“Where are they now?”
“Freezing their asses off on the front porch. I wanted you to have the choice, so I shut the door in their faces. If I need to have Sheriff Bolton come out, I will.”
I knew my parents would come, but I never imagined it would be today. I’d hoped they would respect my wishes and coordinate a date and time. It was probably best to get this over with so I wouldn’t have to live with the dread hanging over my head. And if Sheriff Bolton got involved, he’d know I had a family. To everyone in Skagway, I was parentless.
I got dressed. “Okay, we’ll talk to them now.”
Hayden picked up his phone from the nightstand. “I want to have my brothers on standby. Just in case.”
That seemed a little dramatic. But after what my parents had pulled, I figured it made sense. “Okay. I’ll brush my teeth while you call them.”
My hands only shook a little as I put the toothpaste on the toothbrush. I sat down for a second to take a few deep breaths and calm down. I can do this. They have no control over me. With renewed strength, I brushed my teeth. I am strong. I can stand up to them. They have no power. All the same, I was scared. This was new territory to me. Leaving a confident voicemail and sending a strong email were entirely different than standing up to them face-to-face.
I brushed my hair before walking back into the bedroom. Hayden sat on the bed with a pensive look on his face. “Drake and Kane are on their way. They’re going to hang back unless we need them. I know it’s a bit over the top, but I don’t want to take a chance. Your parents blatantly ignored your wishes and just showed up uninvited.”
Yeah, they had. I had been naïve yesterday when I sent the email. “Maybe I shouldn’t have contacted them.”
“Don’t doubt yourself. I’m glad you felt confident enough to reach out to them. They aren’t going to start controlling you again. This is your life.”
“Our life,” I said.
He smiled. “Our life.”
That helped, but the worry still lingered. The last time I faced my parents, I was a different person.
Hayden reached over and released my lip. I didn’t realized I’d been biting it. “Everything will be okay.”
“Do you think they’ll try something?”
“They can try. They have no power over you, Kory. Remember that.”
Needing the comfort, I reached out and hugged Hayden. Without pause, he pulled me into his lap. “I never want to leave you. I want you to know that.”
“That’s good to hear, sweetheart.” Hayden’s phone vibrated. “Drake is here. Kane is still a few minutes out. You ready to see them?”
His phone vibrated again. “Dad’s coming, too.”
Now Ike was involved. I hated that. “I hope they don’t think I’m too much trouble.”
It wasn’t every day a girl with crazy parents came to town. It wasn’t the ideal catch for anyone’s son. But I’d seen his parents several times over the last week. Lunch with Amie had been really nice. I was beginning to feel as if I had a place within the Foster family. The last thing I wanted was to be set back.
Hayden’s hand cradled my face. “No, not at all. We protect our family.”
Protect. Parents were supposed to protect their children. But in this instance, my parents were the ones I needed protection against.
The fact that Hayden’s family treated me as one of their own after such a short amount of time was almost overwhelming. They were a true family who loved each other. And I would give that to my kids one day… unconditional love.
I took a deep breath.
Hayden asked, “You ready?”
This time I was. I am strong enough to stand up to them. “Yes.”
Hayden stood, and I leaned up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “Thank you.”
“I’d do anything for you.”
I pressed my lips against his once more. With him by my side, anything was possible. Hand in hand, we walked down the stairs. My heart sped up as we approached the front door. They can’t make me do anything I don’t want to do. Arriving this soon seemed a desperate move on their part. Regardless, I was never going back.
Never.
Hayden reached for the door, but I touched his hand. “Let me.”
I needed to be in control of the situation. It was time for me to stand up to them. For my show of strength, I got an approving smile in return, but there was an underlying worry in his features. I touched his face. “Nothing they can say will take me away from you.”
“I just don’t want you hurt.”
Neither did I. But that wasn’t something I was able to guarantee, so I remained silent. I took a deep breath and opened the door. My parents stared back at me. For a second, I thought I saw a smile on my mother’s face, but it melted away, leaving her face etched in stone. Dad had dark circles underneath his eyes. For a moment, no one said anything. It was like they wanted to speak but held themselves back. It was a familiar feeling; so many times I’d felt this growing up.
“Mother, Father. I’m surprised to see you. What brings you to Skagway?”
Mother shook her head. “Trying to save our daughter.”
Trying to save me. That wasn’t the answer I’d been expecting.
“What?” I asked.
My father stepped forward. “Can we come in? We need to talk, but this isn’t something we can discuss on the front porch.”
Something was definitely not right, but I couldn’t tell if they were playing a game or not.
Hayden looked at me, and I squared my shoulders. “I’m not leaving. I’m not going back or marrying Landon. My decision is final. Please don’t try to talk me into this. The merger can happen without us marrying.”
Dad’s shoulders sagged; he looked defeated. “We figured as much, which makes it imperative for you to know the truth. You may change your mind.”
Change my mind? All eyes were on me as they waited for my decision. “I’ll hear you out, but my decision is final. It doesn’t matter what you say, I won’t go home.”
“Just hear us out, please,” Mother asked.
