Kenzie

 

Kenzie hadn’t missed a word of the discussion between her father and Xavier, and they could both go rot in hell for all she cared. Even when the biker had used her as a human shield, she had been too angry to be scared. Let them shoot her. It would put her out of her misery.

 

But of course Xavier had let her go, his hand running suggestively down the side of her body as he did so. Had he done that on purpose? She would never know, because she never planned on seeing him again.

 

Her father watched calmly as Xavier shot out of the driveway before turning to her. “Come with me,” he said calmly.

 

“You’re taking all of this rather well,” she snorted. She would have thought he’d be stark raving mad at having his big plan fall through.

 

“What do you mean?” he asked as he led her into his office. “There’s no reason for me to do otherwise. Flynn didn’t do what I said, so I’ll follow through with my threats. It’s very simple. Just business.” He closed the door behind her.

 

The sound of the door rattled down Kenzie’s spine. “And it didn’t bother you that he held me at gunpoint? Or that he used me as a human shield to get out of here?”

 

“Maybe you need this more than Mr. Flynn did.” Matteo slid a shot of whiskey to the edge of the desk and pointed at the chair. “Sit down and drink up. You’ve got work ahead of you.”

 

Kenzie pressed her tongue against the back of her teeth. She didn’t want to do anything her father asked, but a drink seemed like exactly what she needed at the moment. Downing it in one shot, she glared at Matteo as he sat in his big leather chair like a king. “I don’t have any work ahead of me. I’ve done what you asked. It’s over.”

 

He raised an eyebrow. “We both know that’s not true. You’re a smart girl, and you know how the law works. You’ll have to go to court to substantiate the rape claims. I’m following through with this.”

 

She blinked as she let those words sink in. “I … can’t do that,” she stammered.

 

“You can, and you will,” Matteo corrected. “That’s the only way I get to throw his tattooed ass in jail. And I’ve got a few boys on the inside who can make his life a living hell.” He laughed at the thought. “Flynn will regret the day he ever tried to steal from me!”

 

“I can’t perjure myself in court! It will ruin my whole career!” She was bursting with anger once again. How could he ask her to do this? He didn’t know her true dream of becoming a police officer, but that didn’t matter. Even if she wanted to become a lawyer, lying on the stand wasn’t a good way to launch her courtroom career.

 

“This is only going to be the first of many times that you’ll go to court on behalf of the family, sweetheart,” he crooned. “I can just see you now, taking down anyone who tries to accuse the Labriolas. You’re going to be a great lawyer, and we all know that lawyers lie in court. So you fudge a little. Who’s to know?”

 

“There’s no hospital record,” she sputtered. “If someone is raped—legitimately raped—they’re supposed to go to the hospital to have certain tests done. I didn’t do that. There’s no evidence other than my word.”

 

“Yes,” he agreed, “your word as an upstanding citizen who’s never been in any trouble her entire life. You’re young and beautiful, you’re pursuing your degree, and—most importantly—you were scared. You didn’t want to know what might happen, so you didn’t say anything right away. It was only when your dear father noticed that you were injured that you had to confess. It’s not your fault, and you just don’t want anyone else to get hurt.” He sounded so genuine.

 

If Kenzie didn’t know the truth about him and about her then she would have believed him. He was too good at this, the slimeball. “I see you’ve got this all figured out.”

 

“It’s what I do,” he said with a smile. “I plan, and I know how people work. No judge or jury is going to think a man like him is innocent, even if we don’t have all the evidence in our favor. And I’ve got a good attorney for now. I’ll have an even better one once you’re through with school. I can’t wait to see your name on an office door.”

 

She chewed her lip, so tempted to tell him the truth. It would break Matteo’s heart into a thousand pieces when he saw her name on a badge instead, and she couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when it happened. But now, Kenzie had to play it safe and keep that secret to herself. “Still, I’m not doing it. I’ve done enough, and he’s innocent.”

 

Her father’s face changed. He had been calm and businesslike while discussing the plan, but his anger slowly purpled his cheeks. “If you keep talking like that, I’m going to start wondering whose side you’re on. You will do it, Kenzie. I’m tired of you trying to fight me on everything. You’re a Labriola, and you’re part of the family. What does it say about me when my own daughter doesn’t want what’s best for everyone?”

 

“I don’t care what it says, and I don’t care what you say. I’m not doing it.” She had to stand up now, before it was too late. Hell, it was already too late, but she couldn’t just let all this happen. If Matteo was willing to treat her like this, what was he doing to others?

 

He stood, his finger in her face. “You’ll do exactly as I say, or else.”

 

“Or else what?” she challenged. She was tired of the idle threats. “You’re going to throw me out finally? Please do. I’d rather be living in the streets in a cardboard box if it means I don’t have to deal with you.”

 

“You deserve something much more than that,” he growled. “I can sell you on the sex slave market and make plenty of money to recoup my losses.”

 

A sense of horror crept under her skin and made it itch so badly she wished she could crawl right out of it. There were some fates worse than death, and that was one of them. “No.”

 

“Oh, yes. I’ve got plenty of connections, Kenzie, and if you aren’t going to be any good to me the way I’d like you to be, then I’ll find another way.”

 

Her stomach roiled with disgust. Kenzie had known for many years that her father was involved in illegal activities. When the possibility of human trafficking crossed her mind, she had always brushed it off as being too disturbing to contemplate. “I’m … I’m going to my room.”

 

“I’ll let you know when the court date is set,” he called after her, confident that she would have no more arguments with him.

 

She ran to her room and slammed the door, holding her stomach in an effort to keep the contents down. There had to be some way out of this. She needed money to get out of the city and get her own place. It would take even more to get illegal identification and pretend to be someone else while the Labriola men looked for her. But her father had a strict eye on her bank accounts. He would see what she had spent and where she had spent it, and he would track her down in an instant. Kenzie glanced at her closet, full of designer clothes, and realized she might have more freedom on her hands than she had thought.

 

Grabbing a shopping bag from under her bed, she stashed all the most expensive dresses in it. “I can sell these,” she whispered to herself, hoping that hearing the words could inject more hope into them. “They’re worth a decent amount of money, and I can keep it all as cash. Once I’ve saved enough, I can get the hell out of here. I only hope I can do it before he tries to make me to go to court.” She shivered at the thought of testifying against Xavier. Matteo was right, and any courtroom would believe her over the biker. Once the dresses were gone, she could go through her jewelry box and her stash of shoes and purses. Most of it should be easy to get out of the house as long as she only took a little bit at a time.

 

Glancing out the window and seeing a motorcycle ride by on a distant street, she gave a thought to Xavier. He wasn’t a completely innocent man. If Matteo was interested in him, then he had probably broken a few laws himself. But when it came to the bogus rape charge, she knew he hadn’t done anything wrong. He hadn’t done anything she hadn’t wanted, and he had given her a night of ecstasy she wouldn’t soon forget. Kenzie wanted justice to prevail more than anything.

 

His face flashed before her eyes. With those gorgeous eyes that glowed like jade, that strong jaw, and those muscled arms, he was just too gorgeous to be a bad guy. She knew she shouldn’t think about him like that. He had done plenty to make the situation worse, but he was still attractive as hell. “It’s a shame you had to waste your life being a reckless biker, Xavier Flynn.”