Maria

 

“What kind of shit was that?” my father growled in my face after he hung up on Brawn. “Do you really think his puny little motorcycle club can take me down? One phone call, Maria.” He shoved a finger in my face, my phone still in his hand. “One phone call is all it will take to end him. Do you understand?”

 

I took a step back from him and downed the champagne he’d given me. I might not have been in the same celebratory mood my father was in, but I needed the liquid courage to deal with him. I put the glass down on the coffee table and thought about what to say in response to him, but there wasn’t anything that hadn’t already been said, and I certainly didn’t see any point in continuing the fight with him now.

 

“He’s probably on his way now, huh?” he asked when I looked back up. He laughed to himself. “He probably has a few of his biker friends riding with him. He probably thinks he’s going to rush in and save his girlfriend at the last minute. He probably thinks he’s some knight in leather armor, coming to rescue a damsel in distress or something.”

 

He shook his head as he laughed again, harshly this time. He slid my phone into the inside pocket of his jacket and patted it, smiling his smug little smile and laughing his smug little laugh the whole time. He was so sure of himself, sure no one was going to challenge him, sure nothing could be done to stop him. I couldn’t take his arrogance anymore.

 

“You know what? I did some research on your boy Carlisle. The Twisted Ghosts helped put him behind bars a while back. They helped shut down his gambling ring and everything. It was even acknowledged publicly that they were the good guys. But that’s beside the point.”

 

I stepped closer to him again. This time, it was my finger getting pointed in someone’s face.

 

“The point is you love talking like you’re some kind of big shot, like you’re untouchable, but you’re working with a third-rate joke like Carlisle. The guys on the street laugh when they hear his name, and you act like your relationship with him makes you somebody.” I laughed scornfully. “Please tell me you’ve got something better to work with.”

 

Then he said something that filled my bones with ice. “Carlisle came to me. He needs me to make him. Not the other way around. I’m in deeper than you could ever imagine. You think this house, my car, your education came from shooting craps with little small-time wannabes like Carlisle?”

 

He nodded and licked his lips, producing a thick cigar from under his jacket. I’d never known him to smoke, and I’d certainly never smelled it on him. Had my father been hiding his other life the whole time? He turned and started to walk away as he lit his cigar and took a couple of puffs.

 

Suddenly, hands were on me and a bag or something was being shoved over my head.

 

“What the…What’s going on?” I cried out, trying to pull my wrists free from whoever had them.

 

I heard the men grabbing me grunt as they struggled to pull my arms behind my back.

 

“Don’t take too long struggling with her,” my father warned. “Her boyfriend and his biker friends are on the way.”

 

My hands were fastened behind my back with zip ties. Meanwhile, I felt something being wrapped around my ankles. I couldn’t struggle against their hands, so I started shouting. A hand quickly went over my mouth, and I heard the distinct tearing sound of someone pulling a length of duct tape off the roll. The hand was removed as the tape was placed across my face, forcing some of the fabric of the bag into my mouth. It felt like thick, heavy cotton.

 

“You need to calm down,” my father said. “You’re only able to breathe through your nose, and that can’t be easy with the bag over your face.” I couldn’t tell if he was mocking me or genuinely looking out for my safety

 

“They’re coming,” someone else said, and there were hands on my arms, lifting me from the floor and carrying me through the house. I couldn’t tell where we were, just that it felt like we were heading outside.

 

Once outside, I heard footsteps rushing me across the lawn. A car door opened, and I was being shoved into the backseat. I heard several other people getting in. All the while, I could hear the rumble of motorcycle engines getting closer. Brawn was on his way, and he was bringing other members of The Twisted Ghosts with him.

 

I tried to smile under the bag and tape. My heart pumped harder, telling me to fight and try to stall a little longer. I was proud of Brawn for taking advantage of who and what he was. He didn’t have to do anything alone, no matter how independent he wanted to be.

 

The car was already running when we got in, and soon we were moving. I couldn’t tell which direction we were driving in. I felt the turns, but with the bag covering my eyes, I quickly became disoriented.

 

“I’m going to take the tape off now that we’re in the car. Remember, no one who can help you can hear you in here, so there is no reason for you to start screaming and all of that again, okay?” The voice was my father’s. “Nod if you understand me.”

 

I nodded. I felt pressure as he grabbed part of the tape with his thick fingers and started to unwrap it from my head. I’d been breathing carefully through my nose, but air suddenly rushed into my mouth as the pressure on my face was relieved. “Thank you,” I said quietly.

 

“You’re welcome. I’ve still got a few things to tell you before we get where we’re going. There are a few reasons I wanted to celebrate earlier,” he said, his weight shifting on the seat as if he were trying to get comfortable. It was aggravating, trying to figure out what was going on without being able to see.

