Page 88 of Veil of Obsession
I ignore them all, storming out and to my room. She’s never loved me. She was never a mother to me. Being the black sheep of my family has never helped me, not before and not now.
Fuck, it hurts. The fact that I’ll always be less in her eyes hurts like hell. I knew how she felt about me from a young age, but I didn’t know her hatred ran so deep. And I hate that I care about what she thinks.
My cheek is still bleeding when I finally slam my bedroom door shut, locking it behind me. I can feel the blood drip down to the edge of my jaw, but I don’t wipe it. I fucking hate her.
I move toward my vanity mirror; I’m crying so much that my eyelids are swollen, my eyes red. My cheek is very red, the skin clearly broken, peeling at the edges. I grimace at the pain that shoots through me when I brush my fingertips over the wound.
My phone rings on the nightstand, and I suck in a sharp breath when I see that it’s Lucio. I don’t know if I can hide the fact that I’m crying. But after trying a breathing technique for a couple of seconds, I answer the call.
“Hey.” I try to sound as natural as I can.
But it doesn’t work.
“What’s wrong?” Lucio asks.
“Nothing.”
He, of course, doesn’t buy it. “Tell me what’s wrong, or I’m coming over there.”
Letting out a deep breath, I tell him, “I just had a fight with my mom, and she did what she usually does.”
I keep it vague on purpose because I don’t know how he’ll react to the fact that my mother hits me.
“And what is it that she usually does?” he asks.
I don’t answer.
“What does she do, Princess?” he asks, his voice low, as if he has an inkling.
“It’s fine, Lucio. Really,” I say.
“She hits you.” He’s not asking. It’s as if he’s just voicing the conclusion he’s come to. “That’s what she does, isn’t it?”
Lucio waits for a denial that never comes, then curses under his breath,
“Fuck. I’m coming over. You’re not staying in that house for a second longer.”
“Wha—no!” I protest, but he’s already cut the call as if he has a right to make this decision for me.
I shouldn’t be happy that he doesn’t want me in this house, with someone who could hurt me. But I can’t help myself. He’s the first person to actively do something to protect me from my mother’s abuse. My dad and brothers may not approve, but they don’t stand up for me.
34
Lucio
Her ma hits her.
It feels like I’m burning, I can’t believe her ma could fucking hurt her. Parents are supposed to protect their children, not fucking abuse them.
Christ.I can’t comprehend how fucking angry I am right now.
It doesn’t take me long to get to Giorgio Gambi’s townhouse, my car coming to a screeching halt. Guards are standing up front near the door, but I don’t even look their way. I don’t knock, because a family who abuses their daughter doesn’t deserve my fucking respect. I just push the door open.
Two young men are heading to the front door when they spot me, looks of confusion appearing on their faces. I’m guessing those two are heruselessbrothers.
“Who the fuck are you? And what do you think you’re doing walking into our house?” the younger-looking one asks.
“I’m here for Princess. Where is she?” I ignore his first question, getting to the point.
