As soon as the gate closed behind the last officer, I had men checking for anything left behind. Thanks to Eden's warning, we'd been able to make it back on the property through one of the hidden entrances before the police had made it here. We were sweaty as fuck and out of breath from having to make it on foot, so, to avoid having to explain, and to deter them from going in the house, we'd taken up stations around the obstacle course set up outside.
Unable to prove we hadn't been home, exercising the entire time, they'd grudgingly left us in peace. I didn't particularly care if they were pissed or not; my mind was on something, someone far more important. Turning around instead of storming the club to get her out hadn't set well with any of us, and I was itching to remedy the situation. I just needed an opportunity to get at Rodrigo's system, and he wouldn't have jack shit left to hold over any of our heads. In the meantime, I supervised the removal of several surveillance devices then watched the security system in Tony's office, waiting for my father to show up, hopefully with Eden in tow.
* * *
The call came before the cavalcade made an appearance at the gate. Details were withheld, but Eden had not returned, and my brother, always needing to be in control, lost his shit and trashed his office.
Santos hadn't seemed the least bit surprised, nor had Marco for that matter, but Tony had been banking on our father bringing her home. I didn’t think he'd have actually left her there, cops be damned, if he'd thought there would have been any other outcome. Our enforcer was the one to snap Tony out of his fit, not physically, but by announcing he was going to wait in our father's office and slamming out of the room. There was no doubt that that meeting wouldn't go well, so we all quickly followed him. The argument that ensued was not one I'd have ever guessed would take place, not with Tony involved anyway.
* * *
"Show some respect, Antonio. I didn't raise you to behave in this manner!"
"You said you'd take care of it. Leaving her behind wasn't part of the deal! I won't leave her with that man, and I don't care who has a fucking problem with it," Tony shouted at our father.
"I kept my word. It's been handled, the charges will be dropped, and you will all be released from house arrest. Compromises were reached. It's not uncommon to settle disputes by joining one of our own with the other party—"
"What the fuck are you talking about, Vinnie? Did you give Eden to my father?" Santos was dead calm, but even my father flinched at the promise of death in his eyes.
"He declared you're dead to him, so I would rethink that title. Miss Moretti did her duty, although it's not in the traditional sense." He muttered the last part as if unhappy about that point, but forged on with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'm certain once Rodrigo has secured his...future, he'll release her if she wishes it."
I had to admit my father was delusional. Obviously, he didn't want to spell out what the terms were, and I'd come to the conclusion that he'd had his ass handed to him at that meeting.
But Tony, eyes blazing and fists clenched in his fury, informed him of how badly he'd fucked up. "You traded my wife to be raped and likely murdered?! You're no longer fit to run this Family. It’s past time you joined our mother," he gestured at me, "in her travels."
Having no interest in backing down, our father attempted to take control of the room. "Your wife?! Are you insane, Antonio? The girl is nice enough, but she's also trash and wholly unsuitable for you. If DeLuca wants her, who better to infiltrate his operation? It would be stupid to pass up the opportunity."
"I cannot believe you used her like that! My own father! It wasn't your call," Tony retorted, looking like he was about to start in on tearing this room up as well.
"And I cannot believe you share your live-in whore, but here we are," my father shot back with a wave of his hand. Marco darted in front of Santos as I grabbed Tony, my father continuing to dig his hole deeper as far as I was concerned. "It's time you all stopped with whatever the nature of your relationship is anyhow. I would have accepted her with Santos, but how could you marry her? And behind my back? You'll have it annulled immediately!" he demanded. "Even your mother did what was required of her to broker peace! How do you think Edward and I came to a truce in the first place? We'd have all killed each other off long before now, and I'm not talking about the little skirmishes your generation has continuously engaged in, but complete annihilation. And you're correct. I'm more than ready to turn all of this over, but I refuse to see it destroyed for a whore!" He silenced everyone as he went off, revealing things that had only been a vague rumor while continuing to insult Eden, and brought my temper to its breaking point.
