When Emmy’s mom flinches, I get to my feet, my eyes moving between her and the door. “That’s her father.”
She nods. She glances over her shoulder before stepping inside, nudging the door closed behind her. She doesn’t stop until she’s opposite me, her hands lifting and hovering as she takes in Emmy’s face.
“Oh, Emilia.” Her voice shakes. “Sweetheart.”
But she flinches back as the door bangs open.
“Who the hell are you?”
I take my time turning to look.
Em’s dad is an imposing, tall man. Taller than me, if I had to guess. Broad, twice as wide as his wife. Neatly trimmed gray hair, clean-shaven and glaring as if I’m the one who put her in this bed. “She’s not accepting visitors. Please leave.”
My hands tighten on Emmy’s bedrail. “Did she tell you that? Because unless she does, I’m not going anywhere.”
His face purples. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but this is a family matter.”
He doesn’t miss when I shift to stand between him and Emmy, my arms crossing. “It’s funny, because I know you.”
Em’s father assesses me again, dismissing me. “We’ve never met.”
“Maybe not. But I know an abusive bastard when I see one.”
Emmy’s mother sucks in a breath, but she doesn’t say anything as her husband steps up to me, pushing into my space.
I don’t move. “Don’t try to intimidate me. It won’t work. You haven’t evenlookedat her. Take a good look at what you’ve done.”
Glowering, he doesn’t move. “I wasn’t here. Had no idea where Emilia was, since she ran away and left her mother heartbroken.”
“Because you left her with a fuckingmonster!” My voice rises in fury to match his, our words bouncing off the walls. “Because instead of protecting her, you protectedhim. Throwing money at her for every fucking injury instead of keeping her safe. How much would you have given if he’d murdered her? How much is your daughter’s life worth?”
All the rage inside me comes pouring out. “You had one fucking job, you son of a bitch. And you failed her in every way that matters.”
It doesn’t even register. “I’m calling security. This is ridiculous.”
“You don’t deserve to call yourself a father.” I get in his way when he attempts to push past me. “Try to go near her when she hasn’t given you permission and I will throw you out of this room. I hope you try it. I’m not as much of an easy target as your wife and daughter.”
He eyes me, clearly assessing how serious I am. “You have no idea what being a father looks like.”
“Shows how much you fucking know. Back off.Now.”
I turn just enough to face Em’s mother, keeping his ruddy, apoplectic face in my line of sight. “You’re welcome to wait here. But he stays outside until Emilia says he can come in.”
“I’m her next of kin,” he says tightly. “You can’t keep me out.”
“No, you’re not.” The quiet words from behind us have his mouth falling open as he turns to his wife. She draws herselfupright, glancing down at Emmy before her lips press together. “I’m her named contact, not you. Please wait outside for me, George.”
Her gaze flicks to mine, and away. “I don’t want to upset her anymore. Please.”
Nodding, I look at him. At his seething face. “You heard her.”
It’s only as the door bangs that I realize what she meant. As I look down, following her line of sight. My heart turns over in my chest.
“Em?”
56
Emmy
