“Yeah.”
“She’s always favored the other two girls. Always treated you differently.”
“Dad,” I say softly. “You’ve always favored me. It’s not really all that different.”
He stares up at me now. “Maybe, but I’d never, ever disrespect those girls.”
No, he wouldn’t.
My phone rings now, and I pull it out of my purse to see my mother’s name flashing on the screen. I contemplate answering it. I look over to Dad, and his face is hard again. I hang up, too, and shove the cell phone back into my purse. “Let’s go have a beer.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “A beer?”
“Yeah, a beer.”
He grins, and I feel some of the stress leave my body. “Okay, honey.”
Beer fixes everything.
* * *
I’ve had three beers with Dad when my phone rings again. I stare down at the screen to see Don’s name. Oh God, it must be over. They must have caught Raide and brought him in. Something angry twists in my chest as I lift the phone and press it to my ear. “Hey, Don.”
“Grace, just letting you know we haven’t gotten Raide Knox.”
I flinch. “What do you mean, you haven’t gotten him?”
From the corner of my eye, I can see Dad watching me.
“That wasn’t his house. It wasn’t even the house of someone he knew. He scoped the place out, saw the owners went away, and broke in. He’s been squatting there.”
Squatting? Oh my God.
“When we arrived, it was perfectly clean. Not a trace of him. He must have suspected you.”
He didn’t. I know he didn’t.
I broke everything off for fucking nothing. I ripped my own heart out, and his, for fucking nothing.
“You’re sure it didn’t belong to a friend of his?” I whisper.
“Positive. The owners had no idea who he was when we contacted them.”
“God dammit.”
“It’s not your fault, Grace,” he says gently. “It happens. A lot.”
“Now what?”
“You’ve still got a month. Take it. He won’t have gone far. Raide is here for a reason, and he won’t leave until he’s got whatever it is he’s looking for.”
His sister’s boyfriend. That’s what he’s looking for. And stupid me thought I could protect him from himself.
“And you want me back on it?”
“Of course. You didn’t screw up. Like I said, it happens. You’re doing a great job, giving detailed reports.”
I’m not doing a great job.
“Do you still want the job?” he asks.
I close my eyes. Do I still want the job? Do I want the chance to see Raide again? My heart is aching, I don’t even know why. It’s something I’ve never experienced before. Raide has affected me. He’s made everything blurry. But he’s also still out there, and maybe … maybe I can help him. He’s innocent, I believe that. Maybe this time, I can help him and fix this before anything bad happens.
“Yes,” I say quietly.
“Good. You did well, Grace. Don’t be disheartened.”
“Thanks.”
“Listen, take a few days off, start fresh when you get back. You deserve it. Talk to you later.”
It’s an order; I know it is, so he doesn’t give me the chance to answer before he hangs up the phone. I’m not hurt by this, I could use a few days off. I sigh and hang my head. Dad reaches over, squeezing my shoulder. “Everything okay?”“Yeah, just a case gone slightly bad. I’m on it.”
“Gracie—”
“It’s okay, Dad, really.”
I’m such a liar.
Nothing is okay.
Chapter Fifteen
Dad and I walk through the front doors and see Mom, Gretchen, and Stacy sitting at the dining room table, looking morbid as all hell. They look up when we enter, and Mom leaps up, rushing toward Dad. I know she loves him, no matter how selfish she can be, I’ve known it my whole life. Talk about dysfunctional. He puts a hand up when she gets close, and mutters, “I have nothing to say to you, but you have plenty to say to Grace. Don’t you think?”
She nods, hanging her head, and turns to face me. “Baby,” she begins, and I flinch. She’s never called me that. “I … I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I’ve become. I should never have spoken to you like that. I am proud of you, Grace. I am. Really I am. I got caught up, lost myself, I didn’t mean it.”
I sigh. “It’s fine, Mom.”
“It’s not fine,” she wails, and tears spill out of her eyes. “I was awful to you.”
I nod. “Yeah, you were. It’s finished now.”
She lunges at me, throwing her arms around me. I know that this is guilt talking and she’ll be back to her goody-goody self in a matter of days, but it still feels nice. I close my eyes and hug her back. It’s been a long time since she’s hugged me with warmth. When she pulls back, she places a kiss on my cheek and turns to Dad.
His eyes are on Gretchen and she’s practically shrinking under his glare. “Well?” he barks.
“Sorry, Daddy.”
“Isn’t me who you hurt.”
She turns her eyes to mine. “I’m sorry, Grace.”
She doesn’t mean it, I know she doesn’t, but I take it anyway. “No problem. Sorry, I, ah, pulled your hair.”
She rubs her head, remembering. “It’s fine.”
Hah.
Yeah right.
Dad turns to me. “You need me to take you home?”
I shake my head.
He reaches out, running the back of his hand down my cheek. “Proud of you, princess.”
I smile. “Thanks, Dad.”
Then I turn, without another look, and head out the door.
That’s the best I’ll get from them, but it’s enough.
* * *
The night is long and torturous, but when I wake the next morning, I’m ready to face the world again. I don’t know how I’m going to do that, but I know I have to. I get dressed, and knowing I have a few days off, decide to go out this morning and get my coffee. Maybe even breakfast.
When I’m ready, I head out the front door but stop suddenly when a gravelly voice comes from the corner of my porch. “You lied to me.”
I close my eyes. Raide. “How?” I whisper.
I turn and see him standing, arms folded, eyes intense. “You said it mattered, when I know it fuckin’ doesn’t.”
I stare at him. Really stare. He’s a broken man. I can see it in the depths of his amber eyes. What happened with his sister, it destroyed him. He’s hurting, and he’s struggling to cope. He wants revenge because it’s the only thing he has left to hold on to.
“You’re right,” I say. “I did lie.”
“Why?”
“Because you scare me.”
He flinches and steps forward. His hand reaches out and runs down my face. “Don’t be scared of me, baby. I won’t hurt you.”
Baby.
I close my eyes, turning my cheek into his hand. This is dangerous, so damned dangerous. Yet I don’t want it to stop. I can’t make it stop. I want to spend every waking second with this man, and what I am feeling right now is so deep, I’m not sure I’ll dislodge it anytime soon.