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Through the sheen of tears, I did.
“It’s nothing I can’t handle. Now I need for you to do the same.”
My voice trembled, still I held it in. “T-they told you? Told you about the house?”
He just nodded and licked his lips before meeting my gaze. “Your mom’s gonna do her best to keep you protected until I get out of here and figure all this out.”
Protected?Fear found me, so ithadbeen them…the Rossis. Shit, this was worse than I'd thought. “When, dad? When will that be?”
“I don’t know, princess.” He licked his split lip, fixing me with a desperate gaze. “But I need you to know, I’dneverdo anything to put you or your mom in danger.” He pulled away as pain dulled his gaze. “I just wouldn’t.”
“Who was it?” I clenched my fists. “Tell me, tell me and I’ll…”
He saw me then, saw the way my body shook and my hatred raged, and gave a hint of a smile, even with his busted lips. “What? You gonna pay them a visit, my little lioness? You always were more like me than your mother.”
And in an instant, his smile faltered and sadness consumed that flicker as the guard behind him called out. “Time, Castlemaine.”
He gave a nod and rose. I followed, standing before I caught the reflection of my face in the divider, then reached up and pulled down the side of my hair.
“Be careful out there, princess,” dad called, his gaze moving to the birthmark on my face. “Stay strong. I’ll be out of here soon enough.”
“Castle!”the guard barked. I jerked my gaze toward him and glared.
But it didn’t matter what I wanted, in here my dad didn’t exist. He was a nobody, just another inmate, one who had to obey the rules.
“Give my love to your mother, princess. Tell her I’m thinking of her,” dad said before he turned and walked away, disappearing through the door, leaving me behind.
I punched my fist against the glass, drawing a savage glare from a guard, before I turned and stormed toward the door to the hallway. The sun glared, blinding me for an instant, until I saw the sleek Mercedes waiting in the parking lot. Creed Banks was a nice guy, for some kind of lawyer. He’d taken us in and given us somewhere to stay for the last two days, had even taken us shopping for clothes and necessities. But I didn’t want to stay there, not in his house with his three sons I'd spied from the doorway of the bedroom where I was staying.
Not just a bedroom…the storeroom, remember?
That voice in my head whispered as I crossed the parking lot, yanked open the back door, and slid inside, instantly blasted by the cool air-conditioned air.
“Dad asked about you.” I glared toward the passenger seat, but was met with silence.
Mom just stared straight ahead, even as Creed glanced her way, then looked over his shoulder to me. “I’m glad you got to see him. I’m sure he needed that.”
“He would’ve liked to see his wife more.”
But she said nothing, just dropped her head and cried. She wasn’t the same since dad had been arrested, nonresponsive, broken. I winced. “Mom, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She reached behind the seat for my hand. “Next time, huh?”
“Okay.” I grabbed her hand and squeezed.
“That’s the way.” Creed gave me a wink before he put the car into gear and pulled out of the parking lot.
It was over an hour's drive back to the city. An hour when I sat back in the seat and replayed dad’s words to me.
I’ll get out, princess…I’ll get out.
He had to. Our family depended on it. By the time he did, mom and I would be waiting, just in a different house.
“Have you found a place yet?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Seems there’s a bit of a problem,” Creed weighed in.
