“I know you probably don't know who I am,” Xander says. “But I can assure you, I’ve done some things that would make a grown man cry, cringe, vomit, but you…” He shakes his head and I can see the emotions swirling in his eyes. “This must be the most disgusting and disturbing thing I’ve ever heard in my life, and if you knew my father you would know that I’ve seen and heard some pretty bad shit.” Xander still has his gun trained on Joseph and I have half a mind to ask him to pull the trigger, but I need this information.
“How many girls? Where are you keeping the ones that aren’t ready to go yet?” I demand. Sophie would want me to ask these questions, to help set them free, just like her.
“The girls are scattered around within the community. They just live with different families, among everyone. None of the girls know any different. When it’s time, or a specific look is needed we send for them, bring them in and then ship them off. There is a list in my office, with all the adoptive girls names, and ages on it,” Joseph explains. “It’s next door, I can show it to you if you’d like.”
“If we would like,” I snort. “You’re going to show it to us, or I’ll blow your fucking brains out, how about that?” I’m going to blow his brains out anyway, but I keep that little tidbit to myself for now.
“Lead the way old man,” Ivan points his gun at Joseph. He hesitates for a moment and then gets to his feet. Ivan and I follow him out as he leads us through a backdoor.
As soon as we are outside, Xander’s men are at the door.
“Kill the ones inside,” he orders one of his men, like he just placed a dinner order. “Search the rest of the building for anyone else. If you find them bring them to me. Do not hurt anyone else unless I give you an order.” The men nod in unison and walk past us. Seconds later we hear five gunshots one right after the other…I don’t even blink at the thought of those men losing their lives. Anyone who knows about, or is apart of this should be killed.
Joseph takes us to the church next door, and then into a large office located at the back.
“The folders are in the filing cabinet behind my desk.”
“Well, get them asshole,” Damon orders. Just as Joseph starts to dig through the cabinet, two of Xander’s men walk in tugging some teenage looking guy.
“Boss we found this one upstairs. He wasn’t armed.”
The guy looks past us and into the office.
“Dad, what’s going on?” He asks like he is genuinely surprised to see us all here. I stare at him for a long moment, he’s got dark brown hair, and eyes that are the same blue as Sophie’s.
“Just shut your mouth Luke, you are the one that got us into this mess in the first place.”
What? I blink, clearing missing a piece to the puzzle.
“If you hadn’t talked me into marrying Sophie off instead of selling her as soon as she turned eighteen, we wouldn’t have these devils on our doorstep now.”
“You’re the one who is the devil for trying to force her into something. I simply told you to marry her off so she might have a better chance at living an enjoyable life.”
“Hate to break up the family bonding, but I still don’t have that list in my hand.” Xander taps his gun against his imaginary watch. So many things have happened in the last couple of minutes that I’m a little dumbfounded. Sophie isn’t this vile man’s daughter...which means she adopted.
Joseph opens another drawer, and that’s when his son yells, “He has a gun in that drawer!” Everyone springs into action, pulling out their own guns. Damon who is standing the closest to Joseph, lunges toward him, a glint of metal catches my eyes, but Damon has him on the ground, before he can get a good grip on the gun.
Xander steps on the man’s hand and he cries out in pain, releasing the gun instantly.
“I know where the list is,” Luke, who might have just saved one of our lives announces. “It’s over there, bottom drawer on the left side.” He points at a cabinet in the corner without us even asking.
“Let him go,” Xander orders his man and they release their hold on Luke’s arm immediately.
Hero waltzes over and, pulls the draw open taking out a thick folder, with pieces of paper bulging out the sides. He throws it down on the desk and opens it. I step toward the desk, and start fingering through the papers. My stomach rolls, and the breakfast I shared with Sophie threatens to come back up.
“Where is it?” Xander growls, grinding his foot into Joseph's hand. I can hear the bones crunch, and it’s music to my ears.
