Page 42 of Under the Influence
"Somebody just fuck this girl. Then he won't want her any more. She'll be damaged goods. Used and worthless tohim."
Not worthless. Pain roughens Patti's voice. As if speaking from experience. For some reason now she wants me punishedtoo.
“Shit! He’shere!”
Footsteps pound across the floor. A crash rumbles from far away. Bright lights burn behind my heavylids.
“How is that possible? They were supposed to kill him! Why isn’t hedead?”
“I don’tknow.”
“Get her! We’ve got togo!”
Fuck the driveway. My team races a convoy of SUVs through the yard. A line of defense so solid no one will get between or around us. Especially this stupid son of a bitch. Rory skids to a stop in front of the house and rage boils through me so fucking hard Ishake.
Too many fucking enemies, and fuck me if it's not that stupid motherfucker racing across the lanai. Holding my girl. Flanked by two of the fucking animals who stole her from me. Each of them fire off a few rounds, but are easily dropped by my guys. Outnumbered ten to one. Never fucking under estimate me. I am the fucking king. I come to play, and I always fuckingwin.
The sharpshooters are fucking skilled to pop the bastards without injuring her. Or the cocksucker who carries her. The only saving grace keeping him alive and my head from exploding is I know he won't kill her. Not when he wants her for himself. But what he’s too ignorant too realize is once I get her back, nothing will save him. There is no mercy for him. He will die from myhand.
I fly out of the vehicle. No need to even reach for my gun. My men are already trained on him. Ready to end him once she's safe. “Put her down carefullymotherfucker."
Some crazy bitch slams the door open and rushes out. Stupid and reckless with the massive firepower aimed in her direction. Waving a paper in the air. That I don't give a damnabout.
"Don't you dare give him your wife Leighton." She shakes the certificate toward me. A stupid smirk smears across her evil face. That she thinks I give two fucks for. “They're married. The proof's right here. Official andconsummated."
Consummated.
Bile lurches in my stomach from the fury engulfing me. Fucking rapist. His death will be slow and agonizing for even thinking he could touch her and still survive. I slide out my glock, firing off a shot. Right through her fucking proof. She shrieks and falls back on her scrawny ass in fear. “Get her the fuck out of her before I kill hertoo."
Freddie rushes forward and grabs her by the arms. But she fights him as he jerks her to her feet. Actually fucking foolish to think she can battle a man twice hersize.
“Don't you know who my fatheris?”
What in the actual fuck? I don’t care about her or her father. Lucky’s she a woman, or I would cap her in a heartbeat. “No and I don’t give a rat's ass who your Daddyis.”
Her chin lifts in a misguided defiance. “It's AnthonyCarpucci."
The Scorpion? Woman really is nuts. Tony’s been dead for ten years. I would fucking know because I’m the one who fucking killed him. And this chick must be his whack job daughter who’s been in and out of treatment centers for years. Never able to break through the heady haze of an acid, coke, and meth cocktail still controlling her. I heard she'd been permanently locked up after she flipped out when her husband lefther.
“You think you’re the only one with money and power but you’re not. We used to own this city, and we will again. Leighton and Chryseis will rule it. I will make sure ofthat.”
Despite my rage, I actually chuckle. Scanning the bodies of her dead soldiers. She must have already forgotten about the two other slaughtered bastards they left behind at the church. “And how in the fuck do you plan to do that? You got nothing. We wiped out your men, and Chryseis is mine. She’ll fucking rule bymyside. I’m for damn sure ofthat.”
"Youdon't–"
I'm tired of listening to her bullshit. Because it’s her son who should have stopped her. And protected Chryseis when he knew his Mom had lost her shit again. Any man who claims to love a woman and abuses her deserves to die. “Get her out of here." Ignoring her thrashing and screaming, I shift my attention as well as my aim to him. "I will blast your fucking head off if you don’t give her tome.”
“Okay.Okay.”
Fear doesn’t sound in his voice. Instead shame as hollow as the pain on his face rings out. He steps forward slowly, showing his deference to my demand, and I holster my gun. Pure defeat drooping his body as I lift her out of his arms and into mine. “Chryseis?”
Sweat covers her freezing skin. Clammy and shivering, while she mumbles words I can’t make out. "Come on angel. Wakeup."
I jerk toward him. Standing there like the sad sorry motherfucker he is. "What'd you giveher?"
Cocksucker doesn’t answer. “I said, ‘what the fuck did you giveher’?"
He flinches from my scream. Finally looking up from the concrete. "My mom. She did it. Painkillers. Too many for hersize."
