A dagger clanked to the ground next to him, the butt of it having must’ve knocked him out.
I looked over at Rika. She stood in a lunging position with her arm outstretched.
Then she stood up, straightening and breathing hard.
Yeah, okay.
My father looked at his man on the ground, inhaling long and deep as he assessed his current situation.
Then he turned his eyes on me.
“You won’t do what it takes,” he said, the glow of the town’s lanterns and the trees from the park behind him.
Smoke still painted the air.
I took Winter’s hand off my jacket, touched her face, and pulled away, approaching him as everyone else stayed back.
“I did once,” I said, thinking of my mother. “Did you really think she’s just been lying on a beach this entire time?”
He thinned his eyes on me and cocked his head, almost looking impressed. He must’ve suspected my mother was dead. She hadn’t surfaced in years.
And he knew that if she didn’t stay away and leave me alone that I’d make her leave me alone.
“You let it happen,” I bit out, stepping forward again and then stopping. “You let her do those things to me.”
“Spare me your whines,” he retorted. “A little pussy is what every growing boy needs.”
I glared at him.
“So what did you do with her?” he asked. “Where is she?”
You mean, where’s the body?
I held his gaze and reached into my breast pocket, pulling out the dagger tucked there.
His eyes darted to it and then up to me as I fisted the handle.
“Close,” I taunted.
I tightened my grip, the leather of my gloves gritting together.
“You won’t,” he told me. “You can’t.”
You know I can. And I would.
“Leave,” I muttered.
But his eyes glanced behind me. “Is she pregnant with my grandchild yet?” he asked, looking Winter up and down. “As long as that blindness isn’t genetic, breed with her as much as you want. I expected bastards from you at some point.”
I shot forward.
“I wouldn’t lose control if I were you,” he said quickly. “You have to keep me alive. How else will I change my will to include you again?”
And I stopped.
Amusement crinkled his eyes as he waited for me to process.
I didn’t care about the fucking money.