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“Everything.” His answer is simple, yet it contains multitudes of possibilities. “If you lose, your father’s debts become your own—a lifetime of servitude within my establishment and home. And your father,” he pauses, letting the words hang heavy between us, “And your father dies.”
The blood in my veins turns to ice. “And if I win?”
Leone’s smile is a wolf before the pounce. “You’ll have completely cleared your family’s debt and saved your sister and father. A clean slate for the McCallisters. No strings attached.”
“And I’m expected to believe you’ll let us go?”
“Ah, but what other choice is there, cara mia? Rather than simply taking his life and ending it, I am granting you the chance to save him. I suggest you take it. I’ll only offer it once.” His finger traces an invisible line down my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps. “Every choice binds us.”
“Exactly what sort of game, Mr. Pressutti?” I ask, not bothering to hide the venom in my tone.
“You can call me Leone. After all, you were just willing to suck my cock. That warrants a more familiar name, don’t you think?” he asks. My face flames at his words, and I nod once.
“If you accept, you’ll play in the underground games. If you can beat the room, you win.”
“Poker?” I ask in disbelief.
“If you can beat the room, I’ll let your father live. If you don’t, he dies. Do we have a deal?” I glance at my father. What choice do I really have? At least if I win, he will stand a chance.
My gaze returns to Leone. “It seems I’m fucked either way, so I guess we have a deal.” I stand up, glancing at my father, only to meet the intensity of Milo’s watchful gaze. Leone takes a step back, drawing my attention back to him. He smiles, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
“A deal it is,” he says, his voice low and serious. He turns slightly, looking at one of his men.
“Good. Grab him, and let’s go.” Leone turns on his heel, but Milo remains and arches a brow at me when I don’t move straight away.
“That’s the part when you follow,” he whispers. I bite my lip, peering over at my father’s unconscious body on the floor to see one of Leone’s brutes pick him up and toss him over his shoulder.
“Wait! What are you doing? Leave him be!” I snap at the man, who ignores me and walks toward the front door. I move to grab him when Milo steps into my path, and another man holds the bags of cash, following Leone outside.
“No can do, cara. He’s coming with us,” Milo tells me, and I glare up at the giant of a man.
“He’s unconscious. Haven’t you done enough to him already?” I snap at him when he seizes my arm. I try to shake off his grip, but his fingers dig into my arm painfully. He leads me outside onto the porch.
“I’m not driving all the way back here just to slit his throat when you lose. Therefore, he’s coming,” Milo answers, and I stop. I watch as they put my father in the trunk of Leone’s car. And Milo curses when I don’t move before tossing me over his shoulder.
I thrash, punching into his back, and when that doesn’t work, I bite his side under his arm. Within seconds, he groans, back arching, and dumps me off his shoulder onto the hard concrete. My body hits the ground with a thud that knocks the air from my lungs.
“The bitch bit me!” Milo curses angrily, and I turn quickly to see him reaching for me when Leone speaks.
“Milo! Leave her. You can torture her later once she loses,” Leone tells him, and my eyes go to him where he leans against the car, smoke between his fingers, looking rather bored. The others leave. God only knows where, as I watch them slink off into the shadows. Milo grabs my arm, dragging me to my feet. His grip is like a steel vice, painful and unforgiving as he pulls me toward the car.
“TSK,” Leone clicks his tongue. “The choice is yours, Fallon. You can fight and ride in the trunk, or you can get in the car,” he warns. I shoot him a scathing glare.
“Need I remind you, you took the deal, or if you prefer, I can kill your father now and be done with it? Either way, you’re getting in that car, but your next move decides whether it’s in the trunk or…” He opens the back door, and I grit my teeth to bite back from telling him to go fuck himself. “The choice is yours,” Leone says, and Milo lets me go.
“Can I at least get my phone?” I ask through gritted teeth. Leone sighs heavily and looks at Milo.
“In case the hospital calls,” I blurt out, knowing Milo is about to toss me in the trunk.
“Two minutes. Any longer, and I send Milo in,” Leone warns. I rush inside, finding my discarded handbag with the contents spilled across the floor. Spotting my phone, I snatch it up and turn back for the door when I hesitate, debating if I should message Marcus and ask him to call the police. I pull up his last message and am about to reply when Milo’s voice reaches my ears.
“I wouldn’t if I were you. I still want to kill you for biting me; don’t tempt me.” Milo’s voice comes from the entryway. I tense, casting one last glance at my living room. Milo holds his hand out for my phone.
“Hand it over,” he warns, his tone telling me not to push my luck.
“One!” He growls out. “Wanna find out what happens at three?” I slap the phone into his hand, and he glances at it.
“Password!” he demands.
