Page 79 of Traitorous Lies
“I’ll meet with you and the girl,” he announced, cutting her off.
“You mean me and your daughter, not the girl,” she reprimanded gently. While she understood her father had a shock, Cassandra deserved better from the man who had fathered her.
“I’ll meet with you both.”
“I don’t think they’re going to let Cassandra come without them. Someone is after their family, keeps trying to kill them. They won't just send her off without knowing she’s safe.” Actually, Monique doubted they’d let Cassandra or her go alone. She was starting to allow herself to believe that this family cared about her, would protect her, and wanted the best for her.
“I’ll meet with you both,” her father repeated in a voice that brokered no arguments.
Well, she’d warned him. If he chose to believe that Cassandra’s brothers weren't going to tag along then that was on him.
“I’ll text you a location once I finalize my flights.”
Her dad was ready to hang up, she knew it, but there was one more thing she needed to ask him about. Something that had been niggling at her ever since she learned of her father’s affair.
“Dad, wait.”
“What is it?”
“About Mom … did she … was the reason she left … did she know that you cheated on her? Is that why she left you?”
“Your mother had a choice when she left, Monique. She could have you go with her or leave you behind. She chose to leave you behind. She became a problem that needed to be buried, and I gave her a choice. Choices she made, and we all had to live with the consequences. I’ll text you an address shortly.”
With that he was gone, leaving her frozen in place.
A problem that needed to be buried.
What did that mean exactly?
And why did she get the feeling that it was nothing good?
It was a weird way to acknowledge that her mom knew about the affair and obviously wanted to take it public. Knowing herdad, he probably blackmailed his wife into leaving destitute and with their daughter, or leaving with a bag of money but no child.
But buried …
There was something about the word that had her insides churning.
What if he meant it literally?
Phone still clutched in her hand, Monique left the room on shaky legs that felt too weak to support her. Somehow, they did, though, and she stumbled down the stairs and across the huge entrance hall to the front door.
Jax would be on the porch in the swing. She had no idea why she was so certain of that, but she was. And as she flung open the door she saw she was right. He was sitting right on the porch swing where she’d been when they talked yesterday before working on the fire pit.
“Monique? What's wrong?” he asked, jumping to his feet as soon as he saw her.
When she opened her mouth to tell him, the words seemed to get stuck in her throat. It couldn’t be true, could it? Her dad blackmailing her mother into leaving her behind was one thing, but if it was more than that …
Then it meant her entire life was a lie.
That all her anger had been majorly misdirected.
“Princess, you're scaring me,” Jax told her, now standing before her. “Tell me what happened. I can't fix it if I don’t know what the problem is.”
Again, she tried to get the words out, but she couldn’t seem to make her voice work.
All those words, all those emotions, all those fears were trapped inside her.
“It’s all right, I'm here.” Jax’s strong arms closed around her, pulling her to rest against his chest, and she sagged into his hold, allowing him to take her weight.
