Page 38 of Come to Head

My cheek stung and the impact pushed my skin into my teeth. Copper filled my mouth, but I stared at him unblinkingly.

Hallie. Adopted?

My own mother… After all the vitriol she had spit my way over the years. It wasn’t even that surprising to hear she had married a literal monster.

Except if they both hated me so much, why was I even here? What could they possible want from me?

My mind was a fuzzy mess.

I wanted to scream, to rage, and spew every curse I had ever known, but it wasn’t only my life at stake. Yara was here too. I had to think of her. If we could just hold on a bit longer…

Emilio, Maddox, and Oliver would be here soon. I had no doubt about that. I just needed to keep my cool.

Because Yara? She was scared.

She had been there for me for so many years. Did we keep secrets from each other? Yes. But I trusted her with my life and in this moment I would be strong enough for the both of us.

Even if every nerve in my body was willing me to scream, to melt into a puddle of anxiety.

I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.

I needed to be strong for the both of us.

“But even a cow can be a whore can’t they? Sebastian York took a fancy to you, didn’t he? And then he got killed. But no matter. Today we can all exact the revenge we deserve.”

My step-father, correction–Yara’s dad, correction–Steve, correction—

Fuck, thestranger, Stephen, stepped back from me. During his entire spiel he had never raised his voice, it had been an eerie monotone. And even now, he wasn’t frowning, instead he had the remnants of a smile in place.

It was disconcerting, but I pushed it along with my uneasiness to the bottom of my pile of concerns.

“Bring him in.” Stephen didn’t turn, his eyes watching my face intently. “It’s time for your reunion.”

Chapter 23

Emilio

His Isa

“Stop pacing,” Maddox grumbled out to Oliver.

Emilio looked up from his computer as he flipped through the security cameras of the town. He had a team of men scouring for sight of Isa too, but he didn’t trust others to find her.

He would recognize her even if her face was covered, even if only parts of her were visible.

Emilio reached into his pocket, clenching the ring in it.

The tracker in her wedding band was working, except she had taken it off.

He would need to fix that feature soon. The ability to remove it made it practically useless in his mind. Just as ineffective as Maddox and Oliver tracking her phone. The device had been found only a bit further on their search, on the street in front of their house.

“I need to tell you both something, I was giving Yara time to do so, but then she was taken.” Emilio didn’t look up from the screen as the two men squabbled amongst each other. While they were seemingly useless at this moment, he knew when the time came, they would risk their lives for their girl.

Because, after all, she was all of theirs. They would all do anything forIsa.

She was more important to each of them than anything else. It was the only reason this “relationship” was going to work. It was why Emilio allowed them in her orbit.

Sometimes, like now, he would need help to keep her safe, and he couldn’t trust just anyone to the task.