Page 29 of Depths of Obsession
“Stronzo! Get out of my way. Why is my daughter here, eh? She needs to be home with me and her mother. Pippa, get your things.Andiamo!We’re leaving,” Danillo yells over Luca’s shoulder at me.
I get dizzy as blood drains from my head. My heart is thundering and feels like it might explode, and I’m sure the scent of fear is clinging to me and Luna. My father’s rage is terrifying, but Luca’s presence keeps me steady, keeps me from crumbling.
“She’s not going anywhere with you,” Luca growls, his voice low and full of danger.
Nico places a hand on Luca’s arm, as if trying to ease the tension. “Let’s all take a seat,” he suggests, pointing to the dining table over by the window. I wonder if his effort to de-escalate the situation will work.
“I don’t need to sit down!” Papa snaps, starting to move around Luca, but Luca shifts his weight, blocking him from advancing. My father’s face twists with fury. “What the fuck? Get the fuck out of my way!”
Papa attempts to push Luca, but Luca doesn’t budge. He is unmovable, a rock standing fast against a flood. Nico puts his hand on Luca’s shoulder, and slowly, Luca steps aside, his gaze locking onto mine. I’m scared, terrified even, but what choice do I have? I have to stand up to my father.
“Pippa,prendi le tue cose, ce ne andiamo. Ora!” Danillo yells as he towers over me. He’s not a tall man, but he’s thick and imposing. His face looks battered and broken, like he was a prizefighter at one time. The red around his nose and cheeks tells the world he’s a drinker, and I know he’s a gambler too.
“I’m not going with you.” I force my voice to stay steady, making it as firm as I can. “I will not marry Tommy Gazzago. I had nothing to do with his cousin’s death. We owe him nothing.”
Papa’s jaw works, his face contorting with anger as he stares at me. “Gazzago has pictures of you with blood?—”
“I checked for a pulse and slipped in Edoardo Gazzago’s blood. Marcello took that picture to blackmail me into helping him. I did nothing wrong, Papa. I will not be forced into this marriage.”
“Gazzago will ruin our name. He has proof.”
I shake my head, my voice steady. “He has a picture. Not proof. I did not kill Edoardo.”
“If thepoliziasee that picture…if they find out, you will go to prison.”
“Gazzago took the body with him. The cops aren’t going to find... it.” My voice falters as I stare at my father. My gut churns with dread. “Is Gazzago threatening to go to thepolizia?”
Papa glances at me and then at Luca. “He’s... he says he won’t, but…” he gives a small shrug. “I cannot take that chance,angioletta.”
He’s using my childhood nickname, as if he cares about me. “Bullshit.” I hurl the word at him, my voice filled with venom. I know he’s lying; he always hesitates when he lies. “You’re just making excuses. Gazzago won’t go to the cops. It would bring trouble down on his own head.”
Papa’s face flushes an angry red. “Pippa, get your things.” He reaches out and grabs my arm, his fingers digging painfully into my skin.
I rip my arm out of his grasp, my voice trembling but defiant. “I’m not going with you.”
“Phillipa!” he barks, his voice echoing through the room. “This is the chance to clean the stain of your uncle’s betrayal from our family name. You will do what I say.”
“No!” I yell, backing up, my body trembling. “This is your chance to get back in the game, to work for Gazzago so you have influence again. You can’t stand not being respected the way you used to be. You can’t stand being a has-been. It’s too much for your fragile ego! You need the money.”
My father’s face turns an alarming shade of puce. He brings his hand back, and I brace for the impact I know is coming, but Luca moves in, catching my father’s arm mid-swing. “Leave now,” Luca says, his voice low, deadly, as he pushes my father backward toward the elevator.
“Get the fuck out of my way! She is my daughter, and she will do as I say!”
“No, she won’t.” Luca’s voice is steel. “Pippa will not be sold off to please your ego.”
“Stronzo! You have no say here. No say! Phillipa,ora!”
“No!” I step forward, pushing Luca aside. My voice trembles, but my resolve is solid. “You only want me to marry him so you can make money and pay off your gambling debts. You want to be a big man again. Well, too fucking bad. You’re not doing it on my back. I am not your possession. I am your daughter, but given the circumstances, I don’t think I’m even that anymore.”
Papa freezes, his eyes frosting, his face twisting with hatred. “You littleputtana. I give you everything, and you throw it in my face. I am your father. You respect me, or I will cut you off. Leave you with nothing!Niente!”
A bark of laughter rips from my lips, bitter and raw. “That’s rich. You have nothing left, Papa. There’s nothing for you to give me. You’ve gambled it all away. You sold the summer house. I bet you’ve even mortgaged the house you and Mama live in, haven’t you?”
Papa’s face turns gray, his eyes widening.
My stomach cramps, my heart sinking. “You have, haven’t you? Go ahead, fucking cut me off, and while you’re at it, cut Mom off too. She’d be better off without you!”
Papa brings his hand back again, but Luca grabs it, twisting his arm as he spins him around, pushing him toward the elevator. He shoves my father inside, his expression ice-cold. “Take this fucking garbage out,” he snarls.
