Chapter 5 Badass Daughter

"Any news about Janet?" Connor's gaze settled on Alex, one of his most trusted men.

"We are still trying to find out who is behind this. Do you have anyone in mind?"

"I have yet to reconcile myself with the notion that our territory was violated, and we were attacked. Who would be brave enough to stand up against us?" With the help of the hospital bed, Connor managed to stand on his feet.

"This must be Marco. Our soldier accidentally killed his brother while we stopped his gang from selling drugs in our territory. It is him. He's seeking revenge against us. I was his target, but my daughter fell prey in his hands!" His jaws clenched tightly, and his eyes burned with anger.

Seizing the opportunity, Alex asked the question that had been racing through his mind. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you keep your daughter a secret for so long? If we had been aware of her existence, we would have ensured her safety."

Connor's black eyes narrowed as he focused on him. "I do mind answering your question, Alex! It's in your best interest to avoid meddling in my personal affairs." He stared out the window, watching the leaves rustling in the wind. "I'm your boss and I'm not answerable to anyone!" He barked, his voice filled with frustration at the danger her daughter was in.

"Not even to me?" Breaking the silence of the room, a voice caught Connor's attention, and he turned towards the door. "I'm your boss. Does that make you answerable to me?" Anton looked into his eyes and saw a flicker of despair, but his typical cold demeanour swiftly replaced it.

"Boss," Connor pressed his lips and took a step towards him.

Anton's attention was drawn to his bandaged shoulder before he looked up to see Alex behind Connor. "Leave us alone." The words left his lips, and Alex left the room, the sound of the door shutting punctuating his exit.

"Now, can you share more about your past and perhaps shed some light on your daughter that you may have missed mentioning before?"

Connor swallowed hard. "She's not worth mentioning. You shouldn't have bothered to return from Australia. I can handle everything here."

Anton reached forward and put his hand on Connor's other shoulder. "Three years ago, you endangered your own life to rescue mine. When the bullet hit my chest, I could feel my life slipping away, but then you appeared and saved me. You exposed my capo, who planned to riddle my body with bullets. It goes without saying that I had to come back to save your daughter! It's a payback."

Connon acknowledged with a nod before his eyes shifted to the floor. His mind wandered to his daughter, and he couldn't help but shiver at the thought of the brutality she must be facing because of him.

"Our focus should be on consignment and strengthening ties with Stallions." He looked resolute as he gazed up at Anton.

"Why did you keep your daughter a secret?" Anton interrupted him, and Connor paused, inhaling deeply before responding.

"I wanted to keep her away. She was too much for me to handle, so I gave up on her."

"Where is her mother? Is your wife alive? What else are you keeping from me?" Anton's voice was deep and authoritative as he spoke.

"I loved my wife, but she cheated on me, so I...." Connor pressed his lips. "I killed her."

"You, what?" Connor's answer took Anton completely off guard. He was cognizant of his brutality and lack of mercy but was unaware of his capacity to murder his wife.

Connor responded with a nod. "She deserved it!" He gazed intently into his eyes, without a trace of remorse for his actions. "I thought I could get rid of those haunting memories of finding her with another man in my bed. But every time Janet cried, and I had to pick her in my arms, her face didn't let me forget those memories. It was as if my wife was still alive and looking at me through her amber eyes. Whenever she giggled, it felt like a sharp pain in my chest, as if my wife was mocking me with her laughter." His voice was sharp, filled with resentment and loathing.

"So, I gave her up at the adoption centre. However, my cousin and her husband turned up her saviour and adopted her."

Anton stared at him, taking in every word of his remorseless confession. "So why are you concerned now if she is kidnapped?" He couldn't help but ask. "You should be happy she is gone!"

"I have already punished her for her mother's mistake. Now I want her out of my sight and life, but I don't wish bad upon her."

"She made a mistake by coming back. Because she is my daughter, they took her captive, and it is my responsibility to set her free."

Anton opened his mouth to speak, but their conversation was abruptly interrupted when Alex hurriedly walked inside. "Boss, you're right! Marco wants to speak with you."

Connor quickly snatched the phone. "Put it on speaker," Anton mouthed in a whisper.

***

~ JANET ~

"Let me go!" I cried out in terror as they threw me onto the freezing floor of the dungeon, and I observed the silhouettes of five towering figures looming over me in the dim, wavering light.

"Let's make a call to her dear father, Connor Blair, and check if he will save his daughter."

One of them crouched down and sneered intimately close to my face. "Marco," Clutching my knees to my chest, I learned his name as his gang member passed him a mobile phone.

The moment Dad picked up his phone, he switched it to speaker mode. As soon as I opened my mouth, one of them clamped down on it, silencing me with a firm grip. "Where is my daughter?" My father's voice carried a sense of desperation.

