Page 54 of The Deception You Weave
"It was that, or make you all homeless and I would never do that to my family."
"You let us go though. When Mom decided she was done, you just stood by and let us walk away."
"Okay, as fun as this is," Victor says, stopping whatever else I was going to say. "You've both got a very important lesson to learn."
My body trembles with the silent threat in his voice.
"No one disrespects me, goes behind my back, tries to steal—" He stares right at my dad. "Hurts my boys." He turns to me. "Without learning the consequences."
"I haven't stolen a fucking penny from you, Victor," Dad pleads.
He takes a step toward me, pulling a pair of pliers from his back pocket as he makes his way around my chair.
"No," Dad bellows, clearly knowing where this is going. "Don't touch her, please. Take it out on me."
"Dad, no. You just said you haven’t done anything."
Victor hesitates behind us, although I'm confident it's not because he can't decide which of us to hurt. He's a twisted motherfucker and he'd more than happily torture both of us without a second thought.
I know that many of the rumors that run rife around the Creek about his behavior are exaggerated, but they come from some truth, I know that for a fact.
Tears cascade down my cheeks at the thought of him turning his wrath on my dad when he's innocent. Victor might not believe him, but I do.
My dad would never have done any of this willingly. I believe he had no choice and did it for his family. That's the man I know. The father.
Victor moves and I watch every step over my shoulder as he moves to my dad.
"No, please. I'll do anything, please. Don't hurt him." Now that gets the sick fuck’s attention.
"Anything," he snarls.
"Yes, anything."
His eyes run down my body as if there's no chair blocking my view from him at all.
"You know, as tempting as that is, I can get better whores than you at a snap of my fingers.”
"Don't you dare talk to—argh," my dad screams as Victor bends, clamping the pliers down on one of his fingers.
"No, please, NO," I cry as Dad's body jolts in pain.
I don't hear the footsteps approaching as Dad's groans of agony fill my ears until he's standing before me.
My breath catches as my eyes find him.
I haven’t seen him in years, but those years have been good to him, if you ignore the fact that he looks like a younger, hotter version of his wicked father.
"Enough, Victor," he barks, and Victor stills.
"What can we do for you, Son?"
"William isn't the answer. I've found the mole."
My lungs deflate faster than I've ever known as a huge rush of air passes my lips.
"Oh my God," I breathe, my head spinning.
"Oh?"
