Page 85 of Vow of Revenge
“It’s best, for all concerned, if our families stay parted.” I sighed, giving in to the fact that we were never meant to be together.
“What does your heart want?” he asked after a second of silence.
“Him. It wants Kaleb.”
Frost settled on the ground outside my window. It had been a few weeks since the auction, which meant a lengthy passing of time since I last saw my sister. Sometimes when I saw her face it was the peaceful deathly slumber that haunted me and not the lively pretty face that always made me smile.
My father, much to my hidden frustration, found me a house to rent just outside of Belfast. He moved me closer to him, but still far enough away to give me space. I wanted to find my own place and pay my own rent, but his powers of persuasion (rolled into a guilt trip) encouraged me to accept. As stubborn as I am, the house was perfect. Syrah would have loved the pretty wooded garden and rolled her eyes at my hovel, otherwise known as the study.
I was dipping my toe in the world of freelance writing, which was working out well but didn’t pay the same wages as Glimmer.
My phone buzzed. “Hiya. Where are you?” I asked my father.
“Just out of a business meeting. I need your help with a new venture. Do you have time?”
“I guess so – what is it?”
“A charity for victims of abuse.”
“Is this something Wendy suggested?”
“Well… partly. Look, I want you on board with this. It’s important to all of us, especially, Syrah.” His voice cracked.
“I’d be happy to help in whatever way I can.” I gazed out the window as the grey clouds covered the afternoon sun and took a sip of thick black coffee.
“Thank you. There’s one more thing you should know.” He paused. “Kaleb is my partner in this.”
The air left my lungs. “What? Him? Why?” I panted in shock.
“He has his reasons, but that’s his story to tell, not mine,” my father said with an air of acceptance.
“I don’t understand. You told me to stay away from him and now you want me to pretend like nothing happened?”
“I’m not asking you to pretend it never happened. Talk to him. The charity needs a united front. Wendy needs this, Freya. It’s given her something else to think about. This is a positive step for all of us. I was wrong, he’s a victim in all this too. He was just a kid.”
“I know what he witnessed but…”
“If this makes you too uncomfortable, then I’ll understand. I won’t force it on you. It’s only business.”
“I’m confused. You wanted to kill him a few weeks ago.”
“He’s tried to reach out to you. Only you can decide if you want to respond. I’m not getting involved in this. You need to do what is right for you.”
Oh, how contrary? Now my father decides to step back and let me make my own decisions.
“Let me think about it.”
“I expected nothing less. I love you.”
The connection went dead.
What the hell was going on? Why on earth was my father involved with Kaleb? This has to be a cruel joke. Perhaps this is all a part of Kaleb’s cunning plan to seek the worst sort of revenge of all. He’s actually won over Calvin…
He thought he could stride into my father’s good books and team up with him under the façade of victims. What a joke. He’d created plenty of victims over the years, enough to patch up his own troubled past.
I agreed to be part of the ‘A. Harte Foundation’ because my mother’s name was its spearhead. It was important to me, just as much as anyone else, and I wanted control. My plan was clear, take the lead and elbow Kaleb out whenever the chance presented itself – hopefully today.
We were scheduled to meet the members for lunch – Kaleb, Wendy, Calvin, Sean and Angie De Courcy.
