“Minerva?”
Absolute horror clutches Minnie in a vise-like grip, her eyes nearly leaping out of their sockets. Ariel freaking jinxed her!
Heart heaving madly, Minnie turns to look over her shoulder. Of all the people who could have come to Rackers Butcher today, it just had to be him, didn’t it? Good lord, she’s not ready for this. Pasting a welcoming smile on her face, she says in greeting, “Hey, Daddy.”
Gage flinches beside her subtly, turning to see who Minnie has addressed. Something like panic is in his gaze, but he quickly hides it behind his usual neutral expression. Except this time, he doesn’t posture or try to seem more intimidating than usual. It’s almost as if he’s attempting to appear approachable.
As if he’s trying to disappear.
In the doorway stands Reginald Fray, looking crisp in his fine loafers and blue button-down shirt. His haircut is fresh from thelocal barber, salt and pepper hair done in modern style. At his wrist, his Rolex glitters. Gage’s eyes catch on that.
His eyes always catch on shiny things, like a magpie.
Leaving Gage’s side, Minnie goes to her father and hugs him, trying to hide her nerves, praying they’ll get through this unscathed. Her father is a natural protector of his daughters, and with Minnie’s past history, well, that only made himmoreprotective.
“Who is this?” Her father asks when they pull apart from their embrace, eyes stony and facecompletelydispleased.
Dangit, he’s not going to pretend to be pleasant about this. Not that she expected that of her father, who was always the loudest at Ariel’s childhood soccer games and always had something to say at parent-teacher conference nights.
When she was in high school, he once marched into the principal’s office and verbally took off their ear over the bullying Minnie received from peers due to her change in personality after her traumatic experience. He’d almost pulled her out and sent her to private school after that.
“My…um…” Minnie is frozen, trying to figure out what to say. Insecurity and embarrassment nag at her; while Gage assured her that he considered them exclusive the other night, but he’s a little old to be called aboyfriend. “He’s my friend.”Oh. That sounded lame, too. Weakly, she looks up at the tattooed man beside her, saying, “Gage. Meet my father. This is-”
Gage looks rather grim when he holds out his hand, saying neutrally, “Mr. Fray. Nice to meet you. I’m Gage Travers.”
Her father peers hard at his face and then glances down at the tattooed hand extended his way. Stiffly, he shakes Gage’s hand with a pained expression. Minnie knows he’s only doing it out of manners, because she can see he would rather not shake at all.
His demeanor is clear, and it pains her that Gage had to be subjected to this. He doesn’t saypleasure to meet you, becauseclearly, that would be a lie. Her father is pretty far from pleased, and his eyes drift to Minnie with a look that states he will be giving her a stern talking to.
“This isn’t the gentleman friend your mother mentioned to me, is it?” His tone is flat. “The one that she intends to have at our dining room table?”
Minnie blanches and Gage’s jaw flexes.
“Well. About that. We…um…what I meant to say…is…”
As she’s floundering for words that make sense, Gage firmly takes the proverbial reins and says, “I am.”
Minnie almost faints; he’s admitting they’re intimately involved in front of her father!? All while her father looks like he would like to call the police on him just for breathingnearMinnie?
Her father’s face darkens with disbelief, his eyes drifting over the prison tattoos. Minnie cringes inside, practically envisioning her father calling the sheriff to know every little thing there is to know about Gage within minutes of leaving this place. He’s close friends with police Captain Noweth, after all. He’ll call the bloody inquisition.
This is precisely what she feared.
Her father’s voice is tight as he stops beside her, uttering through a clenched jaw, “We’ll be speaking about this later, Minerva.” With that, he steps up to the counter and begins to speak to Mr. Rackers as if nothing ever happened.
Typical. She’s not off his mental list though. He’s simply not about to make a scene in front of Mr. Rackers, whom he has been a patron of for decades. She can feel the displeasure emanating from her father in waves.
Gage is staring at the door, jaw working. Discomfort and tension ooze from him, and Minnie feelsawful. Gently, she grabs his free hand and pulls him to the exit, trying not to hear the sound of her heart pounding frantically. Maybe he won’twant to have anything to do with her now that he’s met her father…
“I’m sorry about that,” Minnie says awkwardly as they stand outside. She doesn’t know what else to say or how to squash the feeling of mortification within her.
“Why? You don’t control him. I know what I am and what I look like,” he says coldly, face tight. A muscle in his jaw is ticking. “A man like that doesn’t want to think of his daughter with a man like me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” Minnie whispers softly, sorrow eating at her. She doesn’t want him to feel bad about himself because of her. “My father is just-”
A bitter scoff slips from his cruel mouth, the mouth she so loves to feel against her skin. The mouth that has brought her more pleasure than she’s ever had in years. “That’s just your opinion, isn’t it? Don’t make it fact. People just don’t like hard truths.”
The words are icy, harsh.