"What's the hurry, Connor?" Marco laughed evilly. "Your daughter is safe with me. My mates and I will take good care of her."

"Touch her and I'll bury you alive. Stop the fucking nonsense and keep your dirty hands off my daughter. How much money to release her?"

Marco's face fell, and I heard a soft sigh escape his lips. "You don't sound like a helpless father. I thought you would beg me for her life! You spoiled the fun!"

"Marco, how much?"

As I listened to my father's anxious voice, I couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort knowing that he still cared about me and that the little confidence in me was sure that he would do anything to rescue me from this place.

"I want the diamonds that you're sending to the Stallion Bratva!"

"Are you fucking kidding me? Do you even know the worth of those rare diamonds? Fucking one billion!"

Marco snickered. "If you're willing to see your daughter again, just do as I say or forget she ever existed." The sound of their sinister voices sent a wave of fear down my back. "Will you choose your daughter, or will your loyalty to Anton Genovese prevail?" He taunted.

"You have but a minute to make a choice!" He finished the call and glared at me with murderous eyes.

"I pity you. Out of all the men in the world, you chose Connor to be your father!"

I struggled against the man who had sealed my mouth until I could break free and retort. Gradually, the fog in my mind lifted as the drugs wore off, and my confidence returned. "Pity yourself! Because he won't spare you now."

"Oh, really?"

I lifted my eyebrow in a defiant challenge. "Uncuff my hands and I will show you why exactly I was chosen to be his daughter! Just be a man enough and fight with me alone without your wolves." My eyes quickly darted to the other four figures before returning to him, and they all seemed to be taken aback by my words.

"I don't fight with women!" Marco's face twisted into a sneer. "Unless it's a bed. I love to tame them." He winked at me.

"That's because you know you don't stand a chance against them outside the bedroom!" I glared at him. "You guys are five and my hands are still cuffed. I like fear!"

"Time's up!" I heard the phone ringing again, and my father finally answered it. "So, have you decided?" Marco asked.

"What you're asking is too much! We can't give you the diamonds."

My heart leapt into my throat as he answered. The sparkle of diamonds held more allure to him than the beating of my heart. Marco gave me a mischievous smile as he looked up at me. "Even if I cut her into small pieces and send her back to you?"

"She's all yours to do as you please. However, if you want money in exchange for her. Call me back."

The call ended and so did my hope that my father would do anything to save me. Despite the threat of harm, my father remained loyal to the Genovese family and made the decision that left me to face the consequences of their wrath.

Marco gritted his teeth. He slapped me so hard that I fell to the ground, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth.

"No!" My screams filled the air as the man injected me with a drug, and everything started to fade slowly until the last thing I saw was the door of the dungeon closing.

***

"Goodness gracious! What have you done?" Connor grimaced as Anton's sharp bark echoed through the room. "I explicitly asked you to say yes to them! What about your daughter now? What if she is subjected to their cruelty?"

"Janet is to blame for coming here without my permission. Now she is going to reap the consequences of her actions. We spent an entire year smuggling those diamonds, and if we betray Stallions, he'll make sure we regret it. The consignment will be dispatched on schedule, and I will take it to Stallion myself."

Connor maintained a stoic expression on his face as he stood before Anton, showing no signs of remorse for his actions. "Alright, what about Janet?" Anton asked.

"I hope Marcos understands that the best choice he has is to contact me and exchange money for my daughter."

"They might kill her, Connor!" Anton glared at him. "Do you believe they would set Janet free if you pretended that diamonds meant more to you than she did? What if the reverse psychology fails and instead of setting her free, they end up harming or killing her?"

"Then it is her fate to be sacrificed for the Genovese. I did what was within my control. No matter the situation, I will not go against the Genovese. I can't put the Genovese family in danger. Going against Stallion would spell disaster for us, and we can't afford it until you announce our next Mafia King!"

"It's my order, Connor. Do as I say!" Anton voiced in a high-pitched inflexion.

"No. I cannot follow your order!" Connon retorted with such vehemence that Anton was rendered speechless. "Whether it's Stallion or any other mobster, my soldiers are the first line of defence to reach you. I cannot endanger the lives of soldiers. I am sorry." He turned and walked out of the room with Alex trailing him.

As soon as the door closed, Anton felt a wave of shock wash over him as he stood there, staring at it in disbelief, trying to comprehend Connor's decision. In a matter of minutes, his disposition towards Marco went from wanting to bury him alive to leaving his daughter vulnerable in his hands.

Lighting his cigarette, Anton walked to the window. He took a deep drag from his cigarette, taking in the sight of the trees dancing in the cool breeze. He blew the smoke out in a series of rings and then reached for his phone, calling someone up.

"Sebastian, I believe it's time for you to come back now. And it should be nothing short of impressive as you promised."