“The police would have found her.”
“In how long? Two months? Three? That’s not good enough. Don’t you remember when she first came to us? She was starved. She had no clothes. I can’t wait for the cops to get their act together. I need her back now and I don’t give a shit what it’s going to cost me.”
Noah’s back straightens as his eyes narrow on me. “What did you agree to?”
“I…”
“Answer the fucking question, Henley. What did he make you do?”
I let out a breath before raising my chin and owning it like a bad bitch, despite my heavy heart. “I agreed to take over the ‘family business’ seeing as though Rivers isn’t around to do it. If he’s able to find Ari and return her to me, then I will move into his home after the summer and he will train me until I’m competent to take over his Empire.”
I have witnessed Noah in some of his worst moments. I have stood by his side and watched as his heart shattered when thinking he was going to be a father, I’ve been there when he thought he’d lost his best friend and when he’d lost his home, but none of that compares to the way he’s looking at me now.
I reach out and rest my hand against his face, hating the way he seems so broken. “It was her freedom or mine and I will choose hers every damn time.”
He nods, understanding exactly what I’m saying because had he been the one in my position, he would have done exactly the same thing. In fact, when he was in my position, he did. He chose to take Anton’s deal just as I had done and if Anton finds my sister and brings her home to me, I’d happily stand by his side as his daughter and run his horrendous empire.
“He knew you were his daughter?” Noah murmurs.
I nod. “He’s known all along. He said it’s part of the reason he let you go.”
“You should have told me. I would have come with you. The thought of you going in there alone…”
“I guess it doesn’t matter. If he finds her, I’ll be moving in and you know just as well as I do that you couldn’t have come with me. Had he seen you walk into his home, he never would have let you out again.”
Noah’s jaw clenches. He knows I’m right but isn’t ready to start admitting anything. “And what if he doesn’t find her? What about college?”
“If he doesn’t find her, we’re on our own with a slim chance of ever getting her back. He’ll forget about the deal and forget about me, but then I’ll most likely be left forgetting about my sister.”
Noah’s arms wrap firmly around me, pulling me in hard against his chest. “It’s going to be alright. We’ll figure this shit out.” He presses a kiss to my cheek and repeats himself, though it sounds more like a promise to himself. “You’re going to be ok, Spitfire. I’ll work this out.”
The sound of a door opening draws my attention and I look back towards my house, only the door is firmly closed. It’s not until a shadow casts across the neighbor's yard that I see Rocko standing in his open doorway, staring me down. “Shit. We better get inside.”
“Why?” Noah questions slowly and suspiciously, staring across the yard and taking in the furious glare overtaking Rocko’s features.
“I had to get Anton’s address one way or another.”
“Shit, Henley,” Noah groans as he gets up and helps me to my feet, closing my car door in the process. “What did you do?”
“Nothing that he wouldn’t have done himself,” I grumble. “Besides, I consider it payback for him kidnapping me and dragging me into the woods.”
“I’d already gotten payback for that.”
“True, but you beating the shit out of him made you feel better. Letting him think that I’m two seconds away from opening a major artery, well that made me feel better, a shitload better.”
“Come on,” he says, taking my hand and threading his fingers through mine. “Let me get you inside. It’s freezing out here and Tully has been waiting to kick your ass since she rocked up here and realized it was you driving away and not our mom.”
“You didn’t tell dad I was gone, did you?”
Noah scoffs. “Do I look like the kind of guy who’s asking for a death wish? He’s under enough stress right now. He doesn’t need to know his daughter was spending the night hanging out with Anton Mathers.”
“Fair call,” I tell him as we make our way inside my home.
Just as he had said, Tully launches at me and instantly reprimands me for sneaking out when I should have been home resting while Noah gets stuck into his explanation of where I’ve been for the past hour, letting his sister’s anger fuel his own. I sit and listen as there’s really nothing else to do, and honestly, I simply don’t have the strength left to argue or defend my actions.
Once they’ve said everything they need to say and Noah has calmed down, he sends me into my room, hoping I can manage to get a little bit of sleep. Still wanting to keep searching for Ari, Noah heads right back out, hoping he can find her before Anton does so he can save me from a life of regret.
Tully climbs into bed beside me and her exhaustion instantly has her falling asleep. I sit up in bed, staring into the darkness while finding it impossible to close my eyes, as every time I do, I see visions of Ari screaming out for me, begging me to come and save her.
Not wanting to disturb Tully, I head back to the living room and sit on the couch, bundled up in a blanket and staring at the blank TV. I don’t know how long I sit there, but one minute, it’s the middle of the night, and the next, dad is walking through the door with the sun streaming in behind him.
He stands by the door for a long drawn out moment before a heavy sigh pulls from deep within. “I’m not going to lie, Squish. You look like shit.”
“Have you looked in a mirror lately?” I grumble. “You don’t exactly look as fresh as a daisy either.”
Dad presses his lips into a firm line as he walks forward and drops down onto the couch beside me and squeezes my leg. “Couldn’t sleep, huh?”
I shake my head. “How could I when Ari is out there?”
