Delivering His Gifts (Mountain Men of Liberty #10)- K.C. Crowne Page 0,48
someone was here?”
I had my suspicions that Greg had been out there, watching the house. But once I saw that it was Mason, I considered myself paranoid. Now I wondered if maybe I was right.
Maybe I hadn’t seen him, but he had been out there. Maybe he still was.
“A client? Bullshit. Unless you’re whoring yourself out, but then again, I wouldn’t be too surprised to find out that you were.”
I clenched my eyes shut. Do not cry, Danielle. Please do not cry. Don’t give him the satisfaction. You know he loves hurting you.
“He saw that I was upset and comforted me. I thought either you or Jim had been watching me, and I was scared. I broke down and he hugged me. That’s it.”
“I know you’re lying,” he said matter-of-factly, as if he knew the absolute truth.
“I’m not,” I said weakly. Yes, I was lying, but it was none of his business.
“You are,” he said sardonically. “You’re a liar and a whore. I can’t believe I ever had a child with you. I should have listened to my mother.”
I took a deep breath and counted to ten. I knew that if I argued, he’d just keep going, and his insults would become meaner and more personal. I had to be calm. I had to be the bigger person.
“I’m not lying, and I’m not a whore,” I said slowly. This was exactly why I couldn’t date or tell him about Mason, why I dreaded telling him about the baby.
“I need to revisit the custody agreement. I can’t have a whore raising my daughter. What kind of example are you setting?”
How does he know about the hug with Mason, I wondered? I wrapped myself in my arms around myself tightly. “How did you know someone was here?” I asked. “Are you watching me? Are there cameras?”
I began looking around the room wildly, suddenly fearful that he was watching me at that very second.
He laughed. “I have my ways, Danielle.”
The line went dead.
I stood there, looking around the room, trying to find a camera. When I couldn’t find it, I felt relieved, but only for an instant. When Mason and I hugged, there wasn’t another car on the road for miles in either direction, I was sure of it.
But Greg must have been out there. He had to have seen us. But how?
I knew he wouldn’t tell me, and it was yet another way he could control me. I shuddered. No, you can’t let him. Danielle, you need to break free from him.
I wasn’t sure how, but I would have to find a way.
He’d always been good to Skyler, but for how long? What would happen when she got older and started dating? Would he call her a whore too?
No, something had to give.
I had to find a way to break free from this asshole.
Mason
I strode up to the big, wooden doorway. I knew it was getting late, but the lights were still on inside the house. I tapped on the door, trying to be mostly quiet in case there were kids asleep.
What I wanted to do was bash the fucking door in, but I had calmed myself down in the truck. I had a plan of action. I wasn’t going to make things harder on Danielle by losing control of my temper.
My knock was met by silence at first, and I was prepared to knock again when the door swung open. An older man with grey hair stared back at me. He was wearing dark slacks and a dark vest over a white shirt. Oh, and a fucking white bow tie as well. I assumed he was some sort of butler.
Rich assholes always had butlers.
“I’m here to speak to Mr. King,” I said.
“At nine o-clock in the evening, sir?” The man gave me a once over, his disdain clear on his face.
I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Nothing too grimy or dirty, but not nearly as fancy as the butler’s attire either.
“It’s urgent.”
“I’m sorry, but he’s not seeing anyone at the moment,” the butler said curtly, preparing to shut the door in my face.
I reached out and forced the door to remain open. The butler was easily approaching seventy, and he was a bean pole. He couldn’t shut that door if I didn’t want him to.
His eyes narrowed. “Will I have to call the police? I can just push a button and they’ll be here within seconds,” the man said with a snide grin.