Page 63 of Fight Me Daddy

Gabriele

I wrappedmy arms around Calix and cursed the sun. Whatever time it was, I knew I hadn't been asleep for long. All I wanted to do was stay curled up around Calix and sleep a little longer. But I felt the way he shifted and his breathing became uneven. He would wake up soon and we would have a lot to talk about.

Calix groaned and pushed back against me. "Gabriele?" he asked.

I tensed. "Who the fuck else would it be?"

"Shit." He sat up slowly before he gazed back at me and frowned. "What are you doing in my bed?'

"Sleeping," I countered. "At least for an hour or two."

Calix pushed his fingers through his long hair and I admired the way the sun danced off of the smooth strands. His dark eyes looked like warm chocolate. And I couldn't stop admiring his plump lips and the stubble on his cheeks. I reached out and caressed his face.

Too bad I had to punish him.

"I told you to stay home," I said slowly. "Do you remember that?

Calix frowned. "Don't start this again," he muttered. "You yelled at me enough last night." He turned and I grabbed his arm tightly. He turned and stared at me, his eyes wide. "Gabriele."

"No, I told you already. It's Daddy. Your Daddy. I know you keep denying me because you don't think I can take care of you, but I can. I've protected you, watched over you, and today I'll punish you so you stop making idiotic mistakes."

He blanched. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about making you realize how much I care about you, Tesoro. Even if you hate me for it. Because someone has to look out for you."

"I don't need anyone to look out for me," he said as he pulled back, panic rising on his face like a tidal wave. "Let go of me! I'm a grown man, I don't need this shit!"

"Try to keep it down," I warned him. "I still have a headache from all those gunshots last night and I'm not in the mood. But if you'd like me to gag you, let me know. That can be arranged as well."

Calix tried to shove away from me, but I was on top of him in an instant. Before, I'd gone easy on him. The truth was that I hadn't wanted to scare him away, but now I knew better. Calix left to his own devices was a danger to himself. And I wasn't about to lose him.

I pinned his wrists to the bed and straddled his body as he winced. "I know your body hurts. Before I got in bed last night I looked you over. Bruises, abrasions? You've been participating in underground fights."

He glanced away from me. "So what?"

I glared at him as heat swept through my body. So what? He said it with such an indifferent attitude as if what he was doing wasn't about to destroy everything that he'd worked so hard for.

My hand wrapped around his throat and his eyes widened. "Gabriele."

"No," I growled. "It's time for you to wake up, Gonzalez. What you're doing? It's as stupid as what your father did and you're following in his footsteps." My grip tightened and he gasped. "You won't participate in one more illegal fight. Do you understand me?"

Calix's lips parted. "Had to," he managed to get out. "Money."

My grip loosened and he choked. Instead of grabbing his throat, he reached out and took hold of my undershirt, his fist curling around it as he gazed up at me. His eyes looked...sad.

"I didn't want to do it," he finally spat out. "But they're relying on me and I can't let them down."

"Who?" I asked.

"Everyone."

My heart squeezed so hard I thought I was about to die. He wanted to protect the people closest to him. That I could understand because it was what I did every day of my life. But he was going about it in such a stupid way that he was going to lose everything and I didn't want that life for him. Even if it would make him even more dependent on me, I knew it would also make him miserable.

"That doesn't mean that you put your life in danger," I growled. "Where you were last night, do you realize that you could have died?"

Calix strained against me. "Your family put me in this situation and you're telling me to be careful?" He laughed dryly. "A few weeks ago, you and Nic were talking about killing me in front of my face. You can't tell me what to do when you're one of them," he hissed.

My blood ran cold and I gripped a handful of his hair. "You could be so much worse off," I snapped. "If your father had gone to anyone else he would be splattered on the ground and not off in New York hiding in some damp, dumpy basement with a friend. And you would be sold, your ass used to please whoever bought you."

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