“I know,” he murmurs, leaning back into the couch and staring at the wall. “I’m feeling it too. I’ve been driving all night so I thought I’d come home, have a quick shower and something to eat before heading back out. I managed to find a few of Kelly’s old friends who gave me a lead, so I’m going to try that.”
“What kind of lead?”
“Her old dealer. If she falls off the wagon again, she’ll most likely go there and if I can manage to scare him enough, maybe he’ll tell me when he sees her and get some information.”
“Not a bad idea. Maybe you should take Noah with you. He has a certain charm for scaring people into doing what he wants.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
I shrug my shoulders. Now isn’t the best time to tell dad what Noah used to do for Anton for all those years. “Just give him a call. He’ll be able to help.”
“Alright,” he murmurs. “I’ll call him.”
I can’t resist leaning into his side and curling up into him and the second I do, the emotions become way too much. Tears begin running down my face and only manage to make me feel pathetic. I don’t know what it is but there’s something about being in a parent’s arms that make the emotions come tearing to the front. “I know, Squish,” Dad says, putting an arm around me and holding me tight. “Get it out.”
He lets me cry into his shirt and when the tears finally run their course, I pull away, letting out a deep breath and hating how weak I feel. I wipe the backs of my hands across my face, drying my face while finding the nerve to come clean to dad.
“I need to tell you something,” I murmur. “And at first, you’re going to be really mad and then you’ll be hurt, but hopefully by the end, you’ll be able to understand that I did what I had to do because I love Ari so goddamn much.”
Dad’s brows draw down as he looks at me in confusion. “What are you talking about, Henley?”
Henley. Not Squish. Shit.
Thought
s swirl through my mind. How the hell am I going to tell him this? The only way it will even remotely make sense is if I come clean about him not being my father and that’s going to kill him. Now really isn’t the time to be having that conversation but then he needs to know that Anton is out there searching for his baby. He needs to have hope.
“I, um…shit. Dad, I really don’t want you to hate me.”
“Henley, I could never hate you. I could be mad as hell but you’re my daughter and I love you with everything that I am. Now, spit it the fuck out.”
“I snuck out last night and went to Anton Mathers. He’s going to find Ari.”
Dad doesn’t move a single muscle. “What have you done? Anton…Anton Mathers? How the hell do you know that man? Do you even know who he really is? What kind of horrendous things he’s done?”
“Dad…please just hear me out.”
“From the beginning, Henley. I want to know every fucking detail of how my daughter could get herself wound up with a man like that.”
I drop my head into my hands and clench my eyes, hating what I have to tell him. “It started when you told me about my mom. About Gina.”
“Gina?” he grunts. “What the hell does she have anything to do with this?”
“I sort of…ah, sought her out and met her.”
Dad looks stumped as he watches me in silence, so I continue on, knowing all the Gina bullshit is just touching the surface. “Gina is currently doing time in prison for leading a prostitution ring and Anton…well, he was the husband that Gina cheated on when she got together with you.”
Dad’s face turns a ghostly shade of white. “Excuse me? Don’t fucking tell me that I slept with Anton Mathers’ wife?”
“Ahh…yeah.”
“FUCK! What the fuck was I thinking? I’m a dead man walking. How on earth did I get away with that? Anton has killed men for so much less.”
“They needed you alive,” I tell him. “They didn’t want me so they gave me to you.”
“That man has known who you are your whole life?” I nod and dad falls back into the couch once again. “Shit, Henley. I just need a minute to wrap my head around all this.”
I cringe. “Dad…I haven’t even got to the main stuff yet. That was just a warm up.”
“You can’t tell me it gets much worse than that?”
“So much worse.”
I cringe again. “Well…Noah, Tully, and I sort of broke into Gina’s home and found mine and Rivers’ birth certificates.” I look across at dad, looking into his eyes which are so much like Ari’s, absolutely hating what I have to do next. “Dad,” I sigh. “Gina lied. You’re not my father. Anton is.”
His mouth drops open as though he’s going to say something but no sound comes out so I give him a moment, reaching over and taking his hand as a lone tear slides down my face. “How can you be sure?” dad questions in a devastatingly broken tone.
“There was a DNA test done a few days after I was born. She knew, dad. They both knew and still decided to give me up anyway.”
Dad leans forward, elbows on his knees as he sinks his face into his hands. “I can’t…I can’t deal with this right now, Squish. I…I can’t be thinking about this while your sister is still out there.”
“I know,” I tell him. “I didn’t intend to hurt you or to make this harder, but you needed to understand why I went to him. He can find her. He can bring her home so much quicker than any of us could. He has the money to throw around and he’s in the pocket of every cop in town. He’s resourceful and I believe he will find her.”
“How can you be so sure? Why would he want to do a favor for you? You’re the kid he threw away.”
I ignore the way that comment stings and get on with it. “Because I have something he wants.”
Dad’s head turns in his hands as he takes me in slowly. “What could you possibly have that a man like Anton would need?”
“Me, dad. He wants me.”
Dad’s back straightens as he watches me with deep confusion. "Excuse me?”
“After the summer, if he finds Ari and brings her home, then I’m to move into his home where he can train me to one day take his place within his business. He’s only willing to give his position up if he has a blood relative to step into his shoes and with Rivers now away in the military, it leaves only me.”
