AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Owen Dalton,” my father muses quietly, his eyes moving to the exit before coming back to me. Then his gaze focuses on my neck. “I’m not sure how I feel about… all of this.”
My hand flies to my throat to brush the leather there. A deep blush creeps up my cheeks. In my rush, I completely forgot to take it off. But with a strength of will I didn’t know I possessed, I bunch up my hand and force it into my lap.
“I’m happy,” I tell him. I’m still working on more, maybe even an apology for rubbing this lifestyle in my father’s face.
But he flicks his fingers dismissively. “Then I’m happy.”
Surprise widens my eyes. “Really?”
“I received a call from your mother this morning.”
Shock puts a lump in my throat. “Oh…”
Father looks down, his bushy eyebrows twitching as if he’s working through a complex equation. “The bank sent her a notification this morning. That money she gave him”—Dad’s eyes dart up to mine—“it was wired back into her account yesterday.”
It feels like someone’s poured cold water down my back. My first instinct is to ask something stupid like, “Are you sure?” but I fight the impulse.
“I-I see.”
Father toys with the mug that used to contain tea. “It came from a different account, but it was the exact same amount, same reference number, everything.” My father’s eyebrows draw together. “Do you know anything about this?”
I don’t. Not a single thing. But I can put the pieces together. It can’t be a coincidence that Brent turned up at The Dancing Fox the same night the money was wired back into my mother’s account.
Now I wish Owen was here, because with one look into his eyes I’d be able to confirm my suspicion.
“I guess Brent realized he couldn’t get away with it,” I say, trying not to fidget.
“But he already had. You said you weren’t going to press charges, Evie.” There’s a change in my father’s voice. He waslividwhen I told him I refused to testify against Brent. Oh, he said he understood, but to him, I was standing in the way of justice.
As if Brent would have served time. He had enough connections in the city to make a rape charge disappear, especially since it was his word against mine. In fact, if I’d tried to open a case, he’d probably have sent the detectives that video… and that would have been the end of that. Because despite what actually happened, itlookslike I’m having the time of my life.
It was one of the things that drove a wedge between me and my family. Mother thought I didn’t go to the police because I was lying to them about being raped. Father couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t put everything on record and get justice for what had happened.
I just wanted it to end.
“Something must have happened,” my father presses. “You know you can always talk to me, Evie.”
I throw my hands up. “Maybe he found God.”
Dad gives me a rueful smile. “Funny you should say that…”
My stomach goes cold. “Why?”
Father eyes me for a second as he swirls the last of his tea around in the mug. “Your mother says the church received a very generous donation from his family yesterday, along with a handwritten note of apology for leading you into temptation. It mentions the drugs, the video tape, the money… everything.”
Dad drains his cup as I struggle to process the news.
“Wow.”
“Wow, indeed.” He sets the mug aside and leans in, lacing his fingers together. “It’s enough to put him away for what he did, Evie. Are you still going to tell me you don’t want to have him charged?”
I stare at my father for the longest time, my heart pounding fiercely in my chest. I don’t know if I have the courage to do it, especially now that it feels like I’ve finally moved on with my life. But, at the same time, I owe it to my parents to do the right thing. If I open a case against Brent and get a rape charge to stick, then he’d have a permanent mark on his name. If he ever tried to do it again, he’d be facing serious jail time.
But what are the chances he hires a fancy lawyer and gets everything dropped? I’ve heard of these types of cases getting turned on their head, where the girl is then sued for defamation of character or some bullshit.
That wouldwreckme. It would wreck my parents. And what the hell would Owen do if something like that went public?
I can’t risk it.
