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"It's nice to live in a world where preferences matter. I would have preferred my daughter didn't run off with the enemy's son."
Taking a deep breath, I suppressed the sarcastic remark that was bubbling to the surface. Now was not the time to give him lip. I was no longer that bratty teen girl who wanted to stick it to her father.
"Is that what he did to you?" he asked, pointing to my face. I'd caught a glimpse of what I had looked like in the hospital and had no idea how Christa had been able to look at me without wincing. I was barely able to recognise my own face.
"Yes."
"How long?"
"Too long. I knew better."
"Was he always that way?"
"No, only after he became head of the family."
"Did he ever touch that beautiful child of yours?" he asked me, looking down at the liquid in his glass rather than at me.
"No, I would never allow that."
He finally looked up at me again. I saw something in his eyes, but I couldn't place the emotion. He downed the rest of his drink and stood up, coming over to me. I wasn't sure how to react when he pulled me into his arms and hugged me. I felt the tears threaten, my eye throbbing from the pain of the bruise. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and we stood there for a few minutes.
When I pulled my hands back, he did the same and looked me in the eyes. "We'll take care of this."
"No," I said quickly. "I need to do it."
He was shocked, I could tell by the way he stepped back a bit, but I also saw the pride in his eyes. "Okay. Whatever you need."
"I need someone to help me," I said. "Just one."
"Indigo?"
"He's going to take Christa so she's away from all this. I can't let her get involved and Judd will try to use her against me. He's the only one that can protect her and that I know can't be bought."
My father nodded. "Agreed. You can have Caleb."
I was confused. "He's your head enforcer, dad. I can use anyone, even someone from the lower rung."
"No," he said quickly, pouring us both a drink. "I have others who can help me. You need someone you can trust, and I trust Caleb with my life which means he is someone I can trust to have your back."
I nodded. "Okay. Thank you and thank you for letting me come back."
"Calliope, you have always got a place here. You are my daughter," he said, handing me the glass. "Anything you need."
"I got this, dad. I need to show my little girl that men can't do this to their women."
He looked guiltily at me. He'd beat my mum once or twice while I was growing up, I knew it, but I'd never heard him beat Clare once. I didn't know if I was ever going to forgive him for that, but he'd never hurt me. Not once.
My father nodded, probably realising what I was thinking about, and he sat back down. "Callie."
He never used my preferred name. I was so surprised I didn't know what to do.
"This path you're going down, it's a dark one. It's one that will change you. Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.
It's not the first time I questioned myself on what I knew I needed to do, but I was resolute.
"Yes," I said, tossing the whiskey down my throat and putting the glass down on a cabinet by the door. "I'm sure."
My father nodded again. "Okay. Get some rest. I'll have Caleb come and get you in the morning."
