"I want to meet Fabio."
40
Elsa
"No! Absolutely not. You want to meet the man who tried to kill me? Who might very well have shot you, too? And what would have happened if he succeeded, Elsa? What would have happened to our daughter? Have you even thought of that?"
I wince. The blood rushes from my face, and I know I’ve gone pale. Truthfully, I hadn’t thought of that possibility. Not that Fabio didn’t beat me when we were together, but the thought of him killing me... Somehow, it didn’t occur to me. It’s why I’d thrown myself on top of Seb when that drone had started firing, sensing that it wouldn’t hurt me. I could have been wrong, but instinct had told me that he’d spare me. Oh, I don't doubt he wouldn’t care if he’d shot and wounded me. Sure, I’d known that was a possibility, but would he have tried to kill me?
Well, who knows. Fabio is unpredictable. All he cares about is having control over me. It’s why he came up with this arrangement, where I only get to see Avery on weekends. He’s trying to throw me just enough crumbs to keep me hankering for more, while also being grateful that I actually get to spend some time with her, when really, I’m her mother, and she should be staying with me all the time. She’s a toddler, almost two years old, and she needs me. And I’m going to make sure I no longer have to drop her back with Fabio when the weekend is over. But I’m going to do this my way.
I’m her mother, goddamn it, and I can do what’s needed to take care of my child, can’t I?
And he’s your husband.He wants to help you.But if I involve him, he may get hurt again, and that, I can't bear. He told me he loved me and I believe him. And I... I love him. It's why I need to confront Fabio, once and for all. I can't let him or anyone else be a casualty in this fight between Fabio and me.
"I…" I swallow. "I don't think Fabio's going to kill me."
“You don’tthinkhe’s going to kill you?” He peers into my features. "You think he’s still in love with you, so he won’t hurt you?"
"Oh, he’s hurt me plenty already." I touch the scar on my wrist, and his gaze intensifies. "Besides, I don’t think he actually knows what love means, anyway. But if he kills me, he’ll lose his hold on me, and that’s not his pattern."
"He sent you to get information from me, so why would he shoot at me?" He scowls.
"Maybe," I glance away, "because he found out that you married me?"
"And how would that have happened? The only people at the wedding were my brothers, their wives, and the mayor, who knows better than to talk about it to anyone else." He rubs his jaw, then adds, "And then, someone shot at us at the restaurant afterward."
"When that failed, he came after you again."
"And failed again." He looks around the room, as if the answer is somehow hidden there. Then he sighs. "It makes no sense. He could have killed me there, and he didn’t."
"It's why I threw myself over you. I was banking on Fabio not wanting to kill me. Besides, I think he wanted to send me a warning." I twist my fingers together. "Already, too many people have been hurt, Seb. Can’t you see? I need to confront him; it’s the only way to stop this."
"Absolutely not." He crosses his arms in front of his chest. "There’s no way I’m letting you go to him."
"I will not have the blood of more people on my hands," I argue. "If any of the bodyguards had died, I would have never been able to forgive myself. It’s a miracle they survived. I’m afraid next time we won’t be so lucky."
"There will not be a next time, because I’m going to make sure that asshole never comes near you or any of our family again."
"The only way to put an end to this peacefully is if I speak to him," I insist.
"And what will you say to him? Do you think if you ask him nicely, he’s going to back off and leave you alone?"
I bite the inside of my cheek. "I can try. All this time, I've been afraid of him, and maybe that’s the mistake I made. I gave him power over me. You know, many times when a bully's confronted, he backs down. If I stand up to him, it’s possible he’ll leave us alone. "
"Surely, you know better than that. It’s more likely he’ll respond violently, thinking if he can’t have you, no one can. That’s what abusers do, Elsa." He drags his fingers through his hair. "Goddamn it, I’m not letting you meet him, and that's that."
"But, Seb—"
"No, you will not see him, and my decision is final."
"But—"
He slashes his palm through the air. "I don’t want to hear another thing about it."
He pivots and walks toward the staircase.
A few hours later, after I've put Avery down for her afternoon nap, I walk into the kitchen and find Cass.