“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll move your sorry ass.” I point at his face and feel nothing but disgust. And to think I was going to give him a chance. I attempt to slap his face, but he moves, and I miss.
“Cori, your mother deserves a chance to get out of that chair.” My dad’s voice forces me to lower my head in shame. He’s right.
“You’re right, Dad, she does.” I face him again. “Mr. Hunt should do it out of the goodness of his heart, not because he expects anything in return. Especially this.”
I feel tears pool in the back of my eyes. I feel shame at denying my mother this.
“Come back and sit down, please, honey,” he says. There’s a tremor in his voice and tears in his eyes. I’ve only seen my father cry twice in my life, and both times happened after my mother became injured. “He’s a good man, Cori. He’s well off and will take good care of you.”
Of course, that’s where he would go. Mom only worked part-time before she was hurt. Dad always saw himself as the provider, but I’m not looking for the same arrangement he had with my mom.
“I prefer to take care of myself,” I say without any emotion. “And I never want to get married. You know this. I’ve been saying it for years now.”
“I didn’t think you were serious. And I’m not old-fashioned. You and Dax can take care of each other.” He grabs both my hands in his. His palms are sweaty. “I would not ask this of you if—”
“Let’s not go down the list of what you’ve asked of me,” I snap. “Have Devin marry him. You’ve always said he and I look alike. If Dax wants me, maybe he’ll want Devin. Maybe it’s time your son did something for the family for a change.” I try to leave, but Dax stands behind me, blocking any escape. I kick his shin with the heel of my boot.
“Cori, that’s absurd.” Dad dabs his forehead again.
“I’m not gay, sweetheart. You should know that.”
Too angry to feel embarrassed in front of my dad, all I can do is hiss, “Shut the hell up.” Dad snatches my hand, and I try to pull away, but he holds on. “How do you know he’s a good man? He’s trying to buy a wife. Are you okay with me being with him? I’m sure he’s abusive and—”
“Now, wait a damn minute. I would never abuse a woman, least of all my wife,” Dax says with a raised voice.
“I’ll never find out, thank goodness, because I have no intention of being your anything, least of all your wife. The fucking audacity.” I snatch my hand from Dad and point at Dax’s face. “You think you can come here and bully me into doing something I don’t want to do? You have no fucking idea who you are messing with.”
“Cori, watch your language.”
I take a deep breath and focus on my father. “You’re trying to make me a main character in some warped dystopian society, and you think my language is an issue. Dad, this is insane. Thisis not the eighteen hundreds, and you can’t force me to marry a man I didn’t choose.”
“Cori, this is the only way. This isn’t about you or me. This is for your mother,” Dad implores.
“You want me to marry this stranger, and you don’t think it’s about me?”
Dad clears his throat. “Now, I know he’s not a stranger to you. He’s told me that you’ve spent time together.” He raises both eyebrows before he whispers, “You’ve spent many nights together. You’ve even met his mother, and that went well. That doesn’t sound like a stranger to me.” Dad wipes his forehead with the back of his hand while I glare at Dax, who stands there with a smug look on his face.
I stand so fast, my chair falls over. “You lied to my dad and told him weslepttogether?” I ask in disgust.
“Yes, except I didn’t lie. I want Lee to know that there’s a mutual attraction, and that we're compatible.”
“Do you think this is one of Selene’s historical romance books where I’ll be shamed into marrying you? You’re mad.” I gesture at him and clear my throat. “Not that I’d ever touch you with a ten-foot pole, but whoever I decide to sleep with is my choice. You’re not going to shame me for it.”
“You’ve touched me with your hands and mouth, Bella. Don’t play a fucking game you can’t win.” I gasp at his crass words, but I can’t think of a quick rebuttal.
“You damn liar.” Those are the only words I can form.
“Look, I’m a modern man,” my dad begins. “I’m not here to judge—”
“Dad, he’s lying,” I maintain. “Are you going to believe this psycho who is trying to buy a wife or the daughter you’ve raised?”
“Psycho?” Dax asks, clearly offended. “Who are you calling psycho?”
“You. Certified nutcase. Call the men in the white coats and put your ass in a padded cell because that’s where you belong. You don’t deserve to be out in society,” I toss out. “Clearly, women are not safe with you around.”
“You’re not qualified to make that kind of diagnosis,” Dax snaps. “And you were more than safe all the times you were with me. What about all the times you followed me? You weren’t afraid then, were you?”
“Did you hear that, Dad?” I point at Dax. “He just called me uneducated and ignorant. That’s verbal abuse. He’s already started trying to whittle down my self-esteem. That’s the gateway to all kinds of abuse, and I’m not about to do twenty to life for murder. I’m done here.”