 

“Boss, they’re following us,” a voice said from the front of the car.

 

“Then lose them. What do I pay you for?” my father asked impatiently.

 

The car jerked to one side, sending me into the door.

 

“Didn’t you assholes put the seatbelt on her? Jesus Christ,” my father snapped, pulling me back upright in the backseat. He pulled the seatbelt across me and fastened it. “Sorry about that. Can’t have you banging around too much in here. You might damage something.”

 

His whole demeanor had changed once we got in the car. The anger wasn’t gone, but it had cooled. He wasn’t even talking the way he did at work. He’d always been a hard-ass on everyone at his jobsites. In the car, he was making jokes. He seemed almost like another person altogether. I wondered if this was the person his mob associates knew him as.

 

“Well, as I was saying, there are a few reasons for me to celebrate tonight. First, after tonight, I don’t have to worry about you fucking up my business. I’ve decided I’m not going to give it over to you anyway. I’ll find someone else to run it, but I’ve been working on that for a while.”

 

“Yeah, I heard you tell Brawn that,” I said in a low voice.

 

“That’s right. Next, I can finally stop worrying about you altogether. You are no longer my responsibility. I can come clean about a secret your mother and I have been hiding from you your whole life,” he said in a proud, almost exultant tone.

 

I took a shaky breath. This “secret” of theirs didn’t sound good at all, didn’t sound like anything I wanted to hear. I tried to calm my nerves, but it felt like my whole body was shivering in anticipation of what was sure to be more bad news.

 

“I am not your father,” he said plainly, as if it were nothing. “You are not my daughter.”

 

I furrowed my brow and tilted my head, trying to withstand the blow I’d just been dealt. “What are you talking about?” I asked. “Like, what the hell do you even mean?” It made no sense to me. He had to be pulling my leg or trying to mess with me, to see what I would believe or how much I could take before he broke me down.

 

“It’s true. Your mother had an affair. I tried, I really did. For a long time, I tried to raise you as my own daughter, tried to steer you in the right direction, but you’re just too headstrong. I was going to let you continue my legacy, move you into my place within the business, teach you the ropes, but you didn’t want any of that. So I guess now’s as good a time as any to come clean. You’re not mine. Your mother slept around and got pregnant by another man. I don’t think the asshole even knows he has a daughter. Well, not by her anyway. I don’t know how many kids he has on his own.” His tone grew more reflective. He wasn’t talking to me anymore, just talking, mulling it all over again out loud.

 

I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to satisfy my father by saying anything. I didn’t even want to be near him. I didn’t know what to call him anymore. Lucas? Did I still refer to him as my father, whether he accepted that title or not? I looked around the car from inside the bag over my head, turning my face back and forth, searching for answers in the darkness.

 

His hand landed on my shoulder. I jumped. He gripped me.

 

“Since you’re not going to be taking over the business anymore, which, believe me, is a huge weight off of my shoulders, I have no use for you anymore,” he said ominously.

 

“What does that mean? What are you going to do to me?” I knew I was in trouble before, but suddenly, I realized I was really, truly in danger.

 

“We’re going to eliminate you,” he said. “You’re completely expendable now. In fact, you’re a bit of a loose end.”

 

“So, that’s it? You get to finally tell me I’m not your daughter, that some unknown man had sex with Mom and you’ve raised me as your own only because you were planning on bringing me into your business, and so means it’s time to get rid of me like I’m some pest?” I choked back tears while I talked. If I ever needed to sound strong, it was then.

 

“That’s pretty much it. Your replacement will be in the office tomorrow, and I will start the legal process of putting the company in his name next week.” He talked like it was all just business.

 

“So, before you do this, can I ask you a question?” I asked him.

 

“Sure. I can’t promise I’ll be able to answer you,” he said. “But feel free to ask away.”

 

I opened my mouth to ask him if he’d ever cared for me as a daughter, but my tears took over. I shook my head. I couldn’t ask. I didn’t want to know the answer. I sniffled and went to pull one of my hands up to wipe my nose, but my wrists were still tied together. I couldn’t even turn my head enough to use my shoulder with my arms tied behind my back.

 

“You’re going to make a mess under there,” he teased, laughing at me.

 

“Boss, we’re here,” one of the men from the front of the car said.

 

“Good, good. Come, get her out. Take her where I told you to. I’ve got one more thing to do, and I’ll be right there,” he said. I felt the seat shift as he got out of the car before me.

 

Then, hands were on me again, pulling me out of the car. This time, they didn’t lift me completely off the ground, and my shoes dragged along the smooth floor beneath my feet. My tears eventually dried on their own, but my nose was still running as they pulled me along to wherever we were going. I could tell from the sounds around me that wherever we were, it was open.

 

If Brawn didn’t show up and, soon, it wouldn’t matter where we were.