Page 73 of Ruthless Mafia Daddy

Fine. If she wants to be like that, so be it.

I load up the tracking app on my dashboard so I can make sure she doesn’t wander off anywhere else. I try to ignore the feeling of dread that Lorenzo might have planted her phone at the mall to distract us.

“She’s safe,” I repeat to myself the entire drive out of the city.

The mall is packed with students looking to blow off some steam after classes.

I drive across the entire parking lot and park outside the entrance, scanning the sea of navy and white uniforms for Rosa. I spot her almost instantly, sitting on a bench with her friends, slushy in one hand and an armful of bags in the other.

When she spots the car, she rolls her eyes and gets to her feet, waving goodbye to her friends.

I grind my teeth together, my eyes never leaving her as she takes her time walking over to the car. I lean over and open the passenger door and she slides in, tossing her purchases onto the back seat.

“Shut the door.” My voice shakes with rage.

She sighs, slamming the door shut and leaning back in the plush leather seat, taking a long slurp of her slushy.

I wait to speak until we’re back onto the highway, heading out of the main city.

“Would you like me to remind you of the conditions of our deal?” I keep my eyes forward on the road.

“I went to the mall. Jeez, Andre?—”

“You did not just go to the mall,” I snap. “I gave you clear rules and boundaries to keep you safe, Rosa, and you broke those rules.”

“It was Haley’s birthday, we wanted to get food?—”

“I don’t give a shit why you did it.” My jaw hurts from clenching it so hard, but I do my best to keep a lid on my anger.

I don’t want to scare my sister into obeying me. I’m not my father. But she needs to understand the severity of her actions.

“It won’t happen again,” she mutters, sipping her slushy.

“You’re damn right it won’t because I’m pulling you out of school.”

“WHAT?” Rosa turns in her seat.

Her glare on me almost physically burns, but I keep my eyes forward. “There’s literally only two weeks left! Come on, Andre, I have varsity games and homecoming?—”

“Not anymore. And don’t even think about summer camp.”

“Are you trying to ruin my life? I didn’t skip school to do drugs or get wasted. I went to the mall. Scratch that, I didn’t even skip my classes, I skipped one volleyball practice!”

“I don’t care what you skipped or where you went. You broke the rules, and I warned you this would be the consequence.”

“Fuck you,” Rosa spits. “You’re an asshole. You can’t treat me like a child, I’m fifteen.”

“You want me to treat you like an adult?” I yell at her. “Try fucking acting like one.”

“You should trust me,” she yells, her voice thick with tears.

“And you should trust me! Yet, you purposefully disobey.” I blow out a breath.

“Look. I do trust you, Rosa.” I run a hand through my hair. “It’s everyone else I don’t trust.”

Rosa is quiet for the rest of the drive back to the house. I’m glad because I’m too caught up in my own thoughts to have the energy to argue with her. All I can think about is what Lorenzo could have done if he got his hands on her…

“Go to your room,” I order her as I park the car in the garage.

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