Page 40 of Saving You Losing Me

“Tomorrow, the Santobellos are hosting a farewell party for you.”

“For me?” I’m shocked. “Why?”

He doesn’t answer my question and carries on speaking. “You will attend as Michael’s date for the night.”

“NO!” I jump up. “I won’t. Don’t be absurd.”

Mom glances at me and I note the pity in her eyes as my father delivers a stern response.

“Last time we had a conversation in this room, you gave me a choice.”

I swing my gaze to mom who appears so beaten the bottom drops out of my world. She knows. It’s staring at me hard and I swallow, my mouth dry as I sense my leverage crumbling.

“Now I am giving you a choice and will respect your decision.”

“Go on.” My heart beats erratically as he fixes me with a stern glare.

“In three day’s time, Fitzgeralds is due to be sold to, well, you know who.”

“Atom.” I say forcefully, fixing him with a hard glare of my own and he nods, a flicker of distaste passing across his face.

“If you agree to marry Michael, the sale will go through. If not, the premises will be sold to Michael Santobello.”

“So what? We’ll buy another one.” I bite back, and my father shakes his head.

“You still don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what?”

“Michael wants you as his wife, and if you don’t agree, your boyfriend will pay the price. He will be run out of town or?—”

He hesitates and I gasp, “Or what?”

Mom sinks down onto the couch and places her head in her hands.

My father clears his throat. “Charles and Michael Santobello have made it crystal clear that for every day you refuse, no matter how long that may take, your, well, boyfriend will pay the price, along with every member of his family and friends.”

“Then we will leave town!” I yell and for the first time in my life, I watch my father show real fear.

“The house he lives in has already been purchased by their property company. The sale was finalized last night. If you don’t agree, the night the garage is sold, there will be a devastating fire and the insurance will be null and void when they prove it was started by your boyfriend for the insurance money.”

“They can’t do that. I’ll go to the cops and tell them what you told me.”

“Don’t be a fool, Clara!” Dad yells. “This isn’t about you anymore. Real people stand to lose everything, even their lives.”

“Listen to your father, Clara.” Mom sighs and her voice catches as she whispers, “Atom has a sister Tanya.”

My heart twists as she says shakily, “She is working for Michael at the new club he opened. Her life is on the line if this doesn’t go ahead and Atom will be framed for her murder.”

I don’t believe what I’m hearing and stare at them in shock. “Why is he doing this? I hardly know the guy.”

“Because he can.” My father says simply and then says gruffly, “That’s not all. Every one of well, Atom’s friends will findlife very difficult. By the time Michael finishes with them, they will have nothing, probably be in jail and any hope of the life they are planning gone up in smoke.”

“I won’t do it. He can’t blackmail me into marrying him.”

“Then there is the hold he has on us.”

At first I don’t register his words and as they sink in, I stare at him in shock.

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