Page 74 of Redemption

“Lay your fucking hands on me again, and it won’t just be a broken hand you have to worry about,” I spit at him.

The sound of clapping forces me finally look at my father.

“Bravo, Jessica. I’m beginning to wonder if I picked the wrong child. Maybe I was too hasty and overlooked the use of a daughter after all.”

Ten years ago, I would have been so fucking happy to hear those words, to hear that my father was even the smallest bit proud of me, but now, they are empty, pointless and mean nothing. Ten years ago, my life was changed, and every dream I had as a little girl was shattered. The man before me, my father, betrayed me in a way I never thought possible. I picked myself back up, moved on, met a man and got married to spite my father. Only it turns out that was a betrayal too. Once again, my life was sent in a direction I never imagined.

Then five years ago, the only good person left in my life, the one person I trusted above everyone else, was taken from me too.

I didn’t think my hatred for my father could possibly sink any lower, but I was so wrong.

Standing before me is the man responsible for every tragic event in my life, and now is no different.

“What’s the matter,Father, regretting your decision to murder my brother? Destroying my life wasn’t enough for you, so you had to destroy his too.” I take a step forward, but a hand on my arm stops me. I brush it off and move forward again. My father’s eyes flick to the man behind me, and I wait for the touch that I know is coming.

When it does, I don’t waste a second. I spin out of his hold and follow up with a solid punch to his nose. He lets out a cry of pain as blood begins to pour from between his fingers, and as the shock of my hit wears off, he comes for me.

I let him, and when he’s within reaching distance of me, I swing a leg out low and take his feet from under him. He hits the floor with a dull thud, and I wait for him to get back to his feet. He does and I expect him to come at me again, but he steps to the side as the sound of footsteps and the door opening behind me catches my attention.

My mother enters the room, but she’s not alone. Following behind her, his hand in hers, is a boy with dark hair and green eyes like his father. Time seems to stand still as they walk further into the room and stop beside my father. My father moves to stand behind Max and rests his hands on his shoulders. I see a small wince as my father tightens his grip on Max.

A rage so immense blankets me, and I step forward unable to hide my intentions. But I’m stopped in my tracks when the sharp point of a blade meets the middle of my back.

My body and mind are in turmoil, battling one another. Rage versus reason. My rage is tearing down the walls of reason my mind keeps putting up and is desperate to rip my father apart, but I know my father has taken Max to make me compliant. He knows I won’t do anything to cause harm to this boy, the son of the man I love, and that means, he knows more than I gave him credit for.

Ripping my gaze away from my father, I look to Max. My gaze softens as his eyes meet mine, and though I know he’s terrified, he’s his father’s son and not showing an ounce of fear.

“Are you okay, Max?” He gives me a small nod. Satisfied that he’s okay, for now, I move my attention to my mother who stands unemotional next to my father.

“How could you? Are you that desperate for a lavish lifestyle and the love of a man that makes the devil look like an angel that you’d condone this?” The blade at my back digs in deeper, piercing the skin. I let out a snarl, turning my head a fraction to the man behind me. “I’m going to fucking gut you, you piece of shit,” I whisper-growl out of the side of my mouth.

“Enough. Okay, now that we all know where we stand, let’s talk about how this is going to go. Sit, Jessica,” he says, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk. The guy behind me shoves me forward, keeping the blade at my back and forcing me forward.

I sit, and the blade moves from my back to the side of my neck, just out of sight of Max. My father also takes his seat before turning to my mother.

“Take Max back to his room, Gigi, and remember why you are doing this.” I watch as she swallows thickly before moving out of the room, her hand still gripped onto Max’s. I turn, without thought for the knife being held against my throat, watching them as they reach the door. Before they disappear, Max looks back at me, and I almost come undone as I see the first real sign of fear on his face.

“It will be okay, Max. I promise.” The words taste like death in my mouth, and I’ll go to hell for making a promise I’m not sure I can keep. I’m going to do everything I can, whatever it takes, to make sure he gets back to Rick in one piece and unhurt physically.

As soon as the door closes behind them, I turn on my father. “So,Daddy dearest, what’s the master plan?” I ask, crossing my legs and leaning back in my chair. The movement causes the knife to slip, nicking my skin.

“Careful, Alonso, I need her alive for now,” he admonishes the man beside me. He’s the taller one of the two. The shorter one left the room cradling his arm to his chest and blood dripping from his nose, and a little beat of joy skips over me at the pain I inflicted. I’m seriously beginning to question my own sanity and what it means to enjoy inflicting pain on people.

“Before we begin, let’s clear up the little matter of your brother’s death. I had nothing to do with that. Well, not directly anyway. It was a misunderstanding, and Christian was caught in the crossfire. You, however, have been a thorn in my side since the day you were born. Not only were you an unfortunate accident but a girl too. Something else your mother kept hidden from me. Had I of known, I would have had you aborted. It seems I didn’t quite knock all the maternal sentiment from her,” he mumbles, and it’s said almost as an afterthought, like he didn’t mean to say it out loud.

“Way to make a girl feel wanted, Father.” I scoff. I’m not bothered anymore. I’ve always known, felt, like I wasn’t wanted. Surplus to requirements.

“I never wanted you. You were a noose around my neck. Another damn leech, just like your mother. And unfortunately for you, I have no real need of you now. Besides, you’ve been meddling in my affairs for far too long. It has become a very big issue for me. Much like yourfriend, Rick Sullivan.”

“You mean the man who was tortured alongside my brother, your own son, and watched as he was murdered because of you. Yeah, he’s a real pain in the arse,” I snap, not caring that I’m being a bitch right now because I know my father has a bigger plan, and if it’s going to work, he needs me and Max alive to do it.

I feel the blade at my neck twitch, but my father shoots another warning glare to Alonso.

“Yes, well, sometimes in this life we have to make sacrifices. It’s how the world works. Whilst I’m upset about what happened to Christian, he wasn’t cut out for this life. He was too soft. As for Mr Sullivan, he and hisfriendshave made my life incredibly difficult recently, meddling in my business and causing me a great deal of trouble. Perhaps you should be grateful it is only him that I’m interested in and not the lovely Camryn, or should I call her Kasey. And it is me you have to thank, with the help from Seb’s father, of course, that Seb and Miss Morgan are both still breathing.”

I keep my face poker fucking straight, but inside I’m screaming at myself and wishing I could leap across this desk and rip his eyes from his head.

“You’re a fucking monster! If Christian knew what you were doing and was here now, he’d rip you a-fucking-part.”

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