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."I love both of my sons with all my heart.I was appalled and devastated for my boys when the news broke about their girlfriends being shot by that grotesque woman.As a father it is your worst nightmare to discover one of your children has been subjected to such a calculating transgression, but to find out both were hoodwinked by that loathsome woman makes my blood boil.One of my son's has buried his beautiful girlfriend, Camryn–the woman he had planned to spend his life with…" Lee's voice broke and I heard her inhale deeply before continuing."My other son's girlfriend has been left in-inca-incapacitated," she stuttered."As a result of that vile woman's actions, my grandchild was left motherless for months.My wife and I have tried our best to support both Kyle and Michael during this difficult time, but it hasn't been easy for our family…""Stop," I hissed.Rubbing my face roughly with my palm, I tried to get myself under control."Don't read another word," I whispered.What the hell was he playing at? Who the hell was he trying to fool?Both of my sons.As a father.Our family.Like he had the slightest clue about being a father…I didn't have a father.I had a fucking sperm donor."Where are you, Kyle?" Lee asked quietly."You're not in a meeting.I can hear traffic."Groaning, I leaned forward and rested my forehead against the wheel."Thirteenth Street.""Why did you lie to me? We promised each other," she whispered and I slumped in my seat.No more lies we had promised each other.No more fucking lies and I was still lying.Goddammit to hell."I can't find Derek," I confessed guiltily.My tone was gruff.My whole body was on fire."Didn't wanna worry you." I heard her breathing hitch and I flinched."Can you come pick me up?" she asked quickly.I could hear ruffling noises in the back ground and I suspected she was pulling on her clothes."I think I know where he is."****LeeI felt horrible for calling Linda to come over and watch Hope for me when she obviously wasn't at her best, but I didn't have any other option."Thanks so much, Linda," I mumbled as I shrugged on my coat, ignored the huge swell of guilt filling my heart from the sight of her washed out face, and rushed to the door.Kyle was waiting outside in his car and I didn't want my daughter coming with us.She didn't need to be exposed to all of this misery and Kyle was too temperamental to go on his own.We needed to talk about this.He needed to stop lying to me.I didn't care if he thought he had my best interests at heart or not.He needed to be straight with me.Lying to each other and hiding the truth had wrecked our relationship before.It was a horrible repetitive habit that we needed to nip in the bud."Take care of him, Lee," Linda called after me."I will," I replied as I pulled out the door and rushed down the steps the where Kyle was waiting in his car."I'm sorry," were the first words Kyle said when I climbed into the passenger seat of his Mercedes."I panicked…Fuck." His face held the world of remorse.I wasn't angry with him, but he needed to stop hiding things from me.I understood why he did it, but I needed to make him understand why he had to stop doing it.Lowing my hood, I dusted off the flakes of snow that had landed on my shoulders before turning to face him and reaching for his hand."We've screwed this up before by not communicating.Let's not go down that path again." Stretching across my seat, I planted a soft kiss on his lips before pulling back."I'm not a porcelain doll, Kyle Carter." I rubbed my thumb over his lip and watched as he closed his eyes and sighed heavily."We're a team and I will help you when you're in trouble.Do you understand me? Consider me your Tails.""As in Sonic the hedgehog?" He grinned and shook his head in amusement."So, I'm Sonic and you're Tails?""What?" I said with a shrug as I sat back into my seat and fastened my seatbelt."Cam had a Gameboy when we were kids.It was the best analogy I could think of."Kyle smirked at me before revving the engine and speeding off."So, Tails," he mused as soon as we arrived in the hill."Where's our golden hoop?"He wasn't going to like this.I sighed heavily before saying, "I think he's at your father's house."Kyle slammed his hand on the blinkers and made a highly dangerous–highly illegal–U-turn."Goddammit.Why the hell would he go…""Because he's more than likely after reading the paper and freaking out over what David said about Cam," I said calmly.I had just about fallen off the couch when I opened the newspaper and read what David had said.Incapacitated.That stung.That hit me hard… "Take a deep breath and slow down.It will be okay, Kyle."I didn't believe a word of what I was saying.I had a really bad feeling about this.Dread was rising in my heart…****"I don't know if I can do this, Lee," Kyle muttered as he pulled the car to a stop outside the most prodigious house I'd ever seen.It was huge–at least four stories tall–snow white in color and completely intimidating.It was snowing heavily now and instead of making the property look endearing, the snow seemed to have the opposite effect.This was a cold home with no love…Kyle unfastened his seatbelt and drummed nervously on the steering wheel with his hands as his eyes flickered between the house and my face."I haven't been inside that house in eleven years…and Derek might not even be here."He was going to do this.I didn't need to coax him or persuade him to do this."I'm with you," was all I said and it seemed to break him out of his panic.His hand darted from the wheel to my chin."I know you are," he said in a soft contemplative tone of voice as he stroked my jaw with his thumb and nodded in what looked like determination."Come on, princess," he said as he opened his door."Let's do this shit."****Kyle"Stay calm," Lee coaxed in a soft tone of voice she stood by my side, with her small hand wrapped around mine, at the front door of what I liked to call the manor."I'm with you." I knew she was and that knowledge alone made the butterflies that were fluttering around my stomach die down.I would never admit it to Lee, but this place made me as uncomfortable as Thirteenth Street made her.I felt out of control here.I had no control here.This was his turf and I was unwanted.Standing on David Henderson's doorstep made me feel like a vulnerable twelve year old boy again.The last time I stood on these steps was with my grandfather, the day he brought me home.I quickly learned that day that I didn't have a dad and I never would have one.The look of revulsion on David Henderson's face when he looked at me was burnt into my memory.I would never forget the way that bastard had looked down his nose at me like I was a piece of shit on his shoe.I would never forget the words that came out of his mouth."Am I supposed to know who he is?" David scorned."You're not blind, David," Frank growled as he clamped his huge hand down on my shoulder."Open your damn eyes.His name is Kyle.Kyle Carter.His mother was Sarah Carter?"David looked straight in my eyes, his expression impassive, as he raised his brow and said, "Am I supposed to care?""Fuck you, asshole," I hissed, my temper getting the best of me."Calm down, Kyle," Frank coaxed as he stepped towards his son."This boy is your flesh and blood," he told David, his tone gruff."Please tell me you didn't know…" Frank's voice broke.He looked down at me with kind blue eyes, blinked back the tears that were pooling in them before facing his son once more."David, tell me you didn't know about him? Tell me you didn't knowingly allow your own son to spend nine years of his life as an orphan."David's brow rose in surprise.There was no flicker of any other emotion on his face besides a glint of amusement."So, she's dead?" he mused [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]