This Is Love, Baby (War & Peace #2)(50)

“He dragged me out of that room, so your mother wouldn’t wake, and he punched me in the stomach. Then he threatened me. He told me to shut the f*ck up or he’d do it for me. To not tell a soul anything because as far as I was concerned, you ran away. It wasn’t until a few days later when I came back, after your mom had passed away, that I learned the truth. He told me that he did what he had to do for the money. To save your mother. End of story.”

“I don’t understand,” I murmur. None of this makes any sense.

Brandon huffs and lets out a cruel laugh. A laugh so similar to Gabe’s it sends goosebumps popping up all over my flesh. “Your dad was in on your abduction and sale, Baylee. It was all planned.”

Time stops as I consider his twisted words. There’s no way my father would sell his daughter for money. Absolutely not.

Sitting up on my knees, the hoodie hitting me mid-thigh, I point my finger at him angrily. “No, I don’t believe this.” Anger surges in my chest at his insinuations. “You’re a f*cking liar, Brandon. Dad wouldn’t let Gabe abduct me, rape me, and then sell me. No!”

Gabe chooses that moment to pipe up. “It’s the truth,” he says and has the audacity to look regretful. “It was the only way to insure Lynn got moved up on the transplant list or considered for a private donor that could be paid off. It was business and you were a pawn, sweet girl.” Then, his eyes slide over my bare legs and he flashes me one of his wicked, psycho grins. “Besides, Tony didn’t give me his approval to sleep with his daughter. How was I supposed to know we were going to fall in love? That was just a bonus, beautiful.”

We are not in love.

He is f*cking delusional.

“This was all for nothing…” I trail off, choking on my words. “What about those other girls? Did you love them too or were they just practice?”

Gabe runs his fingertips over the top of my foot and I shudder. “Sweetheart, believe me when I say it was not all for nothing. It was worth every second. And, yes, my little hobby of mine with the WCT opened the door for something bigger. It revealed to me a way to help your father save your mother and to give me you. Everyone wins. You were worth so much more than those broken girls though. You were meant to be mine, sweet girl. Forever.”

Tears roll down my cheeks as the betrayal sinks in at being used in their game. The black knight and the black rook taking out all the pieces in my world, including their attempt at taking my king. My father’s ultimate betrayal spins in my head, threatening to finish me off. Lifting my chin, I remember War’s words.

The rules state the pawn is the weakest piece.

But if the pawn makes it to the other side, it gets promoted.

The pawn can become queen.

And then it’s not weak at all.

“Mom knew?” My voice wobbles.

Gabe smiles, almost tenderly and shakes his head. “She didn’t. Your mother would have never agreed to that.”

Another tear streaks down my cheek and I cling to the fact that not everyone has betrayed me in this life. I almost believe that had they just asked me, I’d have gone willingly. I would have gone off to War to save my mom. Gabe didn’t have to terrorize me in the process. We could have found a way. I would have done that for her. I would have done anything for her.

But nobody asked me.

They just used me.

I was exactly like he said. A f*cking pawn.

“Go on, Brandon,” Gabe urges. “Tell her how you killed him while she was with that freak. You probably beat him just like you beat me, you angry little shit. Tell her how you buried him in their own backyard.”

“How do you know this?” Brandon says with a growl. “Did you dig up his f*cking body?”

I’m shaking my head in denial and send a pleading glance to Gabe who frowns at me. His brows are pinched together and I see the flash of sadness in his eyes. He may be a monster now but he was Dad’s best friend. Surely knowing that my father is dead wounds him too.

Jesus, my dad is dead. I can’t even fathom the word.

Dead.

The same dad who protected me and loved me.

A man who wasn’t all brute and gruffness, but also had a sweet, teddy bear side.

A man who somehow was desperate enough to sell his own daughter to save his wife.

If only he’d have asked me. I would have gone willingly. I am certain of this. If it meant saving, Mom, I’d have done it in a heartbeat.

Gabe lets out a huff of frustrated breath and glares at Brandon. “Me,” he waves to his battered body, “dig up his body like this? Hell no. I kind of figured you lost it and finally let him have it. Hell, I don’t even know if you shot him or stabbed him or what the f*ck you did. But you have already proved yourself to be a damn lunatic. When I went into their backyard and saw the picnic table had been moved to the corner of the yard, I knew. You covered your tracks well but you were hiding something. That something was his body. How did he die anyway? You beat her old man into a bloody f*cking pulp? Did you slit his throat?”

“He had it coming to him!” Brandon screams. “He deserved to pay for what he allowed to happen to her!”

Understanding begins to crush in on me.

Brandon killed my dad.

He really did it.

Gabe flashes me a regretful look before plastering on an angry scowl for Brandon. “This would have all worked out just fine if you would have just backed off, * boy. Now you went and f*cked it all up for Baylee and I. You broke her heart when you killed her dad. And now I’m going to break you.”