Chapter 27

Her conflicted emotions become apparent as we pull up to the warehouse where her kidnappers await for our return. I know well that Natalia doesn’t believe a fucking word we said about Bebe kidnapping her from her biological parents. I can’t say that I blame her. If she came to me and said my mother had kidnapped me, I wouldn’t believe her either. Although, you can tell by looking at my brothers that we’re all related. When I first saw Nicole, I knew they didn’t look like sisters, but I never would’ve imagined the true story.

Both Dante and I take one of her hands and walk inside. We take her to see Bebe first because, of course, she’s the one who set this ball in motion by stealing her. Our security team stands close by but far enough away to give us privacy. My brother and I will only have to say the word to get their help, but we likely won’t need it unless we decide to have them kill one or all of these pieces of shit. However, I don’t see that happening because this is one I want to handle personally, and I suspect Dante feels the same way.

She steps into the room and stares at the woman she believes is her mother. Exhaling a shaky gasp, she asks, “Is this really necessary?”

Between the two of us, my brother is the better man. However, he’s a lethal fucker like the rest of us. And that these people have hurt Natalia so badly means there’s no way that any of them will be granted any mercy. Even if I agreed to let them live, Dante will not. Not even for Natalia.

She looks at Dante with tears in her eyes. “Dante, please.”

I chuckle lightly because I know my brother better than she does. He loves her and wants to make her happy, but we both know in time, this will be exactly what she needs. We don’t allow people to hurt the ones we care about and leave unscathed.

He runs his thumb down her cheek. “Get the information you need, Sunshine.”

“Mom,” she asks as she steps closer to Bebe, who stares at her supposed daughter with disgust. I clench my fists as she looks at our girl like she’s a piece of disgusting shit on the floor. Dante growls a deep rumbling animalistic sound, “Close enough.”

Natalia stops, balling up her own fists, in obvious anger. She takes a deep breath. “Mom. Are you okay?”

Bebe glares at her. “Stop calling me that. I’m not your mother, and we both know it.”

I watch the two of them as our beautiful woman visibly shrinks before us. “I don’t understand.”

Dante grabs a chair and brings it over to Natalia. “Sit.”

She sits in the chair and my brother tells Bebe, “Spill. Everything.”

At first she says nothing, but when I hold up the remote she stammers, “Okay. Okay.”

I chuckle and motion for her to move it along because the sooner we get this shit over with, the sooner we can glue Natalia back together.

“After Nicole was born, I wanted another little girl. I couldn’t get pregnant again because I had to have an emergency hysterectomy within hours of her birth.”

Natalia listens intently, but I know she’s confused. “Go on,” she says.

Bebe tries to move her arms, but of course it’s not possible. She groans in pain, saying, ”It was at Walt Disney World.” Your mother fell to the ground during some kind of medical emergency. Without thinking about it, I grabbed your stroller and took off with you as people ran to help her. I was gone before anyone noticed you were missing. Henry never wanted you, but he knew if I returned you, I’d go to prison. So we kept you. Even after we realized you would never fit in with our family. It was like constantly playing a game of which of these things does not belong. At that point, we were stuck with you.”

“Is my mother alive?” Natalia asks in the smallest voice I think I’ve ever heard her use.

Bebe laughs, “I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t even know her name.”

“Anything else, Sunshine?” Dante asks.

She shakes her head, “No. Wait. Yes. Why did you take me?”

“I thought you were the missing piece I wanted. You weren’t. I’ve regretted it every day since I brought you into our lives. Now, tell these assholes to let me go.”

Stepping forward, I watch my new favorite fucking sight. I’ve been waiting for Natalia to stand up for herself. To stop acting like a goddamn doormat. She glares at Bebe with a fierce expression. “No. If they kill you, my only request will be to watch.”

Turning to me, she smiles, “I’m ready to see Nicole now.”