“No,” dad says, shaking his head. “You can’t do it. We’ll get her back another way.”
“I’ve already agreed, dad. I have no choice. It’s her freedom or mine and I’d rather she be home with you than out in the world with Kelly. I’ll be ok. So what? I’ll probably see a few things that no eighteen year old girl should ever see, but I’ll be safe. I’ll be under Anton’s protection and I’ll be happy because Ari will be home with you. It’s going to be ok, daddy. You have to believe that it’s going to be ok.”
Dad shakes his head as he gets up off the couch. “I’m sorry, Henley, but none of this is ok.”
With that, he walks straight out the door, letting it slam shut behind him.
Chapter 5
“Come on,” Tully says, getting up from the couch and grabbing my arm. She hauls me up behind her with a loud groan. “I’m sick of this. You’re wasting away sitting here like this. I’m getting you out of the house.”
“No,” I say, snatching my hand back out of her tight grip. “I can’t. Not when things are like this. We still have no idea where Ari is and dad hates me. He hasn’t talked to me in days. It’s like I’m a stranger living in his home.”
“You can and you will,” she tells me, setting her jaw in a firm line and trying to pull that ‘I’m so fucking intimidating’ bullshit with me, but she should know better by now. That won’t work on me. “Your doctor gave you clearance yesterday, your head is fine, and you’re being a complete bitch being holed up in here. It’s been four days; you need some fresh air.”
“I don’t want fresh air. I want to stay here in case the phone rings and if…”
“And if what? If she comes back?” My eyes cast down, giving me away. “Henley…she’s five. If by some miracle she managed to get away, it’s highly unlikely that she’ll know her way back and not to mention, people don’t call landlines anymore; that’s what your cell is for. Besides, you’re not being helpful when you’re like this. You need to take a break and get a little air before you start pushing people away.”
“I’ve not been that bad.”
“Yeah…you have. Now find yourself a pair of shoes. We’ll go for a walk and you can clear your head.”
I shake my head as I pull myself up off the couch, the very place which my ass has been taking residence for the past four days. How could this bitch make me do this? There’s nothing worse than having to get up and be a part of society when all you want to do is curl up on the couch and be a nobody.
The past four days have been horrendous. I haven’t spoken to dad since he walked out after learning about my deal with the devil and I’ve hardly seen Noah as he’s been beating the shit out of every single person he knows who could possibly give him the slightest hint as to where my little sister is.
Dad has been in and out of the house, searching all day and then hounding the cops at night because they should be doing more. Noah’s been out, Aiden and Spencer have been out, hell, even Eddison too. Tully and Violet have basically moved into my home and have done their best to keep me alive.
Tully has literally shoved food down my throat and stripped me naked before throwing me in a shower while Violet scurries around the house, trying to keep my hopes up while all I can manage to do is picture Ari screaming out for me, wondering why I couldn’t stop them from taking her. Shit, she’s probably so scared. I wonder if she’s been eating or sleeping? If they’ve even bothered to give her some decent clothes.
My little Ari. How could I let this happen?
I managed to sleep a few hours last night and the second I closed my eyes, I dreamed about my future; what it would be like when I’m trapped under
Anton’s thumb. I’ll be a pawn in his disgusting game and the thought makes me sick, but just as I said to dad, I’d happily take the spot by Anton’s side if it meant finding and bringing Ari home safe.
I head down to my room and pull out a shirt and shorts. I look like absolute shit but I can’t find it within me to care.
“Hurry up, Henley,” Tully calls from the living room. “Or I’ll leave without you.”
“Good. Go.”
Tully appears in my doorway two seconds later. “I’m not above coming in there and putting a bitch in her place. Now, hurry the fuck up and start acting like a decent human being before I’m forced to go ape on your ass.”
I roll my eyes and let out a huff. “Fine. Whatever. I’m coming.”
“Good…and would it kill you to put a brush through your hair? You look like shit.”
Geez! Thanks, Tully. Love you too.
I emerge from my room a few moments later and I have to give my crazy best friend a little credit as despite the pain shattering my heart, getting up off the couch and getting myself dressed and presentable goes a long way in making me feel somewhat alive.
I find Tully waiting by the door and she loops her arm through mine as I pass her, making sure I can’t run off and leave her in my dust. She closes the door behind us and I find myself looking down at the pavement as she drags me along beside her.
We walk for about fifteen minutes, each of us lost inside our heads when she turns to me with deep curiosity in her eyes. “How are you feeling?”
I raise a brow. “Really? Out of everything you could have asked me, you ask me that?”
“Stop being such a bitch,” she tells me. “I miss her too, so answer the damn question.”
I let out a sigh. She’s right. Tully has been there for me the whole damn time and I’ve been acting like a bitch since the second Ari was taken. No one around me deserves that kind of bullshit, especially not Tully and Violet. I owe them both a massive apology, but it will have to wait until I get my little sister back because I have a feeling I’ll be snapping at everyone I love a little more and more every day until I have my sister safe in my arms.
Unbreakable: Haven Falls (Book 6) Page 4