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“We were attacked by one of the guards we didn’t know was there,” Declan explains. “Harrold, her father’s head of security, helped us get away.”
“Oh shit, are you hurt? Did he hurt you?” Wes’s voice fills with panic, his brown eyes warm, sincere.
“No, I’m fine…it’s just something Harrold said that has me confused,” I admit. A large hand finds mine and engulfs my smaller one in warmth and comfort as soon as the words are out. I move my gaze to Declan’s and find him staring directly at me.
“We’ll figure it out, Jessa. If there is an answer out there, then we’ll find it for you,” Declan promises, and I give him a weak smile in return. The brothers finding me that night was a godsend, as much as it was a terror.
The rest of the drive the brothers remain silent, and I’m more than grateful for it. I have too many questions and emotions swirling around inside my head right now to focus on an actual conversation. I’m so lost in thought trying to come up with all my own questions for my father that I don’t even realize we’ve made it home until Trey parks the car and kills the engine. We all sit inside the car for another moment, the sound of our breathing the only thing being heard.
“Why don’t we take you upstairs before we get your father out of the back?” Wes suggests, interrupting the silence.
“No, I want to be with you guys when you interrogate him.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Princess,” Declan says, his features darkening, and I know he is right. Even after everything, I don’t think I can stomach to see him being hurt.
“You’re right, but I want to talk to him before you guys do anything. I want to be there when he wakes up and I want to ask him some questions of my own. I know you guys have your own agenda with him, but I need closure too.”
Trey twists around in his seat. “Whatever you want, we will give it to you. We just don’t want you there when it comes time to kill him. You don’t need to see that.”
Warmth encompasses me. Even with them wanting to exact their revenge, they also want to protect me. But they don’t need to protect me. They don’t need to protect me from the dark anymore, because I would gladly walk through it with them. I would go anywhere that they are. I would go through anything to be with them.
“Let’s do this,” Wes says and gets out of the car first. We all follow suit, but even as they open the back hatch and my father’s face comes into view, all I can think about is my mother and all the unknowns that surround her death.
I never thought to ask those questions but that changes today.
∞∞∞
I stare at my father’s face as he opens his eyes. He immediately panics, trying to get up from the chair he’s tied to, but there isn’t any chance in hell that’s happening. Wes used his boy scout skills and tied him down without an inch of wiggle room.
“Jessa, sweetheart, untie me,” he coos. “Let’s get out of here. Away from these monsters.”
I try to keep the emotions off my face, pulling on my inner Declan. I don’t want him to know how much this affects me, how much he hurt me.
“Tell me about Mom’s accident,” I order, ignoring his request to untie him.
“I’ll tell you everything you want to know if you release me.” I bite the inside of my cheek, the copper taste of blood filling my mouth.
“No. Today, you’re going to pay for all that you’ve done.”
Anger overtakes his previously calm features, the darkness inside him finally showing itself. “You are just as much of a con artist as your mother was. I fucking knew it from the moment I saw those videos. You were enjoying it. When did they get to you? How long have you been planning this, huh?”
“I didn’t plan anything. They really did kidnap me. They thought I was like you. They wanted to hurt me because of you. They thought they could hurt you by hurting me, but then they realized that you didn’t care about me.” I pause for a moment, sucking in a calming breath.
“Did you ever care…did…did you ever love me?” My voice cracks at the end, emotions overcoming me.
“I did love you once, just like I loved your mother. Then I found out that it was all a lie. You can be glad that I didn’t find out you weren’t my daughter until years later.” His words hit me like a ton of bricks. I am so shocked I find that I’m actually taking a step backward.
“What?” I gasp.
“Your mom cheated on me throughout our entire marriage. I should have known when I caught her in the act, but the man she had an affair with was a part of the security team then, and he had only worked for me for a few months. It didn’t occur to me that your mom was a slut before then. I’m not sure how many men she had slept with before him. I guess we’ll never know.” The smile on his lips makes my stomach churn.
