Page 117 of Vicious Vows

“Daddy!” I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Are you crazy?”

“No crazier than him.” He nodded toward Marchello. “Call them off.”

With each passing second, I could sense my father’s composure spiraling out of control.

Marchello didn’t take his stare away from my father. Was he assessing his options? Was he going to shoot and worry about the consequences later?

“Here’s how this is going to go,” my dad said. “You’re going to call them off, and you’re going to leave here.”

“You seem to think you’re in control.” Marchello shook his head. “You’re not. I have the upper hand.”

I glanced at the men in the hallway. There were too many options in this scenario.

My father could take a shot at Marchello, causing Marchello’s men to shoot back with me in the crossfire. Marchello could be killed.

I don’t like that option.

Marchello could fire at my dad, killing him in front of me. Or he could miss and hit me in the process.

I don’t like that option either.

“Oh, but I hold all the cards.” My dad straightened his posture. “You’re not going to kill me in front of Lissia.”

“Try me.” Marchello’s jaw tightened.

“You’d have to get a clean shot, and we both know my feisty brat would get in your way.” My father held my arm tighter, swaying me in front of him. “I’ll let you walk out of here.”

“Again,” Marchello said, “you seem to think you hold all the cards. Your house is surrounded, and your guards are preoccupied with several representatives from a cartel who aren’t pleased with you.”

“Whose fault is that?” my dad asked.

“From where I’m standing, you’re out of options.” Marchello shrugged. “If you shoot me, Milo will blow your head off.”

“With my daughter in front of me?” My dad quietly laughed, but his body was tense. “I don’t see that happening, but you want to know what I do see happening?”

I had never seen this side of him before. He was willing to sacrifice me to save himself.

“I’m on the edge of my seat.” Marchello reinforced the grip he had on his gun.

“You’re leaving,” my dad said. “Lissia is staying with me. She’s going to marry Collins as I promised. We’re all going back to the way things were before you took her hostage.”

“I’m not doing that!” I wriggled out of my father’s hold and stood in between both men, spreading my arms out and holding them both back.

No one in the room or the hallway looked pleased with this standoff, but it had to end, and I was the only one who could do it.

“Do you see what you’ve done to my daughter?” my dad asked. “You’ve put her in the middle of this war. She’s going to get herself killed. She’s far too impulsive and self-centered to believe she can’t fix this.”

Wow!

“I’ve always given her what she wants. Why would she think this situation is any different? Do the right thing and walk away before her blood is all over your hands. Ask your father.” My dad smirked. “That’s a stain you’ll never be able to wash from your skin.”

“She doesn’t have to be in the middle.” Marchello stepped closer to me. “I’ll keep you safe at all costs, even if you don’t like what I have to do.”

I waved my hand, keeping him from grabbing me.

“Don’t you see?” My dad inched toward me, making the space between Marchello and him smaller. “He’s practically telling you he’ll kill me. Can you spend the rest of your life with a man who cares so little for you that he’s willing to destroy the man who created you?”

I didn’t want to believe that Marchello would do that, but what choice had my father left him?

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