Page 76 of Forged in Rain

“John has my money. John’s been a bad boy.” He tsks, shaking his head.

“I don’t want anything to do with any of this. I didn’t even know you existed until a few months ago.”

“Your father truly did escape, it would seem,” he murmurs.

“You know my dad?” I’m surprised, even though I probably shouldn’t be. Clearly, nothing about my life is true.

He chuckles. “I’m his godfather, girly.”

What the fuck?

“I see I’ve surprised you. It wasn’t so long ago, I held your dad on my knees, but people got greedy.” He shakes his head, his brows dropping over his watery eyes.

“What happened?”

“Your grandfather wanted more, and he aroused the wrath of us all.”

Shrinking away, I nod, but I still don’t understand. I’m in the middle of a nightmare with blinders on, and it would seem my own family is leading the damn charge.

When I don’t comment, he continues, rasping, “He wanted what we agreed we would never do: women, drugs.”

“But . . . I thought . . . you know, you do that now?” I ask, fumbling over the words.

He eyes me sharply, his mouth pulling into a grimace. “Not by my choice. But I can’t back out without affecting other families, and I’m not willing to end my own. But soon.”

Hate shifts beside me, but we both ignore him as I say, “John?”

The old man smiles knowingly, and I clench my hands in my lap because although I don’t trust this dick any further than I do John, if he really is looking to make this horrible thing go away, maybe he is my best bet. And Pam . . . maybe the Cue theory isn’t that far off. I mean, apparently, my father sat on this horrible man’s knee.

Licking my lips, I avert my gaze, which does nothing to quell my rapid pulse because I meet the stone-cold gaze of one of his guards.

Shit. They could kill me right now, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I may know basic self-defense, but I’m pretty sure that won’t get me far with these burly dudes.

Desperately, I turn back to McCafferty, who’s studying me beneath his bushy brows. “I don’t know anything about anything. I’ve only been living with my aunt and uncle since the beginning of this school year.”

“Hmm, yes, your aunt. She’s knee-deep in things that women have no business being a part of.”

“Well, that’s sexist,” I mutter.

He laughs, the guttural sound scratchy with disuse. “You’d be perfect for my grandnephew.”

“Oh, um . . .”

Waving away my discomfort, he continues. “I want John, and other than Pam and her useless daughter, you’re the closest to him. You’ll get me the information I need, and I’ll forgive the debt.”

Well, this sounds ridiculously familiar. Fuck me.

“Like what? John’s gone, and Pam hasn’t exactly told me herself what’s going on.”

“Not my problem. John’s planning something, and I want to know what it is,” he says.

“But me? I’m nobody,” I say, mentally cringing. How the hell am I supposed to get information out of a not-so-dead missing guy? And Pam? I don’t even know what’s going on.

“That may be, but more is going on in that house than meets the eye. You’re there. Figure it out.”

“That doesn’t make any sense! I don’t know anything.”

“You will. Figure it out. You’ll go through Hate.”

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