Page 2 of Not a Pawn

I glare at the man before me. Why would a man so dark and evil be so handsome? Marco Pezzo is probably the most handsome man I have ever laid eyes on, and it only pisses me off. Olive-toned skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. He has a square jaw and a smile that male models all over the world are surely jealous of.

“Shouldn’t I be locked up in the basement somewhere?” I ask, disdain dripping from every word that falls from my lips.

“Why would I leave you in that dark, dank place? I much rather prefer to look at your beautiful face.”

Charm oozes from every pore and I must resist the urge to slap him or fall for his bullshit. I fucking hate the Elite. What makes it worse is that he is an Alpha. For some reason theyall think they are owed something even though they have never done an honest day’s work in their damn lives.

“Where is my father?” I ask instead, ignoring his flattery.

I know who and what my father is. I have always known he was involved with some unsavory characters and that he has a gambling problem. He is in debt to Marco, but we are both working our asses off to get the money together. All we need is a little more time. Clearly, Marco has run out of patience.

“He is running an errand. Once he completes his task, you’ll both be debt-free and allowed to leave.”

The calculating look in his obsidian gaze says more than his words ever could. Wherever he sent my father, whatever he wanted him to do, was a death sentence. A shiver runs down my spine.

“You don’t think he’ll be back.”

It’s a statement, not a question. I know Elites like him. Dragons who use people and cast them aside. It doesn’t matter to him that my father is all I have left in this world. His death would be inconsequential to a monster like Marco Pezzo. I on the other hand would have my heart and soul ripped apart if I lost him.

“You’re not only beautiful but smart as well,” he says with another smirk. “I don’t anticipate his return, my dear.”

I swallow around the lump in my throat, sadness already ripping at my insides. “And what will happen to me?” I ask softly.

“You will be as you are now. My property.”

“I will never belong to you. Every day I will fight to be free,” I say, standing from my seat. “I will make your life a living hell.”

“Are you threatening me?”

A dark look crosses his face as he also stands.

“No, Marco. I’m promising you,” I hiss, not consideringthe consequences of my words. It has always been a weak point for me—I speak before I think. “You’ll have to kill me before you ever get me to submit. I will fight you every day until my last breath.”

The slap surprises me, throwing me off balance. It takes me a moment to re-center myself. I’m on my knees beside his desk when his fancy, shiny shoes come into view.

“Know this, little girl,” he says above me. “I will break you, tear the skin from your bones, and the soul from your body. But you will live, and you will submit.”

I spit on his shoe, blood mixed with saliva, before glaring up at him.

“We’ll see.”

Chapter Two

The Boogeyman Is Coming

Julian

Sebastian and I have decided to go this alone. We don’t need our men putting themselves in danger. We intend to wipe every Pezzo from the face of the earth, and stealth would be the best way to accomplish this task. Going in heavy-handed could end with the girl—Harlow—getting hurt. Or worse. Besides, it won’t take more than the two of us to end this.

We drive to the Pezzo compound in my brother’s red Mustang, which is a little much for me, but he is a fire dragon and overly flashy. We’ve had this conversation a million times and I won’t go through that again. It’s tedious, and after all the years we have lived, neither of us is willing to change our ways, both stubborn to the core.

“Which side do you want?” Sebastian asks.

“I’ll take the west,” I reply with a nod scanning the surrounding area.

A moment later my brother brings his loud and flashy car to a stop and we both exit. From here, we will walk. We may be older and stronger than the dragons we are about to eviscerate, but the element of surprise will still stand in our favor. We split up about a mile from the compound without a word, each knowing the plan and how to do what needs to be done.

I travel between the trees, watching and listening for anything that seems out of place. Inside the monstrosity that Marco Pezzo calls home, I hear laughter and music. Of course, these pigs would have a party while they held an innocent woman hostage. Fucking idiots.

---