“Does that mean you didn’t know about the real will?”
“No one knew about that,” Rick says. “Dad may have reconsidered tampering with your birth control if he’d known you’d forfeit your shares to your father if you got pregnant and didn’t marry the baby daddy, because it was an uncalculated risk.”
“I didn’t know about any of this,” Kai says, eyeballing me. “Or the fact Dad was planning on taking you that night and holding us both hostage until the baby was born and we got married.”
That doesn’t surprise me. I only wish Atticus had succeeded where Louis did. “Except my father got the better of him again, and he got to me first,” I say.
Kai sinks to his knees in front of me. “I was fucking terrified of what he’d do to you.” He anxiously scans my face. “And I was ready to burn down his fucking house, to put a bullet through his skull, if he didn’t tell me where he was keeping you, but he outwitted us all again.”
“Because he blamed your family for the shootout and paid off his buddies to issue warrants for your arrests.”
Kai shakes his head. “Our contacts have already made that go away.”
“They have?” I frown, because I don’t recall Charlie telling me that. “So why are you hiding out here then?”
Kai casts a glance at Rick over his shoulder. “You didn’t tell her?”
“Thought it was best she heard it from you.”
“Heard what? What don’t I know?” My gaze bounces between them.
“Your father wants to protect his interests. To ensure I’m not around to marry you.”
“I don’t understand.” All the tiny hairs lift on the back of my neck, and my sixth sense already knows I will not like this.
“Your father has put a hit out on me, Abby. If he finds me, I’m dead.”
CHAPTER NINE
My brain hurts. I don’t understand, and it makes little sense. But that’s because I’m trying to apply logic, and logic won’t work because my father is a psychopath.
I don’t just throw that out there in jest.
I’ve Googled it, and he meets the definition, and some.
According to stats I read, over thirty percent of executives in senior level positions in business display psychopathic tendencies.
Go figure.
Michael Hearst definitely falls into that categorization, and, in his psychotic brain, Atticus is the devil incarnate who needs taking down on multiple levels. There’s no doubt in my mind that’s why he did it. And it’s why he wants Kai dead.
My hatred for Atticus Anderson intensifies. His meddling has hurt me on several fronts, and I will never forgive him or his older sons for how they’ve fucked up my already fucked-up life.
Kai stares at me, watching my brain fail to compute everything. My emotions are veering all over the place. I hate him as much as I love him, but I don’t want him to die. I don’t wantanyoneto die, because then justice hasn’t prevailed.
“Well, that sucks,” I admit, once I’ve gotten my wayward emotions under control. His face contorts in annoyance. “What? Did you think your little dramatic statement would have me declaring undying love?” I cross my arms over my chest, and the motion reminds me I’m still in a towel. “Because, news flash.” I poke his solid chest with the end of one finger. “I still fucking hate your guts.”
“He didn’t know, Abby,” Rick says, coming to his brother’s defense.
“I’m adding that to my list too!” I glower at Rick. Kai’s brow creases in confusion, and conflicting emotions briefly flash on his face. I lean in close. “You may not have known about the plan to get me pregnant, but you still lied to me. For months! You fucked me knowing I had no clue who you were! You held me in your arms at night all the while you were betraying me.”
I rise, stepping around him, adopting a cold, harsh glare. “I found it in my heart to forgive you for the callous way you treated me at the start, but I can’t forgive you for this.” I put my face all up in his again. “Iwon’tforgive you for this. You’re already dead to me.”
Before he can respond, another hulking form enters the room claiming our attention. Sawyer is wearing black jeans and a tight-fitting black button-down shirt with his hair styled back in his usual fashion, looking perfectly poised and presentable, as he strides across the room to me. He thrusts his arm out, flipping his palm up. “Hand it over.”
Kai rises, watching the interaction between me and his friend with sharp eyes.
“Hello to you too,” I deadpan, tipping my head to the side.
