Stepbrother's Debt(23)
“Don’t even think to mess with this business. She’s eighteen, and you’ve been fucking useless. She tells me everything she knows, and then she’s disposed of.”
Sharon sobbed in the background. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know what he meant by disposed of. They were going to kill her.
Taking a deep breath, she realized she didn’t want to die. She’d not experienced anything in the last eighteen years. Not once had she known a man’s love, fucked a total stranger, or been with a man who would own her heart. She had experienced nothing.
Death was the last thing she wanted to do.
“You don’t have to kill her,” Donnie said.
For a few seconds she took her gaze away from Anthony to look at his son, the guy who had lied to her for the past two years. He was bargaining for her life. Why?
“You think I would risk this little bitch walking free with the information she has?” Anthony asked.
“No, she hasn’t talked in the last year, and I know she won’t talk for the rest of her life about us. She doesn’t know anything about her father. Look at her, Dad. She doesn’t want to die.” Donnie stepped toward them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him trying to reason with his father. She didn’t want to hope that he’d succeed, not in any way. He’d lied to her, and she didn’t want to be indebted to him because he helped her.
“She won’t keep quiet.”
“I’ll make sure she stays quiet. Paige will be my wife, Dad.”
His words had her jerking in Anthony’s grip. His wife? Surely it had to be some kind of joke. There was no way they could get married. She didn’t want to be near him. The bastard had used her, and she refused to be part of this family anymore.
He’s not been a bastard to you.
Donnie has only been kind to you.
At that moment she wanted to hate him.
Anthony smiled. “You’d be willing to marry your stepsister.”
“We’re not related. I’m not breaking any rules. Besides, if she takes on the family, she’d be answering to me.” He folded his arms over his chest. “She’ll be mine, and I’ll make sure she knows where her bread is fucking buttered.”
Paige shivered.
No, she didn’t want to be held captive by The Family.
“Well, let’s see what Paige says.” Anthony turned back to look at her. “You’ve got two choices, little girl. Marry my son, or I’ll kill you now.” He pulled out his gun, pressing it against her temple. She screamed out as the cool metal was pressed against her head.
I don’t want to die.
How to stay alive?
Marry Donnie.
“I’ll marry Donnie. I swear. I don’t want to die. I don’t know anything.”
Before either she or Anthony could say, Donnie grabbed her arm, and tugged her away from the scene. “I’ll handle this,” he said.
The fear returned as he led her upstairs.
She had the card. The first available moment when she was free, she’d take the bank card, and leave.
“Why didn’t you say anything? All this time has our friendship been a lie?” she asked, the moment they were both free. She wiped at her tears, hating the fact she was facing him in her pajamas.
“No, it hasn’t always been a lie.”
“Then what the hell has it been?” she asked, hurting. He’d lied to her, and she didn’t know what to think of him in that moment.
“Look, I needed to find out what your father knew. You were the only one he’d confide him.”
“I was a young girl.”
“And yet, he gave you this.”
He held up the bank card in front of them. She imagined all color left her as she stared at the damaging evidence.
“What are you doing with that?” she asked.
“Let’s just say I needed to know what you were hiding.”
“You’ve been watching me?”
“I’ve been watching you, and so have my guys. They knew you were hiding something, but we just didn’t know what.”
She was shocked.
“What is it, Paige?” he asked.
Paige bit her lip, recalling her father’s warning never to tell what it was.
“Do you have any fucking idea what my father was going to do to you?” he asked.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Paige turned and sat on her bed.
Chapter Six
Donnie had watched her through the crack of the door as she’d sat on the bed, twirling the very card he was holding now between her fingers. He’d just known that the card was what he’d been looking for this past year.
“If I take this down to my father now, it won’t matter that I’ve decided to take you as my wife. He will kill you.”