Page 50 of Ruthless Deliverance

45

DANI

“Heading out tonight?” Philip asks, stepping into the formal living area.

“Wasn’t planning on it.” I keep focused on the movie as Philip takes a seat on the other end of the sofa.

“You didn’t go to the game last night either. So, how are we gonna find the source watching TV?”

“Finding the source would be easier if I had all the details.” Then maybe I could piece all this shit together. So far, the only conclusion I’ve come to is that I’m screwed.

“You have the ones you need.”

“I need off the case.” Truth. “Have someone else come in. Someone who won’t mind running headfirst into a situation blind. Because that’s not me.”

“What’s this really about?” I remain silent as he takes a guess and asks, “Did something happened with Creed?”

A lot. “Nope. But I’m sure your spy filled you in on that.” One of the three—Garbo, JR, or Creed. Pick one.

The doorbell rings, pulling both of our attention away from the futile conversation that wasn’t going anywhere. What’s strange is there’s not many people who would be on our doorstep.

Philip motions for me to stay back as he moves to the door, squinting out the peephole. He stays in place for a minute before giving me a tight expression. “I need you to trust me when I say, keep the details of the case to yourself.” He pulls open the door and out of all the people I’d expected, the last one is standing there. Dad. My real dad.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Philips bitches as my dad steps past him and into the house. “I told you to call me if you needed anything, dropping by is gonna blow everything.”

“It already is. An informant sought me out to report two undercovers at Sacred Creed Academy in the form of a student and a teacher.”

“Who told you that?” Philip asks, but I fear I know. It had to be Creed. Who else would it be? But how would he know Dad other than from digging into my past?

“None of your concern. This is over. Danica, come with me.”

“No. She stays here,” Philip interjects, stepping between my dad and me. My mind swirls as I see the two square off against each other. “I have it under control. Tell me who it is.”

“It’s no longer your job. I’ve got it from here.” Dad goes to step around Philip but Philip counters, lifting his hand to shove Dad back. When Dad looks to Philip, there’s pure shock covering his face. And I’m just as dumbfounded. They’ve never been great buds, but they were partners.

“What’s going on?” I ask, but neither answer. They just remain in a deadlock stare. “Tell me what the hell is going on.”

“You’re not safe here,” Dad says, glancing to me.

Philip responds with a blaring shout. “Bullshit! She’s safer here than with you. It was you all along.” Philip shifts enough to keep a watch on Dad, but glances back to me. “Please believe me when I say you’re better off here. I’ll tell you everything. The truth. Trust me, Dani.”

“I’m your father. Why would I do anything to hurt you, Dani?”

Dani. Dad never calls me Dani. Usually Danica, or even Ava sometimes, but never by the nickname almost every other person in my world refers to me as.

Gus. Out of all the chaotic shouts happening around me, I hear him calling me Dani girl. I hear him telling me to trust no one until I know who I can trust. And I believe in Gus. So that’s who I’m putting my faith in.

“No. I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but I’m not in it, and I won’t be trusting either of you.”

“He’s blackmailing you, Dani. He used me to get you here, didn’t he? Now he’s trying to turn you against me,” Dad says.

“You framed her,” Philip accuses, advancing on him. “You were gonna let her take the fall for all of it.” Suddenly, Philip swings in my direction. “I’ll show you the report. The real one. The one your father falsified. The one he wrote up that names you as the officer accessing the evidence room where lots of things have grown legs and walked off.”

“Are you really gonna try to persuade her that I’d do that to my own daughter?”

I can’t believe what either of them are saying. Taking off up the stairs, I flee into my room. I can still hear Dad and Philip engaged in their yelling match, and I don’t care to stick around. Because getting away from the both of them is the best option at this point. Grabbing my keys, I tuck my phone into my waistband and head out to the balcony connected to my room. There’s no access to the below patio but climbing down seems like a better option than facing the two downstairs.

Philip—I want to believe him. But he’s been lying to me.