A Beautiful Lie (Playing with Fire #1)(114)

Fernandez sighed in irritation while Garrett gave Parker a small, encouraging smile. Margarita may have died without ever truly being free of Fernandez, but Garrett would make damn sure that her death would have meaning. Every word Fernandez spoke was another nail in his coffin with Margarita secretly holding the hammer.

“All this talk is beginning to bore me, and I’m getting off track. I’ve had to make many difficult decisions in my lifetime. Joe, I think it’s time your daughter makes one of her own,” Fernandez said calmly. “So, Annabelle, take your pick.”

Parker looked at Fernandez questioningly, not understanding what he was asking her.

“Milo, I think your Annabelle is having trouble grasping what I’m asking. Do help her out, won’t you?” Fernandez asked.

Milo, who had been unusually silent the entire time, walked forward to stand next to Fernandez. When they were elbow to elbow, Fernandez passed off his gun, allowing Milo the opportunity to hold it against Garrett’s head.

“It’s quite simple, Park. Years ago my father had to make a choice because of what your father was doing to bring him down. He chose to leave me behind and let me be raised by a disgusting man so that one day I would be strong enough and have the right connections to help him keep people like your father from sticking their noses into his business. My father had to make a difficult decision that he feels guilty about to this day. It’s time for you to make a decision of your own. One where you will have to carry around the guilt for the rest of your pathetic life,” Milo stated.

With each word Milo spoke, Garrett felt the pain of Milo’s betrayal deep into his soul. He truly thought of this man as a friend, a brother. He wanted to feel nothing, to allow his heart to become numb, knowing it had all been a lie. He wasn’t like Milo, though, he couldn’t be that empty and uncaring. There were too many years, too many memories to just pretend like it never happened.

Garrett felt like his well-intentioned plan was spiraling out of control and there was nothing he could do to stop it. They’d gotten the proof they needed, but it was going to come with a hefty price. With a gun now pressed into the back of his head by a man who obviously hated him, there wasn’t much he could do but stay there on his knees holding Parker’s face in his hands and watch the color drain out of it with Milo’s next words.

“Who will it be, Park? Your poor, estranged father or the man you’ve been f*cking? Who will get a nice, neat bullet to the head right now? This offer doesn’t last long, so make it quick,” Milo informed her.

“You can’t be serious?” Parker yelled, looking back and forth between Fernandez and Milo.

“Oh, I assure you, this is no joke. Time is ticking, Annabelle. I have a prior engagement I can’t be late for,” Fernandez said irritably as he glanced down at the watch on his wrist like he was waiting for her to pick something to eat for dinner instead of choosing between the two most important men in her life.

“Don’t listen to him, Annabelle. He’s not going to let any of us live. We know too much,” Joe’s scratchy voice said through the speaker.

“On the contrary, my friend,” Fernandez answered. “Your beautiful daughter here would be quite useful to my organization. I believe I could double the highest price I’ve made on all of my girls for someone to get a taste of this one.”

Garrett and Joe could both be heard growling obscenities at Fernandez’s words.

“And the two men in your life, well, obviously neither one of them would be useful to me in any way. Only one of them needs to be around to watch you suffer and to endure his own form of torture. Having two of them lamenting about the horrors being done to your body is just overkill, don’t you think? I think it’s quite generous of me to let one die quickly. So who will it be, Annabelle? Make your choice.”

Parker looked frantically into Garrett’s eyes. All her years of training boiled down to this one moment. She had no idea how she could possibly choose between her father and Garrett. There was no choice to be made. She couldn’t…she wouldn’t choose one to be hurt worse than the other.

Milo locked his elbow and pushed the gun harder into Garrett’s skull, his fingers ghosting over the trigger.

“No, please! Choose me! Kill me instead!” Parker yelled as she looked frantically back and forth between Fernandez and the gun Milo held against Garrett.

“Parker, no!” Garrett argued.

“You feel like you need to take a life to make up for the injustices done to you, fine. Pick me,” Parker stated, glancing at Garrett mouthing a silent I’m sorry to him. “I would make the most trouble for you anyway, not them,” she said aloud.

Parker felt like she was falling over a cliff and there was nothing to grab onto but crumbling dirt and rocks. She knew Fernandez wasn’t a negotiator and got sick pleasure out of hurting people. She knew it, and yet she couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. Parker knew telling him she would make the most trouble for him was a lie. If she died, her father and Garrett would destroy everything in their path to avenge her. Part of her knew Fernandez wasn’t a fool and would never believe a word she said, but she had to try and save her men at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing herself.

Garrett felt the gun Milo held against him move away from his head and watched it come into his peripheral vision as he pointed it straight at Parker.