissive. “How am I supposed to take your claim seriously if I don’t have proof?”
I grit my teeth. “I could just turn everything over to the FBI, you know.”
“If you were going to, you would have already,” Father drawls. “Clearly you have an interest in keeping your mother and I out of prison—whatever that may be. All I want is to verify the credibility of your threat for myself.”
I exchange a look with my guys. We were worried this might happen.
Time for plan b.
“Set the time,” my voice rings with foreign authority, “my alpha will have the file ready to send out if he’s not home by midnight to cancel the transmission. Any funny business, any attempt to take me from them will result in every single shred of proof finding its way to the people who will make sure you will rot in jail for the rest of your miserable life.”
I can hear father seething. “Tomorrow night. Dinner. Let’s try to act civilized, shall we?”
Maverick squeezes my hand in reassurance.
“Tomorrow.” I echo. “Get a private room at Toscano’s.”
“Come at six.”
“Father?”
