Page 6 of Ruthless King
“What does that mean?” The guy was a booky; he made money on screwing people over. What the hell did he expect?
His eyes meet mine for only a second before they drop to the floor. “That ‘free’ money and ‘sure thing’ came from the Red Dragons.”
No … my stomach takes a nosedive, nausea clawing its way up my throat.No. No. No. Of all the scumbags in Manhattan why did my dad owe twenty-five grand to my ex and the Chinese Triad? A horrifying thought races to the forefront of my mind. Had Bo planned this whole thing? Was this all some twisted attempt to get me back?
I grab my dad’s phone and throw it at him. “Ask Jimmy if Bo Zhang had anything to do with thissure thing.”
He eyes the cell I just tossed him like it’s a live grenade. “What are you talking about, Stella?”
I keep most of my life hidden from my father. He’s too wasted to remember what I tell him anyway. He kind of knew I was dating the asshole and that we broke up but that was the extent of it. He had no idea I was seconds away from filing a restraining order against the guy. After weeks of harassment, today was the last straw. I didn’t care if I got shit from the Red Dragons, but now … now that Dad owed them money, we were royally screwed.
“Remember Bo? The guy I was dating? He’s been trying to get back together with me since we broke up. I wouldn’t be surprised if he planned the whole thing.” The guy is a devious littlestronzo.
A flash of hope sifts through the gray haze. “This is it, then, our chance. He’s one of their leaders, isn’t he? You can talk to him and work out a deal or something.”
“No way,” I snarl. It took me almost a year to get out of that train wreck of a relationship. Bo was crazy jealous and possessive. He abused me in every way possible. It had taken me hours of online therapy to realize what we had wasn’t healthy. That’s how badly my dad had effed me up. I thought abuse was normal in a relationship.
Dad drops to his knees, the old floorboards creaking under the sudden weight. “Please, Stella, please.” He reaches for my hands, squishing my fingers between his. “You don’t know what those guys could do to me …. We’ve already lost your mom and Vinny.” He chokes up, and hot tears well in my eyes.Cazzo, this man knows how to get to me. “Do you really want to lose me too?”
I huff out a breath and wriggle free of his hold. His hands are moist and clammy, and pity surges to the surface. I should let him pay for his mistakes, but he’s right, I can’t risk losing him. He’s all I have left. “Fine, I’ll go talk to Bo.” I pause and inhale a steadying breath. Just the idea of seeing him again has me wanting to reach for my inhaler. “Under one condition.”
“Thank you, Stella, thank you. I’ll do anything.”
I sear my father with my steeliest glare. “No more gambling. For real this time. Delete Jimmy’s number, cancel your subscription service for weekly tips, all of it.”
His watery eyes latch onto mine, and that damned pity rears its head again. “I swear, Stel. It’s done. I’ll never waste a single penny again. I only did it for you, you know. After all you’ve suffered, I just want a better life for you.”
My heart clenches at his words despite knowing better. He’s an alcoholic, addicted to gambling, and a liar. I’ve heard this story countless times before, but still, I want to believe him. “If you want a better life for me, then let me go.”
He nods slowly. “Once this is over, I’ll do anything you want. You want to go to Florida? I’ll help you get out of here; I swear.”
“Good,” I grumble. “Now go take a shower, Dad. You stink.”
The hint of a smile curls his lips, and for an instant, the ghost of my dad reappears. The sober one, the one that was happily married withtwokids. As much as I hate him sometimes, I can’t help but think back on that version. Mom’s death knocked him down, and Vinny’s was the final knockout punch.
He slowly rises, shoulders rounded as he attempts to straighten. “You deserve so much better, Stel.”
“Yeah, I know, which is why I’m trying so damned hard to get the hell out of here.”
Dad cups my cheek, his rough palm so different than the soft touch I remembered as a child. “You will. You always accomplish whatever you set your mind to.” With one final lingering glance, he turns away and shuffles toward the bathroom.
The minute the door slams closed I slump down on the couch. Angry butterflies batter my insides at the thought of groveling to my ex. Bo is a manipulative bastard, and somehow, I just know he planned this. It’s his way of ensuring I’ll be bound to him forever.
Little does he know I’ll be out of here in a few short weeks anyway. Forcing myself off the couch, I trudge to my half of the living room. If this is going to work, I’ll have to make it believable. Rifling through my closet, I pick out my sexiest dress. It’s the one I wore on our first date. With a plunging neckline and soft, slinky material, it hugs all my Italian curves. It’s Bo’s favorite. He always said Asian women were too skinny, and he liked a little meat on his girl. All that stupid shit I bought into.
My stomach churns at the thought of his hands on me. Shaking my head, I force the nauseating images away. It won’t come to that. I’ll make empty promises, anything to erase my father’s debts. With any luck, I’ll be long gone before I have to pay up.
CHAPTER4
ON MY KNEES
Stella
I hurry past Mrs. DeVito’s door, praying to God she doesn’t see me in this outfit. Poor woman would have a heart attack at the plunging neckline and indecent hem. Not to mention the fiery red stilettos.
I can practically hear her in my mind, her thick accent coming through in stereo. “You crazy, Stella? You want some man to think you aputtana?” She wouldn’t be wrong either in these hooker heels. I’m only wearing them because Bo bought them for me, and I’m ready to pull out all the stops to buy my father’s freedom.
Once I pass the bakery, I slow my pace. At least now I won’t run into Mrs. D. or her son, Giuseppe. I turn the corner onto Canal Street, and further down the block, a man in a black suit is climbing into a dark town car. His gaze flickers in my direction, and our eyes meet for an instant. There’s something familiar about the intensity in his dark gaze, the hard set of his jaw. The glint atop his fancy leather shoes.
