Page 68 of Merciless King

You think you can get away that easy, you adulterous whore? Just wait until I file a lawsuit against your lover for attacking me in my own home. We’ll see if you still want a divorce when they grant me custody of your daughter.

Blinding rage surges through me as I stare at the note from Gabriel “That mother fucker!” I look up at Tony. “What is this?”

Tony sighs heavily. "Gabriel is threatening to take the girl from her mother. He's claiming Piper is with a dangerous man who assaulted him. He's refusing to sign the divorce papers unless Piper agrees to give him full custody of the girl."

White hot rage surges through my veins. I slam my fist down on the desk, making Tony jump. How dare that abusive piece of shit threaten to take my daughter! My daughter!

“He can’t do that. I’m her father.” I start pacing, hands fisted at my sides. I’ve half a mind to drive over to his house and end his pathetic life right now. Yes, Piper wants to handle this the legal way, but fuck that. I should have killed Gabriel when I had the chance. It’s clear he’s not going to stop coming after what's mine until he's six feet under. No one will miss the abusive dick. Piper and Elysse would be safe. They wouldn't ever have to live in fear again…

I realize Tony hasn’t said anything. “What? You think he can take Elysse? He’s an abusive slime.”

Tony nods. “I’m sure he is, but he’s been acting as her father for years now. Plus, unless you have a DNA test proving you’re the father, you don’t have much of a claim.”

“He nearly killed her.”

“But there is no proof. No photos. No police reports. I’ve looked. Not just here, but in England too.”

Fucking hell. I need to take pictures of Piper’s injuries. They’re fading, but not gone. I need to have the doctor write up something attesting to her injuries. Plus, Matteo was there. He saw Gabriel with his hands around Piper’s neck.

“I can get photos?—”

“A week after the fact? His lawyer will argue that you put them there.”

“Except she’ll say differently.”

Tony sighs. “She’ll say anything to keep her child.”

I scoff. “You haven’t met Piper. She’s the one trying to do this all the nice way.” Ugh! “Son of a bitch!”

Tony lets me vent for a moment. Finally, I turn to him. “So you're telling me that piece of shit has a shot at taking my daughter because Piper was too scared to report what he did to her?"

"I'm saying the courts put weight on documented history and established guardianship. With Piper only recently leaving Gabriel and no concrete proof of long-term abuse… Gabriel could argue she's being vindictive and that you're a dangerous influence. A judge might grant him temporary custody or at least visitation until a full trial sorts it out."

A growl rumbles in my chest. Over my dead body will Gabriel get his hands on my family again. I'll put a bullet between his eyes myself before I let that happen. No. I’ll choke the life out of him like he tried to do to Piper.

"Find a way to block his custody claim," I order Tony sharply. "I don't care what it takes. Hire a private investigator to look into that fucker. Bribe the judge if you have to. But that bastard is never getting near Piper or Elysse again. Understand?"

Tony nods solemnly. "I'll do everything in my power. I promise you that. But Elio, you need to keep a clear head here. Don’t do anything that will make things worse for you."

He’s telling me not to kill Gabriel. I won’t promise that.

“You’ve got your family back. You don’t want to have to go to jail?—”

“Then you fix this.”

He nods and leaves my office.

I grab my gun and put on my coat, heading down to the garage. Gabriel thinks he’s won, but he hasn’t. I almost feel sorry for him. He doesn’t know the heap of hurt he’s just brought down on himself.

25

PIPER

Isit at the beautiful mahogany desk in a sitting room Elio said was once his mother’s. He’s given me a laptop to use so I can figure out who I’ll be moving forward. The task is more daunting than I imagined. I can barely remember who I was before I was ripped away from Elio and moved to another country. I had once thought I’d be a journalist, but the media landscape has changed so much that I don’t know if it’s a good choice now.

Maybe I could do something around domestic violence. Become a counselor or something. But that feels a little disingenuous. Yes, I was a victim, but my escape was easy compared to others’. I didn’t go to a shelter. I haven’t had to worry about finding a job, a home, and feeding my child.

I don't know where to start as I stare at the search engine with the cursor blinking in the search box. With no new ideas, I type in words related to journalism. Job prospects aren’t so bad, but competition is tight and favors those with new media skills. I don’t have those.