Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
“Get him the fuck out of here,” Elio ordered coldly.
“You fucking bastard,” Paul snarled, holding his bloody nose as he struggled to his feet.
But he was grabbed around the arms by two very large men. They picked him up like he was a bag of air, dragging him across the floor as he screamed curses at everyone, struggling like a pebble in an earthquake.
Elio turned to me, his eyes softening as he glanced at my trembling figure, and he gently folded me into a hug. It was warm, and I finally released a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
But over his shoulder, I met Paul’s eyes.
“Don’t fucking touch her, you bastard! You’re fucking mine, Cat! Do you think you can just throw me away? I’ll fucking kill you myself before I let you leave me!”
I flinched, shutting my eyes as the curses finally died down. I barely noticed as Elio spoke to Olivia for a moment, letting him pull me back into his father’s office. I felt numb, lost in an endless sea of emotions as I let him guide me into a chair. A warm drink was pushed into my hands, a blanket wrapped around my shoulders.
And slowly, I came back to life.
When I did, Elio was kneeling in front of me, his eyes shining with anxiety as he held my loose hand tightly in his own. It was soothing to have him there, but I knew Elio was smart enough to have figured out Paul was more than just an ordinary ex-boyfriend.
“What did he do to you, Cat?”
I shamefully cast my eyes to my lap, unwilling to tell him, but he gently lifted my chin, our eyes meeting in a clash of worry and concern.
“I need you to tell me the truth so I can protect you,” he said honestly.
Whether I wanted to or not, I knew I couldn’t hide it any longer.
I sighed, and I told him everything—how we had met, and I had fallen for his charming and outgoing appearance… how I had thought he was a good person until we got together. I had been too dumb to recognize the red flags until it was almost too late.
I told him how Paul had criticized me for everything I did—what I wore, what makeup I used—how he controlled where I went and what I did, verbally tearing into me when I fought back. Then he started controlling who I could see, when I could see them… and soon enough, I’d found myself completely isolated at school.
He claimed it was all because he loved me, and I kept making excuses for him, until the night we fought.
Elio had called me that night, just wanting to check on me, but Paul had gotten into my phone, seen his name, and assumed I was cheating on him. I tried to defend myself, but there was no reasoning with him and eventually, I tried to walk out.
He grabbed my arm, tight enough that it left a large bruise in the shape of a handprint, enough that I cried and begged him to let go. And once I was submissive enough, only then did he release his grip.
I knew then what trap I had fallen into. I ran as fast as I could.
Once I finished telling Elio, I stared emptily at the floor, not even emotional about it anymore like I was simply an outsider looking in. But Elio wrapped me in his arms, so gently as he tucked me into his chest. I was safe and protected there, and my heart calmed as I clung to his shirt.
I was grateful he didn’t point out how hard I was shaking. But as he shielded me from the rest of the world, Elio whispered softly to my temple, a single promise that shook me to my core.
“Don’t worry, Cat. I’ll take care of it. No one will ever hurt you again.”
And for once, I believed him with every fiber of my being.
*Elio*
“Twenty-four thousand square foot lot, with the majority being commercial state. I assure you this La Cienega warehouse is the best price for such a large lot.” The sleazy-looking seller grinned, his teeth too brilliantly white to be real as he walked us around the massive, empty building.
I glanced around without much care. There was hardly anything to notice since it was just a cement building with no windows in the middle of downtown nowhere. Surrounded by run-down places with for-sale signs, I had seen the broken needles in the crumbled parking lot, the remnants of pots and metal spoons that had been used for who knows what.
This was a drug addicts’ heaven, and it was truly the worst place to buy commercial property in Las Angeles.
And that was exactly what made it perfect for my uncle’s purposes. Alessandro politely shook the seller’s hand, who was a bit too enthusiastic as he pulled out the contract and deed. Alessandro didn’t waste a second in purchasing it, with a nod of okay from the lawyer they’d brought.
The case of money was handed over to the seller by one of Alessandro’s men.
“Thank you so much for your generous purchase, Mr. Valentino.” The seller buzzed with excitement, his eyes planted firmly on the case full of cash. “I assure you this will be dealt with at the highest discretion.”
