Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 75891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75891 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
My mouth was open, and my arm raised, ready to knock his ass to the ground when I came up short. “Dad? How did you know where I was?”
The two people who spawned me walked past me into the room. Mom already had that sour look on her face, like she smelled something foul, and Dad was casing the joint as if expecting, I don’t know what.
“What world are you living in where I don’t know where you are when I need to?”
“How?” Why am I even asking?
“You’re the tech guru; you figure it out.”
“Mom?”
“Don’t look at me, I can’t even wipe my ass without him knowing. How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
“I’m fine. I’m trying to figure out where I should go on holiday.”
“That’s my girl.” She smiled and brushed my hair over my shoulder before giving it a love pat.
“Good; it’s best if you’re out of the country for the next little while.” Dad was still looking around the room like he’d never seen one before, which might be true: the snob.
His words finally registered, and I knew I had to clear my head fast. “What do you mean by that, Dad? You’re not thinking of doing anything criminal, are you?” I don’t trust that smirk of his.
“Is that any way to talk to your father?”
“Did Dale show up at your house?”
“There’s no blood on me.” I snorted at his deadpan answer.
“Seriously, Dad, it’s no big deal. The relationship was on its last legs anyway.”
“It doesn’t matter. No one fucks with a Thornton and gets away with it. You should be glad it’s me and not your grandfather and great-uncles.”
“Dad, you wouldn’t. Dad, you can’t! Listen, it was all my fault, I promise.”
“How is it your fault that he cheated on you?”
“Um, I kinda wanted out. I saw a chance, and I took it.”
“Explain.” He dusted the bed for Covid and copped a squat on the edge before dragging Mom down on his lap. Can’t let his precious wife slum for two minutes.
“Before you start, what is this place?”
“It’s a motel, Dad! It’s the first one I came to, and I was tired and emotionally drained.”
“He needs his knees capped for that alone. Get your stuff; let’s go; you’re not staying here.” Well, I knew that was coming.
It wouldn’t help to argue because he wouldn’t hear me anyway, and Mom was already moving around the room, picking up the few things I’d left in the bathroom. My phone rang before I could get a word out. “That’ll be your sister.”
“Annabelle? Ah, dammit, Dad!”
“Hello!”
“I’m on my way to Mom and Dad’s. Be there.” She hung up the phone in my ear, and I felt real fear for the first time. Dad, I can swindle with crocodile tears and a pouty lip, but my Irish twin, no luck there.
“Who else did you tell?”
“Your brothers.”
“You didn’t…” These people are going to end up making me feel sorry for this idiot and, worse, having to protect him when all I want is to be done with this whole mess.
“Let’s go. You can tell me on the way how you did this. Better yet, we’ll wait ‘til we get home; that way, you only have to tell the story once.
“And after that, you’re going to leave it alone, right?”
“I’m not making any promises, and I’m not the one you have to worry about. Guess who’s over at Annabelle’s place.”
“Grandpa?” My heart sank when he grinned. Why couldn’t I have been born into a family that had some sense? This is all their fault. If they hadn’t raised us kids to fight dirty, none of this would’ve happened.
“Ride with your mother and me; I’ll have the driver follow us in your car.” He kissed my hair, “It’s gonna be okay, Princess.” Who said it wasn’t? I wish there was something I wanted because this is the kind of situation I could milk. But alas, I’m so spoilt I don’t need shit. Damn!
I was all but hustled out of the room and into the car downstairs after getting dressed again; I didn’t put up any kind of a fight for too many reasons to count, not least of all the fact that my sister would hunt me down and drag me home if I didn’t do exactly as she said. The truth of the matter is, I’m more afraid now that she knows than I was before. That tyrant has been running my ass ever since I left the womb.
I hadn’t thought this thing through completely, which I am only now seeing. You see, my plan was to share the funny story of how I maneuvered my unwanted ex into cheating on me, thereby giving me an easy out once the dust had cleared. We would’ve laughed and had a few chuckles before moving on.
What I stupidly overlooked was the fact that my family’s radar doesn’t work that way. In every situation, Dad especially listens for only one thing: some kind of affront against one of us, meaning Mom and his kids. He’d go to bat for others in the family as well, but not as hard as when it comes to his precious wife and kids.