Page 16 of Dagger's Property
“Then you find a way to kill your demons.” Another drag. Another slow exhale, and nowhismind looks to be churning hard. “We can’t change our past, doll, but we sure as hell can stop letting it control us. Sometimes, just talking about it can set us free. And sometimes, we need to face it head on. Feeding it our fear and anger only makes it grow stronger.”
I take another drag, trying to fight back the tears.
“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
He smirks, snubbing out his butt and flicking it across the lawn.
“I fed my demons for years. Let my anger control me until I didn’t even recognize myself. Then I met King, the Prez of this club. He told me I had a choice: relinquish the past and use my anger to fight for the life I wanted, or let my dad win. I chose to look forward and stopped letting the pain carve my path.”
I swallow hard, digesting every single one of his words. I wonder what his dad did, but I don’t feel like it’s right to ask. Maybe if I shared my past, he’d be willing to share his.
“My dad’s locked up behind bars in a different state, but he still holds all the power.” I’ve never told anyone that before. Not even Vale. “I hear his voice every day. Inside here.” I tap the side of my head.
“You’re nothing but a whore. You’re as ugly as she is. Too bad you got your brains from that stupid cunt. You’re a deceitful little liar. You turned me into the cops. You told them I caused the bruises on your neck, but you’re the one to blame. Did you tell them what you did? Huh? Did you tell them you poured all my alcohol down the drain and filled the bottles with water? You didn’t, did you? You’re a manipulative little brat. And now I’m being sent away.”
“Wynter?” The memory fades as Cage comes back into focus. I’d gotten trapped in my past, held in the vise of his grip. “You okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
His finger comes out, swiping up my cheek, wiping away tears I hadn’t realized had fallen. I quickly tuck my face into my shirt, using it to clear the rest.
“The smoke must be stinging my eyes. It’s getting late. I better get to bed.”
I go to turn, but he grabs my arm and pulls me into his chest. He hugs me so tight, I almost start crying harder. “You ever need me to kill those demons for you, doll, I will. You don’t have to face them alone.”
More tears threaten to break free.
“Thanks, Cage.”
“Wynter? What the fuck? Thought I told you to get to bed.”
Vale’s bitterness breaks the moment. I pull out of Cage’s arms and turn, looking up at my glaring stepbrother.
“I’m not a child, Vale. I don’t need to be told when my bedtime is. Next time you want to get rid of me, just ask. I’ll make myself scarce so you can flirt with your ‘friend.’” I turn toward Cage. “Thanks for the talk, Cage. I needed it.”
12
Dagger
“What in the actual fuck? I thought I told you to stay away from her? But you can’t get that through your thick skull, can you?”
His eyes sharpen on me, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him looking so furious.
“You better retract your fucking accusations, Dag. That girl is battling some serious shit, and all I was trying to do is offer her a safe ear to get it off her chest. If you haven’t noticed, something’s eating away at her soul. She wouldn’t be suffering from those nightmares if that weren’t the case. I wanted her to know that I’d been in a dark place before and managed to come through. I’m not trying to get into her pants, so you need to quit accusing me of that shit.”
“What’d she tell you?” Looking by the way they were just embraced, she obviously told him something. I want to know if she told him about her dad and the letter. I tried to bring up thesubject at dinner, see if I could get her talking, but she didn’t budge.
“Told me her dad was in prison and that he still haunts her. Nothing beyond that. I don’t know what he did to the girl, but I’ve never seen eyes filled with so much pain.”
“He was violent,” I state. “Not just with his hands, but with his words. He took out all his anger towards his ex-wife on her. Finally, one of her teachers caught onto what was happening and reported it. He was then arrested on charges of neglect and child abuse, as well as attempted murder.”
“The fuck?” Yep. The motherfucker tried to kill his own kid.
“The stupid teacher who reported him to Child Protective Services felt the need to call him up and inform him of what Wynter had shared with her. She wanted to corroborate the story as if he’d actually admit to hurting the girl. And when Wyn got home from school, he was waiting for her. Thankfully, the cops showed up just in the nick of time. They pulled him off her and threw his ass in jail. He ended up being sentenced to twenty-five years, but he’s coming up for parole. Based on his record inside, his attorney thinks he has a shot at getting out.”
“Not a chance in hell,” Cage grunts. I know the feeling. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect Wynter.
“You don’t have to tell me. I’m going to kill the fucker.” Already figured out a plan and spoke to King. Now, it’s only a matter of time. “Saw a letter he wrote her, and he wants her to come and testify on his behalf. Tell the board that she thinks he’s safe. She doesn’t know I know that fact so keep that to yourself. I think her recent behavior stems from that man showing back up in her life. That’s why I brought her here.”
