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Ronny nods, a pained expression on his face. “I know it’s a lot to take in.”
“We’re here to help you. When Ronny told me you’d fallen in with the Gannons, I knew I had to break cover.”
“Help me?” I scoff, my anger returning full force. “You abandoned me! You let me think you were dead, and now you just show up out of nowhere, expecting me to believe you want to help?”
“Summer, we had no choice,” my father says desperately. “We couldn’t risk putting you in danger. Please, can we come inside?”
“Fuck that,” I snap, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. “And fuck you. You don’t get to make those decisions for me. I deserved to know the truth.”
My father reaches out, as if to touch my arm, but I pull away. The weight of this revelation is crushing, and all I want to do is scream. I feel betrayed, heartbroken, and utterly lost.
“Summer,” Ronny says softly, “we’re here to make things right. We’ll do whatever it takes to protect you from the dangers you’re facing now. Please, let us help.”
The sincerity in his voice almost breaks me, but I refuse to let them see how much their actions have hurt me. With a deep breath, I wipe away my tears and harden my resolve. They may be family, but they have a lot to answer for. And I won’t let them off the hook so easily.
“Start talking,” I demand, my voice shaking with anger and confusion. “Why did you and Mom fake your deaths? And where is my mother?”
My father’s face is a combination of guilt and determination. He takes a deep breath before speaking. “We got in deep with some dangerous people back in London. We owed a lot of money to a loan shark, and they were getting impatient for repayment. Your mother and I knew we couldn’t pay them back, and things were spiraling out of control. We had no choice but to fake our deaths, to get away from them and protect you. Our plan was to come back for you, but it didn’t work out as we’d hoped. We knew Margaret had you and would raise you.”
“That bitch ruined me!” I spit out the words bitterly. “You owe me a hell of a lot more than this fucked up story.”
“Summer, we never wanted it to be this way,” Dad interjects, his eyes filled with pain. “But every option we considered put you at risk. This was the only way we could ensure your safety.”
“Safety?” I scoff, thinking of the life I’ve led since they disappeared. “You have no idea what I’ve been through.”
“We were offered a chance to do something good—to go undercover in one of the city’s gangs and try to bring down the whole lot. We took it, hoping that one day, we could come back to you and make amends.”
As I listen to this explanation, a part of me wants to believe him, to accept that they did what they thought was best for me. But the hurt runs too deep, the betrayal too fresh.
“None of this makes it right,” I whisper, my voice raw with pain. “You left me alone to face the world without you.”
“Summer, we’re so sorry,” Dad says. “We can’t change the past, but we can help make sure your future is safe.”
“Safe?” I snort. “There’s no such thing as safe in this life. Not anymore.”
“Please, Summer,” my father pleads, desperation etched on his face. “Give us a chance to protect you, to make up for our mistakes. You need to get away from the Gannon brothers. This life, it’s dangerous. You don’t belong here.”
I stare at him, my head swimming. The mere thought of leaving Ciarán, Cathal, and even the idea of Caden behind, feels like a jagged knife tearing through my soul. But the fear in my father’s eyes is all too real, and I can’t deny that he might be right.
“Leave them?” I choke out, my voice shaking. “You want me to abandon the only people who’ve ever truly cared about me? The ones who protected me when no one else would?”
“Summer, please,”UncleRonny interjects, his tone gentle yet firm. “We know how much they mean to you, but this life...it’s going to destroy you if you stay.”
“No. I won’t leave them. They’re my family now.”
“Sum—“ my father begins, but I cut him off.
“No!” I shout again, slamming my fists on the door so hard I think I break my bones. “You have no idea what I’ve been through since you left. They saved me. They love me. And I love them.”
“Summer, we’re just trying to keep you safe,” my father pleads, reaching out to touch my arm, but I jerk away.
“After everything you did, you don’t get to decide what’s safe for me! I choose to stay with the Gannon brothers. They’re my home, my life, and I won’t abandon them.”
“Even if it means putting yourself in danger?” Ronny asks quietly, his gaze steady as he searches my face for any sign of doubt.
“Even then,” I whisper, my voice resolute. “I’m not afraid. I know the risks, but I choose to stay.”
“Summer, please—“ my father starts again, but I interrupt him once more.
