Mirage - Alice Tribue Page 0,70
that.”
“I don’t even know what to say about all of this. I can’t believe what I’m hearing right now.”
“I know you’re mad, and I know I’ve disappointed you.” I choke back tears. “But I’m still your daughter, and I love you, so much. I only hope that you’ll still be able to love me even though I let you down.”
In a flash, I’m in his arms, and he’s holding onto me, hugging me tightly.
“I’ll always love you; you’re my baby.” I let the tears that I’ve been holding onto go. I let them wash away all of the fear and remorse. “You’re going to be fine. You’re going to start over. As soon as you’re cleared from all this business, you can start again.”
He puts an arm around my shoulder and leads me over to the couch as I continue to cry. He holds me in his arms for a while.
“What about the young man, Vic?”
“He says that he loves me.”
“Well, he’s risking a lot to protect you. I wouldn’t think it’s so far-fetched that he might actually love you.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that he lied, and even if I could get past that, he’s a police detective. It would be severely frowned upon for him to get involved with the woman he spent the last few months investigating.”
“He protected you, so now it’s your turn to protect him?”
“I’m going to call and have a cleaning service come and clean this mess up then I’m going to take a nap.”
“Avoiding the subject isn’t going to change it or make it better.”
“I’m going to make a cup of coffee first,” I say rising to my feet.
“Victoria.”
“I can’t, Dad, okay? I can’t think, so I can’t make any decisions today; I need some time to process it all. Is it all right if we finish this conversation later?”
“Yeah, all right, I think I’ll take a walk.”
“Okay,” I say watching him walk to the front door, feeling his mixed emotions cover him like a blanket. “I love you, Dad,” I tell him, hoping it will make even the smallest bit of difference.
“I love you too, baby,” he replies with no hesitation as he walks out the door, and I wonder if my love for Nathan could be that unconditional.
CHAPTER TWENTY
~NATHAN~
I knock on the door and hope this doesn’t go south. “Come in,” Captain Burke calls out. I open the door, looking around the office to see if it’s just him in there. That’s a good sign.
“You wanted to see me.”
“Take a seat,” he says, looking up from whatever file he’s currently studying. I jut my chin and walk into the office, taking the chair directly across from him. I lean back in the chair, giving the appearance of relaxation when really I’m wound as tight as a knot.
“We got nothing. Everything turned up clear on her.”
“The safe?” I question, maintaining that the safe held the evidence needed to convict her. It’s the truth.
“Clean.”
“What now?” I question, shaking my head.
He closes the file on his desk and leans back in his chair, his posture mimicking mine. False sense of security. “She’s free and clear. Nothing we can charge her with and now that she knows she’s been investigated, I suspect there’ll never be anything again.”
He watches me closely for a moment, gauging my reaction to the news. I don’t give him one. “You know if you’re protecting her...”
I cut him off, not allowing him to finish the thought. “I’m not protecting her,” I tell him matter-of-factly, trying to keep the defensive tone away from this conversation.
He leans forward, resting his arms on the desk. “I can understand how the lines might get blurred, how you might start to care for someone.”
I give a slow understanding nod. “Even if I did care about her, it wouldn’t change the fact that I was there to do a job. And I did that; to the best of my ability, I did that,” I tell him, neither confirming nor denying my relationship with Victoria.
“You know if we find out you withheld evidence…”
“Search me, please. I’ll give you the keys to my place right now. I have nothing to hide. If I’d have been able to grab the drive myself, I’d have done it, and I’d have turned it over.”
He mulls over my words, trying to decide whether he believes me or not. I’d rather have him believe me than not, but at this point, it doesn’t matter because he really can’t prove shit. But he still has