Page 2 of Lorenzo's Claim

“I guess I’ll be the judge of how bad it is.” I forced a smile, which completely went unnoticed by him and my mother.

“That’s my girl. Now, shall we get going? We don’t want to be late.” He held out his arm to me as my mother accepted the one Miles held out to her.

He was and always would be her golden child.

I looked towards the door where Chad stood, waiting for us. He was one of my father’s most trusted men, as well as my childhood friend.

“Does it matter? You can’t stand the guy anyway.” I rolled my eyes as I accepted his arm. “I don’t understand why we’re going. You both have unresolved issues with one another.”

“Because, Anastacia, after today we’ll have buried the hatchet, and hopefully after he and I sit down later this evening, we’ll be able to rebuild our alliance once more.” He was hopeful. I, on the other hand, couldn’t have cared less. “Hence the invitation.”

“All I can say to you is good luck.”

“Thank you, but trust me, this will be good for us.” He nodded at Chad, who mirrored his action. “You know what to do while we’re gone, don’t you?”

“I do, Boss.” He nodded yet again, before offering me a friendly smile.

“See ya later, Chad.” I waved before letting my father lead us out the door to our waiting car.

I settled into the back seat. As the car pulled away from the house, I noticed my father’s knee start to bounce, just slightly at first. He shifted in his seat, cleared his throat, and tugged at his sleeve like it was too tight. His eyes flicked from me to the side window, though there wasn’t much to see. He let a sigh slip out—sharp and quick, as he folded his arms, then unfolded them again.

I didn’t say anything. I knew the signs. He got like this sometimes—for reasons he rarely shared. Reasons I didn’t care to know either.

“Ya lyublyu tebya.” The corners of his mouth lifted, but tension still clung to his face.

It was rare, and strange to hear him say he loved me. Expressing affection had never been something he did easily, especially when it came to me.

“I love you too.”

1

Securingthe final cufflink on my shirt cuff, I couldn’t stop my mind from disappearing to the darkest time of my life. Reliving every second of that night was something that replayed in my mind like a broken record. His final words haunted me until this day. I already knew he’d never betray his dearest friend and ally, so why didn’t the cunt that took his life know it too?

“I didn't do what he thinks. I didn’t betray them.”His voice was strained, the pain coursing through him as he struggled to speak.

As I held him in my arms, all I could do was watch him bleed out, knowing there was nothing I could do to save his life. It was already too late. My father was shot for a mistake. He was shot for something he was fucking framed for, and I knew just how to make the man who cowardly pulled the trigger pay.

“If he doesn’t believe me, then be the leader I raised you to be and make him pay in worse ways than death.”And with that, my father, the man I idolised, was gone. My heart ached as I cradled his body close to mine.

I vowed to myself that I’d make him pay. Death was too good for him. I had to hit him where it hurt the most—his achilles heel.

After today, the betrayal would begin. A betrayal he would never expect. I may have already lied to get exactly what I wanted. I may have already promised to deliver the things he asked, but then again, some promises were made to be broken, no?

“Boss, you ready?” Red asked, closing the door behind him as he handed me a tumbler of whiskey.

“Am I ready to have a wife? No.” I scoffed. “Am I ready to break her until there’s nothing left? Too right, I am.” I smirked, knocking back the two fingers worth of amber liquid.

“Do you think she really deserves that? She’s an innocent party in all this.” Red was as fucked up as the next person, but what many didn’t know was that he had a heart of gold, and I could see he was conflicted.

“I was innocent too, remember?” I asked, not giving him time to answer. “She’s just collateral damage, Red, that’s all.” I sighed. “I will destroy her. I’ll leave her broken, so she has nothing left.”

“Boss—“

“Her father took mine from me, so I plan on taking his daughter from him. And right before he dies, I’ll tell him all the ways I wounded her, and how once he’s gone, so will she be. He’ll die not knowing the fate of his daughter. Maybe she’ll end up beside him, her fate the same as his. How poetic is that?” I laughed as Red let out a deep sigh, obviously thinking about the poor princess I was about to marry.

“Mate, I get you’re still cut up about your father, but she?—”

“She’s nothing, Red. The sooner you realise that, the better it is for all of us.” I gritted my teeth, anger coursing through me.

---