Isaac
"So let me get this straight...the pathetic little club your wife ran off to has videos of you fucking other men who have wives and families?" My father's voice is low and venomous, every word slicing through me like a blade.
I grind my teeth, keeping my head bowed. Telling him has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but it had to be done. This could ruin our family and the lives of every guy in those videos. I don't even know how the fuck Alyssa's brother got access to them, but he won't get away with blackmailing me.
Even it means coming to my father for help.
"Yes, Sir," I force out. "I thought you should hear it from me before it gets out."
The silence stretches unbearably. My father rises from his chair, each deliberate movement making my stomach twist tighter. I brace myself, knowing what's coming.
The first punch crashes into my gut, hard enough to make me see stars. I double over, choking on air, but I don't dare fight back.
The second blow comes harder, and I collapse to my knees. Pain radiates through my ribs, sharp and all too familiar.
Shit. His fists are like steel, just as they were when I was a boy.
"Where did I go wrong?" His voice drips with disdain, each word striking deeper than his punches. "I raised a man, not some sissy boy. What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Blood drips from my lips as I cough, the taste metallic and bitter. Desperation claws its way to the surface, and the words spill out before I can stop them. "I-It was Alyssa. She made me this way. If she hadn't been such a pathetic wife-"
His hands shoot out, grabbing my collar and yanking me up until I'm forced to meet his ice-cold gaze. "You think your whore of a wife is the reason you're spreading your ass for your boss? You fucking disgust me." He shoves me back with a sneer. "A real man fixes his problems with a new woman in his bed, not on his knees for another man."
Anger sparks in my chest, but I shove it down, keeping my expression neutral. There's no point in arguing. I know better than that. He doesn't want excuses. He wants someone to punish.
He settles back into his chair, slamming his fists onto the desk. The sound reverberates through the room like a gunshot. "Goddammit!" he bellows, the veins in his neck bulging. "We need to get ahead of this."
I struggle to my feet, the ache in my ribs forcing me to move slow. I drop into the chair across from him, wincing as the motion pulls at the bruises forming under my skin. "What do you want me to do?" I ask hoarsely.
His lips press into a thin, hard line, his eyes narrowing. I know that look. It's the same one he used to give me when I was a kid, deciding whether to use his fists or a belt. "If those videos get out, it'll destroy us—our name, our reputation, everything I've built. It'll be all over the goddamn news."
"It's been days, and they haven't released anything. Maybe-"
"Maybe those bastards are planning something worse," he snaps, cutting me off. "You don't survive in this world by being soft. Have you forgotten everything I've taught you?"
"No, Sir," I grit out.
He strokes the salt-and-pepper hair speckled across his jaw. "First, we deal with the MC. Dismantle them piece by piece until there's nothing left."
My jaw tightens. "How?"
I could always call on the Iron Serpents, but I don't trust Christopher Lawson enough to know that he'll actually follow through. And by the way War was hanging around Alyssa during our confrontation, I have a feeling he'll interfere somehow anyway.
My father's lips curl into a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Vinny Santoro. He's in the mafia. He'll prospect, gain their trust, and then take your little whore from right under their noses."
I stiffen, my fists curling against my thighs. "You're bringing the mafia into this?"
When has that ever been a good idea?
"You've given me no choice," he growls, his voice growing harsher. "You've already proven you can't handle this on your own."
He's right, but it isn't my fault. I didn't expect it to be this hard to get to Alyssa. It seems opening her legs for a criminal has changed her, and my grip on her is slipping away.
She was supposed to be the one thing I could control, and now look at the fucking mess she's caused. I have to rely on him to fix it.
He leans forward, his tone dropping to a sinister calm. "In a few weeks, Vinny will create a distraction big enough to attract their attention. Then he'll eliminate anyone in his way, including that thug she's fucking, and bring her—and your daughter—to me."
"And what do you plan to do with them?" I ask, fearing the answer because I know how fucked-up he can be.
A dark gleam enters his eyes, and he smirks. "I've had my eyes set on Alyssa since she became a woman. Foolishly, I thought marrying her would fix you, but it's obvious your urges have taken over. So, I'll show her how a real man handles disobedient women." His tongue drags across his lips. "By the time I'm done with her, she'll know her place—beneath me, where she belongs."
Fuck him. She's supposed to be mine to punish. Mine to control. Mine to kill. Not his.
"And Zuri?"
He waves his hand dismissively. "Your mother can take her for now. Once she's older, we'll figure out a proper use for her."
The bile rises in my throat, but I swallow it down. Talking back to him will only earn me another punch—and I have too many bruises as it is right now, including the ones from when my nose was broken.
Fucking Gray. I'll get my revenge on that asshole soon enough.
"Yes, Sir," I say through clenched teeth.
Before he can say anything else, a knock sounds at the door. "Enter," he barks.
The door creaks open, and my mother steps inside, avoiding our gazes as she should. "Good morning, Sir," she murmurs, slowly lowering herself to her knees beside him.
"Rise," he grunts, his tone cold.
She obeys, but as soon as she's on her feet, his hand lashes out, striking her across the face. She stumbles back but doesn't make a sound. She never does.
"This is your fault," he snarls. "If you hadn't coddled the boy, he wouldn't have turned out so fucking pathetic."
"I'm sorry, Sir," she whispers, her voice barely audible.
"Get out of my sight!"
She flashes me a fleeting, apologetic smile before scurrying out of the room.
My father turns to me, his expression stoic. "This is our world, Isaac. Men rule it. Women bow down, or they pay the price. I'll teach your wife that myself. And since you couldn't produce a proper heir, I'll handle that for you, too."
My teeth grind together, anger clawing at my chest. He's taking everything—Alyssa, Zuri...the chance to reclaim what's mine. Considering he wants to breed my wife, he might as well take my goddamn manhood at this point.
"What do you want me to do in the meantime?" I force out, already feeling my body trembling.
"Proceed with the divorce," he orders. "It'll keep the MC distracted while Vinny does what needs to be done. And for fuck's sake, stop embarrassing this family." His smirk turns cruel. "Next time, if you're going to bend over for a man, at least make sure he looks like a woman on camera."
My fists clench until my nails bite into my palms. "Understood, Sir."
"Dismissed," he says, turning his attention back to his desk as if I've already ceased to exist.
I leave the room, the simmering rage threatening to boil over. This isn't over. He thinks he can take the reins from me, but Alyssa and Zuri are mine. And I'll do whatever it takes to remind them—and him—of that.
I'm going to win. Because if I don't, I'm nothing. And I've never been anything but a fucking winner.