AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It never should’ve happened,” I yelled.
Garrett edged closer to me. I loved him for his support. Loved that he let me do things my way, reminding me he was there when I needed him.
Father looked around before sending me a chastising glare for causing a scene. If he’d cared that much about what I thought, he’d have gone with me to the police station to have Alex prosecuted.
“I told you—”
“Yeah, yeah. You’ve seen to it,” I said, unimpressed.
“I won’t tolerate such disrespect.”
“We’re on the same page,Daddy. Because I’m not tolerating such disrespect either.”
I moved around him. My husband and our dogs were having a nice walk in the park. I’d let my father take too much of our joy already. He wouldn’t ruin this.
“I’m ready to talk about your mother.”
Damn him.
Damn his manipulations. Damn him for knowing what motivated me. Damn him for using her to get to me.
“But not until this problem is rectified. What were you thinking, marrying this riffraff?”
I whirled back around. “If you cared anything about Lincoln, Teague, Mom, or me you wouldn’t use her to force your hand. I want to know everything about her. It’s not a secret. But I’m not sacrificing a future with the greatest man I’ve ever known.”
I turned back around and linked my arm through Garrett’s, still holding the pretty flower. He was kind and decent and loving. Everything I’d ever wanted.
“I warned you to stay away from my daughter.”
Garrett tensed.
“I must admit you fooled me. You did for a very long time. Now I have to get involved to clean up the mess you’ve both made.”
Fooled him? For a long time?
I looked at Garrett, who stared straight ahead with his jaw locked.
I was going to get whiplash, but I turned around again. “You’ve lost your entire family and you’re too blind to see it. Wake up. When nobody cares what you think, you don’t have any power anymore.”
“The three of you will always be my children.”
“Then why didn’t you act like a dad?” My eyes stung.Don’t cry. Not now. Not in front of him.
“I always act in your best interest.” His nostrils flared. “The situation with Davenport went awry.”
“He almost raped me. That’s more than awry,” I said softly.
“He won’t lay another finger on you.” His tone had a dangerous quality that made me shiver.
“I know. Because he’s going to be in jail for a very long time.”
“That’s not good enough for him,” he mumbled.
“Goodbye, Mr. Hollingsworth. I tried. I really did. But you chose not to have a daughter.Notme.” I wouldn’t dignify him with the honor of Father. Not when that would put him in the same caliber as what Garrett and my brothers would be one day.
A flash of pain streaked across his face, but it was gone so fast, I wasn’t sure I’d really seen it. He didn’t get to be hurt. Not after everything he’d done.
I shook as the shackles that tethered me to that man splintered. I wouldn’t see him again.
