He settles in front of the camera and smiles before his mouth turns to a straight line. My heart pounds so hard it’s likely to come out of my chest.
“Jenn or maybe Harper.” His voice is deep and sparks something inside me. A feeling of safety and comfort, but I don’t recognize it otherwise. “Fuck, I hope it’s one of you that finds this. I’m going to assume it’s you, Jenny, because I can’t even think of my five-year-old finding this.” He runs a hand through his shaggy blond hair and then over his red-tinted beard.
“If this is you, Harper, go run and fetch Mommy and tell her she’s raising a genius like I knew you’d be.” His smile is genuine and a little sad. “But if either of you come across this video, it means I didn’t come home and didn’t get to erase it because everything went fine.”
He looks down and blows out a breath. My heart clenches and tears well in my eyes.
When he looks up, it’s an expression I know I make when I’ve decided on something.
“Jenn... Fuck, I’m sorry if this ends with you alone with our girl.” He shakes his head. “All I’ve ever wanted was to protectyou and Harper. Everything I’ve ever done was to get out of this town with you and make sure it doesn’t try to drag us back again.”
Eli takes my hand and Caden takes my other. I rest against Jack and just absorb their strength. We’re trying to do the same thing. Will it backfire on us too? Or can we really make it out of here? Together?
“There’s this meeting. Robert told me about it. He wants this to end too. They’ve taken it too far.”
Jack sucks in a breath, but he doesn’t stop the recording. Robert is his father.
“We met a few days ago. I figured out about the drug running happening at the hospital from what you told me, but he told me about the girls. He also told me you help those women when you can. Sorry, Jenn, I know you’ve been doing what you can. I know you probably made a deal with the devil himself to help them. I’ve always loved your big heart.”
Caden squeezes my hand. I’m just absorbing this person who is my parent. The one I don’t remember. It makes my heart clench to think I don’t remember him. That this might be my only memory of him.
“I know the devil you bargained with because I bargained with him too. First for you. Then for us. I’m sorry if he found a way to use that against you, but I know you. I know how strong you are and I know you’ll give our little girl your strength.”
His eyes are watery, but he doesn’t let a tear slip. Instead, he inhales and straightens.
“Tonight, the final three are meeting. They’re discussing losing Cam, but they’re also discussing their business strategy from now on without the other two. If I can catch them on film, that’s our ticket out. But if they catch me...”
His brown eyes take a far off look. A tear slips down my cheek for this man I could have known. If he’d been alive, he never would have let things go this far.
“Here’s the thing.” He refocuses on the screen, and it’s like he’s looking right into my soul. “I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you. I knew you were mine, Jenn. But the devil spotted you too. He waited, but I had something on him even back then. It was small and almost useless to us now, but then it would have blown him up.”
My father smiles and there’s a little devious light in his eyes. “I had to keep digging, keep uncovering the things he left behind to stay a step ahead of him. So he couldn’t use me to get to you. He knows I have something that will go off if he ever tries anything with you.”
He leans forward with his elbows on his knees and grins. “I may not have a lot of friends, but the ones I have are almost as powerful as William Foster.”
What? My gaze goes to the kitchen door.
“If you’re seeing this, you might think I’ve left you, but I haven’t stopped protecting you. I haven’t stopped loving you wherever I am. My friend will make sure William stays away from you and Harper. If you find this, Jenn, and I’ve been gone, I’m probably not making it back to you this time.”
A tear chases down his cheek and he swipes it away. “Fuck, I hope everything goes fine. Erasing this shit is a priority. Getting back home to you and Harper is my top priority. My only priority. Okay, logistics time. They’re meeting at the old quarry. I’m heading there early to find a place to set up and watch. I’m taking the HD digital recorder. I downloaded your videos on my laptop for safekeeping though.”
He smiles and scrubs his hand over his face. “Okay. The real shit. Harper. Fuck. You’re so bright and curious. Don’t let anyone dim that light, baby. If a boy asks you out, you kick himin the balls or throat punch him. No one will ever be worthy to date you.”
He cocks his eyebrow. “Get good grades. Listen to your mother. She’s the smartest person I’ve ever met. If you prefer girls, I’m all for that. Boys are gross.” He smirks. “You take care of your mom. Sometimes that big heart of hers will get her into trouble and she needs someone to help her out of it. You can do that for me, can’t you, Harper?”
He stops and takes a breath before mumbling, “Fuck, I don’t want to do this.”
He lifts his gaze. “Jenn.”
“Pause it, Jack.”
Jack hits the pause and I wipe at my eyes and cheeks. My emotions are bleeding all over the place here.
I turn to look at Jack. “Can you connect us with my mom so she can see this? I don’t want to watch this without her.”
He pulls over his laptop and pulls up the chat, sliding it in front of me.
Me:
