“Why are you doing this?” Pepper cries, wiping tears away quickly. “My mom is in the hospital. It’s my fault, and she needs me.”
“Call her.” I glance toward Nathan. “Call her mother and prove she’s in the hospital.”
The lanky, slimeball of a bastard narrows his brows and laughs under his breath. “I don’t have to prove anything to you. You’re a violent asshole who thinks he can get what he wants with intimidation. I won’t play that game.”
“Right.” I fire a shot into the air and nod toward him again. “Here’s how this is gonna go. You’re going to pick up that fancy fucking phone and you’re going to put it on speaker. Then you’re going to call her mother. If she picks up and tells everyone she’s in the hospital,I’lltake Pepper to see her mom. If you’re full of shit, I’m going to watch the life in your body drain slowly right here in the goddamn driveway.”
Pepper stiffens, and Ihatethat she’s in the middle of all this, but she needs to know the truth. Nathan is a manipulative fuck.
“We should call Mom,” she says toward Nathan. “I want to hear her voice.”
The asshole draws in a heavy breath and lets it out slowly before putting his hands in the air. “I’m just going to get my phone, hillbilly. Don’t shoot me.”
I cock the gun and aim it straight at his head, holding it there as he dials her mother. Hell, even Charlie picks up on the shit vibes in the air. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him growl, and he’s going to town.
“You can put that thing down and put your fuckin’ horse away,” Nathan groans. “You’re scaring Pepper.”
Right, I’m scaringPepper.
The last thing I want in this whole world is to scare that little girl, but right now, whether she likes it or not, I’m protecting her. Plus, Pepper doesn’t look that scared. It’s the asshole I’m scaring.
The line rings four times, and no one answers. He hangs up. “She’s probably in with the doctors.” He tucks his phone back into his pocket.
“Bullshit. Dial the number again. This time, let it ring until the voicemail picks up.” A crack of thunder rolls in the distance.
“We’re wasting time! It’s over an hour drive to the Springs. Her mother could die in surgery. You’re robbing the girl you claim you care for of the last moments she could ever have with her mother? Haven’t you stolen enough already?”
I grip the barrel of the gun tighter and grin through my teeth. “These aren’t the last months she’ll have, because you’re full of shit. Dial the number again. Prove me wrong.”
“I’ll call her,” Pepper says, taking Nathan’s phone from his hand. She dials the number, her knees shaking as she waits.
“Hello?” The voice on the other end of the line is groggy. “Nathan? Is everything okay?”
“Mom, it’s Pepper. Where are you?”
“Where am I? Honey, I’m at home… in bed. The sun’s not even up yet. Where are you? Are you with Nathan because that was the right choice, sweetheart?”
Pepper holds the phone in her hand and draws her gaze toward Nathan slowly.
I knew this fuck was a liar!
“I’m good, Mom. Just had a bad dream and wanted to make sure you were okay. I’ll be over in a bit. Love you.” She hangs up the line and backs away from her ex-fiancé. “Where were you going to take me?”
He lowers his head, the wind pushing his tie to the side as lightning flashes. “I’m sorry it had to be this way, Pepper, but you’re not thinking straight. I needed a way to get out of here, and this was the only thing I could think of that would get you moving.”
“A lie about my mom possibly dying? That’s all you could think of? That’s so messed up.”
“I was going to tell you the truth when you were in the car.”
She narrows her brows and shakes her head as rain begins to fall. “You told me you paid for fancy doctors and got her a special room. You’re,” she huffs out a response, “you’rebothcrazy.”
“No.” I laugh and step down the stairs slowly, my girl in my vision, the asshole a blur beside her. “Look at Daddy.”
“Daddy?” Nathan laughs. “What the fuck?”
I ignore him and hold my gaze on Pepper, her long, dark hair blowing back in the breeze as her eyes meet mine reluctantly.
“We were happy. Nothing’s changed.”
