Our eyes met, a thousand words unspoken lingered in the air. I should have told him that I loved him. I wanted to have his babies, live by his side until my last breath. Now, I might not have a chance to. I should have trusted him with my paternal secret and begged him to help me. We could have avenged his sister and my mother together.
“I trust you,” I breathed out.
“That’s my love,” he murmured. “We’ll go on a honeymoon after this.”
A strangled, choked whimper escaped me. I wasn’t sure that we were getting out of here.
“Bianca,” Benito’s voice was a warning.
My mother’s body was a reminder of what he was capable of. But even if I gave him what he wanted, I knew he would not let us go. Benito’s words and promises meant nothing. He’d kill Nico and sell me off to someone. Because that was this man’s legacy.
Nico’s optimism seemed to ignite Benito’s anger. Or maybe it was my denial to sign over the property he so desperately needed.
Benito’s men started kicking the crap out of Nico, while they held his hands so he couldn’t fight back.
“Stop hurting him,” I begged Benito, looking helpless at them kicking my husband over and over again.
“I’m fine,” Nico grunted. “I’m fine.”
“Silence him.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. It was time I fought Benito tooth and nail, no matter what. My eyes scanned over Benito and his chair, then noted his gun. Acting on instinct, I reached out and grabbed the gun sitting on Benito’s chair.
“Don’t you fucking dare touch him,” I hissed, pointing the gun at Benito. “Or I’ll blow out his fucking brains.”
He lifted his hand, in a silent command to his men to stop. Of course, when his life was in danger, everyone stopped. Benito was a coward; he valued nobody but himself.
“Bianca, give me the gun,” Benito urged.
Yeah, that would never happen. I wanted to fill this man with lead. For destroying Mom’s life. For killing William. For hurting Nico’s sister. And most of all, for hurting my husband.
“I don’t think so,” I told him. “Not so brave when your life is hanging by a thread. Are you, Father?” I snarled. “Father?” I scoffed. “You wouldn’t know the meaning of that word.”
“You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me,” he hissed.
“Tell your men to untie my husband,” I told him. “Or I’ll put a bullet into your skull.” I narrowed my eyes on him. “Or maybe I’ll start lower. Close to your fucking dick. So, you can’t hurt women anymore.”
“Bianca-” His voice warned.
I fired the shot, hitting Benito straight into his thigh, ten inches from his groin.
“You fucking bitch,” he snarled.
“Ooops, I missed.” I smiled coolly. Maybe I lost my mind. “Do you know what mydad’sfavorite pastime was?” I asked, my eyes locked on this man that supposedly gave me life as I hunched over, jabbing the barrel of the gun to his wound. Benito was a sperm donor, nothing else. He kept my mother from me for years; I wouldn’t let him take my husband away too. He’d come after our children and other women. He deserved to die. “Taking me to the gun range. I am averygood shot. In fact, I think the last time I missed I was ten.” Then I rolled my eyes. “And now. I guess I’m out of practice.”
Something flashed in Benito’s eyes, it almost looked like fucking pride.
“He’s not your father.”
“But he is,” I said in a calm voice, taking a page out of my husband’s book. My heart thundered like a damn fish out of water, but it didn’t matter. As long as I portrayed calmness.
I wouldn’t allow this cruel man to rile me up. He was the filth on this earth and didn’t deserve to live. “It takes a lot more to be a dad than to just produce life. But you wouldn’t know that, would you Benito?”
His dark eyes, so much like my own, stared at me, our battle of wills refusing either one of us to cave.
He chuckled, but there was bitterness in his voice.
“Sofia should have never kept you from me,” he rasped. “You are mine.”