Page 49 of Cruel Love
Her terrified cry seeped into my body, wrapping its tendrils around mychest, and squeezing. Even smashing my fist into the mirror didn’t relieve me of the pressure building in me, the tendrils tightening until I couldn’t breathe.
With red mist clearing from my vision, guilt laced with regret when mylast glimpse of Willow was her lying on the bed, her arms wrapped around her body as she whimpered.
I had to get out of there, because if I didn’t, I would have dropped tomy knees, and begged for her forgiveness. Begged her to love me even if I was a cruel man, and not deserving of anyone’s love, let alone hers.
Thankfully, it was barely the crack of dawn, meaning the hallways ofmy childhood home were deserted, which was a good thing. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold in the monster residing in me if I ran into Elijah. I was struggling to contain it as it was.
My bare feet padded along the hallway that would take me to thegarden, my lungs still constricted and in need of air. But my movement was suddenly halted by a shrill phone ringing in my father’s office as I passed by. Thinking my father would still be asleep, and the phone would ringuntil whoever was calling got the hint that no one was going to answer, I made to carry on to the garden, but my steps were once again halted when my father answered the phone.
“Welch! Where the fuck have you been? I’ve been trying to get holdof you all night,”he hissed in a hushed voice, but the fury in his tone was evident.
Instantly, my interest piqued.
My father and Welch weren’t exactly friends, they didn’tacknowledge each other at Legion meetings, so why had my father been trying to contact him all night?
Checking the hallway was clear, I stepped to the side of myfather’s office, leaning my ear against the crack between the door and the jamb, and holding my breath so my father wouldn’t know I was there.
“Yeah, she’s here,”my father said, his voice calmer.
She who?
My mom?
“No, you were right. She doesn’t remember anything,”my father said,my brows furrowing together when I realized he was talking about Willow.“But what if she does, Welch?”he spat, the shuffles of his feet pacing against the wooden floor hitting my ears.“If she remembers, it could cause us all sorts of problems.”
Cogs whirred in my head as his words settled in my head. What thefuck was he talking about?
What didn’t he want Willow remembering?
“You better fucking pray that you’re right, Welch,”my father snapped.“I’m not convinced James isn’t falling for the girl, and if he finds out…”
My jaw clenched, although I wasn’t sure if it was in disappointmentthat I’d failed to convince my father that I didn’t have feelings for Willow, or because of his unspoken threat.
A pause followed as I tried to make sense of what the fuck was goingon, but before I could piece the puzzle together my father spoke again, sending a sliver of trepidation down my spine.
“I’ve told you, once she has James’ baby, the girl belongs to you. Dowith her what you will, but for fuck sake, Welch, don’t mess up a second time.”
I spent the day locked in the conference room with my father, dialinginto a number of Legion meetings with him and the other board members, along with the heads of States.
Even though the meetings were as dull as shit, it meant I avoidedWillow. Better than that though, was that my father didn’t have the opportunity to corner Willow and demand she showed him her back, something of which I was certain he would do given half the chance.
Elijah had fucked off in the morning to play a round of golf with hisbanking buddies, so I didn’t have to worry about him going near my wife. I’d commented to my father that it was good to see just how devoted Elijah was in preparing himself to take a seat on the board.
My father simply scowled at me.
For most of the meetings though, I switched off, my thoughts solelyfocused on the phone call I’d heard this morning. I couldn’t stop glaring at my father, wondering what secrets the fucker was hiding, and doing my best to hide my simmering fury.
He knew something about my wife.
I refused to acknowledge the part where he’d promised Willow toWelch.
As the meeting went on throughout the day, and into the evening, mybrain kept coming up with question after question. My growing anger threatened to erupt out of me like a fiery volcano, promising to burn everyone in its wake. The second the meeting was called to an end, I rushed from the roombefore I lost my mind and beat my father black and blue until I got answers.
I would find out what he was hiding, but I needed to tread carefully.My gut was telling me that whatever he and Welch were keeping had far-reaching consequences, and I wasn’t going to give my father any indication that I knew he was up to something.
Barking orders at one of the staff to prepare Willow for us to leave, Iheaded to my mom’s bedroom, not in the least bit surprised to find her lying in bed, her eyes glazed over as she stared vacantly at the ceiling.
Knowing there would be little point in trying to rouse her, I leaned over and kissed her forehead, telling her that I’d come and see her again soon.