“I appreciate that, Mr. Bennet,” Alessandro said.
He spoke rather nonchalantly for someone who’d just spent millions on an empty warehouse that doubled as a squatter’s summer villa. Mr. Bennet, like the sleazy man he was, ran off like a little rat, clutching the case of money with a huge grin.
By the time he disappeared, Alessandro’s polite smile dropped and he scowled, pulling off the black glove that had shaken hands with Mr. Bennett and dropping it onto the floor.
“Take care of it,” Alessandro said coldly with a nod at one of the men. “And bring back the case untouched.”
Two of the guards he’d brought nodded, one even cracking his knuckles with a sadistic grin as they hurriedly followed the rat-like man’s trail.
“Isn’t that a bit cruel?” I raised my eyebrow. “It was a fair purchase.”
“You’ve got a lot to learn,” Alessandro said, crossing his arms. “Not only was this entire purchase illegal, but he also used a fake name so he could avoid taxes. Felony tax evasion is no joke, and I’m not bringing us down like that. Plus, the only reason he had the deed to this property was because he killed the guy who had it before him. He probably buried the body here since he was in such a rush to get rid of it. Well, it works for us. We get the deed to the property, and he gets to atone for being such a bag of writhing maggots.”
I stared at him wide-eyed, truly stunned by the information dump. The two guards came strolling back in carrying the black case, and Alessandro gave me a smirk as he took it.
“Don’t believe everything you’re told, Elio. Rule number one is that everyone around you has an agenda. You just need to see through it before they get a knife in your back, even if it means being just as deceitful as them.”
Alessandro opened the case, letting it fall to the ground. Inside was just a bunch of blank paper bundles, millions of them, with single bills on top to make it look real.
“Huh,” was all I could say in response.
“We’ll have to invest to make this place usable,” the lawyer whose name I didn’t know said casually, crossing her arms with a distasteful look at the cracking walls. “Though I don’t see how something so shabby could be useful in the first place.”
“Shabby as this place is, I think this could finally help the family get a foot in the door of the American scene. We’ve been trapped overseas for so long, and it’ll be a good way to start up business here,” Alessandro smirked. “Besides, it’s in the perfect place. Major cities always overlook the working people of the slums. It’ll be a perfect start to spreading our influence.”
Alessandro glanced at me as if remembering himself and I shrugged, not asking for any details. I had a strong feeling I didn’t want to know. Alessandro gave me a grin, a simple nod as he understood what I was saying without words. He didn’t offer up any more details, simply discussing vaguely with his people for a minute before giving me an expectant look.
“Well, your parents probably have dinner ready, so want to head back?” Alessandro asked. “I haven’t had Olivia’s pot roast in ages, and I’m going to eat as much as I can until I have to go back to Italy.”
I snorted. “You live in Italy and you’re complaining about the food?”
“You’d be surprised.” Alessandro shrugged, leading me out of the warehouse and to the cars. “I’m just ready for any kind of meat that doesn’t have some kind of pasta or cheese in it. Though I have to admit, the gelato really is built differently over there.”
“I bet,” I laughed. “Aunt Dahlia spends hundreds to get it shipped, and Mom says she would consider moving back to Italy just for the gelato.”
“Mint chocolate chip with a double shot of chocolate syrup.” Alessandro nodded. “A classic.”
I grinned, settling in the car as Alessandro took over on the wheel, automatically handing me the cord for the radio. I put on my favorite playlist, relaxing as we made the long trek back to Mom and Dad’s place.
Alessandro had always been my favorite Uncle. I had nothing against Tallon—he was great—but Alessandro just always seemed to get me better. He never forced a conversation, rarely even started them, and was always straight to the point, just like me.
Mom said we were like twin personalities, and she often lamented that I had been a bundle of sunshine as a kid and blamed Alessandro for corrupting me. Either way, she loved me. I knew that.
The trip back home went quicker than I expected and soon enough we pulled into the driveway. It was a little after eight so we were pretty late, but I knew my parents wouldn’t care.