I couldn’t remember the last time I heard my mother say please. I was taken aback.
The way Mother’s face turned grim seemed all wrong to me. Is this just a different approach to manipulating me? I turned to face Hayden; his eyebrow was cocked as he watched them. My mind raced with possibilities of what could be wrong, but I came up empty.
I opened the door wider. “Okay. Come in.”
Before they had a chance to cross the threshold, Hayden’s arm shot across the doorway and halted their entry. “Don’t try anything or you’ll be asked to leave. Forcibly, if necessary.” Hayden’s tone was harsh and filled with warning.
“Understood,” my father said.
We walked into the living, and I stayed close to Hayden. Having him near helped center me. My parents sat on the couch, and I took the chair across from them. They were the picture of a Leave It to Beaver family; Mother in her pearls and cardigan, Father in his custom suit. It was unnerving how perfect they looked yet how broken we were as a family. I didn’t believe they understood what the word casual meant.
Hayden texted something into his phone while he propped himself on the arm of the chair I was seated in. He was probably communicating with his family. To hide my nerves, I crossed my legs and intertwined my fingers.
My parents are here.
And it hadn’t started off well.
As we stared at each other, I wondered where it all went wrong. As a child, I’d had glimpses of happiness, baking with my mother and catching a ball with my father. Something had changed right after my fifth birthday. They’d become cold and unloving. Instead of Mom and Dad, they requested I only called them Mother and Father.
I cleared my throat, my manners taking over. “Mother, Father, this is my boyfriend, Hayden.” I looked at Hayden. “This is my mother, Margerie, and my father, Tate.”
They gave cursory nods. I imagined they already met earlier. The
room fell silent, so I prompted, “You mentioned trying to save me. Can you be a little more specific?”
Father took the lead, which was unusual when communicating with me. “Kory, your mother and I implore you to come back home with us. It’s for your safety.”
I shook my head. “I hope you really don’t expect me to fall for this. I’m not leaving. I meant what I said in my emails, voicemail, and just now while you were on the front porch.” I blew out a breath, and Hayden touched my shoulder. I am strong. I can do this. They cannot make me do anything. Staring at my parents as if seeing them for the first time, I finally felt the words I had been chanting become reality.
My mother’s stone-cold features were harsh. We’d always been similar in looks, but our personalities were exactly the opposite.
How can I be their child? We were worlds apart.
We stared at each other, no one saying a word. It was a tactic my parents had used on me many times to get me to succumb to their demands. And generally, I cracked and conformed to whatever notion they expected of me.
This time was different. And it felt incredible to truly believe in myself.
My mother must have sensed my determination, and she sighed in defeat. Again, I saw something more than the impenetrable force from her. Dad looked at her, and they had a silent conversation right there in front of me. Whatever they communicated, my father agreed with one stiff nod and focused back to me.
Dread began to set in. Whatever they were about to say was going to be terrible. I knew it.
And I had a feeling this next part wasn’t about manipulation. Something in my gut told me that my world would be forever changed by their words.
My muscles stiffened.
“Kory, I know things haven’t been normal through your childhood since about the time you turned five. There’s a reason behind all this.”
So they knew. “What’s that?”
“We’re… it’s…” Father adjusted his collar. “There’s a reason your entire childhood had been planned, regimented. There’s a purpose for you. We had planned to tell you over these next fifteen months as you assumed your role beside Landon.”
My role beside Landon? I waited for them to explain further. Father scrubbed a hand down his face and shook his head. But I wanted answers. “Father, what’s going on?”
“You’ve been groomed to take your place by Landon in the Fraternity.”
“‘Fraternity’? Like for college?”
Father shook his head. “No. We’re an order. An organization of sorts.”
What. The. Hell.
My mouth opened, but nothing came out.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Hayden
An organization of sorts?
I watched Tate’s every move to determine if he was lying. From what I could tell, he appeared to be telling the truth. His eyes never darted left or right, his posture wasn’t twitchy, and he had a casual confidence about him that backed up his words. But he’d spent a lifetime pretending not to care about Kory, so I imagined he could put on a good show.
Kory hadn’t moved since her dad responded. It was as if time stood still, and she was frozen. I couldn’t imagine what was going on in her head. My girl was strong, but this weird shit was rocking her world.
Still, no one said anything. So I took the lead. “What do you mean by ‘an organization of sorts’? What does that involve?”
Tate looked at me. “It means everything. We ensure our financial futures—and by doing so, ensure the future of the Fraternity. Everything is carefully planned out. If necessary, we make arrangements that are most suitable for our leaders. Financial arrangements, economic arrangements…marriage arrangements. It’s survival of the fittest.”
“Are you leaders in this Fraternity? Am I… considered a future leader?” Kory was apparently still stunned and barely able to get out the questions.
Again, her father responded, “No, your mother and I are not. For lack of a better term, we’d be considered board members by comparison. However, Landon will be our next leader. And you are meant to be the future leader’s wife.”