"That whore is your daughter-in-law," I seethed at the man I'd always looked up to. "And if Tony hadn't married her, I would have. We all would have. I understand that you wanted to protect us, and maybe you did it the best way you knew how, but cutting us out has caused more trouble than it's solved. Either we work together and you tell us what you've got in the works, or you catch a plane tonight and we'll let you know when it's over. You talk about respect, yet you won't give us any of our own. That's not how this family operates, Father." My tirade had a calming effect I hadn't planned on. I wasn't sure if he was shocked that I had called him on his bullshit, or if he realized he'd really fucked up with Eden and that he was about to lose his sons over it, but he shut up and listened. When I finished, still straight-up irate with him, my father nodded his head and pulled out a folder, showing us what he'd been up to with Eden on all of those outings. I knew he loved, and wanted to protect us, doing it the only way he knew how, but he was going to have to learn to accept Eden and realize she was off limits, period.
* * *
Eden
Ilimped into Rodrigo's office on one heel after Jasper had decided to walk too closely behind me. When he'd misstepped, on purpose or not, I wasn't sure, his boot had kicked my foot sideways, snapping the stiletto off and twisting my ankle in the process. My mind had been on all the ways I'd like to castrate Rodrigo and beat the shit out of Vinnie for selling me out, so I was lucky that was all that had happened due to my inattention.
I made it to the couch before I plopped down and got both boots off so I could examine the damage. My injured ankle was already showing signs of purple bruising, and I knew the swelling wouldn't be far behind. So much for running out of here if the opportunity presents itself. Not that I'd let a sprained ankle stop me if it meant my freedom.
"Can I get some ice to put on this?" I asked as I gingerly propped it on the arm of the couch while trying not to flash my goods at the room.
"What do I look like, your bitch? Get it yourself."
"Jasper, you caused it. Go get the fucking ice, and I'll forget that you were going to let her wander off on her own, fucking idiot." Peter muttered the last part under his breath as his cousin left the room before pointing at me. "Don't think that's going to get you out of anything. DeLuca wants you on stage tonight."
I didn't bother to answer, hoping he'd ignore me and leave me to my inner turmoil that was far more painful than my ankle. My wish was granted as he pilfered one of the cigars from the humidor and lit up, but it almost had me asking for one… I wanted a cigarette something fierce. I ignored the urge though, as well as the one that wanted something stronger than nicotine despite my desire to check out from reality. I needed to have my wits about me if I planned on getting out of this mess.
Jasper came back, bag of ice in hand, and glared down at me as he slapped it onto my ankle. "There you go, princess. I'll collect my payment later."
I gritted my teeth against the wince that wanted to surface, but he must have wanted a reaction, or maybe an answer, because he reached down and pressed the ice into the injury. "Get the fuck off!" I snapped at him, kicking his hand away with my good foot. I knew I shouldn't have reacted, shouldn't have engaged, but my anger had boiled over. Paired with my throbbing joint, I lost my temper.
But Jasper had shown his true colors that night months ago in this very club, and he wasn't about to stand for it. "Oh, I'll be getting off, and you'll be learning your place, Angel," he hissed at me, yanking me off of the couch to thump onto the floor, adding to my numerous bruises, I was sure.
I cursed at him and pulled against his hold as he dragged me across the floor, ruching my dress halfway up my hips before he stopped.
"What the hell, Jasper? Get your own, you lazy fuck. Leave the whore alone— Goddamnit, what did I say?!" Peter yelled.
It was accompanied by my bloodcurdling scream as Jasper ground the cherry of the cigar against the sole of my foot, scattering bits of hot ash in searing pinpricks of pain across my thighs and abdomen. Though nothing could top the agony of my foot when he let up, pulling the skin with him, only to do it again.
By then Peter had rounded the desk and stepped over my torso to physically remove his sadistic cousin from me. "Get the fuck out! I'll deal with you later. I have figure out how to clean up your fucking mess again. Don't come whining to me if DeLuca demands reparations. He said she was free use, not that we could fuck her up!"
"You're a bootlicker, Peter. You think joining with him is going to be any better than the Carlottis he used to work for? If anything, he'll turn on you too, and you're too fucking weak to do anything about it. You killed your own father, yet you want to reprimand me for putting a whore in her place? Fuck you, I'm out."
The door slammed, leaving me and Peter alone. The man wasn't so self-assured anymore by the way he was raking his hand through his hair and pacing the floor, stealing glances at me while I straightened my dress and whimpered each time the skin on my foot flexed. I need more ice. Not that I thought I'd get any at this point. That was about the only thought I had while I inspected the damage through the tears I couldn't hold back.I did my best to keep what I did have on the burns after I crawled to where it had fallen and seriously rethought my previous position on the subject of narcotics.