Page 70 of Merciless King

“No. If it were, Vincenzo Rinella would be dead. What is delusional is thinking Gabriel will stop. Ever. Do you really want to live the rest of your life with him lurking behind your back? Lurking around Elysse?” He slices his hand through the air. “I won’t allow it, Piper. I won’t try to control you, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let Elysse get caught up in all this.”

He’s threatened that before. It scares me to death, and yet I know he’s right. "Elio, please. I know you want to protect us, but there must be another option."

Elio shakes his head, his jaw clenched. "You don't understand, Piper. Men like Gabriel, they don't respond to reason. The only language they understand is force."

I feel a flare of frustration, mixed with a growing sense of desperation. "Let me talk to him.”

“What the fuck, Piper? No. Sorry. I put my foot down?—”

“Maybe he doesn’t know who you are… who you work with.”

Elio rolls his eyes. “Who I am is his whole case. It’s why I’m ‘unsafe’,” he says with air quotes around unsafe.

“Not necessarily. You beat him up. I can call him, convince him that it’s not a wise idea.”

Elio lets out a soft laugh. “Baby, he’ll use that to say you threatened his life. Don’t poke Mafia man Elio D’Amato or you could end up dead.”

He’s right. Even so, we have to try. I don’t know how I’ll live knowing Gabriel’s death is on my hands. “If there's even a chance we can resolve this without resorting to violence, don't we owe it to ourselves, to Elysse, to try?"

Elio runs a hand through his hair. "Gabriel's not going to listen to reason."

I step closer to him, placing my hand on his chest. "I know it's a long shot, but maybe…” I don’t finish. Elio is right. Gabriel won’t give in. But I have to try.

"You're not going anywhere near Gabriel. I won’t allow it."

I bristle at his commanding tone, a surge of indignation rising in my chest. "I'm not a child, Elio. I can make my own decisions."

Elio's jaw clenches, and he takes a step closer to me. "I know you're not a child, but Gabriel is unpredictable. He's already shown that he's willing to do anything to hurt you. For fuck’s sake, he nearly killed you."

I open my mouth to argue, but something in Elio's expression stops me. Beneath the anger and the protectiveness, I see raw, desperate fear. The thought of losing me, of having me slip through his fingers again, is clearly terrifying to him.

I take a deep, calming breath. "I won’t see him in person. I’ll call him.” I pick up my phone from the desk.

"Fine.” Elio pulls me into his arms, holding me tightly against his chest. "I can't lose you again, Piper. I won't survive it."

I bury my face in his shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent. "You won't lose me.” I dial Gabriel’s number.

Elio plants his hip on the corner of the desk. “Put it on speaker.”

The phone rings once, twice, three times.

"Well, well, well.” Gabriel's voice drips with smug satisfaction. "If it isn't my dear, devoted wife."

I grit my teeth, fighting back the urge to lash out at his mocking tone. "I’m calling about the divorce.”

Gabriel chuckles, the sound sending a chill down my spine. "Oh, I think we're well past the point of talking, sweetheart. Unless, of course, you're ready to beg for our daughter's sake."

“She’s not your daughter. Don’t pretend you ever thought otherwise,” I snap. I haven’t used this tone with him for years. Not since it resulted in a beating. “I’m not going to beg you for anything.”

Elio’s brow arches, and I suspect he didn’t think I had this fight in me.

“Then you’ll suffer.”

“Why are you really doing this? Just to hurt me? Because I hurt your feelings? Grow up, Gabriel.” It occurs to me that I might be going too far, but all this pent-up anger surging to the surface needs to be expressed.

There's a beat of silence on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I think I've caught him off guard. But then he laughs, the sound cold and cruel. "Let's cut to the chase, shall we? You're my wife, Piper. Mine. And I don't take kindly to what's mine being stolen from me."

"I'm not your property. I'm a human being, with my own thoughts and feelings and choices. And I'm choosing to leave you to build a better life for myself and for Elysse."

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