Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 104729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
After everything he’s done for me, I owe him. I have to repay him for taking me in and caring for me.
Most girls my age would be okay living in the lap of luxury, but I’m not most girls.
Being taken care of isn’t for me. I want to earn my keep and show my worth.
I let the scotch pour down my throat, allowing it to scorch a path as it pools in my stomach and makes me warm.
This makes my dad smile. “It’s an acquired taste.” He takes another swig, and the sound of the glass against the wood echoes through the quiet of the room as he places the glass on the coffee table.
It reminds me of the noises that come from a grandfather clock ticking in the dead of night, dark and ominous. But there’s no need to baby me, and he’ll find out soon enough. “How much do you know?” he asks. Leaning forward, he balances his elbows on his thighs.
“Everything,” I admit.
He’s silent, taking in this information. A girl can learn a lot about her family while attending a private school. Some good, most bad. Bratty rich girls love nothing more than to tear a fantasy down. It’s fine. I’m happy I’m no longer blind to the truth. I’m about to open my mouth when he lifts his hand to speak.
“The guns …” He lifts his right brow, checking to see just how far my knowledge goes.
“I know everything,” I clarify. I know that my adoptive dad is one of the largest arms dealers in the world. “I know what you do. I know you sell guns.”
“My clients—”
“Dad.” I hold up my hand. “I know your clients aren’t honorable people. Probably none of them are law-abiding citizens, either.”
Deep lines full of worry form along his brow. “You really don’t hate me?”
“Of course not. Who you are isn’t defined by what you do. You are my father, and I’d love you no matter what you did. Now tell me what happened and let me help you.”
As if my words are waging war inside him, he takes a deep drawn-out breath.
“I didn’t want you to be a part of this. I wanted more for you.” His soft and powerful words are full of love, but it’s my life, and I’ll make him understand.
“I’m an adult now, and this is what I want.” I level him with my eyes. “Now talk.” There is no room for objection. He knows me well enough to know this.
“Very well.” He lets out a throaty laugh before grabbing his drink, leaning back, and getting comfy on the couch. I know this conversation will be long. “My guns were seized.”
I didn’t expect that, and I’m instantly on edge, praying he’s not going to jail.
“By …?”
“The competition. A piece of shit who is trying to destroy me. I never wanted this to touch you.”
“Tell me.”
The hand holding his glass tightens, his knuckles turning white. This can’t be good.
“His name is Alaric Prince, and he’s the worst of men. He has been systematically trying to ruin me for years. Not to mention the hit he put on my life that by some chance I’ve avoided.”
Hit?
It feels like I’ve been sucker punched. There’s a hit on my father. The one word is like a puzzle piece that has been lost for years but is now placed in its slot. Everything that’s happened over the years begins to make more sense. The reason my father hides in his compound. There’s a hit on his life. I need to know more.
“I don’t understand. Who is he?”
“A little shit.” The force in his voice takes me off guard. There is a story here, and he has to fill me in so I can help him.
“You will have to give me more than that.” I lift my right brow at him in challenge. “We’ve come this far. If we are doing this, you might as well tell me everything.”
“It’s a long, complicated story.”
I lean my body forward, placing my elbows on my knees. Cocking my head, I smile. “Well, then it’s a good thing I’m home for good. Because time is something I have in spades. I have all the time in the world, Dad. Tell me. How long have you been at war?”
“Four years.”
Suddenly, more things come together. The reason he shipped me off to a private college in the middle of nowhere. Why he never let me take his name when I asked. Why he doesn’t publicly acknowledge me. I thought it was because I hadn’t proved myself, but he was at war. He was protecting me. A warm feeling spreads inside me, followed by one as cold as ice. This Alaric person has hurt the one person who has tried to protect me. I need to do something; I need to know more. But first, I need to make sure I’m hearing him right. That all this time, I was enough.