“I’m not signing anything,” I bark. Disgust churns my stomach as I recall the contract’s wording.
“You will sign it,” Dad says with confidence.
I’ve wondered how he thought he was going to get me to sign it in the first place. That was what was supposed to happen to me if Massimo hadn’t come along.
“No, I won’t. You can’t do this to me. I’m not a thing.” Déjà vu. I’ve said this before several times. It’s happening again. “I’m married.”
“We’ll see about that. Give her to me. We’ll see what she says after she sees what I’ve done to her husband,” Dad states.
There’s a difference about him that’s terrifying. Even his voice sounds different.
Vlad hands me over to my father, who takes hold of my arm roughly. We walk through another door, and I see an open space that looks like an area where people used to work in the mines.
There’s a pit. Dad takes me to the steps leading into the pit, and I gasp when I see what’s down below. It’s Massimo. He’s attached to two metal poles with chains around his wrists. He’s shirtless, but there’s so much blood on his chest that it covers all his tattoos. He looks like he’s been beaten near death. His face is battered and bruised.
“He said I had to tie him up to beat him. That’s true,” Dad states. “I did, but I did it in a more clever way. Everyone has a price, my girl. I got a man he trusted with his life and his empire to betray him. His own brother, who was so neglected and overlooked. That is the only way you can get to a man like that. Full of hate and rage it almost makes him invincible. Almost and never. You will sign the contract because he is your price.”
I turn my head and look at Dad. He nods, and I burst into tears.
“If you don’t sign, I’ll kill him. Sign, and he might have a chance if we let him go.”
He releases me, and I run down to Massimo.
“Massimo!” I cry.
He lifts his bloodied head. His eyes widen at the sight of me.
“No, you can’t be here,” he manages.
I touch his face. Blood stains my hands. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, Princess. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I breathe. I didn’t know that when he left this morning, it going to be the last morning we’d spend together. I won’t let him die. I won’t allow him to suffer if I can do anything about it.
“I—” he cries out when a whip lands hard across his back.
I scream, shaking my head, when I look up and see Vlad behind him getting ready to strike him again.
Another powerful blow lands on Massimo’s back, causing his knees to buckle. Dad laughs and comes closer.
Vlad strikes Massimo again, and again, and again.
My breath stills. I feel like I might fade away.
“Want it to stop?” Dad asks. “He’s strong, but even he has a limit.”
“I’ll sign,” I answer wea
kly.
Dad makes a mockery of me when he places his hand to his ear and leans in closer, pretending he can’t hear me.
Massimo gets another hit and cries out loud.
“What was that, Emelia?” Dad says.
“I’ll sign!” I scream. Dad takes my arm again.