Taken by the Heartless (HEARTLESS, Book 1) (NOW EDITING)

COMING BACK

   "Welcome, my dear," Marco said.

Cassandra looked at the corner of the room and saw her father seated calmly on their battered sofa. A man with a gun stood beside him. Her eyes shifted back to Marco. Without being told, she knew why he was there, and she was ready for him, except she didn't like the fact that her father was involved.

"What do you want?" she asked, clutching her purse tightly. Being in the same room with Marco, the douchebag, made her skin crawl with disgust and anxiety. She wasn't safe, and she didn't feel right.

"Such a rude way to welcome your visitor, Tesoro," he said with a smirk.

She didn't like the sound of Tesoro in his mouth, it wasn't his to call. Her father stared at them in confusion. He must be wondering what was going on.

"How may I help you, Mr. Marco?" she asked, straightening her back. "Did Eros know you are here?" She purposely threw Eros' name around to remind Marco that Eros wouldn't spare him if he found him there.

Marco smiled, catching the threat. He stood up slowly from the seat, casually stuffed his hands into his pockets, and took a few steps toward Cassandra. Her stomach clutched. "Eros knows nothing about this. I came here for my interest."

Cassandra swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Marco was in her house, armed with men surrounding her. She was unsafe, and her father's life was also at risk. She might have gotten lucky with Eros, but she didn't know how dangerous Marco was. If he wanted her to go with him, what could she do? Marco stood in front of her and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"Why are you no longer in Eros' mansion?"

"It's none of your business," she retorted, trying hard enough to contain her anger.

"Well, it shall soon be mine, seeing that you are now a free bird." He stroked her cheeks.

She might be helpless, but she wouldn't let the sick bastard touch her the way he wanted. She slapped his hand away from her face, and he opened his jacket, flashing a handgun tucked into his inner coat as if a subtle reminder of who he was.

"I want you to be mine from now on. I will give you everything you want; everything money can buy, name it. We can go on trips, vacations, tours, name it. You will not have to do anything to seduce me, you just have to keep looking beautiful. I will give you double of everything Eros failed to give you."

"Go fuck yourself," Cassandra snared, and a dirty slap landed on her cheek. She saw stars, and her head spun as she heard a wheezing sound in her ears or head; she couldn't tell.

Her father sprouted from his seat but was also met with a heavy slap. Two of Marco's men held him while another punched his stomach. Cassandra yelled, pleading for them to let her father go, but Marco grabbed her hair and tilted her chin toward him.

"Now, what's it going to be, carino? You come with me, or let me torture your good old man?"

Cassandra's eyes flicked to her father, slumped on the floor, clutching his stomach. He shook his head. He would rather die than let them take her. But Cassandra knew that either way, Marco would take her away.

"I will go with you, let my father live." A tear ran down her cheek.

"Good girl. I thought you'd say that," Marco said with a crooked smile and released her hair. She ran over to her father, who was bleeding from the mouth and bent over.

"Papa," she called softly. Her father looked at her, tears pooling in his eyes.

"Why? Why did you have to agree to go away with him?"