Page 67 of Vow of Revenge
“I’m just saying.”
“I know. You don’t need to try and make me feel better. I let him do this to me.”
“Oh, Freya. Why don’t you come with me tonight, and after we meet Dad, we can hit a bar?”
“No, Syrah. You need to focus on yourself and make Dad see that you’re happy with Brett.”
“Fine. I’ll be back straight after.”
“Okay.”
She leant across the bed and stroked my leg. “The car is outside, so I’ll catch you later. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I burrowed under the duvet. My appetite had all but vanished and my mind was tired from replaying our night together at Hanley Hall. How could he pretend? I saw the raw need swirling in his eyes, I felt each kiss that burned his lips to my skin for eternity. When we joined as one our bodies screamed in recognition and sighed with relief. Those feelings weren’t fake.
* * *
My phone vibrated on the nightstand startling me with a jolt. I’d fallen asleep thinking about him again.
“Dad?” I croaked.
“Sweetheart, I’ve just left your sister at Danny’s place. It’s only fair she tells him the facts face to face. It’s not wise to forge enemies. Freya, I’m not overly happy with her choice of partner. Hopefully she will grow tired of him soon, but I need to know something…” He paused.
“Yes?”
“The other one, Kaleb. Did he come after you?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll kill him.”
“It’s nothing. Well, I thought it might go somewhere, but it didn’t. He’s history.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No,” I lied. I actually lied to him for the first time ever.
“Right. Look, Freya, I think we need to have a chat. It’s about time we discussed a few things now that you’ve grown into a strong-minded woman. Can we meet tomorrow for lunch?”
“Is something wrong – are you ill?”
“No. I just need to talk to you about a certain matter. It will be best to have me by your side. I’ll send a car for you at half past one. Goodnight.”
The call disconnected.
Ana Harte’s notebook sat on my coffee table. It hadn’t been touched since I put it there after the long and anger fuelled drive home. Pent up aggression rippled through my core, my foot hammered the pedal, not giving two fucks if I got a speeding fine.
I sat back on the sofa in sweats and a tee, gazing at the notebook’s fragile form, filled with words that I wasn’t sure I could handle. Whiskey warmed my throat, sliding down to the knots in my belly. Champ gazed up at me from the floor, waiting patiently for permission to join me. His big puppy eyes were pleading and friendly. I sighed lightly and feigned a partial smile. It wasn’t his fault I was miserable. I patted the cushion to my left and my companion immediately bounced up and settled beside me.
Freya’s pale tortured face was hard to forget. I’d ripped her beating heart out with my bare hands and crushed it with one tight squeeze. I went to Hanley, toying with the idea of possibilities. What a dick move that was. The last laugh was on me, I’d fallen for the deadliest female of all, yet instead of knowingly slitting my throat, she unintentionally kissed my heart awake. I had feelings for her. The kind of deep annoying emotions that never went away.
Ana Harte slipped in and out of my mind too. Her familiar face a perplexing conundrum – was she my father’s murderer? Did she deceive him for financial gain, and where the hell was she now? Perhaps her journal would lead me to the answers and enlighten the missing years.
I gently lifted the navy bound book and opened, leafing through the pages.
His torment goes on for eternity. Tonight, he told me that I was a cheating whore just like his wife, and I deserved his punishment. I don’t know why. I haven’t been able to leave this god forsaken place in over a week.
