Page 4 of Claiming What's Mine

“No! No!” I heard her scream loudly.

Jolting awake, I opened my eyes to see a man's hand dragging Blue out of our little nook by her ankle. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her mouth quivering as she begged the man to listen.

“Stop! Just hear me out!” Blue's eyes shot up to mine, her face twisted in sadness and fear. “Dad, please, if you'd let me explain. . .”

Her father. . . Shit.

Pushing myself up quickly, I tried to climb to my feet, only to slam my head against a large wood block. Dropping to one knee, I rubbed the side of my head as I crawled out from under the beams.

“Mr. Fable—” I tried to say as I stumbled to my feet, my head throbbing where a lump was forming.

“You,” he snapped, not letting me get out another word as he threw a finger in my direction. “You don't talk, you have no place in this. She's my daughter, which means I say what she can and can't do.”

“Sir, if you would just let me—”

Expanding his lids, all the white of his eyes were exposed. I could see the tiny red veins spidering their way across the giant orbs like jagged rivers. “You're lucky that I'm a forgiving man, but don't test me. This is my daughter, I'm a father first, and I'll do anything to protect her, especially from someone like you.”

Dropping my shoulders forward, I pulled my eyes away, and shut my mouth. He was right, it was simple as that. Jayden Henry was not the boy any father would pick for their daughter.

“Dad, please, I love him.”

“You don't know what love is, Blue, you're too young to understand it.”

Trying to jerk her arm free, Blue dug her feet into the ground. “I'm not too young, I know what love is, and I love him!”

“Enough, Blue, we're going home.” His eyes narrowed, seething with hate. “Tomorrow I'm tearing down this barn.” Pulling her along, her father kept his head on the door that led outside. “You're never seeing that boy again, never again. You hear me? Never. He's ruined you, he's made you break your vow of purity, he's a beast.”

“He didn't make me do anything! I wanted to do this! It was my choice!” Her fingers dug into his wrist as she tried to get out of his grasp, but her father was too strong for her.

Snarling, he bared his teeth. “You broke a vow and you lied. The daughter I know doesn't lie, she doesn't go against the word of the Lord. This boy is the opposite, he's the devil, making you do things you would never do.”

“But—”

“No!” he snapped, his voice dark and heavy. “We're done talking, you're never seeing that boy again, it's done. I already told you that once before and you defied me, you disregarded the rules. But this, you went too far this time.”

“Dad—”

“It's done, Blue.” He was firm in his command, causing Blue to surrender. I watched as her shoulders rolled in defeat, her body loose and weak as she gave up.

Her father was right, Blue was still just a girl. She was only sixteen, which meant he held all the cards.

And right then, as he stole the only person who ever stood by my side, I watched as the house of cards collapsed around me.

My future was dissolving before my eyes, what I thought my life would be was gone.

I always thought I'd fight for her, that I'd fight for us. But I wasn't strong enough to challenge the man who gave her life.

He was her father, and I had to respect his rules. . . Unless, she didn't live under his roof anymore.

I can't live without her. I won't let him keep us apart.

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