Page 65 of Taunt Me (Dark Odyssey 2)

My beautiful girl. My beautiful innocent girl who saved herself for me.

When she left here ten years ago, I was the only man she’d ever been with.

Me…

She was a virgin until I touched her.

I knew she’d have it rough when Antonio took her. I knew he would treat her badly, and every time I thought of his words to me, and him fucking my girl, it sent me further into the darkness of grief.

I just didn’t know that there was worse than what I’d worried about. I didn’t know the motherfucker was going to allow other men to…

I can’t bring myself to even think it. It will send me back on the fucking street again.

I failed her in every way and I get it now, all of it. I get why she doesn’t want this life but I’m looking at her now and I can’t give up on her.

I take her face too and she rests her head against my hand.

“I’m sorry,” she breathes.

“What for?” My voice is hoarse with a rasp and my throat sore from all the shouting I did last night.

“Everything.You could have died last night. I shouldn’t have involved you.”

“You are mine… Mine to protect. You will come to me when there is trouble.” I run my hands through her hair.

“Gabe… that means so much to me.” She straightens up. “But this can’t involve you more than I already have.”

I sit up straighter too. “Baby…I’m going to find out whether you tell me or not.” I’m not sure how she expects me to just back the fuck down after what she told me. I’m not doing it. “You telling me is easier. I need you to tell me everything. How did he contact you, all of it, everything.”

“No…I’ve already involved you enough. It’s too much.”

I harden my gaze on her. “Charlotte, with all due respect Goddess, I’m in no mood for shit. I need to know what’s going on or I’ll go back on the streets to get it.”

My words have the desired effect.

She nods and starts telling me what I need to know. What stands out in my mind is the money with interest. I can bet anybody that sick fuck will have his own ideas of what can be deemed as interest. That part is worse than giving the one and a half mil itself. So much worse.

I’m well versed with Tobias Antonella’s games and unsavory tastes. The man is a psycho maniac that makes Hannibal Lecter look like a fairytale. He eats who he kills. That’s what he does.

It’s like a victory ritual for him, and his obsession with women is … there is no word that exists to describe it.

The rumors, which I believe are true, are that his father killed his mother, ate her and fed her to his son. Then the two up them became the infiltrate for the Antonella clan.

I wish like hell we were dealing with somebody else.

“Eight o’clock.” I say more to myself than to her. “He wants to meet at eight.”

She nods slowly. “Yeah. I don’t know what to do.”

“You won’t be doing this alone. I’m coming with you.”

She looks at me confused. “No.”

“It’s not a question, Goddess. I’m coming with you.”

She bolts upright standing and I’m just about able to get up. I have an idea, one she won’t like. One she will do though because the alternative is worse.

“Gabe, I won’t make the same mistake and be stupid. I’m being watched. He’ll know I’m here. He’ll know you were looking for him last night. You can’t come with me.”

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