Page 89 of Power
“Nay,” I say without the need for threatening glares. This is my thing. I’ll fucking do it or die trying…err…hopefully, it won’t come to that.
“Nay,” Owen says, shaking his head, probably not wanting to go against Archer, or me for that matter.
I turn to Dad with my smug grin, which gets wiped off my face.
“Aye.”
Spinning to Finn, mouth open, I hiss. “What?”
“As Enforcer of this Court, it is my job to keep you safe. Gryphon gets the favor.”
“No!” Launching myself dramatically over the table, hurting every wound and aching muscle, I snatch up the envelope and shove it down the top of my fancy scoop neck dress that I wore to Trish’s death yesterday.
“Jesus, how old are you?” Dad snaps, standing up.
“I’m not surprised you don’t even know.”
“Get over it, Bailey,” he hisses. “I had to cut ties with you to keep you safe. Had I stayed or gone about giving you or your mother money every month, it would’ve been tracked, and they would’ve found you, taken you, and bred you. Is that what you would have preferred? Hmm?”
His anger brings tears to my eyes. How dare he be angry at me. “You don’t get to play the fucking hero! This is about you not being there for me when I needed you. I don’t give a crap about the money, although it would’ve been nice to just once stay in an apartment for more than a couple of months at a time. This is about you ignoring me and pretending like I didn’t exist!”
“Ihadto,” he growls. “You cannot fathom the danger you are in now that they know who you are. Do you think I live my life all happy clappy, and out in the open? Do you?” he thunders at me, startling the crap out of me.
I wasn’t expecting him to shout and get so angry.
“I’m a ghost, Bailey. I’ve had to be to ensure that you were kept safe. Then these assholes found out about you when I was stupid enough to try and give you a better life, to make sure as an adult, you had choices, an education that could open doors for you. Power. Don’t you get it? Being one of the founding descendants is huge in this world, Bailey. And that’s not just you. It’s me as well. It’s…” He lets out a heavy sigh and rubs his hand over his face. “Laura. And they got her. She is your aunt, my sister, and she isn’t dead. March Hare got her.”
“I saw her body,” Finn says, also standing up.
Bile rises in my throat at all of this. “She’s my aunt?”
“You saw what they wanted you to see. It’s not Laura.” He pulls out his phone and shows Finn the screen. He raises an eyebrow and purses his lips.
“Fair enough,” he mutters and sits back down.
“Let me see!” I demand, reaching for the phone.
“No!” Finn exclaims, but Dad is way ahead of him, shoving his phone into the collar of his shirt, giving me a triumphant smile.
“Two can play at that game, Bails.”
“Fuck you.”
His shoulders sag. “I wanted to help you, Bailey. I did small things when I could. I know it doesn’t help when you were dragged all over the place by Lindz. She did her best.”
“No she didn’t!” I scream in disbelief. “She did fuck all.”
“She worked and did her best to give you a roof over your head, food on the table, and clothes on your back. There are a lot worse off than you were.”
“Fucking shut up.” Tears spring into my eyes because I know he’s right. I wasn’t homeless or dirty or hungry or cold. Fuck. Fuck. What kind of selfish prick am I?
To distract from the overwhelming emotions bubbling over the surface, I yank the envelope out of my dress and rip it open before anyone can stop me.
I pull out the card and read the typed words on it.
Gulping, I shove it back in the envelope and throw it on the table, turning to storm out of the room where the walls seem to be closing in.
Owen is quick to catch up to me, grabbing my hand as I reach the door to escape this place. To escape the feelings that I buried and are now crashing through my walls, smashing them to smithereens.
