Read Online Life Before Damaged Vol. 8 (The Ferro Family) by H. M. Ward - Free Book Online Page B

at me, dazed, and then at Pete and back to me.
    He raises a single finger in a drunken Eureka moment. "Wait a minute. I get it. Regina, you're one of Ferro's tramps now, aren't you? Is that what this is about?" He turns to Pete and puts both hands up in the air. "Hey, man. I won't prevent you from nailing her, if that's the hangup." He puts his hand up to his face thinking that he's keeping the conversation secret from me, but he's talking loud enough that the household staff watching from the main landing above can still hear. "Are you sure you want her, though? I mean it's just Regina. It's not like she's a good lay or anything. Trust me."
    Those words pierce me through to my core. To have Ferro mansion staff witness this is embarrassing, but to have Pete hear it, is excruciating. My lips part and I can’t hide the way my lower lip trembles. I snap it shut, trying to hide my pain, but it’s too late.
    Pete grabs Anthony by the shoulder and lands a punch in his stomach, making me jump.
    "You shut the fuck up about Gina."
    "Anthony, please, just leave." My voice is trembling and weak. My hands hold onto the railing so hard that they are starting to hurt. I want him gone before any more damage can occur, but Pete doesn't stop his assault. He doesn't let Anthony reply or give him the chance to leave. He's lost all self-control. He pushes Anthony up against a wall and punches him over and over again, holding him up with his other hand.
    His fist connects with Anthony's face. A sickeningly loud crunch makes my stomach roil. It's the sound of bones breaking, and I scream, but no one listens. Pete lets Anthony fall to the ground on his knees, blood pouring out of his very crooked nose. His movements are slow and sluggish. He brings his hands to his face, not even trying to protect himself. Pete moves in and kicks him in the stomach. Anthony doubles over and falls onto the floor.
    Oh, my God! He's going to kill him if he doesn't stop. I run down the stairs and throw myself between them. “STOP!”
    I'm stuck in between Pete’s fury and his target, a sense of déjà vu taking over. I place my hands over his fist and look him straight in the eyes. "Please. Stop."
    Pete's gaze darts from me to Anthony.
    Chest heaving and his skin covered with a fine sheen of sweat, Pete drops his fist. “Move, Gina, and let me take care of this motherfucker. I saw what he did to you. I was there that night.”
    “No, I won’t move. And I was there too, remember?”
    “Why are you protecting him?” Pete is yelling, pointing towards Anthony who is slouched against the wall behind me.
    “I’m not." I blink back tears and try to keep my voice low and calm. "I’m not protecting him. I couldn’t care less about him. I’m protecting you .” I try to swallow but my throat has a lump in it that won’t move.
    Pete’s face contorts. It’s as if I insulted him. “That’s ridiculous. I can take on five guys like him, all at once.”
    Inhaling slowly, I let the air fill me up and calm me down. This isn’t the time to be cautious, but I can’t help it. It feels like my heart was trampled. I want to shove the remains in a box and retreat to my room, but I can’t. I can’t let Pete do this to himself. He doesn’t even see it.
    I press my lips together for a moment and find the right words. “I know you can, Peter. You are a badass fighter, but that’s not what I meant.”
    Whoops and hollers echo around the vast room. I turn around to see young Jonathan swinging himself over the banister of the stairs and landing a couple feet away from us, shirt unbuttoned and flying behind him like a superhero cape. “Hell yeah! Finally, some action in this house.”
    “Leave, Johnny," Pete scolds his younger brother, warning him off. "This doesn’t concern you.”
    Jonathan's face drops just a fraction of a second. I wouldn't have recognized it if it weren't for the fact that I've become accustomed to that feeling. It was there for the briefest of