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In the few days I’d worked for my father, he’d already sucked so much life out of me. If I kept on, there’d be nothing left. And that was exactly what he wanted.
His nostrils flared as if he could read my mind. “If you break your end of our deal, you’ll force me to break mine.”
“You would anyway.” I couldn’t stand the constant pushing of the finish line, especially when I was the only one doing the giving.
“Go to work.”
Was his face red?
“Your days of controlling my life are done.” I put an arm around Pepper’s shoulder. “You’ll leave her alone. I’m getting my job back. And you’ll forget you ever had a second son.”
For the first time since I’d caved in to him, some of the pressure on my chest released.
“You will always be my boy.”
He spun and marched back to the car. Just before he shut the door, I caught a glimpse of someone else inside.
Captain Koker.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Pepper
I couldn’t sleep.
Every noise set me on edge. How would Teague’s father bury the rescue? I flip-flopped between fire and another horrible inspector.
I should get the dogs and Miss Adeline. Go somewhere and hide.
Hours after the confrontation, I’d had time for some of his father’s mysterious words to sink in.
He knew I’d had no dad in my life. I’d been so tense, that hadn’t hit me. As I lay wide awake, I couldn’t stop wondering how.
And why?
I was a nobody in Samuel Hollingsworth’s world. I preferred it that way. Yet he seemed to know things about me that even I didn’t.
I felt invaded.
Like he was here without physically being around. He had this looming presence over everything. I had a feeling that was exactly how he liked it.
He was lording over our lives.
I was proud of Teague, but he’d pulled the pin on a grenade.
When I’d left Cope and lost everything, I’d lived with a constant fear. Selling my car had been terrifying. Then what little money I’d gotten vanished faster than I’d anticipated. My stomach had been in a constant knot of worry.
At some point after I’d settled in at the dog track, that fear disappeared. Or maybe I’d grown used to carrying it around.
It had been a long time since I’d been that scared. The unknown was worse than seeing disaster coming.
Now, everything was unknown again.
And that fear was back with a vengeance.
Back then, I didn’t know how I’d ever get out of the deep hole I was in. I’d given up on ever having a place of my own. I hadn’t dared to dream of where I’d landed with Miss Adeline. I lived moment to moment.
Survive.
