Sociopath's Revenge (31 page)

A young couple, in their early twenties, rode on the bike in the middle of the empty street with deserts and canyons surrounded them. A guy wearing a black Queen T-shirt and blue jeans along with boots held the handlebars and gazed ahead while the girl behind him wrapped her arms around his waist and laughed happily with her head tilted back. Her hair was blown away by the wind, and the band around her forehead allowed for it not to get into her eyes. Compared to the guy, her clothes had yellow and orange colors with various bangs on her neck, ear and hands. The shot must have been taken from the car riding in front of them because it captured the moment perfectly without them having to pose for it. There was something oddly familiar about the couple to me, but I couldn't name it. Damian appeared just as clueless; he just kept on running his fingers over their faces as his brows furrowed.

The next picture was the same couple during their wedding day; they seemed older. Gone were the hippie attributes, replaced with a black tux for the man and long and a chiffon white dress with several small pearls on it for her. Her hand rested protectively on the small bump, clearly indicating pregnancy. The couple radiated happiness, which even old-ass pictures couldn't hide.

Another one was with them holding two babies in the hospital as the woman lay exhausted but happy on the bed. The man held his family protectively in the crock of his arm, creating a shield from outside world.

The man who looked so much like me and my brother. The resemblance impossible to ignore.

Then it hit me, all at fucking once.

"Are those our parents?" Damian asked with a hoarse voice as the flat of his palm landed on the last photograph.

"Yes," Don replied. "They used to be my friends. Mine and my wife, Sorcha." A ghost of a smile appeared on his face while remembering his wife. "Sorcha and Kristina liked to get into trouble, and we'd have to rescue them."

"Is this why you allowed me to keep Rosa a few years back and watched me carefully?" Damian asked, his eyes still glued to the picture in the hospital.

"Yes, it's hard to mistake those eyes, plus you do share some of his traits."

"Why now?" The question came from me. I couldn't wrap my head around this information. Why couldn't he share all this before? Don shrugged, took out his cigar and lit it.

"Seemed like a good wedding present and besides, it wouldn't have changed anything."

"So Dad was part of the mafia?"

"No, we were childhood friends. He was a lawyer and heir to an empire. He liked to protect the weak, though, so he was kind of a Robin Hood. Did similar stuff to you guys and one of the reasons those men did what they did. I couldn't come and help on time, even though I warned him not to mess with those men without backup." His hand fisted, but the pitch of his voice stayed even. "That's neither here nor there, though. The point is the life you lead can destroy things you love the most." His narrowed stare burned into mine. "And I don't want my little girl to be collateral damage." Then he shifted his gaze to Damian. "Or your sweet woman. So on your wedding day, I'll give you two pieces of advice. You forget about being a Sociopath and you,"—he pointed his index finger at me—"learn to provide as much possible protection to my daughter as you can." With those words, he left to join Mary on the dance floor while she blushed from his invitation, leaving us dumbstruck.

Silence fell over us for several seconds, with Damian breaking it with a low voice. "Do you want the picture?" I nodded because who wouldn't want them? Remembering our parents was one thing, but having proof that they were happy and wanted us? Yeah, no one could say no to that.

He split them evenly between us and then patted my shoulder. "I need to find Sapphire." He searched for her and finally spotted her near the bar, chatting with Luke. He darted toward her, leaving me sitting there alone with uncomfortable emotions playing inside me, which I couldn't name.

Who would have thought our parents used to be that fun-loving couple who fought for justice? Or that they had an Italian Mafia Don for a friend.

A friend who was a father of the woman I desperately wanted to claim as mine.

If it wasn't for S, John, Richard and the whole human trafficking, I would have had a chance with her. She'd always be close; no one would ever harm her or me and by now, she'd probably have been my wife the minute she became legal.

Everything closed off on me; red haze played in front of my eyes, and I barely restrained myself from standing up and running the fuck away. Building rage, which didn't go away no matter how much I tried, demanded for me to fight someone and see blood.

I was so out from everything around me that the gentle touch on my cheek came out of nowhere and snapped me out of my stupor. My eyes traveled back up to the gorgeous vision in pink. I drank in her beauty and aura of serenity only she could provide for me. "Dominic?" Rosa asked softly, and without further words, I grabbed her elbow and sat her on my lap as she gasped in surprise.

The bullshit of three months was over.

I was fucking done waiting around on her. It made me a bastard, maybe.

Made me unforgivable human being.

Maybe.

But I was fucking done.

"No, I'm not all right. I need you," I whispered harshly, most probably scaring her, which would cement her views on not giving me a chance not that I was going to wait for one.

Rosa studied me, then laced her hands through my hair and brought her mouth close to mine and whispered in it, her lips touching mine in the lightest of caress, "Okay."

"Наконец то." Finally.

After months of wanting, yearning, rejections and heavy petting sessions, my woman was ready to be claimed and conquered.

If I only I could predict the future on that night, maybe I would have hesitated to touch her and sent everyone notice that Pakhan had claimed his woman.

But the choice was made.

Along with all the events that followed after that fateful night.

Later That Night

We lay breathless on the sheets soaked from our sweat after hours of lovemaking. The open window provided much needed cool air. Sapphire lay on her back with her head resting on my shoulder, gazing at the red ceiling, and then suddenly rolled onto my chest, put her hands under her chin, and held my eyes.

"What?" I asked, playing with strands of her hair.

"What do we do now?"

My mouth spread in a soft grin as my hand rested on her nape, bringing her face closer to mine. Just before our mouths touched, I whispered against her lips, "Live happily ever after."

