Page 128 of Nico

“Funny,” Nico addressed my father, cocking his eyebrow. “Because I don’t give a fuck about your permission. She’s still my wife.”

“We can fix that quickly,” Benito said, giving a nod to one of the men. The guard pulled out his gun and pointed it straight at his head. “I made her a widow once already.”

“No!” The word escaped before I thought better of it. I took two steps, standing barely a foot from my father and three from Nico.

Benito’s eyes gleamed smugly. He found my weakness. “Ah, Daughter. Didn’t your mother tell you not to think with your heart?”

I blinked my eyes, trying to stay strong and then his earlier words sunk in. “What do you mean?” I asked Benito. “You made me a widow once already?”

Focusing on his dark eyes, I wished all his secrets were out. Though I had a feeling I wouldn’t like them. He was a despicable man.

Benito chuckled. “We had to get rid of William, my dear,” he deadpanned. “Eventually your mother was going to die and the property was going to pass on to you. So I had to marry you off to someone that was willing to share. Truthfully, I was going to have you replace your mother… but that was before I learned you are my daughter.”

My stomach rolled. This man was sick. Revolting! There was no other word for it. A sick, weaselly evil bastard.

“H-how?” I fucking hated when I was scared. It made me stutter. “How did you kill William?”

“False diagnosis,” he smiled, clearly satisfied with himself. “Then I had him pumped full of poison until the bastard died.”

I watched his dark eyes, so full of malevolence and cruelty. He was even worse than I imagined, and my picture of Benito King was rather bad.

“You are insane,” I whispered in horror. Fear exploded in my chest for Nico. The man I love. My husband was strong, but I didn’t have a clue how many people we were against here. I couldn’t let this lunatic destroy another person I love. Then my daughters would be next.

I had to buy us time. Somehow.

“Property?” I asked him. He mentioned he wanted property. I imagined he wanted the Amalfi coast property. I scrunched my eyebrows, studying Benito. I had to get him talking. “Why?”

“The Amalfi coast property,” he answered annoyed. Like I should know by some fucking miracle what he wanted. “That fucking bitch of your mother fooled me. She transferred it to you shortly after your grandmother died.”

“Don’t talk about my mother like that,” I hissed. He was a vile, despicable human being and he had no right to talk about anyone like that. Least of all my mother!

This earned me a tight smile, but Benito’s eyes remained unmoving. He felt nothing for anyone. He only cared about himself and his own agendas. Nothing and nobody else. He destroyed people without any care or loss of sleep.

“Give me the property, and I’ll make your husband’s death a quick one.” I stared back at my father, wide-eyed and with my heart pounding right out of my chest. My eyes traveled to my husband. My beautiful liar. He got his revenge but at what expense.

Still… I didn’t want to see him hurt. I understood his need for settling the score. After all, I wanted to make Benito pay for the hurt he caused my own mother. The bitterness and anger swelled inside me and ate at my soul, demanding I make him pay. I imagined my husband felt something along the same line.

“Gentlemen, please show my daughter I don’t make empty threats.”

One of Benito’s men moved towards Nico with a cruel look on his face. His hand blurred through the air, before he punched Nico hard in his stomach, while another brought his elbow down hard between his shoulder blades.

“Nico!” I screamed, taking a step towards him, but Benito wrapped his hand around my arm, holding me back.

“You can’t save him,” Benito taunted. “He is not a man I’d ever let touch my daughter.”

“Let me go,” I hissed, shoving against Benito. “You fucking bastard. You can’t have him!” He had me in a tight hold, but I refused to give up. I swung my head backwards and headbutted Benito.

“Fuck!” he snapped his grip tightening on me, painfully. My head throbbed from the impact, my eyes staring at my husband. Benito killed William and now he wanted to end Nico’s life.

“You want to end it?” Benito asked.

I nodded, my eyes never leaving my husband’s face.

“Sign over that property,” he repeated.

“Will you let Nico go?” I rasped. “Safe and sound. You let him go.”

“Don’t do it, Cara Mia,” Nico wheezed. “Trust me.”