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All the guys nod at me thoughtfully and offer me reassuring smiles. I gesture for Wade to proceed and mime locking my lips and throwing away the key. Gray leans in at that and chuckles in my ear, which makes goosebumps spring up on the entire right side of my body.
“I’ll happily unlock those for you after this, Little Bird.” He licks my eHayesbe, and I have to bite my lip to keep quiet.
Wade gives Gray a look of admonishment before he picks up my phone from the table. They obviously broke the password protection because Wade unlocks it and starts scrolling through my contacts like he’s done it a million times. I’m sure he has. He obviously gets to my dad’s name when he straightens up in the chair and clears his throat before hitting the call button. As it rings, I grow more and more tense, and Gray tries to soothe me with his arms wrapped around me. It helps, and I find that annoying.
After four of the longest rings of my life, my father answers.
Henry: “Hello?”
Wade: “I assume I’m speaking with Henry Cole?” Wade looks at me, and I confirm it’s my father’s voice.
Henry: “Yes. Who am I speaking with?”
Wade: “We’re going to skip my name for now, Mr. Cole. You’ll learn it when the time is
right.”
Henry: “I want to speak to my daughter. Is she there? Is she safe?” My heart warms at the concern in his voice.
Wade: “She’s safe, but you won’t be speaking with her today. We have other things to work out, and I didn’t think it would be appropriate for her to be here for that.”
Henry: “Listen here, you goddamn punk. I don’t know who the fuck you are or what you think you’re playing at, but it’s time you let my daughter go. If you do it today, I can minimize the press and cut you a deal with the police. You can practically walk away from all this and never look back. Just tell me what I need to do to make that happen.”
Wade: “I want money, and I won’t be talking to the police or anyone else about anything.
And so we’re clear, Rory will not be leaving here today.”
Henry: “Then I need your word that you aren’t going to harm another hair on her head or touch her again, period. It’s bad enough that you’ve tainted her as much as you have. If her fiancé finds out about everything you’ve done, he’ll leave her. No one wants a ruined woman.
Now, how much money are we talking about here?”
I have gone completely still in Gray’s lap. I can’t believe my father just said that about me. He thinks I’m ruined and Brendan wouldn’t want me anymore? How fucking hypocritical is that shit? I know this man has cheated on my mother. Fuck, he’s probably teaching Brendan how to cheat on me without getting caught. How have I not seen this side of him before? When I look back up at the guys, I notice the anger and tension radiating throughout the room. It seems they didn’t like what he said either. That takes some of the sting away.
Wade: “You’re such an asshole. I want five million dollars. Your daughter won’t be a prisoner anymore, and I’ll keep quiet about all the shady things you’ve done to get to your position now.”
Henry: “Are you insane? I’m not giving you five million dollars. Whoever you think you are, no one would believe anything you say anyway.”
Wade: “Well, pitter patter, Henry. The price just went up to ten million.”
Henry: “If I wasn’t going to pay five million, I’m definitely not paying ten.”
My father’s words are a knife to my heart. I always thought we had a good relationship and that he loved me. This isn’t love. The tone of his voice is like he won’t even consider me being worth that much to him. The guys are alternating looks of hatred and anger at my phone to looks of pity at me. I hate it.
Wade: “Your daughter’s life isn’t worth it to you, Mr. Cole?”
Henry: “I’ll give you three million as long as you or anyone else don’t touch her again and she doesn’t wind up pregnant with some bastard that I’ll have to deal with.”
Wade: “No deal, Henry. Even a nobody like me can see that Rory is worth far more than the ten million I’ve asked for. I’ll give you some more time to think about it. I’ll be in touch.”
Wade ends the call and clears his throat again. “Rory, I’m so sorry.”
I look at Wade’s face, and he’s so genuine it actually makes me hurt more. I reach out and put my hand over his like he’s the one that needs comforting when, in fact, it’s me that just found out I’m apparently worthless to my father.
“So Brendan doesn’t know anything other than you being abducted. I guess now we know why your father hasn’t told him yet.” I can feel Gray shrug behind me.
“Then we should tell him. Send him the video you sent my father with the same contact information. We’ll call him after.” My voice sounds emotionless, even to me.
“Maybe we should hold off on that. You just heard a lot of not great things from someone you care about. Let’s deal with that and come back to this tomorrow after we’ve all slept.” Hayes’ idea definitely has merit, but I’d like to get all the truth out on the table tonight.
