Page 47 of Fighting For Light
“It doesn’t matter. He needs someone to be mad at, to blame right now.”
“You really don’t have to do that. This is on me. You’ve done enough as it is,” I tell him, wringing my hands together.
“And I’ll keep doing more, gem. This isn’t a favor. This is finally our chance to have something we’ve both wanted for a long time,” he says and tosses the empty water bottle into the trash.
“Yeah,” I sigh.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. We just need to get through this part.”
I nod, and he kisses the corner of my mouth.
We start packing our things so we can go to the hotel after we talk to Dad. Kai takes a shower, and then we walk over to my father’s trailer. With each step, it feels like the weight on my shoulders gets heavier and heavier. Kai grabs my hand and knocks on his door.
Dad steps to the side, letting us in, and my throat is too tight from nerves. I don’t know what to say. I lock eyes with Kai, and he nods, knowing he needs to say it.
“Hey, Reece, so we’re officially engaged now, and I wanted to treat Cordi to a little getaway. Since we have a few days here, we will be staying in a hotel, and we wanted to let you know.”
Dad sighs and looks at me carefully. “Are you sure this is what you want, Cordi? I will help you. I understand that Kai is trying to do the right thing, but—“
“I am absolutely sure, Dad,” I say with as much confidence as I can muster and look at Kai.
Dad rubs his hand over his head. “Alright, I’ll see you both in a couple days then. Let me know if you need anything.” Kai shakes Dad’s hand while I give him a quick hug before scurrying out of the camper.
24
Kai
After we get checkedinto the penthouse, I text Mom to let her know the plan.
“This is beautiful, Kai,” Cordelia says, looking around the ample space. The living room could easily fit fifty people, and there are two bedrooms off to the side, each with its own bathroom. I thought she would enjoy a large bathtub to soak in. “Why did you get us a penthouse? We don’t need all of this,” she says.
I chuckle as she draws her finger over the glossy wood of one of the side tables. She looks at me over her shoulder, and my eyes trail down her figure over her small bump. My heart pulls, and every limb feels heavy with the need to hold her close, to protect.
“Why are you still standing in the doorway? Come here,” she beckons.
I grab our bags and toss them in the first room I see, then walk up to her, sliding my hands around her hips. She lifts her arms and wraps them around my neck while I tuck my nose into her honey-smelling hair, inhaling deeply.
“I need you to promise me something,” I tell her. She hums, waiting for me to continue. I lift her hand with her ring, and it glints off the light. “You may think of me differently, and I won’t blame you. You don’t have to stay, and I’ll help you regardless, but you need to know this before we tie the knot. I love you, I always have. But I need to tell you everything.”
“This sounds like I need a drink,” she grumbles. “But water will have to do.”
I let her go and grab her a bottle from the minibar. She sinks down into one of the couches, and I hand over the water before sitting across from her. Being within distance to touch her will make this harder.
“Well, daredevil, get on with it,” she says, meeting my eyes.
I take a deep breath and start from the beginning. “Rumors say that my father is into some things, and they’re true. My father is not a good man. I’ll spare you the details because there are some things you don’t want to know and I don’t want to relive them. He beat all of us. Emerson and Mom took the brunt of it simply because they were there first. Liam and I came after the fact. He made sure no one ever saw the bruises. If he couldn’t control himself, then he told us to tell anyone who asked that we got in fights with our brothers. My mom had to wait and endure it all for us until she could get her family fortune back and get us out.”
“How long did it take?” she asked quietly.
I swallow thickly. “It took her eighteen years to get out. Mom comes from a prevalent family, the Astors. That’s how Dad got his money to start his political career. He wanted to be aman of the people.Mom told us when he got power, he only wanted more. Over time, Mom slowly moved accounts to her name and ours…to be extra cautious. She had to move money little by little, enough to take care of us to get away, but not too quickly, or hewould notice. She had to pay off the accountant to stay quiet and hide everything.”
“I’m surprised your grandpa didn’t come after him for hurting you all,” she murmured.
I rub my chin. “He died of a heart attack, and it was all left to her. After Fred got into the higher political offices, he used his status to get around the prenup my grandfather set up. If he did know, though, our grandfather would have killed and buried him where no one would find him. Unfortunately, Mom recognized she was stuck with my father because he tookeverything. So that’s why she created the plan to get us out.”
“How did she do that?”
I blow out a breath. “She knew she would never be able to divorce him; someone would find out, and it would cause more questions. So, she never presented the papers. She got us a tutor and trainers. Her intention was for us to live under the radar, but it was lonely for us. So she told us to pick a sport so we could meet kids our age, and she would make it happen. She knew there was a risk of putting us out there like that, but she played into my father’s ego, and he spun it to the public in his favor as if he contributed to the men we were becoming. It was all bullshit, obviously. Regardless, we all ended up being good at it and went professional. Mom encouraged us to take the opportunity. She figured it would keep our dad away because it would continue to make the Coldwell name look good, and it has, for the most part.”
