Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
“You’re exaggerating.”
“But you know I’m not,” she cried. “You remember what it was like back then. It was always just you and me.”
“It wasn’t so bad that your mother deserved to think her only child was dead. Come now,” he barked. “Be reasonable.”
Her lips trembled, eyes wide in confusion. “But... even if you didn’t want to do that to Mother, why didn’t you let me know that you were alive?”
“No one could know, or it would’ve all been for nothing.”
“I could’ve known! I didn’t tell anyone where you were when you were on the run.”
I resisted putting in that she did blab to her friends, writing all about it in their shared diary.
“It was too risky,” he said firmly. “This was for your own good as well as mine.”
“But I don’t understand why—”
“Fucking hell,” I burst out. “Are you really this dense, Starling? He didn’t want you to know! He didn’t want you tracking him down or begging him to let you live with him. Everton faked his death. Sasha blew up her home with her children inside to fake hers. They clearly didn’t want a couple of brats getting in the way of their shiny new life.
“Do you understand now? He. Did. Not. Want. You.”
“Shut up! You don’t know anything, you—”
“I don’t know anything?” I laughed harshly. “If I’m wrong... why isn’t he correcting me?”
“You are wrong! Tell her, Dad.”
Silence.
“Daddy?” She half turned away, flinching from my knowing smirk. “Dad!”
“Okay, just—” He blew out a breath. “I wasn’t meant for fatherhood. Your mother used me to get back at my brother. She lied about being on the pill and threw my whole life off track. I couldn’t stick around and play daddy. I didn’t want to hurt you, Everleigh. I certainly wouldn’t have gone as far as Sasha did, but it was better that I made a clean break from your life.”
“But I don’t understand. I don’t understand.”
She was a broken record, repeating the same phrase over and over as tears clogged her throat.
“It was for the best. You were better off with your parents.”
“Stop saying that,” Everleigh shrieked. “I was not better off with those cold, unfeeling monsters! I missed you. I missed you every minute of every day, and I hated the man who took you from me.
“Do you have any idea what I’ve done for you? I killed Alistair Burkhardt! I—”
“You did what? Did— Did you just say you killed Alistair?”
“Yes, I had to,” she sobbed. “I thought he killed you.”
“Are you insane!”
The shout blew us both back.
“You stupid, stupid girl! Do you have any idea what you’ve done! The only reason Astoria spared me is because I swore I’d have nothing to do with her family, and now you’ve killed her son! She’ll never believe this had nothing to do with me.
“Does she know it was you? Tell me she doesn’t know.”
“She knows,” I sliced in. “I told her all about how Everleigh murdered her son and drove her granddaughter to suicide, all in your name.”
“Oh no.”
I couldn’t mistake it. Fear. Everton was terrified of a soft-voiced woman in cream pantsuits. He’d seen that side of her. The side that didn’t mask her rage.
“How could you do this? What were you thinking!”
Everleigh was full-blown bawling now. I could barely make her out through the snot and tears.
“I d-did it for you. To make them pay f-for what they did to you. I’m sorry, Dad—”
“I’m not your fucking dad! I never should’ve let you get so attached to me. Now because of you, we have to leave here. Fuck!”
Everleigh flinched, shrinking in on herself.
“You tell her this had nothing to do with me, you hear me? This was all you. I didn’t want this, nor did I have a part in it.”
“But, Daddy—”
“Stay away from us. Don’t ever contact me again.”
Click.
“Dad? Daddy?”
Everleigh called back once. Twice. Half a dozen times.
The phone rang and rang while she wailed and cried, pouring desperate pleas and explanations to a man who wouldn’t answer.
I looked on in stoic satisfaction. Any other person on any other day, and my heart would swell with pity. I’d hug her and say what a bastard that man was for abandoning the daughter who loved him. I’d say he deserved everything he had coming to him.
But this bitch killed my father and sister. She’d get no pity from me.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
Everleigh raised watery, swollen eyes to me.
“Forgive me, but I did give you a choice,” I said lightly. “I told you either you confessed and took the easy option, or I’d be forced to rip your heart out.”
“This can’t b-be true. That wasn’t him. My father wouldn’t—”
“That was him. You made sure of it yourself, so don’t go spinning any fairy tales now. Not a single lie you tell yourself will make up for the fact that you lied, blackmailed, and killed all for a man who wasn’t dead!” Everleigh flinched. “Ten years, and he’s been two hours away from you the whole time.