Page 60 of Hateful Union

“Mo stór, do you think I’d let anything happen to you?” And with my words she relaxes slightly. “Good, don’t get worked up, it’s not good for either you or the baby,” I say softly, but the way Christian straightens I know that he heard me.

“How many men are here?” I ask once I have Raylee relatively calm.

“Twelve, they currently have Antonella stopped at the gates.”

I nod, “They can let her in, we’ll talk inside.” I want to get Raylee inside just in case this is a set-up, being outside in the open is dangerous.

“On it, boss,” he replies with a smile on his face as he looks between Raylee and I.

I lead Raylee into the villa and sit her down beside Gabby, both women have quelled their expressions, although their faces pale, neither are showing fear. Jesus, even some of my men can’t do that.

Not even five minutes later, Christian leads Antonella into the villa. Her gaze darting around us all before it lands on her daughter. “Ray, I thought I said not to call anyone.” The reprimand in her voice pisses me off.

“I didn’t call Gabby, seeing as this is her house too. Malcolm would have been here either way, as soon as you showed he’d have been notified. What took you so long?”

Damn fucking right I would have and then I would have been pissed that she never called me.

Antonella sighs and takes a seat in the armchair opposite the girls. I move and position myself at Raylee’s side, standing with my arms crossed, Christian does the same, but behind her, both of us ready in case something happens.

“I owe you an explanation,” Antonella begins. “Things between your father and I aren’t what they seem. I had to wait for him and your brothers to leave before I was able to get away freely. They had returned home just after our call had ended. I couldn’t leave without getting their attention, so I waited until the coast was clear.”

“Dad kidnapped you when you were fourteen, he’s kept you ever since,” Raylee inserts and Antonella’s eyes widen before she nods. “Why the hell are you still with him?”

“You think it’s that easy? That I could have escaped? God, I wished I could. I wished that I could have gone home, but I couldn’t. I had a choice, be with Harry or die. I wanted death in the beginning, I prayed for it. Then your father showed up with Wayne, this beautiful baby needed me and I had to protect him, Ray, I had too. So I stayed. I promised myself that I would make sure that this innocent baby would never know what a monster his father was. Each year your father would bring another baby to me.”

Holy fuck. I stare at the woman with new eyes, she’s not part of this, she’s a victim and has been since she was fourteen.

“We’re not yours?” Raylee whispers, reaching for me and I can’t deny her. I lift her into my arms and sit down with her in my lap, needing to give her the comfort she needs.

Antonella gives her a sad smile. “You and Bentley are mine biologically; the other’s I didn’t birth them, but they are mine.”

“Who’s their mum?” Gabby questions, her voice soft, but I see the tears streaming down her face.

Antonella shakes her head, “I don’t know. I overheard Ashton and Harry talking, saying that the whores kept getting pregnant, so I’m assuming that’s where my boys came from. But I can’t say for certain.”

She takes a deep breath. “When your father decided to return to Spain, I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay in Manchester, knowing that I’d be away from that evil man. I told him that I would keep all of you, and he could go and work. But he refused. Told me that his boys would be put to work, that his legacy wasn’t going to grow without them.”

Raylee rests her head against my shoulder. “So dad took the boys and left me in Manchester?”

“He was getting angry, he knew that I didn’t want the boys with him. He gave me an ultimatum. I either stayed in Manchester with you or we all return to Spain and he’d put you to work too.”

I tense as a low growl releases from my chest. “He was going to pimp out his own fucking daughter?”

Antonella nods, the disgust written over her face. I can’t believe this shit. What the fuck is wrong with that animal?

“I couldn’t let him do that, so I stayed behind with only you. I had to protect you more than I had to my sons. You were the most vulnerable. But while my boys were with their father, I did the only thing I could. I sought help. I’ve been working with Interpol for the past ten years. I told them all about my abduction and everything that happened afterwards. My handler, he’s one of the good guys.”

“What?” Raylee whispers. “You’re trying to bring Dad down too?”

She nods, “Yes, I knew that Mayer was trying to as well, his investigation was more dangerous than mine. He had valuable information about the Silver organization. Information that would certainly bring them down. It’s why he was killed. Your father and Ashton don’t care about their children, to them you are all dispensable. They are all about the money and power that comes with their work. They’d kill anyone if they stood in their way.”

Fucking hell. Those arseholes just get worse and worse.

“Mayer found out that Ashton had killed Sienna, he also found out that Sienna was a spy and working for Ashton. She had been since she was eighteen. Not only was she sleeping with Mayer, she was also sleeping with his father.” Antonella’s nose crinkles, much like her daughter’s does when she’s disgusted. “I never liked that girl. Always thought she was sly and I was right. But she didn’t deserve to die the way she did. Mayer wanted revenge and he sought to get it the only way he knew how. By turning on his parent and going to the police.”

“So Dad and Ashton know that I’ve gone to the police and they want me dead?” Raylee asks quietly, pain etched into every word she says.

Antonella nods, “I’m sorry, baby, but yes, to your father and Ashton you are now a liability. One that must be taken out.”

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