Page 83 of Dangerous Deception

Somehow, I feel even sicker. Every beat of my heart feels sluggish. My gut churns and nausea pulses up my throat, threatening to bring what little dinner I had with it. Everything I knew has been a lie. My loving, protective father is nothing but a snake, and the truth is shattering my world.

By some stroke of irony, Raffaele, the man everyone sees as a threat, is the only person who has ever truly protected me.

“With that foul thing inside you and you here, we can direct Raffaele to go exactly where we want to. He won’t say no. The fool fell for you exactly as I hoped he would, and now that I’ve got you away from him, the Irish can do whatever they like. We’ll kill him and then we’ll get rid of that disgusting spawn inside you.”

Despair gives way to a sudden surge of anger, but this is different from the explosive fury that made me throw the dishes. This is quieter. Colder. With tears clinging to my lashes and a trembling lower lip, I glare at my father.

“No.”

“No? What do you mean, no?”

In just a few seconds, my uncertainty about this baby solidifies in a protective urge that is stronger than anything I have ever felt before in my life.

“I willkillyou before you even get close enough to harm my baby. Do you understand? This is my baby.Mine. And I won’t let you take it from me.”

33

ADELINA

There’s too much to unpack, and I feel like I’m going crazy.

My own father had me wrestled into a chair and it’s taking every last ounce of my strength not to panic at the tightness of the handcuffs one of the guards threw around my wrists to keep me down. I’m not going to tell them why it’s terrifying to suddenly be bound and trapped in a room full of mostly strange men because the most important thing is my father.

I no longer feel safe around him.

So I’m not going to show him a drop more of my trauma.

“He’s twisted your mind, Adelina,” he says, placing my phone on the table in front of him. “Where is my spirited girl who shared the dream of greatness for this family?”

“She grew up.” My words are as sharp as knives. “She realized there are more important things.”

“Ah. Like your precious hospital.” Suddenly, he can’t look me in the eye. “We’ll put an end to that.”

“Like hell you will!” Surging forward, metal catches on my wrists and my shoulders jerk backward. “You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do with my money.”

“Soon to be my money,” my father replies. “Just as soon as we take care of one little thing.”

“Papà, please?—”

“Enough, Adelina. I’ve heard enough.” He taps the screen, and the subtle bubble of ringing fills the air. Then a click.

“Adelina?” Raffaele’s voice comes through crystal clear, and my heart soars. Tears immediately spring back into my eyes just at the sound of his voice. “Adelina, are you alright? Sweetheart, are you safe?”

“Raffaele!” I surge forward once again, and a heavy hand lands on my shoulder to keep me seated.

“Adelina!”

“Raffaele.” My father cuts in, and the call goes deathly silent.

Then Raffaele speaks. “Pascal.” There’s such cold venom in his tone. I’ve never heard him sound like that before. Ever.

“I’m sure by now, you’ve worked out more than you were ever supposed to know,” my father—no, Pascal—says.

“Who called you?” Raffaele bites out. “Was it Hank?”

“Indeed.”

“Spineless fucker.”

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