Love, accidentally

Chapter 58

T R I S T A N

I get outside and don't spare my father a glance as I pass him with Vera by my side.

"Follow me." I tell him, walking away from the house because whatever was to happen, I wouldn't want my daughter to hear of it.

I heard his chuckle, but he came nonetheless.

"Heard about the reunion," He said, folding his arms over his chest as he looked between us with a dirty smile, "Had to come see for myself."

I met his eyes, mine holding no emotion that he could feast on, and his still having that entitled sense of control he thought he had.

"You came here without protection." I stated, seeing his car parked behind him with no one else.

"You think I'm scared of you, boy?" He scoffed.

"You should be, daddy dearest," I smiled at him, "I have been harboring nothing but hatred for you for what you caused for years. There's nothing stopping me from killing you actually." I didn't know if my words were even true.

I would've killed him before. But now, with Dani, I feared I'd fail her. That she'd look at me differently if she ever knew.

I also wouldn't stop at any limit to protect her and Vera. That's what I showed him in my eyes.

The woman standing next to me, her presence alone giving me strength to face this monster, was my anchor.

"Oh, such a shame your little baby was lost," He touched his heart, as if he had one let alone feel remorse, "My condolences." He looked at Vera.

"Fuck off, asshole." She bit back.

I tried not to show my relief that he still didn't know about Dani.

"I doubt it you came here for that. So speak while I'm patient." I brought his attention back to me.

"You speak to me like that again, boy-"

I felt the crack of his nose before he finished that sentence. The force of my punch sent him to the ground as he groaned in pain while holding his face.

"I'm not your fucking boy." I spit at him, fed up with his bullshit.

He glared at me, standing up and dusting himself off as he smiled at me through the blood gushing down his face like a psychopath.

"You're stupid as always," He took out a handkerchief, wiping the blood off with a wince, "You fail to remember who I am and what I'm capable of. My men can destroy you, boy. And it won't be through you. No, it would be through this little girl next to you. One word from my men-"

"Your men?"

I felt Vera stiffen next to me, our eyes quickly going to the man standing behind my father.

She widened her eyes, her feet aching to move, but Will looked at her with a single look that I could read. He asked her to trust him. To wait.

I wanted to run to Dani. He was supposed to be there. I had no fucking clue why he wasn't.

But the utter horror on my father's face took me back. He was looking at Will with a gaping mouth. Hands shaking.

"What-" My father stuttered but Will shushed him to silence, my father looking at his feet immediately.

What the fuck was happening?

"Don't be ridiculous, Nicolai. You don't have men." He walked to my father, placing his hands on his shoulders lightly, but still managing to make him visibly flinch.

"I-I'm-" He began again.

"Did I say you could speak?" Will bent his head to my father's face, his voice so foreign to my ears I wondered if he was even the same person who was just laughing with us moments ago.

My father stayed silent.

"Good boy," Will cooed as if he was speaking to his dog, it made my eyebrows lift, "Now, I'm going to say this once and hopefully I won't have to say it again. Because I'm sure you already know my second time isn't through words, huh?"

My father nodded, silent.

"You've had your little fun pretending your big and bad. Now...I want you to vanish. Be so gone I won't find you if I wanted. You wouldn't want me to find you. If you so much as think to come within a thousand miles from this family-who is under my protection-I don't think I have to say this, do I?" He waited.

"Speak." He commanded, and my father breathed before he responded.

"I understand, boss."

I narrowed my eyes at Will, realizing exactly where he came from. Why Nora never knew about his job.

He was the fucking boss of the Black port. The Manhattan mafia.

"Good boy," He patted his shoulder, "Off you go then." He shooed him like a pet.

My father bowed once before he ran off to his car, gone within minutes.

"Will-" Vera voice was hard with warning.

"She's safe, El," His soft voice returned back, looking at her with fondness as if he didn't almost make my father piss his pants. He could've.

Vera passed him, on a single mission. I looked at him, not able to hide the fascination now after what he did. He made my father look like a dog. He made him gone.

"You're welcome, love," Will's words were joking, but his eyes held an understanding that made me wonder about the demons haunting him.

We were all upstairs in less than a minute, seeing a woman in Dani's room.

"You done, big bro?" She looked at Will, popping a gum that I was almost certain my daughter gave it to her.