Page 17 of The Tattoo Artist's Mate

“Try me, little girl.”

Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound emerged other than her rapid breaths, and satisfied he’d made his point, Gabe released her and stepped away. She immediately wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head.

“Good girl, see, we’ll get along just fine.”

“You can’t do this. Papa won’t let you.” You had to admire the girl’s spunk, as she dropped her arms and jutted her chin up and out in defiance.

“Your dear Papa won’t get a choice, but by all means let’s ask him.” Gabe tapped his communicator. “Bring in Andrini, will you?”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Hope flared in her expressive eyes, and he almost felt sorry for her, until Andrini’s slurred voice grated on his nerves.

“Tell your buffoons to get your hands off me, Henshaw.”

Gabe turned slowly and let his gaze wander over his nemesis. The man looked a mess. Years of drinking and gambling had taken its toll, and from the looks of it he was half cut again. Sure enough, Lissandra’s sigh confirmed it.

“Really, Papa, you promised.”

Andrini shook off the hold Gabe’s men still had on him and ignored his daughter.

; “What do you want from me, Henshaw? You got your payment.”

Lissandra’s sharp intake of breath spoke volumes, as did her strangled exclamation.

“Papa, no, you didn’t.”

Again, the man ignored his only child, stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets, and pushed his chest out in a vain attempt to make himself appear bigger than he was. Gabe swallowed down his disgust at the fucking weasel. Andrini reeked of stale cigars, alcohol, and desperation.

“Tell me one good reason why I should accept this payment.” He glanced toward Lissandra, and a twinge of unease settled in his gut. She’d gone so pale, she looked as though she might faint, and her perfectly manicured hands would leave gouges in her soft skin, so hard was her grip on her forearms. “I can take any pussy I want. What makes this one so special? You do know how much you owe me, right? I could destroy your miserable little existence in a second.”

He deliberately turned his back on the girl, but he heard her shocked gasp loud and clear. No doubt she now thought him a monster.

“She’s my daughter.” Andrini’s voice rose to a falsetto screech that hurt Gabe’s ears. The man’s double chin wobbled, and sweat broke out on his upper lip.

“So?” Gabe asked. He turned and made a big show of studying the terrified girl. At least he had his answer. She wasn’t in league with her father on this. She was too still, too utterly shocked, for this to be an act, and her father was a cock-sucking asshole to put her through this. “That makes her tainted goods as far as I’m concerned.”

Lissandra opened her mouth as though to protest, but one shake of his head stopped her. She dropped her head instead, and that twitch of unease turned into a lump of stone at the bottom of his stomach.

“How dare you? She’s a virgin and fertile. I had her doctor confirm it. She would fetch a grand price in Ollivanti’s auctions. She’s … fuck.”

Gabe planted his fist in the vile asshole’s face and stopped the man’s tirade. The sound of the fucker’s nose breaking under his knuckles, blood spurting everywhere, followed by the coward’s howl of pain masked the girl’s whispered exclamation.

“Papa.” One word, which held a word of pain and betrayal and made Gabe want to wrap his hands around her so-called father’s meaty neck and strangle him with his bare hands.

“Quit that sniveling, Andrini. Boys, take her back to the house. She doesn’t need to hear any more.”

Like the well-oiled team his men were, they sprang into action and surrounded Lissandra, but she resisted.

“No, I want to stay. What auctions? What the hell did you do, Papa? Why? I told you I’ll find a job. We can get out of this, we—”

“Don’t be so fucking naïve.” Andrini’s snarl interrupted her, as he spat blood on the floor in front of her. “You’re so like your useless mother. She couldn’t have given me a son, could she? Someone to be proud of, to carry on the business. No, she gave me you. Utterly fucking worthless, but at least you’re good for this. Count yourself lucky I’m giving you to him.” He spat more blood and fixed his bloodshot eyes on Gabe.

“You need an heir to carry on your business. She’ll give you one. I figured you didn’t want to impregnate one of your whores, and this makes us even.” He sneered and puffed out his chest again. “I took her mother off you, so now you get the daughter. Fair is fair and all that, right.”

Gabe had heard enough. One well-placed uppercut snapped the fucker’s head back, and another one to the gut made him hunch over and fall to his knees.