“So, you want to marry my daughter,” he started off, staring me down.
“Yes,” I replied, staring right back. He didn’t frighten me. I frightened him, and he hid that well.
“Why?” he asked out next.
“She needs protection. I know for a fact that the man you previously had lined up backed out after she went missing. I’m not afraid of threats,” I replied, leaning forward. “Whoever was behind her kidnappingwillstrike again. I have the means to keep her safe, no matter where she is.”
“Even in my own home?” he said, fighting to roll his eyes. He didn’t believe me, but who wouldn’t if they were trying to get rid of their own daughter? I had an inkling that this man here was the brains behind the girl’s disappearance.
“Even here,” I said, leaning back in my seat. “I can set up eyes and ears around this house and the church. No one would know but you and me.”
“Alright,” he sighed out, almost like he knew he was out of options himself. “Have you met her before?”
“Nope.” The lie slipped out without a second thought. “I’ve seen her picture, but who hasn’t?”
“Everyone has. Makes keeping her safe a bit tougher,” he laughed. That was true, but there was nowhere safer than with me.
He then invited me to stay for dinner, and there wasn’t a reason why I should not accept. It gave me the perfect reason to see Avidya again. Cody didn’t say much else about her, but that was okay. Whatever he would have to say wouldn’t do her justice, or wouldn’t be who she was. She was so much more than the simple well-mannered girl this couple had raised.
During dinner, my anger was nearly boiling over at how Avidya was treated by her father. It was glaring obvious that she was not of the same blood. She was too pure. Even her mother was stuck up, given she was probably just trying to live her life as well as she could with being married to a man that was demanding and keeping his secrets to himself.
Avidya, though, took everything better than I expected. Either she was just used to how her father was, that his words no longer had much effect on her, or she was somewhere else mentally. I was pretty sure it was a mixture of both. How much damage had Cody caused her?
I couldn’t wait to have her in my home and find out who she truly was. She’d be mine soon enough.
