Fast & Wet (The Fast 2)

I put a hand on her hip, just letting her know I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I’d give anything to fix this for her, if only it were possible.

Let the badass out, baby. I’ll catch her if she falls.

“They are not my guests, but I’ll speak with them,” she answers the guard. “Can you wait here, though?”

“Of course, ma’am,” the guard answers.

Emily and I walk into the conference room, and she shuts the door.

The Major General is puffed up in full military dress, and Ava stands several feet away from him, her face more wrinkled and aged since I last saw her.

Both of them are standing with their feet out wide like they’re here for a fight. If they think they’ve come to take their little girl home, lock her back up in an ivory tower and clip her wings, they’re sorely mistaken.

They’d be underestimating her, as usual.

“Ballentine, leave us alone with our daughter,” the Major General orders.

“He’s not going anywhere,” Emily argues.

Good girl, baby.

“Looks like I’m staying,” I smirk.

“You have exactly five minutes to tell me everything and say what you came here for. Or I will have security escort you out, then call the police, like I told you I would,” Emily tells them.

She’s staring at Ava, though, hard. Like she’s going to get the wrath of what’s bubbling just below Emily’s skin.

I don’t know what they’ve told her, or how much she’s talked to them since she ran out of our apartment. But I have nothing left to hide.

Frankly, I want to hear it out of their filthy, lying mouths. I’ve waited a long time for the satisfaction but was content to never have it if it meant sparing Emily.

“Emily, let’s go home and discuss this in private. Please, honey,” Ava’s fake, saccharine voice makes me cringe.

“Clock is ticking,” Emily sneers.

“Your father and I only wanted what was best for you, like we’ve always said.”

“I saw the letters, the emails, the horrible papers you sent him. Give it up, Mother,” the word mother practically spits from Emily’s lips.

Ava’s face falls, and she leers sideways to her husband. His face is steel, unchanging, but he’s used to interrogations, I suppose. “I’m sorry you had to see that, but… he… he,” Ava looks at me, pure hatred and disgust in her eyes.

I suppose it would be much easier to believe that I’m the degenerate bad boy who stole their untarnished daughter away instead of looking in the mirror. I get it. I’ve done a lot of looking in the mirror, and for a very long time, I hated what I saw, too.

But, I did the work. Paid the piper. Now it’s their turn.

“Oh no, don’t look at me, Ava. This is all on you two. Go ahead, tell her,” I stand behind Emily and taunt them.

Fuck their shit. After everything, they think they’re still going to stand here, in my house, and manipulate Emily?

“Tell me what?” Emily asks. When they don’t answer, she slams her hand down on the table, “You have four minutes.”

They stay silent. Cowards.

“Either you tell her, or I will,” I direct my stare at the Major General. “This ends today.”

His jaw ticks.

I push, needle him. “Now or never. You gonna man up or not?”