The Last Boss' Daughter

“What do I get out of this deal?” I’m surprised by the evenness, the calm sound of my voice. You’d never know I want to vomit and cry and hit something all at once.

“You won’t have to go back to Paul,” he states. “He’s already moved on. We can begin divorce proceedings as soon as the last of the guests leave and this goddamned party is behind us.”

“And Liam?”

“Is dangerous,” he states.

He won’t let him go. Even if I surrender myself and go back, he’s never going to let Liam out alive. He can’t. I know that.

I close my eyes, desperately shuffling through my brain for any idea.

“If you let us go, if you let us leave, we’ll both disappear and you’ll never see us again. We’ll never bother you again.”

“I’m sure,” he says, almost amused.

“I’m serious. Liam was doing this for me. He doesn’t give a damn about you. There’s no undying vengeance or whatever, he doesn’t… it doesn’t matter. If you’ll just let us be together…”

He pauses. Maybe he’s considering it.

Finally, slowly, he says, “All right. After the party. You’ll show up for your mother, put in one last performance, and afterward I’ll let you both go. If I ever see either one of you again, you’ll die on sight.”

“You won’t,” I rush out. “You won’t. You’ll never see us again.”

“Good.” He doesn’t even miss a beat. “Where are you? I’ll send a car for you.”

I look out the small bedroom window at the trees outside. “Um, I’m not really sure. There’s not an address or anything. Hold on, I think… I think there’s one of those longitude and latitude readers in here somewhere. If I can find it, would you be able to figure out where I am?”

“Yes,” he answers, smoothly.

“Annabelle, don’t you fucking dare.”

My heart jumps at the sound of Liam’s voice. Then sinks, because he really is there and I don’t know if that’s better or worse than the alternative.

“Liam,” I cry. “Are you okay? Where are you?”

“He’s lying to you, Annabelle. Don’t you dare tell them where you are.”

“Shut him up,” Pietro says.

“No! Don’t,” I object.

“I’m already dead,” Liam states. “Don’t you dare come back. Get the hell out of here. Do what I told—”

He gets cut off, I hear signs of a scuffle and I feel so. Fucking. Helpless. “Don’t you hurt him!” I scream.

The noise on the other end tapers off as my heart hammers around in my chest.

“I have a stipulation,” I add, inspired. “I want him to come to the party with me.”

Pietro laughs.

“I’m serious. You can drug him if you have to, those drugs like you gave me. To make him… harmless, but I want him there. It will make more sense when we disappear after anyway. If he’s my date. It’ll make sense to Mom. What are you going to tell her when we disappear?”

He doesn’t respond immediately. Maybe he took the bait.

“It’ll make sense to everyone. I ran off with Liam. That makes sense, right? I would do that. I did.”

Bec