Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91979 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“Wh-what shame?” Serena’s clear voice filled the tense room.
Trace slowly walked over to her daughter but didn’t try to take her from me. Instead, she shared a look with me and whispered, “Honey, it was a long time ago, but some things are harder to forgive.”
“I tried to rape Trace.” My dad just out and said it.
Serena sucked in a sharp breath and clung to me tighter. “What?”
My dad’s eyes held so much pain that for a second, I wanted to drop her hand and give him a hug.
“It was a dark time.” Dad swallowed while my mom came up and grabbed his arm like he needed her strength. “Junior knows, I told him when he was young, just in case, just in case—” He squeezed his eyes shut. “My dad at a young age told me I was just like him, just like his father before him. He said men like us needed to dominate, needed to hurt, needed to break girls in, make them bleed, use them as a currency. At a very young age, my only job within the De Lange Family was to break them, some were virgins, but we were held at gunpoint. Doesn’t justify it. The first girl I tried to save shot herself in front of me when we were finished. I was fourteen.” His eyes filled with tears. “I was filled with so much hatred over Trace that I couldn’t see straight. She showed up on our campus, my campus, and stole Nixon’s friendship, stole my only friends, the only solace I had in my godforsaken life, and I snapped. I set her up, and because of that, my dad was no longer boss, and I was cut from being his heir. Our family suffered, so I wanted her to suffer, seeing her as the reason. I never—” He took a deep breath. “It never got that far because Chase ran in and saved the day with Nixon and Tex, but it’s something that I will never forgive myself for. It’s why Junior wears the mark of your family, Serena. Because no matter what, the Nicolasis will always honor the Abandonatos, no matter what choice is made. My firstborn was always supposed to be a penance, at the beck and call of the Abandonatos as a way to show forgiveness and fealty.”
I stared down at my arm and tried not to let the rage hit me again, but it was impossible to stop the shaking as Nixon walked up to me, with my dad silent permission and my mom’s tearful sobs, took his dagger and fucking cut into the Abandonato symbol on my skin, ripping the scar to shredded pieces.
I let out a little groan while Serena still clung to me. The burn was deep. And I knew, in that moment, I had relived the sins of my father.
Because Nixon Abandonato was cutting me from the families.
All because I fell in love with his daughter.
“Serena,” Nixon said in a low tone. “Come here. Now.”
“My place is by his side,” she answered, her voice clear and bold.
“Serena—” My voice cracked.
“No!” She bellowed. “You don’t get to give up right now.”
My smile was weak. “When have I ever given up?”
“Then what are you doing?”
I gulped and then. “I don’t want you to see me break.”
“Too bad.” She turned around and held out her left hand. “Where he goes, I go— even if that means you bury me too. And I answer to Asher.” She glared at her dad. “Not you.”
A gasp resounded through the group.
And the ever-silent Chase finally spoke up. “Let Asher deal with it. It’s what he does best.”
He left out the “kills people” part, but it was there regardless, in the heavy pregnant hush that settled over the room.
Ash stepped forward and sighed. “Please don’t make me force you two.”
“You won’t have to,” Serena answered for me.
We walked in steady cadence down the hall, and then down to the basement, bypassing the gym we so often sparred in.
Down another set of stairs we went until Ash stopped us in front of one of the soundproof rooms.
Two metal chairs were already in there, not facing each other, another curse, dying without seeing the last breath of the loved one. Or maybe it was a blessing. I couldn’t decide.
I just calmly walked to one of the chairs and sat.
Serena did the same.
“I won’t kill you quickly.” Ash’s voice caught in his throat. He looked like he was going to puke.
“I know.” I locked eyes with him. “Ash, for what it’s worth, I’m glad it’s you.”
“Don’t say that to me, man.” He shook his head. “I don’t know how much more I can take right now. It’s fucking hard to breathe, and I wish they knew. I wish they knew how long, because maybe then they’d know this isn’t screwing, this is… this is so much more.”