Page 41 of Claiming His Mafia Princess

“Yes, sweetheart, you have to understand—”

I stand up, fuming. Fire flaring in my eyes are I shoot my anger towards him. “Oh, I understand. Do you want to know what I understand? I understand Malone would have killed me. Perhaps not right away, but he would have. It would have been painful and torturous.” My father opens his mouth to interrupt me. “Shut up and listen. Don’t say a word.” I warn him. “I understand something else, dad. I understand you want to call your alley a rat for rolling over to the police to save his own ass from jail - yet you are a hypocrite. Because you rolled over to Malone to save your own ass from jail. You rolled over so badly that you were willing to sell your own daughter’s life.” I am shouting at him, losing my voice, losing control, shaking and furious.

Nevio stands up and pulls me into his arms, trying to calm my shaking body.

I push him away and turn back towards me, father. “What makes your life any better than your own child’s? What kind of father sacrifices his own daughter to save himself some time in jail? Time you would have paid to have shortened. Time you would have spent in privacy, protected luxury. Not in the general prison population. I know how it works.” The more I talk, the more I hate him for what he tried to do.

Tears are streaming down my face.

Was stands up, Red stands too, they both turn towards my father. Red grabs his arm and pulls him to his feet. “It’s time to go,” He says, his deep voice rumbling through the room.

“Dalila, I just - “ My father tries to reason with me.

Mas shakes his head. “No, dad, it’s time to go.”

They pull him out of the room, and he walks with his shoulders slumped forward.

I stare after him and realize that he never saw the reality of the choice he made. He never said that he had also thrown someone one else under the bus - me.

He seems to only have just come to that understanding now as he slinks away from me, walking out of the house that my brother got me into.

I turn to look at Nevio, suddenly so grateful for him, so happy that he fought so hard in that poker game for me. I step close to him and he holds me tight against his body.

I lean my face into his chest, soaking up the warmth and feelings of security.

“I’m so happy it was you.” I whisper, fighting fresh tears.

“Me too.” He responds, stroking my back. “I thank God for it every day.”

For the rest of the day, I walk around the house in a daze. Still angry, feeling lost, like someone has ripped the ground out from beneath my feet and I’m drifting in space.

My childhood, all the memories of my father, are flooding my thoughts.

I can’t seem to see him in the same way I used to.

I used to look up to him. He was this giant, this unbreakable man who could do anything. He was strong and scary and commanding.

But now, after today, all I see is a weak man who will throw his own daughter to the wolves to save his own skin.

And even scarier than that is that he didn’t even realize what he was doing. What choice he was making. He was so hellbent on survival that he only saw what he wanted to see.

How many times in my life have I thought he would die for me?

I sigh.

Why am I even letting these thoughts go on a loop like this? I need to shake this horrible feeling off. I need to let go.

“Come to bed, baby girl.” Nevio says, pulling me from my mind. He reaches out and grabs my arm. “Come to bed,” He says again, when I don’t respond.

I nod. “That’s probably a good idea.” I say, feeling distracted.

Chapter Twenty

NEVIO

Dalila is struggling with deep emotional pain after finding out exactly what happened.

I don’t blame her. Her father should be ashamed of himself. I can’t believe he would do that to his own daughter, someone so pure, so sweet, so innocent. I can’t believe any father would do that to their child.

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