Page 57 of Violent Attraction

Never in all my life has my father hit me.

I look at the man in front of me and all I see is annoyance and anger and no sympathy or remorse.

“You will do as I say.” He grinds out through his teeth, not looking like my father at all. No, the man in front of me isn’t my father, he’s the drug lord, the kingpin. Right now, he doesn’t give a single fuck about his crying daughter that he just slapped. No, all he cares about it that she is scared to the core so that she can withhold his end of the bargain.

“And if I don’t?” It’s stupid of me to say the words, to even try to stand up to him, but I can’t help it. He had to know that I was going to defy him in some way, and he had to come up with something to make sure that this agreement was upheld.

With not even an ounce of care in his expression, he lifts his hand and cradles my face, placing his palm against my throbbing cheek.

“Entonces,” for a split second his face changes, it looks slightly sincere, but it’s gone too fast before I can really know. “I think that Camila would make a good wife for Emilio.”

He gives me a sadistic smile to get his point across.

No.

No, I will not let that happen. I will not have my sister be a part of this in any way. Camila is young, she deserves to explore the world, go to school and paint every single thing that she wants to paint. She deserves a lot more than marrying a strange man all because I don’t want to.

I won’t put her in that position.

I’m shaking my head just thinking about it. “No. Don’t bring Camila into this.”

“Then do as I say. Marry Emilio and your sister will not have to do the job that is meant for you.” Again, anger coats his face.

With his hand still cradling my face, I feel his fingers move up until they are wrapped around a strand of my hair. That’s when he pulls.

The pain that was radiating from my jaw to my temple, is now all the way through my skull, like a million tiny shards being pulled out of me.

“As long as you go with the plan, your sister is safe to do what she wants.”' He pulls harder and I need to control my breathing before I hyperventilate. “So will Santos.”

The mention of Santiago's name has my eyes snapping open and meeting my father’s.

He knows?

“Did you really think that I wouldn’t know that the two of you have been sneaking behind my back, committing adultery? I’ve known since the very beginning. And if he’s smart, he will stay away from you from now on and not mess this up for me. If not, then he will be sharing a box with Cristiano.”

One last pull of my scalp and he finally lets go of me, causing me to stumble to the ground from the pain.

“You’re my daughter, Isabella. I’m the one that says who you will spend the rest of your life with. I don’t give a fuck what you want.” With that, he leaves me there on the garden floor, not even allowing me to say another word.

I lay on the cold concrete floor for a good while. With the cold material against my cheek that I realize something.

My father dictates a bigger part of my life that I had originally thought.

Now, I’m going to marry a man that I know nothing about, that is not the man I love.

Why?

Why am I not going to fight my father?

Because I need to save my sister, and I need to keep Santiago alive.

Because I know that my father means every single word that he voiced.

I won’t be a defiant daughter, and I will try my hardest not to make my father’s promises come true.

I have to.

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