Page 99 of Penance
“Looky here, if it isn’t the traitor,” he says, staring at Morgan.
Morgan curls his hand into a fist, but with my hand still on his shoulder, I guide him to the only seat available. I stay behind him,ready to react if something goes wrong.
I still haven’t forgotten how Zeb threatened to kill his kid. Maybe it was just an exaggeration, but I’m not taking chances.
“See you brought your guard dog with you,” Zeb says, glancing over Morgan to me. “Afraid to face your old man on your own?”
Morgan’s timidness slips away in one blink. “I don’t need a guard dog.”
One of Zeb‘s brows lifts. “Watch your mouth, boy.”
Morgan grits his teeth then blurts out, “I want Mia.”
A slow, sinister smile spreads across Zeb’s mouth. “Figured that’s why you were here.” He stops, sizing Morgan up. “You’re not getting her.”
With a scrape against the floor, Morgan’s chair topples over. He’s standing, glaring down at Zeb, his chest heaving. Reaching up, I grab onto his shirt, a steady comfort in his anger. His body is trembling but no longer from nerves.
“She is not a game. You’ve not wanted her from the start. She is mine,” Morgan yells. “Mine. Do you hear me?”
Several guards are starting to look our way, and I stand, firmly gripping Morgan’s shoulder.
“Come on. We need to go,” I say, holding tighter to Morgan as he jerks against my hold. “This isn’t going to solve anything. We’ll figure it out. We’ll get her back.”
“You know,” Zeb says, his voice smug. “I could be tempted to sign over those rights. Although, I suspect those social service people would need you to prove you could take care of her. Which, seeing as you live in my house, I highly doubt you could prove that. But—let’s say you could convince them—I’d be tempted to sign away my rights for a little something in exchange.”
Morgan stops resisting, going stock still. I narrow my eyes. “Whatever deal you’re trying to make, Morgan isn’t interested. I’llhelp him. I’ll figure out a way for him to get her back, even without you signing the papers. He doesn’t need your help.”
Zeb’s smirk grows wider, his eyes zeroing in on me. “No, but you might.”
A humorless laugh slips past my lips. “There’s nothing you have that I need.” Turning to Morgan, I say, “Come on. Let’s go. We’ll go talk to the social services office. I’ll help you.”
He hesitates, but I manage to get him to take a step toward the door when Zeb’s voice rings out again. “Not even information that would help you win that custody case of yours?”
Chapter 36
Theo
After we leave the jail, I hate Zeb Ellis more than I ever have, but he may also be my only hope of winning the custody case—that is, if I choose to believe what he told me. I haven’t decided yet.
I dropped Morgan off at his car with a promise to call social services again about Mia. He left with a broken heart, and I left even more determined to help him figure out a way to get her back.
I’m walking through my front door, getting ready to make that call, when Tanner appears in my line of vision. It’s the first time I’ve seen him in a week. He’s been staying at Josephine’s house, and if I’m honest, I didn’t expect him to come back.
“Hey, kid. I—uh—didn’t know you were coming over.”
My throat aches from everything I want to say to him, but before I can, he throws his arms around my neck.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” he cries.
My hands come up, wrapping him in a hug and holding the back of his head.
“Hey,” I say, soothingly. “What is this about?”
“I’ve treated you awful this summer. I was—was angry at you,” he sniffles. “For leaving me with mom, for loving alcohol more than me. I was so angry and didn’t give youa chance.”
His words are broken and muffled by my shirt, but guilt is like an old friend. I can recognize it when I see it.
I pull him back just enough for him to look at me. “Tanner, you did nothing wrong. You had every right to be angry—to work through those emotions. I understood them.”