Twelve Years Later

Damian

Kristina ran around the beach laughing while Lucky followed her. He was a bit old to keep up with her at the same speed he used to, but he tried. She took out another snack from the pack she was holding and threw it up in the air as he bounced to catch it. He missed it again, but then dropped on the sand and searched for it frantically. Worry crossed my daughter's face as she raised her eyes to me. "Daddy, I'm worried about Lucky. He doesn't seem to notice a lot of stuff lately." The dog heard his name and barked loudly, dropping to his haunches, waiting for another treat.

"Looks damn happy to me," I muttered, but then winced as Kristina nudged my shoulder. Damn, my baby girl had some strong arms from all the boxing she did. "Baby girl, he is almost thirteen years old. I don't think most dogs even live that long." I patted his muzzle a bit. "He's bound to have some weakness, no?" Her face grew sadder, but she nodded. I hugged her close to me and sighed in contentment when her hands wrapped around me.

Kids fucking grew too fast for my liking. It seemed like just yesterday she was my little girl in pigtails whose eyes lit up with pleasure from ice cream and cartoons, and today she was a young woman who was about to go away to college. In fact, this little getaway on the coast of Spain was our little gift to our family to spend her last vacation as a "kid" together and enjoy it. She decided to major in Biochemistry in Texas, and the idea of not having her close terrified me. Even though twelve years had passed since that fateful day, I still woke up with nightmares where her screams filled the air. They would probably never go away.

I hugged her a bit tighter, and she leaned back with a laugh. "Daddy, it's hard to breathe."

I winked at her. "Can't a dad hug his baby girl?"

She stopped smiling and kissed me softly on the cheek, circled her arms around me, and squeezed me tight. Then she whispered into my ear, "I'll always be your little girl, Daddy." And her words soothed any ache I felt at letting her go.

"You'll always be my little girl," I agreed, and then scowled as the most annoying voice on the planet called her name.

Hardy.

As Sapphire suspected, Kristina's obsession with Jason Miller didn't disappear, and they pretty much stayed joined at the hip through their entire childhood. My girl was in love with him and growled at any girl who tried to get close to him. Hilarious if you ask me, and as much as I disliked the kid for having all of my daughter's attention, I was proud of how she marked her territory.

Once she wrote with a marker on his spine "Property of Kristina Scott." I kid you not. Sapphire was red as a lobster as she sat in a chair in the principal's office while Amanda and Cormack laughed their asses off. Jason had appeared clueless to any deeper feelings she had for him, but everything changed once they turned fifteen.

All of a sudden, Kristina decided boys were stupid, and a career seemed more important. Needless to say, poor Jason was as surprised as the rest of us, and then came, as we all called it, the time of "wooing." The poor guy did everything. Roses, chocolates, USB flash drives with music that made my ears bleed, dates, even though he always trembled under my harsh stare.

Kristina wouldn't budge, and secretly I always gloated at his failures, because it meant that my little girl would still stay my little girl and wouldn't be in danger of anyone ever breaking her heart.

Then a few months later came the worst nightmare of every parent who had a good baby girl at home.

Bad Boy
on a bike.

Richardson, a new hotel owner in the city, moved in with his two sons. One was Kristina's age and his name was Max, and another was Hardy, who was eighteen years old.

Fucking guess who she fell for? They came to dinner with us, and the minute he laid eyes on her, he was at her side proclaiming she was his.

Kristina was so dumbstruck that she blinked a few times and just nodded. He didn't budge under my stares, growling, or strength. He promised me never to touch her until she was legal and to protect her with all his heart among other things. Although I still didn't like him, I respected the kid, and my girl deserved to be someone's obsession too.

Jason Miller sulked a bit and then started dating Ruby. Just remembering all this high school drama made my head hurt.

Hardy grabbed Kristina by her waist, bringing her closer to his chest, and lifted his chin at me.

Little shit.

The heated stares started and it was the last thing I needed to see. With one last peck on her forehead, I let go of my daughter and hoped with all my heart she always would have this light of happiness in her eyes. "I'm going to check on your mom."

We might have been together for almost eighteen years, but the woman still made my heart spin and body hurt from desire.

Sapphire

The soft breeze touched my cheek, cooling my heated body and allowing me to enjoy the weather through the open balcony window that spun the white, sheer curtains. The beach house's master bedroom had nothing but a huge king-sized bed, bathroom, and a sofa. The heavy weight on my chest whimpered, moving restlessly as I patted him gently on his diapered behind. "Shhh, sweetheart." He calmed down at once, nuzzling more into my collarbone.

My little mini Damian, aka Dane Scott, or, as I called him, an unexpected yet incredibly amazing surprise.

Damian and I tried for a baby for years after the accident, but nothing ever came of it. After one of my hysterics on the bathroom floor when one more test was negative, Damian decided to stop everything and appreciate the fact that we had Kristina.

And we did.

However, one year ago, I got sick, and we didn't know what was wrong until the doctor broke the news to us. With Kristina going off to college, we made plans to travel around the world, have some us time, and just live like a young couple without any responsibilities in the world. The baby changed a lot of stuff, and many people asked us if we really wanted to raise a kid in our forties.

But we did and couldn't be happier about it. Dane was just three months old, and since he needed his mama during nap times, I couldn't go for a walk with the rest of my family. Apparently, I had one more kid to add to the list, because where Kristina went, Hardy went. Remembering the day he proclaimed her his made me throw my head back and laugh.

"That's the sound I'll never getting tired of hearing," a rugged voice said, as my husband filled the doorway of our room, his assessing eyes absorbing every detail. He didn't have the chance to be there for me for the first five years of our child's life if we counted the pregnancy period too, so he soaked up all the experiences he could with Dane.