Page 14 of Fight Me Daddy

"Let me go, please!" he shouted. "I-I don' t have it. I don't have it I fucking swear!"

"Get him up," Gabriele said as he appeared in my peripheral. "On your feet, Hills."

I grunted as I stood and yanked the man to his feet. He was scrawny as hell, all bones, and loose skin. There were dark circles under his eyes and the gray in his dark hair was pronounced under the yellow light of the flickering bulb above us.

"Where's the money?" Gabriele asked.

"I-I don't have it, Mr. Bianchi. I tried to get it but-"

"But you have enough money to be drinking at this shit hole of a bar every night, right? I feel like you could have used your funds in better ways."

"It's not that simple," he muttered.

"Hit him," Gabriele said calmly, his dark gaze flickering to me.

I swallowed hard. Hit him? They were simple words but my brain was having a hard time processing them. I glanced at the man and he looked so frail I was sure if I did hurt him he'd break every bone in his body without it taking much effort.

"Please, don't," the man begged as he sagged in my arms trying to wiggle himself free from my grasp. "I-I got a little bit, but that's all. Here just let me..." He awkwardly reached into his pocket while I kept a hold of him and yanked out his wallet. Seth dumped the contents into his palm and held out a shaky hand to Gabriele. "That's all I have I swear to God. Look," he said showing off the now empty wallet. "I swear. I swear."

"Take it,” Gabriele said.

After I let the man go, I counted the money before I passed it to Gabriele and took hold of the man's arm again. "It's not everything, but...."

"It's all I have," the man pleaded. "Please. I'll get you more next week. I work a few double shifts and I can afford it after I pay the rent. Please."

Gabriele took the money and counted himself. As he took his time, I felt the trembles in the man's arm. My stomach turned and I released him.

"Thank you, thank you," he muttered before he turned on his heels and ran back into the bar like his heels were on fire.

"Did I tell you to let him go?" Gabriele asked once we were alone. He took a step toward me. "At what point were my orders to release him?"

I took a step back. "You didn't."

"Then why did you let him go?" He asked.

"It was all he had," I said moving back again to put more distance between myself and Gabriele. "What was I supposed to do? Beat him up? How is putting him in the hospital going to get you more money?"

Gabriele glared at me before he turned on his heels. I watched as he stormed back toward the bar and I sank against the brick wall of the opposite building. I let out a shaky breath and ran my hands over my hair.

I felt as disgusting as the dirty alley I was standing in. That man was someone's son, brother, friend, or maybe even someone's father. The fear on his face, the way he shook. Is that how my father looked whenever they came to collect from him in the office? I gripped my stomach trying to steady my breathing, but I couldn't.

I can't do this.

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