Chapter 57
Leda
After what felt like days, the door opened once more and my breath caught as Lucas strolled in. His eyes immediately found mine, and I managed a weak smile, watching as his eyes flashed with anger at the way I was holding my wrist.
“Where are they?” Carmine demanded.
Lucas didn’t flinch as he walked over to father’s straight bar and poured himself a generous glass of bourbon.
“So rude, Carmine,” Lucas said. “You should offer your guest something to drink.”
“Cut the shit, boy.” Father snapped. “Don’t forget where you are.”
Lucas took a long, slow pull of the bourbon and set it down. “They’re in a hidden location. Somewhere you can’t find. In exchange for telling you where they are, I expect you to release your children. I believe that’s a fair trade.”
Father’s fury was growing stronger by the second.
“You little shit,” he stated, his eyes roving over Lucas. “First you knock up my daughter, then you walk into my house, and make demands?”
“Well,” Lucas said smoothly, his voice harsh and unlike the man who had kissed the length of my body last night. This was Don Valentino speaking. “As far as I see it, this won’t be your house soon. What do you think about my child growing inside your precious princess, D’Agostino? How do you like the fact that our bloodlines are intertwined?”
“Your bastard will never see the light of day,” father growled. “And I will make you watch me cut it out of her before you die.”
To my surprise, Lucas didn’t even flinch. “I would like to see you try.”
Carmine ignored him, turning his attention to his minion. “Has he been searched?”
“Yes sir,” the guard replied, lifting his chin. “I took two guns, and a number of knives off him.”
“Good man,” Carmine said, reached down to his desk, and pulled out the gun that had been hiding there.
“I’d love to talk more, but time is short. So let’s just cut to the chase.” Father said as he raised the gun at Lucas. “Where. Are. They?”
Lucas looked unbothered. “Really, Carmine? You think you’ll find them? On your own? I thought you were smarter than this.”
Something was up, and I could barely hope that it was something in our favor. So, I started to carefully strain against the ropes around my middle, noting that the guard had tied shitty knots to keep me against the chair. He had misjudged, using my stomach as his point of reference, so it was easy to slide the ropes up, loosening them as I did so.
“You’re right.” Father replied, a grin crossing his face.
Suddenly, the gun spun to me and roared. A searing pain flashed at my shin. Disbelief mingled with shock. My father shot me. He actually shot me.
“The next one will be between her legs.” My father sat down in his chair. “Now talk, Valentino.”
Lucas picked up the glass again, this time, he drained the glass. “Damn fine bourbon, Carmine. Damn fine.”
Then, everything happened in a blur. The glass whirled through the air, and before my father could react, it shattered against the gun, knocking it out of his hand. Lucas was on him in the blink of an eye. A moment later, he held a knife at my father’s throat. The guard raised his gun, but he risked shooting my father to get to Lucas.
“Leda! Get down!” Lucas shouted at me, snapping me out of my shock.
In a flash, I was sliding under the ropes and knocking Nico’s chair sideways, sending my brother toppling to his side. “Get me loose!” Nico grunted, tugging against his bonds.
My fingers trembled as I hurried to do so. Something silvery flew through the air, and the guard fell to the ground. A knife was buried in his face.
Father turned around and struggled with Lucas, but Lucas was far stronger. But it hadn’t been Lucas that my father was reaching for, but the wall of knives.
“Lucas!” I warned. But it was too late.
Another flash of silver, and then a spurt of red as my father’s hand pulled back. Blood poured from Lucas’ side. The knife plunged down again. And again. And again. Lucas raised his hands feebly to fend off the attack, but my father did not relent.