“It’s...it’s there…” He wheezes through the pain. I eye the papers once more, there are pictures, dates, and times, money arrangements, and then the list with detailed names, and birthdates. I can over the piece of paper that has the names and dates on it to Xander. My eyes move back over the pictures, the ones of Sophie that were recently taken and some from when she was younger.
The one from where she is younger has a boy her same age and size standing next to her. They’re both smiling, and look oddly similar.
“That’s me,” Luke whispers, shame filling his features. “Sophie is my twin sister. I just wanted her away from this place. Safe. I wanted her to have a real life.”
My head snaps back at his words. “What did you just say?”
“Everyone thinks she is a year older than me, but we’re the same age. I think they only made her think she’s older so they could get rid of her sooner.”
“Does Sophie know?” I ask. His facial expression gives me the answer before he shakes his head. “He told me if I ever tell her, she would pay the price.”
“I think we have everything in here we need to shut this down,” Xander says, looking over the contents of the folder.
“You.” He nods toward Luke. “How much do you know about who is involved in this and who is innocent?”
“I’ve got a pretty good idea,” Luke answers, bitterness in his voice. “You are looking at the most guilty one,” he says, pointing at Joseph.
“Alright then.” Xander looks at me. “I’m guessing you want this one for yourself?”
“Yes,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Wait!” Luke yells. “Before you kill him, he needs to tell me something.” He turns his attention to Joseph on the floor. “Where are you hiding Grace?”
I don’t even have to ask who Grace is to him. The way he says her name, the urgency in his voice, and how furious he is about her being gone tells me everything I need to know. Whoever this Grace is, Luke loves her.
Joseph laughs humorlessly. “She is gone, you idiot.”
“You’re lying! Where is she?”
Xander grinds the sole of his shoe into Joseph's hand again. “Tell him what he wants to know, old man.”
“She is gone! I’m not lying! I sold her when I sold Sophie,” he grits out in pain. Pussy.
Luke turns ghostly pale as all the blood drains from him face.
“You sold this Grace to the same people you sold Sophie to?” Ivan asks, and only then it clicks in my head. If they were sold together…Grace was never put up for auction. Ivan let the other girls go.
“Yes, I sold Sophie and Grace together,” Joseph whimpers on the floor.
“Luke, if that true, then Grace is fine, just like Sophie. Neither were sold off,” Ivan tells him, and Luke’s shoulders relax a little.
“Kid,” Xander addresses Luke, “You’re coming with me. I need you to walk me through this place and point some fingers. I want to know exactly who knew about this and which ones are the adopted girls. We will go through the list of names and find each of these girls. You do that for me, we’ll tell you where Grace is.”
Luke nods, eagerness in his eyes. He looks down at Joseph on the floor with disgust and hatred. “I hope you rot in hell.”
“Don’t act as if you’re so innocent, son.” Joseph laughs. “You’ve done things as well.”
I know Joseph isn’t lying. The pained look on Luke’s face proves it. Xander stomps his foot down on the bastard’s h
and once more.
“We all make mistakes, do things out of survival, but it’s different when you keep on the same fucked up path just because you can.” Xander’s words resonate through the room. Hero and I lock eyes. We’re going to make this bastard pay for every little thing he did to Elyse and Sophie.
Xander nods toward the door, and Xander’s men, plus Damon and Ivan, walk out, leaving Hero, myself, himself and Joseph in the room.
“I know you want to kill him and I’m totally on board with that but I would like to have a small chat with him myself before you smash his skull in.”
“Be my guest.” I wave my hand, motioning him to stay in the room. I want to be the one killing him. I want to be the last person he’s sees when he closes his eyes and takes his last breath, but I don’t mind waiting a little while longer, especially when my wait is spent watching Hero torture the shit out of him. Plus, I’m doing this for Sophie, and I’ll make sure he knows that…
I’ll make sure he feels every lick of pain… because god knows she did.
