Page 21 of Lies like Rubies, Part One

His answering smile terrified me. “Sofia, your brothers-in-law fucked me over when they chased me out of Yorkfield. Nobody in this goddamned town will do business with me, and it’s because they think I abandoned you. So you’ll welcome me back with open arms and let me be the father that I want to be to Isabella.”

Was he out of his mind? Did he think I was going to let a man who walked into my apartment with a gun and threatened me spend time with Lizzie? It occurred to me that I’d done exactly that with Dante. I’d done it with every other man in my life. I dismissed the thought, straightening my spine to face the monster in front of me.Fake it till you make it.

“Dante Oscuro will be here in five minutes when the guard you knocked out doesn’t check in. So you better get out of my fucking apartment.”

“Dante Oscuro is a fucking monster, and I don’t want him around my child.”

After all of this time, all of these years, Sergio picked now to indulge his paternal instinct? Fuck this, and fuck him.

“You can’t have her, and you can’t have me. I’ll hand Lizzie to my parents before I hand her to you.”

Fury transformed his features, his eyes glowing with rage. He lifted the gun and cocked it, pointing it at my knee. “I can push you down the aisle in a fucking wheelchair, you bitch.”

Fuck.That was the endgame. Sergio didn’t just want me to welcome him back into Lizzie’s life. He wanted the legitimacy of marriage to me.

Five years ago, that was the deal the Irish made with my father, too. Marriage to a Russo brought cachet and legitimacy. It meant a welcome into the fold of Yorkfield’s upper class and its politicians. The Irish married my sister instead, but even after all this time, I was nothing more than a goddamned pawn. My only worth was what I brought to the table in terms of my family connections.

It shouldn’t have hurt so much to realize that nothing ever changed in this town.

“Sergio, I’ll give you the money. I’ll sign over the accounts today. Tell me where they are and what to do—bring physical documents for me to sign if that’s what you want. But stay the fuck away from my daughter.”

“Ourdaughter,” he snapped.

I closed my eyes, willing back my hot tears as I realized this was never going to fucking end. I was going to spend the rest of my life fighting to keep Lizzie safe unless I fucking did something about it.

“Sergio, Dante will be here any moment. You have to leave. I don’t want Lizzie exposed to the violence that comes with being tied to the mafia.”

Would he take the bait, let me appeal to the fatherly instincts he was claiming after missing the first four years of Lizzie’s life?

“Give me your phone number,” Sergio commanded. I raised an eyebrow, surprised he hadn’t been able to find it another way. Quickly, I rattled off the number so he could program it into his phone. He stood, his eyes narrow.

“Come here.”

I shook my head, preferring the distance between us.

He cocked the gun and aimed it at my kneecap. “I fucking said come here, bitch.”

Trembling and shaking, I met him at the door, and he dragged me against him, pressing the gun against my neck. Gently, he dragged his lips against mine. “You’re mine, Sofia. And I’m not going to give you up this time.”

With a shove, he pushed me away and then slipped out the door.

I slammed the door shut and locked it, wishing I had a deadbolt, wishing I had anything besides that fucking electronic lock to protect me.

Instead, I ignored my pounding heart and my absolute terror for my daughter and kicked off my heels. To my relief, the couch was heavier than it looked, and I dragged it until it blocked the door entirely. Not perfect protection, not by any means, but anything was better than fucking nothing.

A quick check on Lizzie showed her babbling quietly to herself in her room as she built her tower, and I thanked the Lord for her relative independence and her capacity to amuse herself. I hadn’t been like that as a child, and I didn’t know how I’d gotten so lucky.

Sinking to the ground outside her room, where I could keep an ear on her, but she couldn’t see me, I buried my face in my hands. I covered my mouth, desperately trying to keep my shuddering whimpers of fear from her.

Fuck, I left my phone in my purse. I stumbled to the living room. Pulling out the device, I dialed.

“Dante,” I gasped as soon as he picked up. “Youasshole, he washere.”

“What do you mean he was there? Who, slut?”

I struggled to get the words out between shuddering breaths. “Sergio was here.”

Dante swore loudly and fluently in several languages. “I’m on my way. Is he gone? Are you all right?”

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