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I guess that meant Bones had been right about my family—all along.
“Your actions are directly responsible for all the bad shit that happened to me,” Bones said. “It pissed me off for a long time. But I’ve put aside my anger because it’s not important anymore. I know what my father did was wrong. He got what was coming to him. Now it’s over. He’s the only one to blame for my misfortune. Let’s put the past where it belongs and start over. I want your daughter, and I’m willing to do anything to make that happen. You don’t have to like me, but I need you to accept me. Vanessa needs you to accept me.”
I didn’t think Bones should be so honest, but when he put all his cards on the table, it made him less of a threat. His transparency made him more likable, even trustable. He also didn’t take a beating from my family like another man would. He held his side of the argument, proving he was a man who could stand up against all adversity. There was a small light of hope inside me, a small belief that this might actually work.
My father and uncle were just as stoic as before, absorbing everything Bones said but giving nothing in return. They didn’t communicate with each other in his presence, their secrets concealed behind their eyes.
When the conversation didn’t continue, Bones spoke again. “I’m willing to suffer your scrutiny, completely forsake my privacy, to be given a real chance. I love Vanessa, and she loves me. It’s not the kind of love that started the first time we saw each other. It took a very long time to build, and while we pretended to hate each other, that love grew against our will. We’ve tried living apart. She’s tried moving on from me. We’re stuck together like glue. Don’t try to tear us apart. The second you let go, we’ll snap back together.”
My father was quiet, the gun untouched beside him. Dressed in black with dark hair, he looked like a member of the mob. My father was always warm and affectionate when I was around, but now I saw the sinister side of him. He was cold and cruel just the way Bones was. They were a lot alike…which would probably make them hate each other more. “Get out of my house. Come back, and I’ll shoot you.”
I closed my eyes at the death threat, the hope squeezing from my chest like someone had their fingers wrapped around my throat. I felt my eyes water, heartbroken that this was my father’s decision. “Father, that’s not fair—”
He didn’t look at me as he spoke. “We’ll talk about this later. Get him out of here. I’m keeping the gun.”
I sat still in my chair, unable to believe this was really happening, that this was the final verdict. I understood why my father didn’t like Bones, but to be so hateful to not even give it a chance…disappointed me.
“Vanessa,” my father said coldly. “You heard what I said.”
I sniffed as I stood up. My eyes moved to Bones, and he wore the same hard expression he wore all the time. But there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, not because he hadn’t convinced my family to give him a chance, but because this hurt me so much. He was immune to pain, but not when it was my pain.
I came to his back and unlocked the handcuffs.
Bones rose to his feet.
My father did the same, leaving the shotgun on the table. “I may have made my fortune in the underworld, but I’m a respectable and hardworking man now. My business is clean. Vanessa comes from a good family, a line of strong men and women who never give up. She’s noble, smart, beautiful…she’s royalty. You…” My father looked him over like he wasn’t impressed. “You’re trash. Trash that belongs in the dumpster along with your mother’s corpse.”
I took a deep breath when the insult hit me. It was like a bullet to the stomach. I bled out everywhere, feeling my heart beat faster to compensate for the lost blood. The taunt was so cold, so cruel, I couldn’t believe it came from my father’s mouth. It was wrong, disgusting. It hurt me because I knew how much it hurt Bones.
Bones didn’t react at all, keeping his arms by his sides and forcing his hands not to form fists. His breathing escalated, and his gaze turned ice-cold. If my father were anyone else, Bones would kill him with his bare hands. He kept his rage in check for me…and only for me. He clenched his jaw while his nostrils flared, fighting the anger that circulated in his veins. The only reason he didn’t turn into a beast was because it would hurt me…so he let the verbal slap go. “That shotgun only has two bullets. That wouldn’t be enough to stop me. You might be able to get one shot in me before I could get to you, but trust me, one bullet isn’t enough. I would know…I’ve been shot five times. The only reason I’m letting you live is because I love your daughter. But if you were anyone else, you’d be dead right now. Family is important to you, and it’s just as important to me. My mother was an innocent woman. She didn’t share my father’s brutality. She doesn’t deserve your disrespect—and you know it.” He turned to the doorway, exposing his back to my father, like he was daring him to pull the trigger.
