world. You’re a fucking Widow and I’m a Wolf. We can’t be … whatever the fuck we are. I can’t be anything to any of you, yet every day you risk me like that. If they knew that I’m a fucking Wolf, I’d be–
“Dead.”
My eyes whip over to the chilling voice to find Kian striding toward me. My heart races. I’ve never had this man actually come to talk to me before. I’ve always had Nic’s protection from that, but I don't need him. Not any more. Not if he could hide something like this from me.
I turn back to Nic, not giving a shit about his father right now. “Does my mother know? Colton?”
He shakes his head. “No. Neither of them.”
I let out a breath, not realizing how badly those questions had been plaguing my mind since I first scanned through these papers, but now it all makes sense. Why my boys have been so shady about Bellevue Springs, why Charles so suddenly took us in, and why he took an interest in my schooling. I wasn't just staff to him, I was his actual property. Yet in all of this, there's still one question that sits heavy on my heart.
I look back to Nic, feeling as though I could break. “Why didn’t he tell me?”
Eli scoffs. “Why didn’t he tell you that he sold you? Fuck, O. Why do you think? Hey, Honey, how was school? Oh, by the way, I sold you to a fucking billionaire so I could save myself.”
“Fuck you,” I snap. “Why didn’t he tell me that he was a fucking Wolf, asshole?”
Kian steps into the circle and grabs my chin, forcing my eyes to his as the four boys stiffen, not liking his closeness at all. “You were his little girl and this is no world for princesses like you.”
I tear my chin out of his hold. “You can’t touch me,” I snap. “I’m a fucking Wolf.”
He leans in, his eyes brimming with excitement. “As far as they’re concerned, you’re a traitor. You spend your days running around with Widows. I could do whatever the fuck I wanted to you and they wouldn’t do a goddamn thing.”
Nic glares at his father. “Back off.”
Kian straightens and turns his attention on his son. “What’s with this little obsession you have with this girl?” he questions before tracking his eyes up and down my body. “She’s certainly nothing special.”
My sharp glare cuts to him and he catches my eyes. I raise my chin, trying to appear bigger than my small 5’2, but I know my intimidation techniques would never work on a guy like this. They’re more suited to bitchy high school cheerleaders. This is the real fucking world here.
“Back off,” Nic warns again but this time, it’s not clear if he’s talking to his father or me.
Kian laughs. “You think I’m bad,” he teases. “Your father was worse.”
I shake my head. “You don’t know a goddamn thing about my father.”
“Oh, really? Because it seems like you’re the one who doesn’t know anything, Sweetheart. Let me enlighten you.”
Nic steps in closer to me and I flinch from his closeness. “Dad. Don’t.”
Kian ignores him and I find myself listening intently. If someone around here is actually willing to tell me the truth, then I’m ready. I'm done being protected from the ugliness of this world. I’m not stupid. I know my father wouldn't be innocent. No one in this town is, but the question is just how bad could he have been to have a man like Kian Garcia accuse him of being worse?
Kian turns on Nic and grabs him around the throat, pulling him in close to his face. “Why are you still trying to protect her? She’s a nobody. She doesn’t even live here anymore. Get the fuck over this little fascination you have with her. If she wants to know the truth, then I’m going to tell her the fucking truth like you should have done in the first place. You think you’re keeping her safe by hiding this shit from her? All you’ve done is backed her into a corner, taught her to rely on you instead of being able to navigate her way around this and learn to survive on her own. What kind of bullshit protection is that?”
Kian releases him and Nic looks as though he’s only two seconds away from tearing his father apart. Kai puts a hand on his chest, reeling him back in as Kian looks back to