Chapter Sixteen
Sophie
Elyse is sitting next to me, her hand tightly gripping onto mine. Ella, Violent and Keira sit on the couch across from us. We try to keep the conversation light, talking about their pregnancies and baby showers. But neither Elyse or I can stop thinking about where the guys are and what they are doing right now. They’ve been gone a few hours and none of us have heard from any of them yet.
We eat lunch, and sit in the huge living room, with guards posted at every door. I guess Xander wasn’t kidding when he said there would be no one getting in our out. Apart of me feels at ease because the last thing I want is for my father to somehow escape and get to me, but another part of me wishes there wasn’t a need for the guards to begin with. After what seems like an eternity of waiting someone’s phone finally starts ringing. All eyes move to the phone as it rings and vibrates against the glass top coffee table. I hold my breath, and squeeze Elyse’s hand in mine.
Ella grabs her phone, and answers it right away. Her shoulders relax as she listens to what I’m assuming is Xander on the other line.
“So everyone is okay?” She asks into the phone and then looks around and gives each of us a reassuring smile. I exhale a sharp breath, my chest filling with oxygen, my heart beating normal again.
“Okay...I love you too.” She hangs up the phone and places it back down on the table.
“Everyone is okay. They are on their way back here as we speak,” she announces to the room. Elyse gives me a reassuring smile. I’m so glad she’s alive and here with me right now.
Twenty minutes later, one of the guards comes to tell Ella that Xander and the others have just come through the gate. My legs are jelly as we all get up and walk to the front door to wait for them. It’s such a strange thing to know that all our significant others are apart of something darker, and unworldly. They each have killed for someone they love, and would most likely do it again.
Moments later the doors open. Xander appears first, a smile gracing his lips. Damon is right on his heels, and then Hero. Ivan walks in next. All the guys walk up to their girlfriend and wives, but Roman still hasn’t walked through the door and that scares me.
Ivan passes me and just before he takes Violet into his arms, he gives me a weary look that I can’t quiet gage. My first thought is that something happened to Roman, but surely someone would say something to me if that were the case.
I’m about to ask him where he is when someone finally steps into the doorway. I take a big step forward a big smile spreading across my lips when I see Roman. That smile slips the moment I see who is walking beside him.
“Luke?” Elyse gasp, letting go of Hero’s arm as she sprints forward, and toward our brother. She throws her arms around him and pulls him to her chest so tightly I think she might squeeze the air from his lungs. “Oh Luke, I can’t believe you are here! How are you? Oh my gosh!”
Roman appears by my side, putting an arms around me and kissing the side of my head. I take a deep breath, trying to figure out how I feel about him being here. He is the one who pushed me to get married. He spent hours, upon hours, trying to talk me into it and I never understood why. We used to be close, I thought he loved me and then suddenly he wanted me gone. He never hurt me, and he sheltered me from a lot of bad that happened but in the end he couldn’t save me, no one could.
Looking at him now I see not much has changed, he’s still tall, handsome, with brown hair that looks like it needs a brush, and blue eyes that glimmer with happiness. His body’s lean, but tone from all the work our father made him do.
“Why is he here?” I whisper to Roman, who starts rubbing my back as if he is trying to comfort me. It soothes the ache forming in my chest, but it doesn’t stop my rampant thoughts.
“I know it doesn't make sense right this second, but you need to hear him out. I wouldn’t have believed him either, but we have the proof. Everything he’s saying is true. You know better than anyone I wouldn’t do anything to put you in danger. If I thought he was a threat, he wouldn’t be here.”
“He pushed me to get married. He worked directly with my father. He is one of his men.” Roman forces me to look at him, calming the storm brewing inside me.
“It wasn’t like that, Sophie. It might have seemed like that at the time, but he was trying to get you married so you wouldn't get sold. He was trying to protect you, the only way he knew how. If he wanted to hurt you, he wouldn’t have done all he did for you to marry out of that place.”
