Page 49 of Defy

After watching one sibling die, I should feel more than I do in this moment, but he tried to rape Libby.

MyLibby. Because she is stillmineeven if she’s pissed and needs space.

So, fuck him.

Luis stills as the cold metal hits his temple. Our father squatting down next to him.

“You’d do well to watch your mouth, Luis. If you think I won’t pull this trigger, then you haven’t been paying attention.” My father’s voice doesn’t even shake. Nor does his hand.

He isn’t bluffing. He’d pull that trigger and then sleep like a baby.

“You too?” Luis snarls. “Fuck, I just wanted some payback. If it weren’t for her,he,” Luis spits the word like it’s a dart as his eyes swing to me braced above him, “wouldn’t be here, fucking up everything I’ve worked for.”

My father’s voice gets dangerously low. “Everythingyou’veworked for? Tell me, Luis, how much of my money have you drunk or snorted up your nose in the last six months? Huh?”

When Luis doesn’t answer, he continues, “And how many new contracts have you gotten, new dealers have you brought in? That’s right, none. How many new business ideas have you laid at my feet? None.” Omar is openly sneering at Luis’ form on the floor. “It makes sense that you would need to rape a woman because from where I’m standing, you hold no appeal. You’re a spoiled brat with a penchant for whining and thinking the world answers to you. Well, it doesn’t.” Luis seems to be taking his verbal beating well until our father’s parting shot, hitting Luis hard and below the belt.

“This world answers to Dominic. It always has and now you will too.”

This isn’t a sentimental statement from our father. Just an honest one. I am the oldest. I am the firstborn. I did his bidding even when it destroyed me. I left but when I came back, I took my punishment without a word. Since then, I’ve proven myself in a short period of time. Playing the game the way it was meant to be played and making the deals he wanted made.

I risk a glance at Libby who’s staying still and quiet, hoping to go unnoticed in the corner while Irina presses a cold cloth to her cheek. Helping her for the second time in a single day.

My father is still looking at Luis with a hard and unforgiving expression on his face. “Move your ass up to the fifth floor. I’m taking your weapons, and for the love of God, put your cock away and keep it away from her. Right now, she’s more valuable to me than you are.” Then he looks right at me. “You can have your old rooms back but don’t even think about playing house when you think no one’s watching. Because I’malwayswatching.”

With that, my father strides out of the room, my mother following. I view her actions so much differently now after our conversation.

I stand up, relieving the pressure off Luis’ chest as he rolls to his side and coughs.

“Don’t let me catch you anywhere near her again.”

“Or what?” the little jackass sneers.

“Or I’ll give you a one-way ticket to party with Van den Tweel.”

“Is that a death threat,brother?” he asks, awkwardly shoving himself back in his pants.

“Threats are for cowards and implies I won’t follow through. What I just said is a promise because I would have killed you just now if our father hadn’t instructed that I stop.”

He stands and stares me down, nostrils flaring, for ten seconds before throwing a look over my shoulder at Libby and then back to me. “I hope her pussy’s worth it.”

Fucking fantastic. This is the last thing I need. Luis is too fucking reckless to be a worthy opponent, but his recklessness is also what makes him dangerous.

The clock is ticking louder. I have to get to Mateo’s.

Alone with just the girls, I turn to Irina first. “Thank you for checking on her.”

She doesn’t answer immediately, but looks down at Libby, who’s still holding her hand. “I can’t believe he was dumb enough to try that.”

She’s right. In both the words she says and the ones she doesn’t. When your last name is Hielo, men and women both throw themselves at you.

“He wanted to hurtme,” I explain. “And he correctly guessed that going after Libby was the fastest way to wound me.”

I hope my words melt some of the ice that Libby continues to throw my way, but no luck. I keep my mouth shut though because this moment is about her so I swallow my feelings and go to the doorway of the office to make sure Luis isn’t planning something stupid.

Like coming back to try again.

I see Camila by his side. Just as I wonder when she showed up, I see her smack Luis in the back of the head. Her voice is a heated whisper but I can’t make out the words.

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