Page 8 of Leverage

“Why?” I screamed at him. “Why did you do that? I already agreed!”

He bent in front of me, shoving his face in mine with a sneer. “So that you understand how much danger you’re in.”

I kicked away from him, backing up until my back collided with the wall.

“So you understand that you don’t run shit here.” He stood. “So you fear me.”

Matteo pulled out his phone and made a quick call, speaking Spanish to whoever was on the other line as I buried my face in my hands.

Yuri wanted me to fear him? Well, he got his fucking wish. I was terrified. And not just of him— if he was this cruel, why would his men be any different? An entire army waited just outside, fully armed and waiting for a single call to shoot to kill. If I thought the hope of escaping this hell on earth had gone out the window after crossing the border, I had no idea what was waiting for me here. How much longer until it would be me in that chair?

The silence around the room ended when Denis walked in. His eyes went straight to the massacre in the middle of the room, unaware of my presence tucked close to the wall. “Aquí está,” he said before handing Yuri an old cell phone.

"For you to be released, your father needs to comply with three demands.” Yuri nodded at Denis before the latter came straight to me, pulling me up by the upper arm. I shoved away from him and tip-toed forward, nearly stepping in the puddle of crimson.

When his words finally sunk in, I scoffed. Released? There was no way. I would end up dead just like Eric at the end of all this.

“He won’t do what you want.” My voice held surprising strength, all considering.

“That’s why we have you, cariño. So sell it.” Yuri pulled out a small square of paper and handed it to me. I struggled to hold it between my fingers. “Read this verbatim.”

I opened my mouth to tell him to shove it when he shoved the phone forward, holding it directly in front of my lips. The deep hum of the ring was too loud, rippling across the walls. Four cycles and I was sure it would go to voice mail. How anticlimactic would that be?

When I heard a click on the other side, Matteo lifted his gun and pointed it directly at my head. Another assurance that I would sell it.

“Hello?”

“Dad?” I shifted my weight, my hackles rising when hearing his voice.

“Darya?” He yawned into the phone before continuing. “Did you get a new number?”

“Listen to me carefully. I was taken and they wanted me to call you with their demands.”

A tired laugh came through the line. “Seriously, what is this about? I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me and in less than a day you’re calling me at home?”

I gritted my teeth, feeling tears form in my eyes. He had no reason to believe that I was really kidnapped. It wasn’t like he followed up with me, or even gave me a second thought after I stormed out of his office. My eyes flicked to the paper, slightly crinkled between my shaky fingers. I didn’t have time to waste convincing him.

“First, vote to lift the search act at the border.” My voice came out shaky. “Second, appoint new border patrol agents from the list that will arrive at your office tomorrow morning. And third…” I trailed off and locked eyes with Yuri after reading the final line.

His eyes darkened. You work for the Zaragozas now.

Why did that name strike a chord? Why did it strike fear so deep in my bones that I could hardly think straight? I looked between the three men, really taking in their appearances. All three had dark, nearly black hair. Tattoos peaked out of the tops and bottoms of clothing, laying artfully over tanned, olive skin. My eyes widened when I realized just who I was face to face with and my heart skipped a beat;The Zaragoza Family Cartel.

Dad’s rattling on the other side of the phone droned on. “The search act? I don’t have the sway to overturn the decree and I’m not the only one in charge of appointing those guards. Darya, what is really going on?”

The last demand came out like a whisper, barely audible. As if the words themselves would rot my mouth once I said them. “You work for the Zaragozas now.”

The silence in the room was deafening. I swallowed hard, the taste of bile still coated my tongue. When seconds passed and my father still hadn’t responded, Yuri cocked his head and quirked a brow, reminding me of his order.

He told me to sell it, and that’s exactly what I was going to do. “They have me at gunpoint, Dad. Please don’t let them hurt me anymore.” I harnessed the emotions deep in my gut but refused to let a tear spill over, my voice shaking with every word.

The men in front of me exchanged glances, a smirk on Matteo’s face.

“O-okay,” his voice was lower and I hoped that the reality of the situation had sunk in. But then he let out an exasperated breath. “I’m going to get you out of there, okay?”

“Are you going to do what they say?”

A long pause before my father sighed. “Yes. But Darya?”

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