Fraud (Antihero Inferno #2) - Lily White Page 0,118
it interesting you failed to use it.”
Love.
That’s what he wants me to say.
Sadly, he didn’t give much of a shit about that when I was nine.
“Sorry, Dad. I didn’t think it was that big a deal to you considering you practically signed me over to him when I was a child. What happened to marrying me off? What changed your mind?”
He flinches at that and stands to his full height. Unfortunately, when I stand to mine, he’s still towering over me. If not for the desk between us, I’d be craning my neck to look up at him.
“I’ll assume Gabriel’s father told you that.”
“Is it true?”
He shoves away from the desk and crosses the room to pull a painting away from the wall, a secret safe hidden behind it.
My eyes stay locked to the keypad as he types in the code, the numbers dedicated to memory when he pulls the door open and fishes around inside.
Turning back to me, he answers, “Yes, it’s true. But when I discovered the depth of criminal behavior in that family, I retracted the offer. I won’t have my daughter caught up in it.”
He steps toward me, his long-legged stride eating the distance between us. Slapping a black credit card down on the desk near my hand, he locks his eyes to mine.
“You may not marry Gabriel Dane. And after returning that ring to him, you’ll have no further contact. You will return to your house and I’ll assign you a new driver. This card will help you with whatever you need until such time as I can get you new ones. I’m not arguing with you about this.”
“Tell me why.”
“I don’t owe you an explanation,” he barks, red staining his cheeks from anger. “If anything, you owe me for all the times I pulled your ass out of the fire because of Gabriel. Have you lost your mind?”
Wincing at the snap to his voice, I stand my ground. This is all part of the act, though, the tears leaking from my eyes as fake as my quivering lip.
“But I love him.”
He slides the card closer to my hand. “I want you to do as I say immediately. That family is not our friends. They said as much when they burned down the pavilion after it was built.”
Surprise rolls through me. He thinks Gabriel did it? Or Gabriel’s family, at least.
“How did you get here?”
The tears leak down my cheeks, but he couldn’t give a damn about it. If I weren’t playing it off, his lack of concern would hurt.
“I drove Gabriel’s car.”
“Take it back to him, and then call me. I’ll have a new driver assigned to you that will pick you up.”
Which reminds me...
“Why was Scott here?”
He blinks at that. “To pick up his things.”
“What things?”
Dad steps away from me, leaving the card by my hand. “It doesn’t matter. He won’t be your driver if that’s what you think.”
Dropping his weight back onto his seat, my father dismisses me. “Be sure to call when you’ve given Gabriel the ring and car.” His eyes cut my direction. “It doesn’t surprise me that, once again, I need to help clean up the mess you’ve made.”
“What mess it that, exactly?”
He looks away from me, his stare locked to his computer as he clicks on an email. “Just do as I said as soon as possible.”
I know this is the end of the discussion. Had this not been an act, I would have picked up the card and tossed it in his face. Would have demanded answers. But Gabriel warned me against that.
We need my dad thinking he still has the power to control me.
“Yes, sir,” I whisper as I slip the card from the desk and turn to leave the room. He doesn’t call out to stop me before I shut the door.
Tears dry by the time I reach the foyer, I smile at Harrison on my way out.
“What mood is he in now, Miss Callahan?”
“Bright red, Harrison. I’d avoid him for the next few hours.”
“Thank you for the warning,” he chuckles as he opens the door for me. “Please drive carefully, Miss Callahan.
Nodding my head in his direction, I cross the porch and run down the stairs. I feel like an utter failure for not dragging information out of my dad, but that was never the plan. Gabriel knew it was possible he wouldn’t give it to me.
All I have to accomplish now is sound an alarm in my dad’s head, one that might have