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Chapter 23
Kincaid~
It was a dick move to show up like this, but it wasn’t something that I had planned. I’d been on my way to campus this morning, and something ended up making me turn around and head in the opposite direction. Doing my best to be a considerate girlfriend, I had fired off a quick text to Fox when the decision had been made. I fired one off to Saxton, too.
Showing up unannounced, I’d been left to wait in my father’s office until he got back from a breakfast meeting. It was Monday morning, and I knew that the man was busy, but after tossing and turning all night long, I realized that it wasn’t right for Walter Harrington to know what was going on and not my father. Even though I’d already been toying with the idea to tell him everything, Fox’s confession yesterday had helped make that decision for me.
After we’d gotten back to my place, Fox had informed me that he was going to move in with me and sell his condo. I hadn’t argued and was even all for the idea. We’d been apart for far too long as it was as far as I was concerned. I wanted to come home to Fox every night. Sealing the deal with some rough, mind-blowing sex, this morning had gone off without a hitch until I’d gotten to thinking about my family.
About twenty minutes of waiting, my father finally walked into his office, immediately making his way over to the small conference table in the corner of his office where I was sitting. “Kincaid,” he greeted before kissing the top of my head. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk,” I told him as he took a seat in the chair next to mine. “I know it’s Monday and that you’re probably busy as hell, but this can’t wait.”
His brows dipped with annoyance. “Who gives a fuck if it’s Monday and I’m busy, Kincaid,” he chastised. “You’re my daughter. You and your mother always come first.” He sounded truly offended. “When Brett messaged me that you were here to see me, I had him clear my entire morning. Willis Hunt is lucky that I stayed long enough to finish our meeting this morning.”
I let out a dark chuckle. “I hope you still feel that way after what I tell you.”
Merrick Black leaned back in his seat. “Try me.”
After taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth and told my father everything. I left nothing out. I started from the moment we’d gotten the news of Apollo’s death and didn’t stop until making the decision this morning to tell him. I also didn’t limit my confession to my quest for revenge. I included everything that had happened with August. I’d even told him about how I had taunted August, giving me the opportunity that I needed to rid the world of his predatory ways. I had also confessed to what I’d done to Fox.
Since I was the only person who wanted to keep the others’ involvement a secret, I didn’t see my confession as betraying them. If left up to them, they’d be marching the front lines with me, so I didn’t feel bad telling my father all the details of these past couple of months.
When I was done confessing everything, my father sat silently, looking at me like I was the most complex puzzle that he’s ever been asked to solve. That black gaze that mirrored mine was so full of emotion that it was kind of hard to maintain eye contact.
When he finally spoke, he’d had to clear his throat first. “Your brother was…was rather perfect, you know.” I did my best to hold back the tears and let him say what he had to say. “When Apollo was born, it felt like I’d been given a second life to live. One that would run smoother because I was wiser and knew what I was doing now. For years, life was so perfect that it was scary.” He let out a slow, ragged breath. “And then you came along.”
“Dad, I-”
He threw his hand up to stop me. “You came along, and you were everything that I never knew was missing from our lives. Apollo had always been part of the plan, but you hadn’t been. You’d been a surprise. You’d been a surprise, and you had to be the most precious thing that I had ever done in my life.” I couldn’t stop the tears that escaped. “I loved your brother, and still do, Kincaid. I love him every goddamn minute of every day. But you? You’re like this…star. This immeasurable power of light that your mother and I can’t contain.” He took in a deep breath. “So, if you think that I’m surprised by all this, I’m not. Sure, some of it I hadn’t suspected, what with all that August Remington crap happening. Still, as far as you planning and plotting the downfall of one of the most powerful organizations on the earth? I’m not surprised by that at all.”
“So…you’re not mad?”
“At you?” He shook his head. “No.”
“Are you going to try to talk me out of finishing what I started?” I asked, wary that he might.
He shook his head, surprising me. “As much as I want to tell you to stand down and let me handle this, I know better.” His eyes hardened a bit. “Still, I can’t just sit back and let you do this alone, Kincaid. Especially, knowing that Walker Harrington and Jonathan Lexington are involved.” He shook his head. “Plus, I need to speak with Ansel Voss now.”
I eyed my father, his calm demeanor confusing me. “I…you seem awfully calm about all this.”
“I’m not,” he replied. “The last thing that I feel is calm, Kincaid.” There was enough bite in his voice that I believed him. “I just learned that my son’s death wasn’t an accident, and the organization that I’d given my life to, the lives of my children to, helped cover it up. No, Kincaid. I’m not calm.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to talk to Ansel first, then reach out to Jonathan Lexington,” he answered. “He’s the friend that I’d told you about earlier. The one that gave me a heads up about you and what you kids were up to.”
That was news to me. I’d had no idea that he was close to Jonathan Lexington. Of course, he was close to Saxton’s dad, but I’ve never really paid attention to anyone else.
“If…if it’s just one person who helped cover it up, then I’m fine with limiting it to those involved,” I told him. “I’m not looking to destroy everyone now.”
“Things can change like that sometime,” he said kindly. “Just know that, no matter what happens, I will not let anything happen to you, Kincaid. I will not lose you, too.”
I couldn’t help myself. I jumped up from my seat and threw myself at my father. His arms wrapped around me, and in a way that I haven’t allowed myself in a long time, I fell apart in his arms, crying in a way that even Saxton has never seen. A part of me hoped that I was healing, but I honestly didn’t care if I wasn’t. Right now, I had plenty of people who were standing by me, even as damaged as I was.
Finally exhausted enough to sleep for a few hours, I pulled out of my father’s arms, and he was gracious enough to go get some tissue for me.
When he returned, he handed me the tissue, asking, “Feel better?”