I swallow and nod. I know he’s right. Luke never once raised a hand to me. He tried to stop the beatings and saved my ass numerous times, which made the betrayal all the more hurtful when I found out he was working with my father. I don’t know if I can get the thought of him working with my father out of my head.
“Men, let’s go have a drink or five, and leave them to figure this out,” Xander announces, walking toward the kitchen. Elyse releases Luke with a sad look, and walks back over to Hero.
“Come on, lets go sit,” Roman tucks me close to his side and ushers me to one of the living room. Luke follows closely behind and knowing Roman seems comfortable enough to turn his back on my brother is a little bit of a relief. It means to Roman he isn’t a risk, so he isn’t one to me either.
We take a seat and Luke starts to talk right away. “A few years ago, I walked in on a conversation between the man we called our father and some man I didn't know. At first I didn't understand what they were even talking about but as the conversation continued I started putting the pieces together. I thought I misunderstood them when they started discussing the prices for each girl. They were calculating, trying to determine the worth of a girl.” He pauses briefly, his eyes meeting mine, holding mine, and I see the sadness in those depths, the sadness and love he has for me.
“Then I realized that they were talking about you. You were supposed to be sold as soon as you turned eighteen. As soon as the men left I confronted Joseph. I demanded answers, Sophie. And that’s when it all came out. He told me about how we weren't his real children and that we owed him for taking us off the street. I didn't believe him of course, so he showed me. He showed me papers, photos, and our birth certificates. That’s when I learned that we are actually twins.”
“We’re twins?” I gasp. How is any of that possible? My heart thuds against my rib cage painfully.
“Yes, it’s all true. I swear, I can show you the proof.” I look into his eyes, and the brother I used to love so dearly stares back at me, but beyond that I know he’s telling the truth. I don't need to see some paper to prove it.
“I’m so sorry, Sophie, I tried. I tried everything I could to get you out of there. He told me if I could find you a husband who was willing to give him money he would let you go, and on top it he demanded that I work alongside him. That’s why I spent so much time away and why I tried to talk you into that marriage. I thought it was your only chance at freedom.”
I get u
p and throw my arms around him, holding him close to my chest. “I believe you.” Tears swim in my eyes. All those years that Luke kept me away, all the times he brought the attention to himself. The beatings he took for me, the sacrifices he made.
“I was so worried about you,” Luke murmurs into my hair. “When you decided not to follow through with the arranged marriage I was angry, but I understood. I just wanted you to be safe. And when he sold you. I didn’t know Sophie. I swear I didn’t. If I did I would’ve fought harder...I would’ve done anything I could to protect you. I wanted to find you but I didn’t even know where to start looking so I stayed in Safe Harbor. I wanted to wait until Dante and his men came back so I could follow them and find you. I swear, Sophie.”
The tears keep falling, slipping down my cheeks with so much ease, it feels like I’m letting go of every drop of misery that ever consumed my body.
“I know, you don’t have to explain anymore. I was just upset. I thought you turned your back on me. I just couldn't understand at the time why you changed so suddenly. You were my best friend one day and then the next everything changed. I thought you wanted to get rid of me. You pushed me so hard to marry that man, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t follow through. I’d much rather have died.” Saying the words out loud sting a bit. It’s been a long time since I thought about dying the way that I did back when I lived at the compound or even in that cell before Roman came and got me.
“I shouldn’t have let any of it happen. But I didn’t know how to help you any other way. You’re my sister and it’s my job to protect you Now we’re free from his clutches I can insure that nothing like what happened to us ever happens to anyone else.”
I pull away nodding. “What happened today? Is he dead?”
Luke blinks, then looks at Roman over my shoulder. I twist around to look at Roman. His eyes are dark, sinister and I know the answer without him even saying it.
“I made him pay, Sophie. Just know that for every single time he beat you, touched you, or made you cry, he paid for it and I don’t have any remorse for killing him. In fact, I wish I could bring him back to life and do it all over again.”
Tame Me: A Mafia Romance (The Rossi Crime Family Book 5) Page 19