I gritted my teeth and focused on remaining calm. She’s meant to be my wife, asshole. Wait. What the hell? Wife? I hadn’t meant to go there, but I guess I just did. Later, I would process that thought. Stay calm and levelheaded just like when you fly.
The way her father spoke about it without any emotion was beyond me. It was nearly impossible to process this and keep up with what question needed to be asked next.
“W-wife?” Kory’s voice shook.
I touched Kory’s shoulder, and she looked up at me. I mouthed, “You and me.”
Kory took a deep breath and visibly relaxed. I kept eye contact for a minute more before I focused back on her parents. There was no chance in hell she was going to marry that asshole. Over my dead body.
“Yes, a lot of money has gone into preparing for this,” her father calmly stated.
Who the fuck cares?
Kory gasped, and I ground my teeth together. Stay on task. Blowing up won’t get the answers we need. I asked, “Does Landon know?”
“Yes,” her dad replied. Again, his face was unreadable. “He’s been groomed for this role his entire life.”
Bastard. His email had been playing Kory, trying to bait her into trusting him with her location. “So, he hasn’t fallen in love with a girl in Europe?”
Digging for information from these people was starting to piss me off. Spit it out and stop playing games.
Her father adjusted his suit jacket. “No, he doesn’t have anyone. Landon just wanted Kory to tell him where she was. He was going to come and bring her back. By force, if necessary.”
By force? What kind of dick was he to take a woman against her will? I needed to stay calm. If I reacted with a hot head, it wouldn’t help our situation. But it was seriously getting harder to stay in check. “Does Landon know where she is now?”
Without missing a beat, he said, “Not yet. But he will. We’ll have to advise him upon our return. I would rather not, but we have no choice.”
I stood towering over them. “I’m losing my patience with this bullshit. I suggest you start explaining what’s going on. She’s your fucking daughter. Why on earth would you tell him?”
Her dad shook his head, appearing calm and collected. “You don’t get it. We have no choice.” Her dad’s voice began to rise. “Do you think I want this for my daughter?” His agitation grew, breaking through his calm and cool facade. “Do you think it didn’t kill me every day to see how miserable she was when that spoiled little shit walked into our house? The moment he saw her swinging in the backyard, he claimed my daughter as his. She was five years old. I had grown my company too big, too fast, and Landon’s father wanted a piece of it.” He paced back and forth, his desperation finally clear. “I had no choice. Just like her mother and I had no choice to be in the Fraternity. Our parents were part of it, which means we’re part of it.” He held out his hands. “None of us has a choice. Kory is part of it.”
Kory’s lip trembled, and her voice broke. “I want a choice. I don’t want that life.”
Upsetting Kory wasn’t my point. The fear in her voice eased my temper some, and it seemed to affect her father, as well, and he sat back down on the couch. I saw something more—was that love?—when he looked at his daughter. Because of that softening of his stance, I slowly lowered myself back down onto the arm of the chair.
Kory cradled her face in her hands and shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
Her mother touched her father’s arm, and he nodded. He and I were too worked up right now to continue. “Kory, honey, Landon wants you to help him lead our people. When you were little, we had his parents over for dinner. They brought Landon, who was about eight at the time. You have to understand—we had no say in the matter. Once he claimed you, we could either agree or die. His parents have been grooming him to be leader since he could talk. After that night, we were told exactly ho
w we had to raise you. Landon and his parents directed everything—even down to the way we treated you. You’re expected to produce heirs—future leaders for the Fraternity. Many leaders. That’s why the wedding was to take place when it was. Your doctors believed you would be at your peak time to conceive.”
What. The. Fuck.
I gripped the chair tight. “Over my fucking dead body.”
Kory put a gentle hand on my leg and mouthed my words back to me. Still, I could see the fear in the depths of her beautiful blue eyes. Kory shook her head and looked back at her mother. “My gynecologist was involved?”
“She’s part of the Fraternity. Actually, she was brought on to monitor every aspect of your health and make sure you were okay.”
For a second Kory’s eyes lost focus. “I can’t believe it. She shared everything about me.”
The lack of denial confirmed it. I balled my right fist off the side of the couch where Kory couldn’t see it. The depth of their betrayal was unbelievable. I wasn’t a father, but I knew for certain there would never be a price tag attached to my child.
“Landon wanted to make sure you were okay. It’s considered a great honor to be chosen.”
A great honor? These people were unbelievable. Kory’s own mother was justifying his actions.
There was no way in hell Landon was taking Kory from me. No way in hell. And I would fucking kill him if he thought she would be having his children. I squeezed Kory’s shoulder in reassurance. “That isn’t happening.”
Kory looked up at me with those big blue eyes, and I could tell she was scared—even more so than before. I reassured her again. “It’s not happening. As long as you want to stay here, you’re staying here.”
Sniffles from across the couch brought me up short. Her mother dabbed a tear, then arranged her features into some semblance of calm. “I tried to not get attached. I knew this day would come. But I see you so happy, and it’s killing me. We were told if we didn’t comply, they’d kill us and still take you. I never imagined the Fraternity capable of this. I mean, yes, they’ve done things, but… I just don’t know.”
Wrecked for You Page 13