* * *

Natalia

I holdmy head high and walk out of the room, ignoring her vile words. In the middle of a deep, cleansing breath, Drake grabs me by the throat and pushes me up against the wall. “Jesus Christ, Pretty Girl. I knew one day you’d show us how fucking strong you are.”

A whimper escapes from my mouth as his lips descend on mine. Dante groans while he watches his brother practically fuck my mouth with his tongue. Drake breaks our kiss with a chuckle. “Are you ready, baby?”

I nod breathlessly because I’m ready to get this over with. Neither of my so-called parents have been kind to me through the years. However, no one has been more vicious than Nicole. She has always been my biggest tormentor. The voice in my head telling me how worthless I am is hers. I have taken it for years, hoping she’d one day mature and realize what a monster she has been and things would magically change. I longed for a sister, that relationship you hear about between siblings. To find out she’s not even related to me is mind-boggling.

“I need to find my parents,” I say to both brothers as we walk into the room where Nicole is being held.

Dante assures me, ”I”m on it,” while I observe Nicole, her arms chained above her head, just like Bebe. I have always been a good person. I try to do the right thing. I’m not one of those people that go out of my way to hurt people. Unlike Nicole.

Yet here I am, staring at her miserable face, tears streaking her cheeks, and instead of feeling bad for her, I think I might be elated. Yes, I’m taking joy in her misfortune. For once, I have the upper hand.

Drake says, “Do you have questions for her, baby?”

There is one burning question I’ve had for years. It’s stupid because I already know the answer, but ?I want to hear it from her spiteful mouth.

“It was you, right? You’re the reason I can’t dance.”

As always, she denies it, “I didn’t touch your knees.”

I glance at Drake, since Dante appears to be busy texting on his phone.

“Can you make her tell me the truth?”

He grins in response. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Pulling a remote from his pocket, he presses a button and Nicole screams as her arms are pulled up, the chains on her wrists moving further up to the ceiling. Interesting.

“I know it wasn’t you that hit me, but you’re responsible for it, right?”

She hangs from the ceiling, her feet just above the floor, and I know her arms hurt as she’s being unnaturally stretched.

“Yes. I had him do it.”

Drake says to me, “Do you want her to tell you why?”

I shake my head, “No. I already know the answer to that. Nicole was never as good of a dancer as I was. The only way she could dance the lead was to take me out.”

Dante pockets his phone and asks me, “What else do you need, Sunshine?”

“A bat. I need a bat.”

Drake arches an eyebrow. “We don’t have a bat. How about a hammer?”

I glare at him with the anger I’m feeling for Nicole. “I need a bat.”

A delicious smirk forms on his lips as he pulls out his cell phone. “Alright, Pretty Girl. We will get you a bat.”

I smile at Nicole, “While we wait, tell me why.”

She stares at me through her reddened eyes. “Why what?”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I shake my head. “Don’t play coy. Why do you hate me so much? Our entire lives, you’ve done everything you can to hurt me. I want to know why.”

Nicole releases a shaky breath, “I don’t know. Mom hated you, so I guess I did, too.”

I laugh bitterly, “Your mother kidnapped me. And it’s me you hated? Did you ever consider hating her? She’s the one who did this. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have ever met you.”

When Nicole cries, I wonder if it’s an act or if it’s an honest emotion. With her, you never really know because she”s always so manipulative. “I hated you because you were better than me at everything. You danced better. Played piano better. Got better grades. Every single thing. It drove me crazy, so when Mom suggested I take your ability to dance, I ran with it. I’m sorry. Please don’t let them hurt me.”

Moving closer to her, I forcefully grab her face and squeeze it, just like her mother did to do to me countless times. “I won’t let them hurt you. I promise.”

“Thank you,” she whispers, “Thank you.”

I laugh wickedly. Right now, I don”t know who I am, but I know she drove me to this. “I will do it myself. For every tear I cried after you destroyed me time and time again, you’ll cry twice as much. The pain will be excruciating. Yet, while I did nothing to you, I never deserved what you did to me. You will. Remember that when you’re crying, ‘why me?’ you did this to yourself.