Page 36 of Throne of Sin

She doesn’t seem to be lying. I nod in response. “Know where in the inner city?”

“I think I do,” Tanya answers. “I could go show you.” The last thing I want is to be alone with these women. I normally have Sienna with me for shit like this.

All I have to do is ask around a few times and I find Demi. She has a line of women waiting for her. I was expecting her to be trying to find a dealer. Maybe so high she forgot where she was. Or maybe a client had somehow convinced her to meet him somewhere. But this…I scratch my head, confused. I have no idea what this is.

I step out of my car and pass the line, heading for Demi. She’s too busy to spot me coming right for her. She hands a woman a jar of what looks like pills.Is she dealing now?

I look more closely at the line, needing time before I lose my cool. Half of these women are teens, maybe slightly older. Suddenly, their protruding bellies become apparent. It’s a line of pregnant teens. My brother, the Mancini Don, is going to lose his shit if what I think is occurring, actually is.

“Demi Gallo, fancy seeing you here.”

She startles at my voice. “Dante.” Her cheeks flush while she places both hands in the pockets at the back of her jeans.

“What are you doing?” I ask, not able to keep my angry tone down.

“You need to relax.” She places her hands on my chest.

My eyes widen and my nose flares at being told what to do.

“Alright girls, I have to cut it short today. See you next week.” There are groans from all around before the line disperses, leaving us alone.

I refuse to be the one who speaks first.

“How did you know where I was?” she asks with her hand on her jetted out hip.

“I know everything about my club including where my girls are.”

“I suppose this is when you’re going to tell me that if I leave the house I need to let you know where I’m going.”

“Something like that.” My tongue slides over the top of my teeth.

“Follow me.” Demi takes my hand and leads me around the block. “Did you know this area has an overwhelming rate of teenage pregnancy? A lot of parents in this area can hardly feed themselves. You remember how it was in my house after my dad disappeared.”

I scoff, “Yeah, you no longer walked down the street with a black eye.”

“It’s easy for you to say when you weren’t the one living it. Hell, you left shortly after.” Demi holds up her finger when I open my mouth to interrupt. “You have no idea what struggles I had, and don’t even try to pretend that you know.”

“For a brilliant girl like yourself, I can’t understand how you don’t know that you were one beating away from being murdered.”

“Don’t stand here all high and mighty on me. My father’s beatings hurt less than the stomach cramps and knowing I was worth only as much as my body.” A sarcastic, disbelieving chuckle escapes her pouty lips. “Anyway, the beatings didn’t stop because he left.”

I straighten, not understanding. “What the fuck do you mean?”

“He had debts, Dante.” A tear escapes the corner of her eye. “They had to be paid by someone.”

My body tremors with a new rage building in me. I’ve never been overly emotional, but Demi has a way of bringing it out of me.

“What are you talking about?” I swallow thickly, my body covered with goosebumps.

“I didn’t meet you that night because I landed myself in the hospital. His bookie needed to send a message and he couldn’t find my mom. My beating was the message.”

My hand tightens around hers and another tear escapes as she tries to wipe it away. She turns her head to stop looking at me.

“Don’t hide your pain from me.” I deserve to see it. I would have paid the debt off, if I had known. It guts me, my stomach turning to stone. “Tell me what happened.” It’s impossible to keep my voice even.

“I can’t…” She takes a shuddering breath and I can see how hard it is for her to talk. “I refuse to be dragged down by the past. It has taken me a long time to get it in check and won’t allow it to be my undoing. I can’t go back to that dark place.” Her voice breaks and I step in to hold her. My arms wrap around her body and her face is pushed against my chest.

“I’m so sorry.” The apology is worthless, it will never change the past or ease her hurt and suffering. I listen to the sound of her trying to get her breathing under control.

---