Page 69 of Gene

“Oh.” She didn’t know how else to respond.

Wait…did he say he knew about her helping her brother?

“Y-you know?” she whispered, her eyes wide.

“I found his phone number and told him you were in the hospital. He’s on his way.” Daddy let go of her face and took one of her hands. “We’ll need to talk about this, everything about the debt.”

Dread filled her as he said those words. He knew about the debt and her paying it off. How did he find out? Who told him? Was he going to get rid of her now that he knew?

Before she could respond to let Gene know she didn’t want him there, her brother walked into the room. She stared at him as he slowly walked to the other side of her bed. Sammi took a couple of seconds to look at him, to truly look at him.

Even though her brother was younger than her, he somehow looked way older. There were deep lines on his face, bags under his eyes, and he had to have lost some weight.

What had happened to him?

“I thought you bailed on me,” her brother spat, looking over at her Daddy. A scowl formed on his face. “What are you doing here?” He sounded disgusted with her.

Sammi gaped at her brother. “Be nice!”

“No!” her brother yelled. “He shouldn’t be here. He’s not family.”

She so badly wanted to tell him that Gene was more like family than he had been. The only thing he truly cared about was the debt he owed. He no longer contacted her about anything else but money.

“He’s my—” But she stopped herself before she could say Daddy.

Her brother would never understand if he found out. He had made jokes about kinky people before and how revolting it was. Did he know that Deccan was a Daddy? That half the town were in the lifestyle?

She wondered if he knew those things and if he would say it to her face. He probably still would, which made the whole thing even more awful. But she wasn’t going to tell him a thing, not when it could put her life in danger..

“I’m her fiancé,” Daddy finished her sentence.

She willed her face not to show any shock. It wasn’t the first time Daddy had called himself her fiancé. Her brother’s eyes narrowed, and she flinched, not expecting it.

Her brother turned toward Daddy. “I thought you said you two were dating?”

Daddy shrugged. “I didn’t want to give you the good news without her. I hadn’t known whether she had told you or not and didn’t want to spoil it,” Daddy easily explained.

Her brother scoffed and turned back to her. “Did you just say yes so you could get the money from him? I didn’t think you would be like that, but good thinking.”

She gasped as she stared at her brother. Hurt flashed through her that her own flesh and blood thought she would just get with someone for money. “I would never ask him for money. I love him.”

Daddy stood up, his face emotionless as he stared at her brother. “I know about the money you owe Deccan, jackass. Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to pay her back every single penny or I’ll beat you to the brink of death. Family or not.”

Her brother’s mouth fell open. “You can’t threaten me.”

“Wasn’t a threat. It was a promise. Hurt her, talk to her badly, be rude, don’t pay her back and you will pay,” Daddy’s voice held a tone of warning.

“Sammi, are you seriously going to let him do this?” her brother turned to her.

She opened her mouth, but Daddy stood in front of her, blocking his view.

“No, you don’t get to do that,” Daddy stayed in front of her.

Sammi tried looking around but he still blocked her view. The only way she would be able to see anything is if she got out of bed which she knew wouldn’t be okay. Daddy would have a fit and no doubt spank her for getting out of the bed.

“You will pay every single cent back to her. Deccan knows not to take any more money from my girl. He knows you’ll also be paying her back,” Daddy stated. “If you run, well let’s just say we’ll drag you back by your toes, making sure to run into things so you get banged up a bit.”

She should tell her Daddy to stop threatening her brother but she didn’t have it in her. Her brother had treated her poorly and she didn’t have a backbone to tell him that. Daddy was sticking up for her, like he always did. That was something she loved about him. It turned her on knowing he would do anything to keep her safe and protected.

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